Webinars Archived Webinars

Date: April 18, 2012, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Angela Halvorson
Title of Presentation: The Rules of Engagement - Understanding The Military Experience to Better Treat the Incarcerated Veteran
Description: For many men and women who have risked so much to serve our country, their experiences have left them with post-deployment effects that in some cases can lead to or contribute to substance use disorders, mental health challenges, criminal justice involvement, or harm to self and others. Many of these men and women end up in the jail and prison system. Understanding their often unique and complex issues, including compounded trauma and exposure to violence, substance use disorders, and mental health challenges is essential. To serve this population effectively, RSAT staff need a working knowledge of the military culture and the combat experience, a trauma-informed and military-informed approach to services, and tools for safety and stabilization. This session provides a brief set of suggestions for addressing each of these areas of need. This session will also provide recommendations for the self-care and self-management of staff and clinicians working with this population.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Identify four characteristics of the “military mindset” and the implications for each in treating this population;
Discuss four of the post-deployment affects that can potentially lead to incarceration; and
Identify five effective clinical responses to the needs of veterans and five critical knowledge areas for clinical staff.

Click here to view a recording of this presentation.
Click here to view the slides for this presentation.
Click here to register for this quiz to recieve CEU credit after viewing the recording of this presentation and/or slides.
Click here to take the CEU quiz if you have already registered. (you can also retrieve your password here if you forgot it)

Date: March 21, 2012, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Phillip Barbour
Title of Presentation: Thinking for a Change: Integrated Cognitive Behavior Change Program
Description: Cognitive Behavior Programs have evolved over the last thirty years, impacted by a variety of researchers and practitioners. A number of approaches drawing largely on cognitive-behavioral methods have also been developed to address criminal thinking, the most popular among these being Thinking for a Change (T4C), issued by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) (Bush et al. 2000). When integrating (T4C) into a therapeutic community program, offenders can learn to recognize thinking errors and to understand how those errors can lead to behavior that gets them into trouble. This webinar will look at the core components of Thinking for a Change (T4C) and review the lesson structure for the curriculum.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Know how many sessions are in the T4C curriculum;
Name the three key skills in the T4C curriculum;
Know which lessons are best for orientation of new participants; and
Know the basic lesson structure for T4C curriculum.

Date: February 15, 2012, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Niki Miller
Title of Presentation: Trauma-Informed Correctional Care
Description: Trauma-informed services are becoming the standard of care in behavioral health. Applying trauma-informed care to criminal justice systems is challenging but also logical when one considers the prevalence of trauma in the lives of RSAT clients and the triggering nature of prison and jail environments. The goal of this training is to introduce trauma theory, research and practice relevant to people with addictive disorders who may have histories of exposure to violence and trauma and are in the justice system. Understanding the impact of trauma, the changes that take place among clients who have PTSD, or other trauma-related disorders, will help RSAT staff deal with the significant numbers of offenders with histories of exposure to violence. The principles of trauma-informed care are simple to apply. A few general guidelines can make treatment more effective and correctional facilities safer. Trauma interventions specifically suited for addiction treatment programs have been highly effective. In addition, anyone working with large numbers of traumatized individuals can benefit from the basics of self-care as they work with this demanding population.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

List the three major symptom categories of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and explain how they may manifest themselves in RSAT clients;
Identify two foundational principles of trauma-informed care and name one trauma-specific intervention; and
Describe two strategies to minimize re-traumatization while screening for trauma in a criminal justice setting.

Date: January 18, 2012, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Phillip Barbour
Title of Presentation: Criminal and Addictive Thinking
Description: Thinking errors in criminals continue to expand into almost all areas of their lives and they regularly fail to deter their distorted thinking which results in regular violence and harm of others. These thinking errors are similar for the addicted offender as well, leading to substance use and criminal activity. This webinar is an overview of the criminal and addictive thinking patterns and their similarities, tactics used by the addicted offender in an effort to mask their criminogenic needs, and "the lack of time perspective" which prevents them from learning from their experiences.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Identify how many patterns are the same between criminal and addictive thinking;
Define at least three criminal thinking patterns; and
Identify at least three characteristics of the "lack of time perspective".

Click here to view a recording of this presentation.
Click here to view the slides from this presentation.
Click here to register for this quiz to recieve CEU credit after viewing the recording of this presentation and/or slides.
Click here to take the CEU quiz if you have already registered. (you can also retrieve your password here if you forgot it)

Date: December 21, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Daniel Ryan
Title of Presentation: Motivational Interviewing
Description: This 45-minute presentation is in large part based on Miller and Rollnick’s text, Motivational Interviewing. It is a succinct interpretation of Motivational Interviewing (MI) philosophy and is not intended to be a fully comprehensive review of the subject.

