Harm Reduction and Behavioral Counseling

Sex, Gender, and HIV/STDs

This two-day training is designed to help health and human services providers promote sexual health among their clients by building their capacity to talk sensitively and non-judgmentally about sexual identity, gender identity and sexual behaviors. Topics to be covered during the training include: sexual and gender identity; strategies for talking with clients about sexual health issues; HIV/STD prevention and harm reduction strategies for sexual behaviors.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Increase their awareness about the range of sexual and gender identities of their clients;
  • Describe how homophobia and other forms of stigma and discrimination can impact a client's sexual behaviors and ability to practice sexual risk reduction;
  • Increase their comfort in discussing sexual and gender identity with clients;
  • Describe how sexual trauma can impact a client's sexual behaviors and risk for HIV/STDs; and
  • Offer clients harm reduction options for sexual behaviors.

Prerequisite: Although there is no prerequisite for this course, it is strongly recommended that participants have previous knowledge or training on basic HIV/AIDS information.

Audience: All health and human service providers.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
August 9-10 Manhattan ACRIA
September 7-8 Manhattan NDRI
September 26-27 Manhattan Cicatelli

OASAS: The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute is an OASAS Certified Education and Training Provider. This course is approved for initial credentialing and renewal of CASAC, CPP and CPS for 13.0 clock hours.

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Addressing Sexual Risk with Drug Users and their Partners

This one-day training will build participant knowledge and skills in offering sexual harm reduction options to substance users. Expanded access to syringes, other harm reduction services and drug treatment options have helped people greatly reduce their substance use-related risks for HIV. The latest research shows that sexual risk behaviors play a significant role in new cases of HIV among people who use drugs and alcohol.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Recall the latest research that shows how expanded access to syringes and methadone maintenance programs has greatly reduced the number of new cases of HIV from substance use-related risk;
  • Identify and discuss sexual risk behaviors clients engage in when using drugs and alcohol;
  • Identify harm reduction strategies for reducing sexual risk among people who use drugs and alcohol; and
  • Practice harm reduction messages tailored to sexual behaviors for people who use drugs and alcohol.

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that participants have attended "Reducing the Risk and Harm of HIV" or have a working knowledge of harm reduction and addiction.

Audience: All health and human services providers including: case managers and case management technicians in both COBRA and grant-funded programs, supervisors, and program directors.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
July 19 Manhattan Cicatelli
August 9 Manhattan NDRI
August 17 Hawthorne ARCS

OASAS: The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute is an OASAS Certified Education and Training Provider. This course is approved for initial credentialing and renewal of CASAC, CPP and CPS for 6.5 clock hours.*

*Course are not approved for initial credentialing for CPS.

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Understanding Drug-Related Stigma

For individuals who use or have a history of using drugs, the impact of stigma can permeate nearly every aspect of their life - including relationships with family, friends, employers, and health care providers. This half day training will give participants a set of knowledge and skills to help them engage and involve targeted community members in practices which address stigma-related issues of injecting and non-injecting drug using populations.

As a result of this training, participants will:

  • Recall the meaning of stigma, discrimination and related concepts, finding personal relevance in these terms;
  • Identify the various ways in which drug users experience stigma and discrimination;
  • Explore key sources of pre-existing stigma and discrimination in our society;
  • Identify consequences of drug-related stigma and discrimination on drug users' willingness and ability to access services;
  • Consider ways to address stigma at individual and agency levels; and
  • Gain conceptual and practical tools toward the development of attitudes and environments that challenge stigma and support drug users' needs through personal reflection and a strategy-building activity.

Prerequisite: There is no pre-requisite for this course. It is strongly recommended that participants have an understanding of the principles of harm reduction.

Audience: All health and human services providers including: community-based direct service staff, caseworkers, therapists, peer advocates, program administrators, and medical providers.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
July 19 Manhattan HRC

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Improving Health Care with Drug Users: Tools for Non-Clinical Providers

Despite an excess in health care needs, drug users are less likely than non-users to access health care and when they do, there is often significant delay in accessing care. This half day training will help non-clinical service providers engage with their drug using clients around issues related to health care. We will explore unique challenges that drug users face when accessing health care and will provide tools and strategies for discussing health care with clients. one tool offered is a workshop curriculum entitled "Quality Health Care is Your Right" for use with clients to help support positive relationships between drug users and health care providers.

At the end of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Identify some of the unique health care needs of drug using clients;
  • Understand the impact of drug-related stigma on their clients' access to health care;
  • Identify institutional, social and behavioral factors that influence drug user access to health care;
  • Describe common barriers to health care experienced by drug users;
  • Offer clients tools for building trust and engaging with health care providers; and
  • Engage clients in discussions about the benefits and risks of disclosing their drug use to health care providers.

