Training at Prevention First

This interactive training equips youth development professionals, mentors, and community leaders with strategies to foster and amplify youth voice as a driving force for community change. Participants will explore practical approaches to help young people understand community issues, advocate for solutions, actively participate in civic processes, and plan service projects that promote safer, stronger communities. This training emphasizes prevention, leadership development, and community-driven solutions. Participants will leave with tools to strengthen youth voice, build leadership skills, and create meaningful opportunities for young people to effectively mobilize and contribute to positive change in their communities.

Training Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Explain civic engagement, community empowerment, and youth voice
2. Examine strategies to cultivate and amplify youth voice
3. Explore youth-centered facilitation techniques and strategies that build confidence, leadership, collaboration, and meaningful participation
4. Engage young people as co-creators in leadership, decision-making, problem-solving, and advocacy to promote individual and community well-being
5. Expand your youth group’s service project through intentional actions that support youth voice and empowerment

This virtual classroom training introduces Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Substance Use Prevention Program (SUPP) providers to the prevention specialist’s role in service delivery. Participants will be introduced to strategies for program planning, capacity-building, implementation, and evaluation. Participants will also learn about their role in prevention, including an exploration of ethical issues related to their personal and professional conduct.

This training is recommended to have a copy of the ASAM 4th Edition Criteria textbook available. If one is not available, an excerpt link will be provided for use in the training. The excerpt cannot be printed or saved. 

This two-day, application-focused training will provide participants with an in-depth look at some of the significant changes and improvements in the Fourth Edition. Participants will have opportunities to apply and practice key components of the Criteria, including but not limited to; the six dimensions, level of care assessment, application of Risk Ratings to each of the Five Dimensions, Dimensional Admission Criteria Decision Rules, shared decision-making and an overview of Service Characteristic Standards, Discharge and Transition Criteria.

All participants receive an in-depth electronic training journal to guide the training experience and as a resource for continuing skill application, as part of the training.

Books are not required, but highly recommended.

The Illinois Department of Human Services funds this training and is only open to license-funded treatment professionals in the state of Illinois.

Participants will understand the relationship between the treatment plan and the use of
admission, continued stay, and transition criteria. In addition, participants will learn how to
write measurable, individualized treatment plans based on the Dimensional Drivers and
individualized needs and preferences of the person served. Participants will also have the
opportunity to explore ways in which the patient’s stage of change impacts and drives a
person-centered treatment plan and a cursory review of core motivational interviewing skills
for treatment planning conversations, shared-decision making and to support readiness for
and engagement in treatment.

This training is recommended to have a copy of the ASAM 4th Edition Criteria textbook available. If one is not available, an excerpt link will be provided for use in the training. The excerpt cannot be printed or saved. 

This two-day, application-focused training will provide participants with an in-depth look at some of the significant changes and improvements in the Fourth Edition. Participants will have opportunities to apply and practice key components of the Criteria, including but not limited to; the six dimensions, level of care assessment, application of Risk Ratings to each of the Five Dimensions, Dimensional Admission Criteria Decision Rules, shared decision-making and an overview of Service Characteristic Standards, Discharge and Transition Criteria.

All participants receive an in-depth electronic training journal to guide the training experience and as a resource for continuing skill application, as part of the training.

Books are not required, but highly recommended.

The Illinois Department of Human Services funds this training and is only open to license-funded treatment professionals in the state of Illinois.

 This training is designed to increase the effectiveness of conducting outreach among hard-to-reach populations using an Enhanced Outreach model.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is defined as “a particular way of talking with people about change and growth to strengthen their own motivation and commitment” (Miller & Rollnick, 2023, p. 3). MI is designed to evoke and enhance the individual’s own motivation to change, using strategies that are empathetic and non-confrontational. While it has long been recognized as an effective way to promote behavior change within individuals in substance use treatment, MI has a wide range of applications beyond the clinician-client interaction. MI is designed to help draw out the individual’s own strengths and resources to help them make the behavioral changes needed to reach their goals. In this introductory training, participants will learn about spirit of MI and its basic skills and strategies, and will have the opportunity to apply and practice those core skills in an experiential skill-development training.

Objectives:

1. Describe key aspects of the spirit of motivational interviewing as well as its relation to the transtheoretical model and the importance of effective engagement
2. Describe the core skills of motivational interviewing, including open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries
3. Generate effective responses consistent with motivational interviewing to draw out and highlight the individual’s own desire, ability, reasons, and need to change
4. Demonstrate application of concept as well as use of core motivational interviewing skills in practice activities

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is defined as “a particular way of talking with people about change and growth to strengthen their own motivation and commitment” (Miller & Rollnick, 2023, p. 3). MI is designed to evoke and enhance the individual’s own motivation to change, using strategies that are empathetic and non-confrontational. While it has long been recognized as an effective way to promote behavior change within individuals in substance use treatment, MI has a wide range of applications beyond the clinician-client interaction. MI’s guiding helping style draws out the individual’s own strengths and desires to help them make the behavioral changes needed to reach their goals. Participants will learn about the guiding spirit of MI and the four tasks, and will have the opportunity to practice core skills and appropriately respond to challenges in an experiential skill-development training.

Objectives:

1. Describe key aspects of the spirit of motivational interviewing as well as the four tasks and the importance of effective engagement
2. Describe common traps and communication barriers (e.g. the persuasion trap, the wandering trap) which can arise and contribute to potential discord
3. Generate effective responses consistent with motivational interviewing to elicit change talk and to help clients explore and resolve ambivalence
4. Demonstrate use of core motivational interviewing skills, as well as the ability to identify and appropriately respond to sustain talk and discord

Join us for an immersive and transformative workshop that delves into the dynamic interplay between peer coaching and clinical treatment in the roles of prevention and addiction recovery. Designed for professionals across the spectrum of services, including clinicians, coaches, and peer support specialists, this comprehensive session will provide valuable insights and strategies to promote prevention and support individuals on their recovery journey.