Participants will learn one of MI’s most important rules, confrontation doubles an inmate’s resistance. The best way to respond to an inmate’s resistance is through non-resistance—hostility and criticism are counterproductive and ineffective.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Describe substance abuse and addiction as it is identified by the National Institute of Drug Abuse;
Identify at least two key principles of Motivational Interviewing; and
Describe at least seven rules of Motivational Interviewing.

Date: October 19th and November 16th, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Ret. Captain Mark Thompson; Roberta C. Churchill M.A.
Title of Presentation: Partners in Crime Reduction: Building Stronger Relationships Among Correctional Officers and Treatment Staff to Ensure Program Effectiveness
Description: An often overlooked but very influential factor in ensuring the effectiveness of an RSAT Program is the importance that staff makes in the delivery of effective services throughout the program experience. More specifically, the relationships between security officers (uniformed staff) and treatment providers (non-uniformed staff) within an RSAT Program is essential to the proper functioning of a structured, consistent and successful program. This webinar will bring together a former RSAT Treatment Director and retired RSAT Lead Officer who together created the first RSAT Program in Massachusetts. They bring first-hand knowledge of the keys to successful partnerships and how to avoid potential pitfalls.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Identify the role of staff relationships within the context of Responsivity and Need Principles;
Understand the importance of RSAT Program staff as role models;
Identify methods to build relationships between uniformed and non-uniformed staff; and
Discuss programmatic techniques to maintain strong relationships among all RSAT Program staff.

Click here to view a recording of part 1 of this presentation.
Click here to view a recording of part 2 of this presentation.
Click here to download the slides from this presentation.
Click here to register for this quiz to recieve CEU credit after viewing the recording of this presentation and/or slides.
Click here to take the CEU quiz if you have already registered. (you can also retrieve your password here if you forgot it)

Date: September 21, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Kenneth L. Osborne, M.S.
Title of Presentation: Socialization and Change of the Drug Involved Offender
Description: Participants in this webinar will explore the pilgrimage individuals make into the life of crime and addiction. The presenter will cover how social learning impacts addictive choices. In addition, the culture of addiction will be covered, the use of the stages of change as a method of examining pathways in and out of addiction will be discussed as well. Risk reductions and three determinants of change will be reviewed.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Discuss the three pathways in and out of addiction;
Discuss the three ways social learning impacts addictive behavior; and
List the three determinants of positive change necessary in order to sustain treatment gains.

Click here to view a recording of this presentation.
Click here to download the slides from this presentation.
Click here to register for this quiz to recieve CEU credit after viewing the recording of this presentation and/or slides.
Click here to take the CEU quiz if you have already registered. (you can also retrieve your password here if you forgot it)

Date: August 17, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Deana Evens, M.A., CJAP, CARS
Title of Presentation: Gender Responsiveness in Correctional Systems for the Substance Use Offender
Description: Over the years, correctional systems have studied the behavior of male offenders and slowly developed approaches geared towards the male population. While male offenders make up 82% of the adult jail/prison population, incarceration rates of women has tripled in the last 30 years. The needs of the female offender differ from males, yet the system has been slow to alter their approach in working with females. By being gender responsive, and using appropriate strategies for working with female offenders, this will increase safety and can have profound effects on the well-being of families, communities and our society as a whole. This webinar is designed to increase awareness about female offenders in the correctional setting and provide insight on how best to work with this ever-growing population.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Identify five characteristics to understand and work more effectively with women offenders;
Recognize four behaviors/consequences that women with substance abuse problems have; and
State six Gender-Responsive Guiding Principles.

Date: July 20, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Linda Gatson-Rowe, M.S.
Title of Presentation: Community as Change Agent: Incorporating Peer-to-Peer Learning in RSAT Programs
Description: The webinar educates registrants in the many benefits of creating a culture that supports accountability to a peer group that is, in turn, accountable to a “rational authority”. This model of accountability has been implemented and empirically validated in a prison based RSAT as well as in community corrections and sober house settings. The model incorporates elements of the twelve step fellowship, the cognitive-behavioral approach, and the therapeutic community perspective to create an environment that supports change and a peer group that becomes a vital piece of the intervention. As each member becomes more accountable to the group, both the individual and the treatment community become stronger.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Identify 3 advantages of Therapeutic Community;
Identify and discuss therapeutic tools used in Therapeutic Community structure; and
Identify infrastructure of Therapeutic Community.

