Harm Reduction & Behavioral Counseling Trainings

Skills Practice & Implementation of Staged-based Behavioral Counseling

This three-day course provides additional training in Staged-based Behavioral Counseling for HIV/STD risk reduction, an adaptation of Stage of Change/Trans theoretical Model of Behavior Change Theory. Opportunities for further skills practice with trained "client instructors" will provide real life counseling experiences. Implementation & integration of this model into existing services including risk reduction counseling, HIV pre & post-test counseling and case management will be discussed.

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

  • Build upon existing knowledge of the Stages of Change/Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change Theory;
  • Develop and practice behavioral counseling skills including staging a client in their readiness for behavior change and the use of stage-specific counseling strategies;
  • Learn the initial steps of implementing this model at their own agency including using behavioral counseling for quality assurance and evaluation, documentation of behavioral counseling and common barriers to implementation.

Prerequisite: Previous attendance at the NYS DOH AIDS Institute sponsored training, "Reducing the Risk and Harm of HIV".

Audience: Health and Human Service Providers who conduct behavioral counseling.

Date Location Registration Center
October 7-9 Manhattan NDRI
December 15-17 Hawthorne ARCS

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Reducing the Risk and Harm of HIV

This three-day training will provide participants with information about what behavioral scientists, HIV/AIDS providers and consumers have found to be helpful in reducing the risk and harm associated with HIV infection.

Participants will have an opportunity to improve skills and increase knowledge of:

  • Assessing client readiness for change;
  • Behavior change counseling; and
  • Harm reduction options for sexual and substance use 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

Date Location Registration Center
August 5-7 Manhattan NDRI
September 16-18 Albany PDP SUNY Albany
October 1-3 Syracuse REACH
October 22-24 Johnson City STAP
October 28-30 Hawthorne ARCS

FREE CME/CNE & OASAS Credits

CME: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Medical Society of the State of New York through the joint sponsorship of the School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY and the AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health. The School of Public Health is accredited by the MSSNY to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The School designates this educational activity for a maximum of 17.7 hours of category one credit towards the AMA/PRA. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

CNE: The University at Albany, School of Public Health is an approved provider of continuing education by the New York State Nurses Association's Council on Continuing Education, which is accredited as an approver of continuing education in nursing by the American Nurse's Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. It is being presented in joint sponsorship with the AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health. (Contact Hours: 17.7 hours; Approval Code 5TLL8T-PRV-04-013)

Please Note: As of January 2007, CME/CNE credit hours are the same.

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Methamphetamines and HIV

This two day training will increase participants' knowledge of methamphetamine use among MSMs (Men Who Have Sex with Men), its connection to HIV, and how providers can work with clients from a harm reduction perspective. Values clarification exercises will help sensitize participants to the issues faced by MSMs and increase their skills and competence in addressing methamphetamine use.

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

  • Summarize the pharmacology of Methamphetamines and other club drugs;
  • Describe how methamphetamines are used and reasons for use; and
  • List options that can help clients reduce the harm associated with methamphetamine use.

Prerequisite: Knowledge of basic HIV/AIDS information is recommended but not required.

Audience: All Health and Human Service Providers including: HIV/STD Counselors, Substance Abuse Counselors, HIV Educators/Outreach Workers, CCase Managers, Case Management Technicians, Nurses.

Date Location Registration Center
December 15-16 Manhattan NDRI

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VOICES/VOCES Facilitator Training

This two-day training provides participants with the information and materials needed to implement the VOICES/VOCES intervention. As a result of this training, facilitators will be prepared to:

  • Identify the Core Elements of VOICES/VOCES intervention;
  • Conduct the single-session, video-based group level intervention;
  • Improve condom negotiation skills among African-American and Latino adults;
  • Practice facilitating gender and ethnic-specific groups of 4-8 participants and encourage discussion about condoms use and other barriers; and
  • Utilize CDC-approved materials on HIV risk behavior and condom use in both English and Spanish.

Audience: This training is intended for a team of two to three staff from your agency who will be responsible for delivering this intervention. Staff should have knowledge of HIV/STDs, group facilitation skills.

Prerequisite: It is strongly recommended that a person in a leadership role in the agency attend an Informational Session for Agency Directors prior to having staff attend the Training of Facilitators. This training is only for agencies who are strongly committed to implementing the VOICES/VOCES intervention.

NOTE:VOICES/VOCES (Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex) is a single-session, video-based HIV/STD intervention that is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of HIV and AIDS Prevention's (CDC-DHAP) Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) Project. To learn more about VOICES/VOCES go to www.effectiveinterventions.org/interventions/voices.cfm

Date Location Registration Center
October 20-21 Hawthorne ARCS
October 28-29 Albany PDP SUNY Albany
December 4-5 Manhattan NDRI
December 10-11 Greenlawn CPHE

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Group Facilitation Skills for STD/HIV Prevention Interventions

This two-day training will help to increase providers' confidence, knowledge and practice skill in facilitating groups, especially the Centers for Disease Control's science based intervention "VOICES/VOCES".

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

  • Increase understanding of group process and how it influences behavior change;
  • Identify qualities of an effective group facilitator;
  • Increase skills in facilitating STD/HIV Prevention Intervention Groups;
  • Identify strategies for handling group problems;
  • Learn the importance of training, supporting and evaluating group facilitators.

Prerequisite: None

Audience: Group facilitators, counselors, health educators, peer educators, health care professionals and other public health prevention providers who conduct group level STD/HIV Prevention Interventions.

Date Location Registration Center
August 19-20 Rochester CHBT

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Using Harm Reduction to Address Sexual Risk with Drug Users and their Partners

This one-day training will build participant knowledge and skill in offering sexual harm reduction options to substance users. Expanded access to syringes, other harm reduction options and drug treatment services 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 substances.

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", "Motivational Interviewing", "Overview of Harm Reduction" and/or have a working knowledge of harm reduction.

Audience: For health and human services providers who work with people who use drugs.

Date Location Registration Center
August 7 Albany HRC
September 24 Suffolk HRC
September 30 Lindenhurst HRC
October 15 NYC HRC
October 16 Brooklyn HRC

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Safety Counts: Training-of-Facilitators

Safety Counts is part of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions (DEBI) Project. It is a science-based, proved HIV prevention intervention for out-of-treatment; active injection and non-injection drug users that is aimed at reducing both high-risk drug use and sexual behaviors. It is a behaviorally focused, seven-session intervention, which includes both structured and unstructured psycho-educational activities in group and individual settings, and makes referrals to HIV and HCV counseling and testing, medical and social services.

About this Training of Facilitators

This free, three-day training-of-facilitators will prepare participants to offer the Safety Counts, group-level intervention. At the training, participants will receive the material needed to implement this intervention in their communities. Sessions will run from 8:30am to 5:00pm each day.

Date Location Registration Center
October 21-23 Manhattan HRC

Who Should Attend this Training of Facilitators?

This training-of-facilitators is for AIDS Institute-funded organizations that are strongly committed to implementing the Safety Counts intervention. Agency leadership are required to review the "Safety Counts Fact Sheet and Agency Readiness Tool"(PDF, 62 KB, 2pg.) before registering staff for this training-of-facilitators. Agencies seeking to implement this intervention should send two staff who will be responsible for implementing the intervention to the training of facilitators. For more information, please contact Janet Foster of the AIDS Institute at (518) 473-2300.

How do I Register?

To register via mail or fax: Download the Registration Form (PDF, 62 KB, 1pg.) and complete a separate registration form for each person wishing to attend the training of facilitators. Space may be limited and registration will be done on a first come, first served basis.

Space is limited. Be sure to register as soon as possible.

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