Available Workshops and Trainings

Index

Advanced Courses

**Other trainings and specific topics are available, call us at 907-745-2634**

Co-Occurring Disorders Institute, Inc.
Updated Courses as of October 2007

Psycho-Physiology and Behavioral Health

This introductory course explains the basics of brain-body interaction via understanding of fundamental brain science. Brain-based correlates to behavior are drawn from recent neuroscience including knowledge of gross nervous system function, a survey of brain development, architecture and functional interactions, and basics in neuron development, migration and mechanisms including neurotransmitters. All these systems will be connected to different theories of behavior and pathology. Clinical application of this information will be explored in order to help inform treatment decisions, professional’s theories and questions from consumers.
Level: General Audience                                Hours: 12 Hours

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DSM Practice Applications

This introductory course focuses on clarifying the strengths and limitations of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV TR.  The historical development and philosophies will be elucidated to help put the mechanisms of diagnosis and the direction of the field into perspective. Discussion of the content, role and interaction of the five axes in developing diagnoses is undertaken. Understanding, recognizing, categorizing and weighing signs and symptoms for differential diagnosis with subsequent intervention development is central to this course. Specific diagnoses will be explored with emphasis on interaction with co-occurring disorders. Small group exercises and clinical case descriptions are incorporated. Exploration of common language concepts including normal, average and typical in understanding pathology and deviation is highlighted. Understanding the GAF and using the GAF tree is shared and practiced.
Level: General Audience                                Hours: 12 Hours

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Psychopharmacology for Non-Prescribing Professionals

This intermediate course outlines the fundamentals of neurotransmission and their currently theorized role in psychopathology and behavior disruptions. Exploration of specific neurotransmitter pathways and modern pharmacological interventions for categories of DSM diagnoses is undertaken. Topics covered include dosing schedules and titration, side effect profiles and pitfalls, therapeutic windows and toxicity levels as well as interaction between recreational drug/alcohol use and prescribed medications. This course offers a balanced view of effectiveness rates, prescription philosophies and the politics of big Pharm and mental health.
Level: Intermediate                                         Hours: 7 Hours

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Trauma: Being Informed, Being on the Look Out

This course is a broad overview of trauma and trauma-related challenges and problems commonly encountered in clinical offices. Distinctions between and among childhood complex traumas and population-based disaster, single event traumas and exposure, as well as fears and anxiety disorders are explored. Trauma informed clinical/counseling practice including understanding the role of trauma in common diagnoses like ODD, Substance Abuse and Depression, dealing with the wounded healers and personal reactivity and system trauma sustaining or inducing practices is covered. PTSD specifically is described along with its limits in recognizing the imprint on trauma in the lives of clients. Evidence based interventions and principles will be introduced.
Level: General/Intermediate               Hours: 8 hours

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Protected Health Information: HIPAA and 42 CFR, part 2

This is an important course for all clinicians and agency administrators dealing with the two Federal laws concerning confidentiality, information disclosure and interagency relationships. This course will explore the intersections between the two statutes and their differences in an interactive and understandable method. The basics of these laws will be reviewed with emphasis placed on minor status and disclosure, building Qualified Service Agreements/Business Associate contracts and the composition of approved Release of Information (ROI). Court orders, subpoenas and dealing with lawyers will be discussed with emphasis on fostering collaborative relationships. Discussion of practice safeguards and reasonable mechanisms to facilitate less paranoid services provision and maintenance of legal requirements is offered throughout this course.
Level: General/Intermediate               Hours: 8 hours

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Ethics for Human Service Professionals

This course seeks to bring ethical practices and decision making to the forefront on daily work. Built on understanding the different ways professions and governing bodies make ethical decisions from personal belief systems and general philosophical premises, this Ethics course will cover the steps to ethical decision making, specific diagnoses that should peak ethical concern, and negotiating apparent ethical contradictions. Rural ethics, dual relationships and working in relative isolation (sole provider) will be explored within the general context of ethics. This course is appropriate for psychologists, social workers, licensed professional counselors and substance abuse professionals. Principle based with connection to shared ethical codes, this course is about “being” ethical instead of “doing” ethics. Good for introductory and refresher requirements.
Level: General/Intermediate               Hours: 8 hours

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The Neuroscience of Addictions

This course connects recent neuroscience in addictions with counseling practices. Starting with basics of brain systems with emphasis on the “reward and reinforcements” pathways and building to understanding specific drug actions in the brain and on behaviors, this course focuses on application for everyday services. Conditioning and counter-conditioning, learned behaviors, pharmacological agents for addictions and other medications, and science and clinically informed interventions for substance related disorders will be identified and explained. Co-Occurring disorder patterns and simultaneous interventions will be explored. Topics covered include: mechanisms of intoxication and withdrawal; relapse and rebound; dependency vs. addiction; medications and drugs; cross-tolerance and interactions with other substances. A brief examination of “process” addictions like sex, gambling and shopping will be held using brain based mechanisms.
Level: Intermediate                             Hours: 8 hours

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Co-Occurring Disorders: Principles, Practices and Promises

