1. Demonstrate knowledge of accepted principles of client record management
2. Document assessment findings and treatment recommendations
3. Prepare accurate and concise screening, intake, and assessment reports
4. Develop with the client a mutually acceptable treatment plan and method for monitoring and evaluating progress
5. Formulate and document concise, descriptive, and measurable treatment outcome statements
6. Compose timely, clear, complete, and concise records that comply with regulations
7. Request, prepare, and complete release of information when appropriate
8. Document referral information
9. Document source of referral information
10. Document changes in the treatment plan, client status, client response to and outcome of interventions, level of care provided, and discharge status.
11. Chart client's strengths and limitations in achieving treatment goals.
12. Record client's response to and outcome of interventions
13. Record changes in client's status, behavior, and level of functioning
14. Prepare accurate and concise discharge summaries

1. Select, administer, and score appropriate assessment instruments and protocols within the counselor's scope of practice
2. Introduce and explain the purpose of assessment
3. Apply current DSM or other accepted diagnostic standards
4. Apply appropriate placement criteria
5. Collect information necessary to develop a diagnostic impression
6. Translate assessment information into measurable treatment goal and objective statements
7. Interpret data relevant to the client
8. Apply assessment information to individualize the client's treatment goals.
9. Apply results to identify client needs and appropriate treatment options
10. Identify barriers to client treatment
11. Address client concerns
12. Match interventions to the client's needs and resources
13. Collaborate with the client to develop specific, measurable, and realistic goals and objectives
14. Establish rapport, including management of a crisis situation and determination of need for additional professional assistance

1. Inform the client of confidentiality rights, program procedures that safeguard them, and the expectations imposed by regulations
2. Use existing community resource directories including computer databases
3. Establish and nurture collaborative relationships with key contacts in community service organizations
4. Continuously assess and evaluate referral resources to determine their appropriateness
5. Assess the client's readiness to participate in the referral process
6. Educate the client about appropriate referral processes.
7. Motivate the client to take responsibility for referral and follow-up
8. Identify and arrange referrals to other professionals, agencies, community programs, or appropriate resources to meet the client's needs
9. Explain in clear and specific language the necessity for and process of referral to increase the likelihood of client understanding and follow through
10. Advocate for the client
11. Participate in client treatment team meetings
12. Coordinate client appointments
13. Coordinate client participation in educational/vocational programs
14. Assist client in accessing healthcare support services
15. Assist client in resource identification
16. Establish social supports for client
17. Document the referral process accurately
18. Implement follow-up activities with the client
19. Evaluate the outcome of referral

1. Provide psychoeducation to client (symptom management, relapse prevention)
2. Coach client on pro-social skills development (parenting, community integration, anger management)
3. Encourage client to complete activities of daily living
4. Promote natural support environment in client care (family, friends, significant other)
5. Develop educational goals with client (GED, college)
6. Develop vocational goals with client (job coaching, interviewing skills)
7. Teach conflict resolution, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
8. Facilitate the development of basic and life skills associated with recovery
9. Identify, create, and modify relevant educational materials to meet the needs of the intended audience.
10. Provide educational programs that reflect understanding of culture, ethnicity, age, and gender

1. Coach client on self-awareness
2. Promote client self-determination
3. Encourage client to process feelings
4. Provide emotional support to client
5. Foster client positive interactions (relationships, behaviors)
6. Encourage client self-advocacy
7. Promote client self-esteem
8. Promote client social interaction
9. Promote recreational and leisure activities with client
10. Enhance client's coping skills (stigma, self- acceptance)
11. Redirect client's negative behaviors
12. Encourage healthy eating choices
13. Provide client with psychoeducation regarding substance and alcohol use

1. Manage assigned caseload (client appointments, paperwork, due dates)
2. Participate in organization, program, and peer/staff meetings
3. Demonstrate agency audit compliance (peer review. CARF)
4. Participate in performance evaluation
5. Review new policies and procedures
6. Participate in staff orientation
7. Respond to safety drills
8. Demonstrate job-appropriate computer skills

