Event » SOLD OUT 2024, July 10, 15, & 16- Harm Reduction and Motivational Interviewing

  • Start Date: 7/10/2024
  • End Date: 7/16/2024
  • Registration Start Time: 9:00 AM
  • Hosted By: CIBHS

Event Description:


Harm Reduction and Motivational Interviewing

Meet your clients where they are and use MI and Harm Reduction to explore meaningful ways to collaborate and support your clients and promote change


July 10, 15, & 16, 2024 | 9:00AM – 12:00 PM (PT)

A Virtual Training


“Harm reduction” appears everywhere from project proposals to newspaper headlines. Although harm reduction (HR) seems to be everywhere all at once, the philosophy and practice of harm reduction is not always clearly understood. Additionally, practitioners have often not received any significant training in HR and are unsure on how to work with this approach when working with help seekers. In this webinar, we will discuss some of the basic tenets of harm reduction. We will also have an opportunity to practice using some exercises designed to explore an individual’s relationship to substances and/or behaviors and discuss how the harm reduction approach can lead to meaningful and productive conversations that promote change. 


Join Kristin Dempsey, EdD, LMFT, LPCC full-time faculty member at the Wright Institute and practicing psychotherapist in the Bay Area specializing in complex trauma, MI, addiction counseling, suicide prevention, and much more. In addition to clinical work, Dr. Dempsey trained community mental health providers in various evidenced-based and promising practices and provides ongoing coaching and consultation in behavioral health system redesign and implementation of evidence-based practices.



This training will be held via Zoom. A meeting link and materials will be emailed to you one week before the training.



Learning Objectives:

  1. Apply at least three core tenets of “harm reduction” in clinical practice to support treatment engagement and retention among clients with substance use disorder.
  2. Explain at least five similarities between harm reduction and trauma-informed care and their complementary use in clinical practice to facilitate behavior change among clients with substance use disorder.
  3.  Apply at least two harm reduction exercises in clinical practice to assist clients in addiction treatment with exploring acceptance, self-compassion, and empowerment.
  4.  Apply at least two harm reduction techniques in clinical practice to assist clients in addiction treatment with exploring their relationship to a substance or behavior and creating a goal or next step for change and growth.
  5. Identify the four tasks of motivational interviewing and explain how each can be integrated into harm reduction therapy to motivate change among clients in addiction treatment.
  6. Apply the four skills of motivational interviewing: open-ended questions, affirmation, reflection, and summary in appropriate situations to evoke change talk among clients in addiction treatment.
  7. Identify the four types of preparatory change talk and the three types of mobilizing change talk when they occur in therapy to elicit further change talk among clients who are in addiction treatment.
  8. Write a change plan in collaboration with a client that includes ways they might change their substance use or compulsive behavior.


8.5 Continuing Education Credits available for $45

PSYCHOLOGISTS:  Psychologists - APA:  California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions maintains responsibility for this program and its content.


Course meets the qualifications for 8.5 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences; and CIBHS is an approved provider for the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) to sponsor continuing education for Behavioral health professionals including clinicians, addiction counselors, case managers, supervisors, peers, and managers. CIBHS maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.


CCAPP: CIBHS is an approved provider for California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) continuing education units (Provider number 5-98-408-0824).


CADTP: CIBHS is an approved provider for California Association of DUI Treatment Programs (CADTP) continuing education credits. CIBHS maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. (Provider number 240).



All activities in this training are offered for continuing education credit excluding any breaks. CE Certificates of Completion will be emailed within two weeks of processing your completed online evaluation.


For questions, comments, or grievances about this CE course content or delivery, or to request special accommodations, please email Theresa Ferrini at tferrini@cibhs.org

Cancellation Policy:  Cancellations for continuing education must be received in writing within 48 hours after the first day of the training to receive a refund. Refunds: All refunds will be subject to a $10.00 administration fee, which will be deducted from all refund checks. In the event the provider cancels the conference, full refunds will be given.



For all questions regarding the training and registration, please reach out to Valerya Silva at vsilva@cibhs.org


There is no known commercial support for this webinar.



Packages Available for Registration

Online registration is currently not available for this event or the date has passed.
Forgot Password help button image Create Account