Prerequisite: There is no pre-requisite for this course. It is strongly recommended that participants have an understanding of the principles of harm reduction.

Audience: All health and human services providers including: community-based direct service staff, caseworkers, therapists, peer advocates, program administrators, and medical providers.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
July 26 Manhattan HRC

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Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative approach to working with people experiencing negative consequences from substance use and other challenging behaviors. MI is a style of counseling which facilitates readiness for change by helping the person develop a schema about the positive and negative effects of their behavior.

This one-day training will assist health and human service providers to:

  • Describe the use of ambivalence in the counseling process, strategies for increasing motivation, and self-efficacy and optimism; and
  • Practice MI techniques that include reflective listening, delivering feedback, summarizing, decisional balancing, and developing change plans.

Prerequisite: None

Audience: All health and human service providers.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
August 4 Albany HRC
August 12 Buffalo HRC

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HIV/HCV Coinfection and Use of Motivational Interviewing to Reduce Alcohol Use

This one-day training will assist health and human service providers to:

  • Understand the long and short term effects of alcohol abuse on the liver;
  • Understand that moderate use of alcohol can increase disease progression among people living with Hepatitis C;
  • Practice using motivational interviewing and harm reduction strategies for decreasing alcohol intake among HIV/HCV coinfected clients; and
  • Explore issues about HIV/HCV coinfection, transmission, disease progression and treatment, including the impact of HIV medications on the liver.

Prerequisite: None

Audience: Health and human service providers who will deliver substance abuse services including: drug treatment counselors, case managers and direct service staff working with people living with HIV and HCV.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
July 27 Manhattan HRC

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Improving Health Outcomes for HIV-Positive Individuals Transitioning from Correctional Settings to the Community

This one-day training is for non-clinical providers who work with HIV positive clients who were formerly incarcerated or who are involved in the criminal justice system. The training will inform providers about the culture of corrections as it relates to HIV-infected inmates' needs upon community re-entry. Best practices will be reviewed to assist formerly incarcerated clients living with HIV/AIDS establish and maintain linkages to care, as well as maneuver through the system and access needed services.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the role of community providers in supporting successful community re-entry for incarcerated HIV positive clients;
  • Describe the distinction between jail and prison custodial settings and how HIV transitional planning services differ;
  • Outline the challenges that HIV-infected inmates face upon release;
  • Describe effective engagement techniques for working with inmates who are transitioning into community systems of care;
  • Discuss strategies for conducting assessments with former inmates who are living with HIV/AIDS to learn about their needs and to create appropriate linkages and referrals; and
  • Identify support services and resources for HIV infected inmates who have left the correctional system.

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that participants have previous knowledge of basic HIV/AIDS information, harm reduction and corrections.

Audience: All health and human service providers who work directly with formerly incarcerated clients.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
July 27 Johnson City STAP
July 28 Syracuse REACH
August 19 Manhattan Cicatelli
September 6 Hawthorne ARCS
September 13 Manhattan NDRI
September 28 Albany CHBT

OASAS: The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute is an OASAS Certified Education and Training Provider. This course is approved for initial credentialing and renewal of CASAC, CPP and CPS for 6.5 clock hours.

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Advanced Training on the Needs of Incarcerated PLWHA Upon Community Re-entry

This one-day training is to increase the awareness and sensitivity of health and human service providers to the challenges of PLWHA involved in community re-entry after release from a correctional facility. These challenges include the overlapping issues of family reunification, mental health, substance use, and need for HIV care. Best practices will be reviewed to support community re-entry and utilization of HIV medical care and other services.

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss the specific challenges of family reunification for people living with HIV/AIDS.
  • Describe the impact of unresolved past and possible future traumatic events.
  • Use supportive inquiry to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the overlapping challenges encountered by released people living with HIV/AIDS as well as the strengths and resources of their "families" and/or social networks.
  • Use strength-based strategies for supporting community re-entry for individuals with co-morbidities of HIV/AIDS, mental health/trauma issues, and/or substance abuse.
  • Facilitate clients' access to HIV primary care and support services including drug treatment and overdose prevention to effectively manage challenges.

Prerequisite: It is required that participants take "Improving Outcomes for HIV-Positive Individuals Transitioning from Correctional Settings to the Community" before attending this training.

Audience: All health and human service providers who work directly with formerly incarcerated clients.

To Register: Use the Training Centers' links.

Date Location Training Center
July 28 Johnson City STAP
August 18 Syracuse REACH
August 23 Copiague CPHE
September 8 Hawthorne ARCS
September 16 Manhattan Cicatelli
September 20 Manhattan NDRI
September 29 Albany CHBT

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