1. Complete required in-service training
2. Maintain professional certifications (CPR/first aid, chemical dependency/behavioral health)
3. Perform on-the-job training (forms, shadowing, technology)
4. Participate in clinical supervision
5. Complete specialized job training
6. Describe a variety of models and theories of addiction and other problems related to substance use
7. Describe the established diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders, and describe treatment modalities and placement criteria within the continuum of care
8. Describe a variety of helping strategies for reducing the negative effects of substance use, abuse
9. Describe medical and pharmacological resources in the treatment of substance use disorders
10. Participate in appropriate professional education

1. Consult with community elders and traditional healers
2. Demonstrate awareness of community traditions
3. Utilize cultural resources
4. Incorporate cultural views and concepts of health and family into services provided
5. Recognize cultural differences among different Alaska Native tribes and communities
6. Provide treatment services appropriate to the personal and cultural identity and language of the client
7. Recognize diverse cultures, and incorporate the relevant needs of culturally diverse groups, as well as people with disabilities, into clinical practice
8. Apply culturally appropriate intervention strategies
9. Convey respect for cultural and lifestyle diversity in the therapeutic process

1. Establish a helping relationship with the client characterized by warmth, respect, genuineness, concreteness, and empathy in a culturally appropriate manner
2. Provide active listening, including paraphrasing, reflecting, and summarizing
3. Facilitate the client's engagement in the treatment and recovery process
4. Assess the client's responses to therapeutic interventions
5. Work with client to establish realistic, achievable goals consistent with achieving and maintaining recovery
6. Use behavioral and cognitive methods and other interventions that reinforce positive client behaviors
7. Reframe and redirect client negative behaviors
8. Engage client to discover and use personal strengths and resources to achieve goals.
9. Adapt counseling strategies to unique client characteristics and circumstances
10. Apply crisis prevention and management skills
11. Carry out steps from crisis prevention to crisis resolution
12. Assess for immediate concerns regarding safety and potential harm to others
13. Use the group process to negotiate group goals, outcomes, and ground rules within the context of the individual needs and objective of group members
14. Adapt group counseling skills as appropriate for the group type
15. Adhere to established professional code of ethics that define the professional context within which the counselor works to maintain professional standards and safeguard the client.
16. Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior
17. Adhere to Federal and State laws and agency regulations regarding the treatment of substance use disorders
18. Make ethical decisions that reflect unique needs and situations
19. Recognize situations in which supervision is appropriate
20. Identify professional progress and limitations
21. Use prevention measures to guard against burnout.

This course will provide the foundational and practice information about the need for professional ethics. Students will be introduced to various codes of ethics and will focus on the behavioral health code, with discussion on using the code of ethics as guidance in providing client service. Applied exercises will help students practice identification of potential ethical issues.

This course will provide an overview of the Federal confidentiality regulations (42 CFR Part 2 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164 and the implications for behavioral health programs.

This course will provide information regarding the establishment and maintenance of a quality clinical/counseling record. The focus of the course will be the biopsychosocial assessment using ASAM criteria, and the principles of writing individualized treatment plans based on client assessment

This course will provide information regarding universal precautions and risk reduction information regarding hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, TB, HIV, and other infectious diseases that might impact clients receiving services.

This course will provide an overview of chemical dependency and other addictions from etiology to treatment. The course will focus on CSATs model of addiction that looks at how the brain and body responds even before exposure to the object of addiction. The course will also cover effects of drugs on the brain – both and long and short term, pharmacotherapy, triggers, and craving.

This course will provide the foundational and practice information on general crisis events. It will focus on crisis responses such as depression, grief, relapse, and increased shame, loss of motivation and self-esteem, and isolating. The course will also address suicide ideation, intervention, evaluation and follow-up.

This course will provide information on the characteristics of the effective counselor, establishing a counseling relationship, and defining counselor and client roles. Through applied exercises students will be introduced to the practice of the client-centered approach, using communication skills such as listening, attending, reflection, paraphrasing, and summarizing

This course will focus on the various formats of group counseling, such as psychoeducational groups, skill development groups, cognitive behavioral/problem solving groups, support groups, process groups, and relapse prevention groups. Using the training group format, information will be presented experientially in small groups utilizing role plays and participant exercises.

