I have worked as a clinical trainer for over five years, conducting training on evidence-based practices for substance use and mental health treatment for treatment providers and agencies throughout Southern California. Typical audiences include substance abuse counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, physicians, and healthcare administrators. Clients include Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, Ventrua County Department of Mental Health, Cri-Help, Child and Family Guidance Center, Didi Hirsch, among other community mental health and substance abuse treatment agencies.

Training Topics

I currently provide training and consultation on a variety of topics, including:

• Engagement & Treatment
  • Motivational Interviewing (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, for Supervisors)
  • Trauma-informed Practice (How trauma impacts mental health and substance use disorders and how to incorporate trauma-informed practice into patient conceptualization and care)
  • Evidence-based Treatment for Substance Use Disorders (Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Relapse Prevention, etc)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Best Practices in Addiction Treatment
  • Contingency Management/ Motivational Incentives
  • Treatment Planning
  • Substance Use Treatment with Children and Adolescents

• Alcohol & Drug Information
  • Drugs 101(basic information about drugs of abuse and how they work)          
  • Addiction is a Brain Disease:: The Pharmacology of Addiction
  • Synthetic Drugs
  • Medical Marijuana (Medical vs Recreational use, treatment implications)

• Treatment Integration
  • Co-Occurring Substance Use, Mental Health Disorders, and Physical Health Disorders
  • Screening, Assessment, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

• Supervision Topics
  • Clinical Supervision (Case review, MI adherence, Best Practices Implementation)
  • Primary Care and Behavioral Health Integration
  • Dealing with Difficult Clients and Situations
  • Case Consultation