Training Institute
The Training Institute, part of the RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery, aims to increase awareness of and education on critical concerns impacting our communities, such as mental health and substance use, and build a well-informed, resilient population. Our trainings provide comprehensive education on prevention, recovery and public health topics.
The Training Institute is a registered provider of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC), the New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) and the New Jersey Department of Health Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS).
CEU Options:
- NJ DOE CEUs are available on all trainings.
- NAADAC CEUs are available where noted.
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are available where noted or by request. Please inquire via email to schedule an EMS credentialed training at least three months before the desired training date.
To learn more or request a training, please email IFPRTrainingInstitute@rwjbh.org.
Community Health Trainings
Changing the Script: Sports Injuries and Exposure to Opioids Among Young Athletes
Is there a danger to young athletes who are prescribed opioid pain medications after an injury? This presentation focuses on the connection between youth sports injuries and exposure to prescription opioids in middle school, high school and college athletes. The training takes a deeper look at an individual’s risk for substance use disorder and other obstacles students and families may encounter as a result.
Length of Training: 1 hour
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NAADAC and NJ DOE
Download Flyer
Community Resilience Initiative’s Trauma-Informed Certification Program
The Trauma-Informed Certification Program was developed by the Community Resilience Initiative (CRI) and covers three topics:
- The NEAR Sciences – the scientific findings in Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Child Experiences (ACEs) studies and Resilience
- Beneath Behavior – using the knowledge of brain networks to understand the factors that drive behavior
- ROLES – CRI’s strategy in responding to trauma
Length of Training: 4 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NAADAC and NJ DOE
Don't Get Vaped In
Don’t Get Vaped In is a free training that educates the community on the risks of using e-cigarettes and vape pens.
Types of Training:
- Adult to Adult training: school personnel, parents and community
- Adult to Youth training: health classes, youth groups and clubs
- Youth to Youth training: a peer-to-peer model designed for students to learn how to educate their friends about the dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes
Length of Training: 1 hour
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NJ DOE
READY to Stand: Human Trafficking Prevention Training
Human trafficking can happen anywhere. Learn how to identify signs of human trafficking and respond in a possible trafficking situation. The program offers industry-specific presentations and curricula to provide targeted education on what human trafficking looks like in different sectors and communities. The training was developed by the Set Me Free Project, a leader in human trafficking awareness nationwide.
Trainings can be tailored for adult or youth (middle and high school) audiences.
Length of Training: 2 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NAADAC and NJ DOE
TIPS Training
Professionals in alcohol use, adult education, hospitality and psychology fields created the TIPS training to teach servers and bartenders ways to prevent customers from overconsuming alcohol. This practical strategy, which teaches servers and bartenders standard practices for serving alcohol and how to look for signs of intoxication, is the industry standard.
Length of Training: 3 hours
Format: In-person
CEUs: NJ DOE
Intervention Trainings
Ask, Advise, Refer (AAR) for Healthcare Professionals
The AAR training provides healthcare professionals with evidence-based intervention strategies that can be used in any practice to guide conversations about tobacco and nicotine treatment.
Length of Training: 1 hour
Format: Online
CEUs: NJ DOE
Download Flyer
Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS)/504 – Perfect Together
This half-day training clarifies the similarities and differences between the state code for I&RS and Federal Statute 504. It outlines how teams best determine the eligibility and criteria for collecting student information, developing action plans and providing the necessary accommodations to further enhance successful outcomes for general education students.
Length of Training: 3 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NJ DOE
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
SBIRT is a comprehensive, integrated public health approach to identify individuals with or at risk for substance use disorders, provide early intervention to those individuals and refer them to services and resources. The screening tool helps identify potentially problematic substance use in various settings, including behavioral health and medical offices and prevention/early intervention programs.
The training teaches participants how to utilize the screening tool effectively, demonstrating each step of the tool:
- Screening – Assess the degree of risk
- Brief Intervention – Provide a brief clinical intervention using Motivational Interviewing
- Referral to Treatment – Use a warm hand-off to link patients to services
Length of Training: Varies
Format: In-person
CEUs: NJ DOE
Mental Health Trainings
Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
The MHFA training teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. Participants will learn the ALGEE action plan and apply it in scenarios where an adult has concerning, worsening or crisis symptoms of a mental health challenge. In addition to CEUs, participants will receive a three-year, renewable certification in Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Additional Community Specific versions of this training include:
- Law Enforcement and Public Safety
- Military, Veterans, and their Families
- First Responders, Fire and EMS
- Maternal Health
- Older Adults
- Higher Education
- Corrections Personnel
- Hispanic Communities
Length of Training: 6.5 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NAADAC and NJ DOE
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
The YMHFA training teaches participants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18. Participants will learn the ALGEE action plan and apply it in scenarios where a youth has concerning, worsening or crisis symptoms of a mental health challenge. In addition to CEUs, participants will receive a three-year, renewable certification in Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Length of Training: 6.5 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NAADAC and NJ DOE
teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA)
Build a powerful community of teens ages 15-18 by teaching them how to support a friend or classmate with the evidence-based tMHFA course. The tMHFA training is taught in six (6) 45-minute sessions or three (3) 90-minute sessions. When taught at a school, an entire grade level must be trained. Additionally, 10% of adult staff must be trained in Adult MHFA or YMHFA as a prerequisite to this program. Participants will receive a three-year certification in teen Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Length of Training: 4.5-6 hours, multiple days
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: Not Applicable
Awareness, Interaction, Direction (A.I.D.)
The A.I.D. training teaches participants how to interact effectively with someone experiencing mental distress. Participants learn to recognize signs and symptoms of distress, effectively interact with someone in distress and be able to locate and provide resources to individuals in distress. Developed by the Kent State University School Center for Public Policy and Health, this training provides a brief overview of mental health challenges and how to support someone in need. RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery is proud to be the first agency in New Jersey to provide this training.
Length of Training: 2 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NJ DOE
Talk Saves Lives
Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) flagship suicide prevention education program. The training provides participants with an understanding of suicide as a leading cause of death, including the most up-to-date research on prevention and what can be done in communities to save lives.
Length of Training: 1 hour
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NJ DOE
Wellness Trainings
Keep Your Stuff Together – Strategies for Self-Care
The Keep Your Stuff Together – Strategies for Self-Care training offers a new perspective on how stress impacts our lives. It highlights the mental, physical and emotional aspects of stress and teaches how to develop coping strategies to help participants master personal and professional goals. This training also includes an introduction and demonstration of the Tapping Solution model, an effective tool used to reduce stress and anxiety.
Length of Training: 3 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NJ DOE
Strengthening Families Program Leader Certification (Train the Trainer)
The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is an internationally-recognized, evidence-based model parenting program. The program teaches family skills that are proven to significantly reduce problem behavior, delinquency and alcohol and drug use in children and to improve social competencies and school performance. Program materials are an additional fee. This training is recommended for program managers, prevention specialists, educators, group facilitators and those who work with families in a group setting. This training is not recommended for individual counselors. Completion of the training certifies participants to deliver the 14-week program.
Length of Training: Two 6-hour sessions, 12 hours total
Format: In-person
CEUs: NJ DOE
Words Matter
The Words Matter training shares strategies for healthcare professionals to identify language that may be perceived as biased or stigmatizing, reduce substance use and mental health disorders stigma and implement recovery language to improve workplace culture and patient relationships.
Length of Training: 2 hours
Format: In-person or online
CEUs: NAADAC and NJ DOE