This course will provide information regarding working with clients of different ethnic or racial heritage, age, gender, or life style. Students will be introduced to beliefs, attitudes, knowledge and skills generally maintained by the multi-culturally effective counselor.

This course will provide information about the identification and use of available community resources (local, regional, and statewide) related to coordinating services and case management. The course will cover making referrals, identifying and evaluating appropriateness of potential resources, as well as how to help client access these services.

This course will provide information on supporting personal recovery, wellness, and balanced health using stress management techniques. The focus of the course will be on stressors (family, work, financial, etc) stress, burnout, stress management.

This course will provide information on prevention and community development/readiness. Key features of prevention (universal, selected, indicated) strategies as promoted by SAMHSA will be presented in relation to community application.

This course will provide information on the principles and goals of the family systems approach. The focus of the course will be relationship patterns among family members; relationship patterns between family members and the community, family roles, assessing family functioning, improving family patterns of communication; genograms, and family mapping.

This course will provide information about anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, phobic disorders, and thought disorders. The focus of the course will be on how mental health, substance use disorders, and other related conditions can exist in combination, and affect the treatment/service process.

This course will provide the foundational and practice information about the need for professional ethics. Students will be introduced to various codes of ethics and will focus on the behavioral health code, with discussion on using the code of ethics as guidance in providing client service. Applied exercises will help students practice identification of potential ethical issues.

This course will provide an overview of the Federal confidentiality regulations (42 CFR Part 2 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164 and the implications for behavioral health programs.

This course will provide information about the brain-body connection, nervous system structure, neuro-anatomy, neurotransmitter and receptor function, and drug class/classification effects. Application exercises and discussion will help the student understand the impact and importance of psychoactive substances (legal and illegal) on both the brain and the body.

This course will introduce participants to the theory, spirit, principles, and strategies of motivational interviewing. Students will have the opportunity for practice and skills development through the use of role-plays, and interactive group exercises. The role plays and group exercises will enhance student skills in establishing rapport, eliciting change talk, and establishing commitment language from the client.

This course will describe the new diagnostic criteria and compare the DSM-IV and the new DSM-5. Emphasis will be placed on the new diagnostic category of Substance Use and Addictive Disorders and Mental Health Disorders, including those most likely to be found co-occurring with substance use disorders. The course will discuss the elimination of the old five Axis diagnostic classification system, and the movement away from categorical to dimensional assessment of risk and severity.

This course will present information on the use of the new ASAM Criteria. Differences between the “ASAM-PPC-2R” and the “ASAM Criteria: Treatment Criteria for Addictive, Substance-Related, and Co-Occurring Conditions” will be discussed. The course will provide information regarding evaluating behavioral health disorders and issues using the six assessment dimensions. Participants will be provided guidance in evaluation of client risk and/or severity associated with the six ASAM Dimensions. Application exercises will use case examples for practicing client placement recommendations based on the level of care.

The course will provide an overview of assessment and treatment strategies for clients with cooccurring disorders, ranging from sub-clinical to diagnosable disorders. The course will include screening and assessment instruments for common co-occurring disorders as described in the DSM-5, and the relationship to treatment services, treatment intensity that is related to the severity of mental health problems. The course will cover the changes in the DSM-5 diagnosis of mental health and substance use disorders. Applied exercises will help students practice their developing skills associated with identifying and describing these disorders.

This course will review and add to foundational and practice information regarding health, wellness, and balance using stress management techniques. Applied exercises will help trainees practice their developing skills on how to maintain their own health and wellness, as well as modeling and teaching their client about personal health, wellness and balance.

This course will provide foundational and practice information related to therapeutic group processes. Primary focus includes rationale for group membership screening, time-limited group process, role and function of therapeutic group leadership, and therapeutic outcome expectations. Application exercises will provide exposure to the therapeutic group process and its use in community-based practice.