Date: June 15, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Fred Zackon
Title of Presentation: Core Recovery Goals for RSAT Programming
Description: This webinar aims to help RSAT staff sharpen their clinical focus on particularly important treatment goals. We will draw distinctions between broad objectives (e.g., “begin a strong recovery,” “learn to be drug-free”) and specific and measurable goals that represent foundational achievements of sustainable recovery and that can be well targeted by evidence-based approaches.

Incorporating input from the audience, we will apply the SMART rubric (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) to define such goals, discuss their importance, show how they can be made measurable, and fit them within the typical resource set of correctional programs.

After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:

Identify major achievements of developmental recovery irrespective of treatment interventions;
Gauge how appropriately their own services focus on achievable recovery progress;
Recognize vital features of practical recovery-based treatment goals; and
Link specific evidence-based practices to achievable recovery-based treatment goals.

Date: May 18, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Roberta Churchill
Title of Presentation: Offender Assessment Using the Risk-Need-Responsivity Model
Description: Ensuring public safety by reducing criminal behaviors can best be achieved by providing offenders with services that match their level of risk as well as addressing their criminogenic needs. More effective correctional programs follow a cognitive behavioral and social learning approach, however specific responsivity issues such as tailoring interventions to the learning style, motivation, abilities and strengths of the offender are increasingly recognized as significant considerations for treatment planning as well. Current research documents significant reduction in recidivism when the principles of risk, need and responsivity are adhered to in correctional programming. But how do correctional professionals determine an offender’s risk level, treatment needs and the best way to deliver services?

Learning Objectives

A brief history of offender assessment
A review of the Risk – Need - Responsivity (RNR) Model
The role of the RNR Model in the development of offender assessment instruments
The connection between offender assessment, treatment planning and provision of services
An overview of several 4th Generation RNR assessment instruments

Click here to view a recording of this presentation.
Click here to download the slides from this presentation.

Date: April 20, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Phillip Barbour
Title of Presentation: The Value of Proper Assessments: Selecting the Most Appropriate Assessment Tools to Ensure Effective Treatment Protocols for Your Substance Abusing Population
Description: Sound clinical practice regarding assessment is the key to identifying initial and ongoing treatment needs and services; as well as identifying reentry needs and services. Assessment of the criminal justice population must also address criminal risk factors that can impact treatment progress both within the institution and during community reentry. This webinar will introduce participants to evidence-based tools and practices for the assessment of the criminal justice population in treatment.

Learning Objectives

Review of current assessment tools
Assessing risk factors for the criminal justice client
What tools are right for the job
The conveyance of assessment information to providers

Click here to view a recording of this presentation.
Click here to download the slides from this presentation.

Webinar: March 16, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Phillip Barbour
Title of Presentation: Screening: Making the Most of Limited Resources
Description: The inmates’ need for treatment in jails and prisons far outweighs the resources that are available. Therefore, it is critical for programs to partner with their correctional centers to develop criteria for who they can serve based on available resources and security classification; and develop screening processes to ensure that inmates are matched with the appropriate treatment services. This webinar will focus on the development of program criteria, taking into account both the resources of the treatment program as well as the security classification issues; and screening processes, including evidence-based tools, that can be used to match offenders to institution based treatment programs.

Learning Objectives

Understanding the resource challenges in the screening process: Who should do it? When it should be done? Where is the best place?
Selecting the right AOD tool for screening: e.g. TCUDSII, Simple Screening Instrument, SASSI.
Developing and maintaining integrity between the screening process and the actual treatment of the offender. Consents, agreements and incentives.
The importance of sharing information from the screening.
Understanding how security classification and good time credit affects treatment.

Click here to download the slides from this presentation.

Webinar: February 16, 2011, 2:00 PM EST
Presenter: Fred Zackon
Title of Presentation: Key Elements of Effective Cognitive Behavioral Therapies
Description: No matter its orientation—Twelve Step, TC, or something else—your program probably employs CBT of some sort. It’s big in our field. But CBT is what exactly? And does what exactly? What’s common to the most proven varieties of CBT? Could those elements be strengthened in your program? Does your form of CBT reinforce the other features of your program? And vice versa? This webinar will:

Explain clearly the essential theories and strategies of the leading forms of CBT;
Identify from research and practice features shared by almost all effective CBT;
Offer a simple tool for gauging the health of CBT practices in your program;
Explore how to get broader treatment impact from the CBT you do use.

Click here to download the slides from this presentation.