We will explore how both peer coaching and clinical treatment aim to improve lives, each offering unique perspectives and tools. You'll gain a clear understanding of the distinctions between these approaches, including who is considered “the expert in the room” and how they uniquely address the challenges their clients face. Learn how clinicians' and coaches' tools can complement each other to provide a holistic support system to bolter prevention efforts or better support those in recovery. Through real-world examples, we’ll illustrate how peer coaching and clinical treatment can work together to create a comprehensive prevention or recovery plan. 

What to expect from the session: 

• Explore various intervention strategies, from structured clinical interventions to self-guided peer coaching techniques like the Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic and the elements of The Warrior Reset to foster resilience. 
• Understand the importance of building resilience through coaching to prevent relapse and navigate the landscape of certifications and credentials for peer support specialists.
• Participants will leave with a robust toolkit of strategies and insights, enhanced by Garret Biss’s unique perspective as a retired Marine Corps Pilot, addiction recovery coach, and TEDx Speaker. 
• Empower yourself to participate in an integrated coaching-clinician team and provide more comprehensive and effective support for individuals in recovery. 

Whether you are deepening your understanding or seeking practical tools to enhance your practice, this workshop will provide valuable knowledge and inspiration to make a lasting impact on those you support. 

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify the roles and responsibilities of both clinicians and peer coaches in developing and supporting recovery plans.
• Participants will be able to explain the differences between peer coaching and clinical treatment in the addiction recovery process.
• Participants will be able to discuss the complementary nature of peer coaching and clinical treatment and how they can work together.
• Participants will be able to utilize various coaching tools and interventions in their life and practice.
• Participants will be equipped with practical coaching tools to build resilience in individuals recovering from addiction.

The goal of this presentation is to describe Seeking Safety, an evidence-based model for trauma and/or addiction (clients do not have to have both issues). By the end of the training, participants can implement Seeking Safety in their setting if they choose to. Seeking Safety teaches present-focused coping skills to help clients attain safety in their lives.  It is highly flexible and can be conducted in any setting by a wide range of counselors and also peers. There are 25 treatment topics, each representing a safe coping skill relevant to both trauma and addiction, such as “Asking for Help,” “Creating Meaning,” “Compassion,” and “Healing from Anger.” Topics can be done in any order and the treatment can be done using as few or many of them as time allows. Seeking Safety strives to increase hope through an emphasis on ideals; it offers exercises, emotionally evocative language, and quotations to engage patients and provides concrete strategies to build recovery skills.  In this training, we cover (a) background on trauma and addiction (rates, presentation, models and stages of treatment, clinical challenges); (b) an overview of Seeking Safety, including its evidence-base; and (c) clinical implementation, such as the use of the model with specific populations. Assessment and treatment resources are provided. The training is highly experiential, with role-plays and exercises to “learn by doing”; methods also include PowerPoint, video, and discussion.

Objectives:

1. To describe current understanding of trauma, addiction, and their combination.
2. To increase empathy and understanding of trauma and addiction.
3. To describe Seeking Safety, an evidence-based model for trauma and/or addiction.
4. To identify how to apply Seeking Safety for specific populations, such as homeless, adolescents, criminal justice, HIV, military/veteran, etc.
5. To discuss adaptation based on setting, provider, and client factors (e.g., age, socioeconomics, culture, gender).
6. To provide assessment and treatment resources.

This training is recommended to have a copy of the ASAM 4th Edition Criteria textbook available. If one is not available, an excerpt link will be provided for use in the training. The excerpt cannot be printed or saved. 

This two-day, application-focused training will provide participants with an in-depth look at some of the significant changes and improvements in the Fourth Edition. Participants will have opportunities to apply and practice key components of the Criteria, including but not limited to; the six dimensions, level of care assessment, application of Risk Ratings to each of the Five Dimensions, Dimensional Admission Criteria Decision Rules, shared decision-making and an overview of Service Characteristic Standards, Discharge and Transition Criteria.

All participants receive an in-depth electronic training journal to guide the training experience and as a resource for continuing skill application, as part of the training.

Books are not required, but highly recommended.

The Illinois Department of Human Services funds this training and is only open to license-funded treatment professionals in the state of Illinois.

During this interactive virtual classroom course participants will learn how to screen and recruit participants, develop effective questions to gain useful insights, moderate focus groups successfully and confidently, and analyze the results of focus groups to bolster programming. Introduction to Focus Groups must be completed prior to registering for this course.

All SUPS and CSUPS staff reporting hours for communication campaigns who have not previously completed Conducting Focus Groups are required to complete this course.

This foundational training offers agency staff an introductory overview of individuals diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. This program is designed for those who do not have a significant background with co-occurring disorders and will discuss barriers to screening, assessment, and treatment of co-occurring disorders. Participants will gain insight into frequently occurring behavioral health conditions, contributing risk factors, and the impact of language and stigma on care. Updated and relevant research aligned with the ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition will be introduced along with the evolving models of integrated care and suggestions for how to best identify, screen and treat those with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.  

Objectives:  

After completing this course, learners will be able to:  

• Discuss the prevalence of co-occurring disorders in both substance use treatment settings and the general population  

• Compare treatment approaches—Addiction Only, Co-Occurring Capable, and Co-Occurring Enhanced—as defined by the ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition  

• Describe the evolution from addiction-only services to integrated models of care  

• Identify commonly occurring substance use and mental health disorders, along with key risk factors and etiologies  

• Explore evidence-based therapies, screening tools, and the impact of language and stigma in the treatment of co-occurring disorders