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.
CBT is an evidenced-based treatment and is foundational to the addiction treatment field. Participants will learn the theoretical foundations of CBT and how to incorporate CBT skills in a comprehensive treatment strategy that includes intake, assessment, case conceptualization, treatment planning, and therapy. Counselors will learn and practice effective ways to utilize the tools specific to CBT with their clients.
For the purposes of this class, co-occurring disorders refers to co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. The class will focus on the interrelationship of these disorders and the differing needs of this population group. The class is structured to meet the needs of addiction counselors to aid in coordinating integrated treatment services to more effectively treat the whole person. It will discuss three types of substance abuse programs: addiction only services, dual diagnosis capable, and dual diagnosis enhanced. Evidence-based treatment approaches with co-occurring disorders will be presented along with elements of treatment planning, importance of diagnosis and the use of medications to enhance treatment. The primary resource is SAMHSA TIP 42 “Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with Co-occurring Disorders.”
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 course will explore a range of issues which can arise in counseling Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender clients, particularly regarding Domestic Violence interventions. Topics range from “identity and coming-out” through “homophobia and civil rights” to “life-partnerships and co-parenting.” The course will emphasize treatment planning and accessibility, and it will address rapidly growing terminologies and unique powerand- control dynamics as well as multiple assessment models, tools, and resources. Illustrative video excerpts will enhance the participant’s experience.
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 training will focus on professional and ethical issues specific to the practice of addiction counseling and the treatment of co-occurring disorders. This training will build and strengthen the trainee’s knowledge of NAADAC’s Code of Ethics, and federal and state rules and regulations that are essential for safe practice. In this training, trainees will be exposed to the Colorado Mental Health Practice Act including the prohibited activities,42 CFR Part 2, and HIPAA that regulate the practice of psychotherapy including addiction counseling. Trainees will learn about the important roles and activities of BHA (Behavioral Health Administration) and DORA (Department of Regulatory Agencies). In this training, trainees will learn the process of certification and credentialing to legally practice in Colorado. There will be an emphasis on developing critical thinkingand ethical decision-making skills. Trainees will learn about the differences between privacy and confidentiality, and exceptions to confidentiality.
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.
Motivational interviewing is an evidencebased practice with widespread use in addiction counseling and is considered to be crucial to the development of counseling skills for this population. The class will focus on learning the motivational interviewing model. In this training, participants will learn the model of stages of change, the tools for creating an environment where positive change can occur, and practice of the skills. Videotaping and feedback will assist the participants in developing a standard level of counseling skills proficiency in MI.
(Pre-requisite is Addiction Counseling Skills)
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.
This class will introduce the counselor to the concept of trauma-informed care, an approach that is being adopted more frequently within the human services fields based upon an increased awareness of the ways in which trauma impacts functioning. It will describe and define what trauma informed care is and ways in which a
traditional treatment setting can be modified to increase the sense of safety experienced by consumers. Students will learn how to incorporate trauma-informed practices into treatment with diverse populations, such as military veterans, women, people with cooccurring disorders and other groups
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