Hello and welcome! The BHS Training Department provides all of the classes required for Certified Addiction Technician (CAT), Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS), and Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) certifications.
Some of our trainings are also eligible for Continuing Education Credits (CEU's). Registrations are accepted on a first‐come, first serve basis. Some classes have capacity limits, we encourage early registration.
If the class reads as closed, please call to check for registration availability. We close our registration seven (7) days prior to the class, but may be able to accept late registrations, depending on capacity.
Note: Due to a limited class size for small group skills practice – registration tuition must be paid in full and is non-transferable
and non-refundable. Early registration is strongly encouraged.
Addiction Counseling Skills is considered part of the “Core Curriculum” and basic to the foundational training of an addiction counselor. The purpose of this class is to provide a framework and counseling model for working with clients with substance misuse and addiction. The focus of this course is to teach the counseling skills needed to help clients process their information and move toward the change process. The models utilized are clientcentered, counselor-directed therapy along with motivational spirit of counseling. Recording and feedback will assist the participants in developing a standard level of counseling skills proficiency.
Client motivation and commitment to treatment begins with the assessment and diagnostic phase that typically occurs at intake. This course will consider the differences between screening and assessment and use of assessment instruments. The class will consider the components of the clinical assessment such as a biopsychosocial interview, assessing risk for self-harm, identifying cultural needs and supports, problem domains, determining stage of readiness for change and strengths of the client. Determining diagnosis utilizing the DSM 5 and resulting level of care for the client will be discussed using the ASAM Criteria. Stages of treatment and systems of care will be covered along with facets of treatment planning.
The training is designed to assist the counselor to develop and practice skills to assist clients to identify and strengthen intrinsic motivation for positive change. This is an advanced course in Motivational Interviewing so it is expected that the participant will be able to demonstrate the foundational MI skills by conducting a client interview using the OARSI and responding to no-change talk (resistance). The format will be interactive and experiential in nature. Participants will be afforded an opportunity to obtain focused practice and will receive individualized feedback regarding their MI skills with student and trainer ratings
Advanced Pharmacology will explore the neurobiological basis of addiction and how
addictive drugs produce neurochemical changes in the brain’s reward pathway. It will also explore new technologies for treatment and prevention based on brain science. Additionally, functional changes to the brain and the brain’s ability to recover after exposure to drugs of abuse, medical problems associated with substance abuse, and the use of pharmacological assists in recovery will be discussed.
This class is designed to provide the counselor with an understanding of the clinical record and the continuum of client care that the record documents and tracks. The class presents screening, basic assessment and evaluation, substance use disorder diagnostic criteria, ASAM patient placement criteria, introduction to treatment planning, progress note completion, documentation requirements and basic referral and discharge planning.
This class introduces aid the counselor in working with culturally diverse individuals, explores barriers to treatment and recovery, and presents recommended treatment approaches for diverse populations. The importance of cultural diversity as a factor in substance use disorder treatment will be discussed and cultural competency will be defined.
This class is not offered as an alternative for domestic violence treatment; rather, it is an in-depth look at one essential component of treatment for many client profiles. Participants will gain a greater understanding of this issue as well as practical techniques for working with angry clients.
This class presents an overview of a psychologically integrated model of domestic violence intervention, including a review of the MCMI-III data and batterer typologies. Both risk assessment and
treatment planning will be discussed and applied to case studies.
This class will help the aspiring addiction counselor to understand the use of group therapy in the addiction treatment field and be able to demonstrate the skills necessary to facilitate a therapy group. The class will focus on the group process and will discuss diversity within groups as well as the many challenges a group leader may face. The class will also present models of effective group practice.
(Pre-requisite is Addiction Counseling Skills)
In this training, the focus will be on the complex relationship between the client’s drugs of choice, lifestyle choices, and physiological health. Discussions will include immune system health, liver function, harm reduction and specific diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Strategies will be presented for screening to determine level of risk, referral, and education about disease prevention and treatment.
Training in pharmacology is a cornerstone of addiction counseling and a major part of what differentiates the professional field of addiction counseling from other mental health disciplines.This class will provide a
solid base of knowledge about the drugs of abuse including what is happening in human physiology and behaviors.
This training presents the history and theories of addiction, the competencies required of an addiction counselor and scope of practice, and the NIDA principles of effective treatment. There will be an exploration of current evidence-based practices, addiction counselor certification and licensure in Colorado and levels of care offered for addiction treatment as well as certification requirements and professional readiness for addiction counselors.
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