This course will provide the foundational philosophy and practice information on community readiness and key issue evaluation for developing effective community-based prevention plans. Prevention (universal, selected, indicated) plan development will focus on strategies, including environmental strategies, which are appropriate to and compatible with community characteristics. Applied exercises will help participants practice evaluating and developing various prevention efforts targeting behavioral health issues.

Trainees are provided with foundational information on traditional lifestyles and health practices of people living in Alaska prior to western contact. Students will be introduced to beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge of health promotion and maintenance that were practiced, and will examine the major changes leading to the current health status of the Alaska Native community. Special emphasis will be placed on potential strategies for improving behaviorally based health.

Trainees will participate in discussion and case analysis of example cases with different behavioral health issues (addiction, co-occurring disorders, domestic violence, mental illness, etc). Participants will evaluate service usefulness and accessibility issues to consider in different communities. Through applied exercises they will practice case presentation for treatment team review.

This course will provide the foundational and practice information on crisis debriefing related to community-based crisis events such as natural disasters, homicides and suicides that have an impact on families and general community members. Discussion and applied exercises will focus on meaningful ways to access resources that will implement community-based debriefing and support.

This course will provide the foundational and practice information related to family systems work. Participants will evaluate strategies, including interventions, and whenever appropriate incorporate life stages into working with families seeking to become healthier. Applied exercises will help participants practice their developing skills on healthy family facilitation.

This course will review client centered best practice relapse prevention planning strategies and counselor interventions. The course will also examine the interrelationship of the relapse prevention plan and the mental health symptom management plan, crisis intervention, prerelapse, and strategies of re-engagement after relapse.

This course will provide information on the personality disordered client in treatment. The course will review the characteristics of the DSM-5 personality disorders and address those disorders that are statistically present in persons with chemical dependency issues. Treatment implications will be discussed as they relate to building a therapeutic relationship and adjusting treatment modalities to address the course of treatment.

This course will cover both family violence and chemical dependency. Both family violence and chemical dependency are progressive, chronic, and potentially lethal conditions. This course will focus on the interactive cycles, responses from victims and perpetrators, resistance factors, and roadblocks to change. Strategies for unraveling and identifying treatment issues and networking protocols will be addressed.

This course will address the dynamics of working with the criminal offender in treatment. Treating the chemically dependent offender may be a challenging experience until we understand the individual characteristics of the offender, recognize the thinking process that propels criminal activity, and link personality traits with childhood trauma and the socialization process. Course participants will identify the traits of the offender, relate addiction and offender behaviors, identify best-practice treatment modalities, and address relapse/recidivism issues

This course will cover the dynamics of using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in treatment. CBT has been extensively evaluated and is structured, goal oriented and focused on immediate problems. The primary goal of CBT is to modify underlying faulty thinking and maladaptive beliefs which often lead to self-defeating behaviors. The course will cover the nature of thinking and how it influences and controls behavior; application of CBT in treatment and recovery programs, and how to conduct a client interview to assess current patterns of thinking and behavior.

This course will provide an overview of the recent epidemiology of opioid (pharmaceutical and heroin) abuse and addiction as well as a quick review of the signs and symptoms of the acute and chronic use of opioid and withdrawal symptomology. The bulk of the presentation will focus on the details of use of and patient response to the various FDA approved medications for the treatment of opioid addiction – buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone.

The course will provide detailed information about the use of FDA approved medication for the treatment of alcohol, opioid and nicotine addiction. Participants will also learn about the varieties of patient responses to these medications and the barriers to their use in the treatment of addiction.

This course will provide a way of looking at patients with addictive behaviors through the lens of historical adversity. Trauma Informed Care helps providers and staff to change their framework and mindset when patients have been impacted by simple and complex traumatic events. The course will help participants be more psychologically prepared to work with complex patients.

This course will provide information on peer-based supports. Course participants will be introduced on the importance of peer-based supports and recovery coaching for enhancing the motivation of people seeking recovery; and how the current strengths and resources in their communities can be used to help maintain recovery in patients. The course will also help participants begin to identify first steps toward developing a ROSC in their communities, and provide an introduction to the eight Key Performance Arenas linked to long-term recovery outcomes.