OASAS-Sponsored SOR Trainings at OTI

Certified professionals can learn the latest evidence-based models, principles, and techniques in addiction and behavioral health treatment at Outreach Training Institute (OTI). Participants can earn CASAC hours, as well as Continuing Education Hours for Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, and Marriage and Family Therapists.

OTI’s experienced team of trainers, the majority of whom work in the field, offer students an informative and valuable skills-building experience. Courses feature overviews of evidence-based practice models such as Seeking Safety and Motivational Interviewing, two of our most popular and in-demand courses.

Professional Development Training for your Organization

- Faculty are also available to provide training in settings within the community via live video conference: schools, social service organizations, healthcare facilities, and more. Please click the button below to learn more information and our course listing of available opportunities. If you and your employer are interested in hosting a professional development training specifically for your organization, you can directly request information and quotes by e-mailing the training institute director.

Liliane Drago, MA, CASAC, MAC
Director, Outreach Training Institute
lilianedrago@opiny.org

SOR Training

Free training for staff working in OASAS-licensed programs in New York State via OASAS-Funded State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant-Funded Training. All courses provide continuing education hours for CASAC, SW, MHC, and MFT!

Training for all staff working in OASAS-licensed programs in New York State are available at no charge under the OASAS SOR grant. SOR funded agencies throughout New York State will be prioritized, and others can also be admitted space permitting. Please see a listing of the trainings currently scheduled.

Important: Outreach Training Institute has transitioned to a new Learning Management System, Digital Chalk. As part of the registration process, you will be asked to create an account. To apply for any of the courses, you will need to complete a separate registration form for each course. You will receive a response to confirm your enrollment. Please save your login credentials, as you will need them to access the training and future certificates or course registrations.

SOR REGISTRATION LINK

December

Medications for Addiction Recovery – (3 Hours)

This training will provide participants with knowledge and skills needed to counsel individuals on the use of addiction medications.

Date:Tuesday December 9, 2025
Time:2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Trainer: Gina Stafford

Registration Deadline: December 5, 2025

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Cultural Trauma – (3 hours)

The goal of this class is to help participants understand cultural trauma, increase their sensitivity to people who have experienced cultural trauma, and to enable them to be responsive to cultural trauma .

Date: Wednesday December 17, 2025
Time:2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Trainer:Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor

Registration Deadline: October 15, 2025

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DBT Skills and Protocol Overview – (3 hours)

The training will give a brief overview of the research base of DBT in the treatment on Borderline Personality DO, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders and the protocol of high fidelity DBT. The remainder of the time to explain the five DBT skill sets: Mindfulness, Self-Validation, Emotion Regulation, Interpersonal Effectiveness, & Distress Tolerance.

Date:Thursday December 18, 2025
Time:2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Trainer:Gretchen Grappone, LICSW, Adjunct Instructor

Registration Deadline: December 15, 2025

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January

Ethics & Professional Boundaries (3 hours)

This training will review risk and protective factors for overdose to improve clinicians’ overdose risk assessment skills. The training will also review overdose prevention and safety planning and universal safety tips clients can implement immediately to reduce overdose risk.

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor

Registration Deadline: January 2, 2026

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Suicide Assessment and Intervention (3 hours)

This training will provide participants with the knowledge and ablility to identify patients who are at risk of suicide and formulate effective interventions to address possible suicidal behaviors.

Date: Thursday January 8, 2026
Time: 2:00 pm – 5:00pm
Trainer: Dr. Dayna Smith Slade, CSAC (VA), MAC, SAP, MA, MS, Adjunct Instructor

Registration Deadline: January 2, 2026

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Cultural Competence in SUD Treatment (3 hours)

What culture is and how it impacts clients in treatment and the counseling relationship is examined in the course. The importance of understanding cultural differences and how to develop culturally relevant treatment is explored. The course uses didactic presentation, small and large group discussion, and film.

Date: Tuesday January 13, 2026
Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Trainer: Dolores Jewell, PhD, JD, Adjunct Instructor

Registration Deadline: January 7, 2026

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Motivational Interviewing Tune-Up (3 hours)

The course teaches the core theory, assumptions, spirit, and fundamental skills of MI. Didactic presentation, discussion, film, and “real play” practice is used.