This course looks at the integration of services across disciplines from the perspective of the single client. Using Minkoff’s principles and Mueser and Drake’s clinical data around SPMI programming, this course will build a structure for more effective use of evidence based practices and client centered services. Assessment, treatment planning and program coordination for complex co-occurring disorders clients will be addressed. Symptom interaction and differential diagnosis will be explored from raising philosophical and practical realities underscoring current separated services. Application of dual diagnosis informed agency policies, practice philosophy and specific interventions including medication algorithms is highlighted. Topics covered include: No wrong door, comprehensive assessment, treatment coordination, outcome expectation and relapse vs rebound. Interactive and case-presentation methods employed for learning and reflecting on dual diagnoses.
Level: Intermediate                             Hours: 12 hours

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Cross Cultural Awareness Training

This highly interactive course is based on recent literature and research underscoring the importance of self-reflection and self understanding on culture in being culturally sensitive and aware. Using a broad array of common ideas and tools to explore personally held beliefs around differences, normal and “crazy”, this course reaches bias, prejudice and ethnocentricity that perpetuates cultural insensitivity. The connection between diagnosis and worldview will be reviewed. Emphasis on commonalities and like “reasons for life” between and among different cultures weaves throughout this course. Local Alaskan concepts of health taken from experience, shared conversation and the literature will be outlined. The goal of this course is to avoid “culture” as a tool of therapy and to engender thoughtful relationships with differences through respect, understanding and equanimity.
Level: Intermediate                             Hours: 8 hours

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ASAM: The Flexible Tool for Resources Allocation

This course is developed for real world application of the American Society of Addiction Medicines Patient Placement Criteria 2 manual and philosophy. Focusing on local realities and the required use of this tool, this course highlights each dimension in a holistic and interactive manner leading to flexible application of the placement suggestions. Exploration of ASAM’s correlation to the DSM, to treatment planning and to the development of consumer driven services is central to this course. Using objective tools and instruments, common theories of intervention and philosophies of practice, this course introduces methods for using this rubric in a humane, effective and efficient manner. Learning around application, reporting and adapting the ASAM is emphasized in this course. Both Adult and Adolescent criteria are covered with case vignettes and small group interactions.
Level: Intermediate                             Hours: 8 hours

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Physical Diseases that Manifest as Psychiatric:
 A Differential Diagnosis Understanding

This course will review physical illnesses that: 1) manifest early with psychiatric symptoms and signs; 2) increase or exacerbate psychiatric signs and symptoms; 3) complicate intervention and recovery from psychiatric illness; 4) respond favorably to adjunctive psychiatric/psychological interventions; and 5) create psychiatric manifestations due to response to medications. This course is about comprehensive assessment, advocating for the clients with the medical community, the power of explanation and the concept that “etiology” does matter. Organized to help the professional rule out processes and physical illnesses that lead to failed or only partially successful behavioral health interventions and addressing the whole person. Case presentations and small group activities are employed in this course.
Level: Intermediate                             Hours:  8 hours

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****(All of the courses noted here have been updated, improved and re-structured to meet greater requirements and demands of the field of Behavioral Health.)

Advanced Courses

These courses are intended for seasoned professionals to explore together issues and topics that assume familiarity with foundations and theories in science and common practices. These courses seek to refine understanding, increase ability to effectively intervene in complex cases and support agencies and other professionals.

The New Science Approaches Old Questions

Exploration of the push for “outcomes” and implementation of “evidence-based practices” in the context of human suffering, death and social disparities is the goal. Covering the process of meaning making, consensual reality, biological reductionism and existential lifespace, this course is about how science is approaching old questions about happiness, life and death. These discussions and topics are important for those interested in maintaining current understanding of the edges of science and their possible new world application to human conditions.
Level:  Advanced                               Hours: 4 hours

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DSM for Seasoned Clinician/Counselors

This course is designed to offer refinements in application of differential diagnostic processes. Special emphasis on teasing out qualifiers, symptom effects and interactions along with deconstructing the meaning of diagnosis to treatment and the patient will be provided. Case presentations, interactive group work and discussions around the convergence of philosophies in the DSM process and text will inform clinicians to apply this rubric in complex cases. Researched opinions manifesting the limits and industrial trends that make the DSM only one tool in assessing the client will be explored. Complex cases, co-occurring disorders and confounding symptom manifestations will be presented through interactive vignettes.
Level: Advanced                                Hours: 4 hours

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Moving from Treatment as Usual to Evidence Based Practices

This course is for agencies and administrators interested in the researched methods for “change” in organizational philosophy and procedures. The implementation and adoption of “evidence based practices” has been voiced and superficially accepted but research points out the lack of actual execution of science informed practices. This course will elucidate overt and hidden resistance, administrative methods and comportment for encouraging and facilitating adoption and incorporation of EBPs as well as finding fidelity models for measuring effectiveness. Specific diagnostic categories and their attending current EBP’s will be discussed in principle and differentiation from Treatment as Usual. While not a clinical explication of specific techniques, this course informs progressive practices toward more effective and efficient outcomes. Very interactive course.
Level:  Advanced                               Hours: 4 hours

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Other trainings and specific topics are available, see our website at www.codi-ak.org or call us at 907-745-2634.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counselors) Approved Provider #6106
NAADAC (Association of Addiction Professionals) Approved Provider #571
CoDI is an approved provider of CEU's for State of Alaska Licensed Professional Counselors