Professional Education and Resources

Upcoming education opportunities

Join us for virtual Motivational Interviewing with Dr. Antoine Douaihy, University of Pittsburgh on Friday, May 3rd from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Contact cathcartz@upmc.edu for registration information.

Join our monthly Motivational Interviewing coaching calls with Amy Shanahan, Compass Consulting and Training, LLC the last Thursday of each month at 9:00 am. Contact mortonal@upmc.edu for the Zoom link.


Examples of training topics covered include:

  • Addiction, Stigma, and Social Determinants of Health
  • Brave Conversations About Substance Use
  • Compassion Fatigue: The Cost of Caring
  • Co-Occurring Bipolar Disorder and Substance Use Disorders
  • Differential Diagnosis with Complaints of Attention Problems
  • Evaluation and Diagnosis of ADD in Adults
  • Military 101: Understanding and Supporting Veterans in Behavioral Health Care
  • Moving from Warm Handoffs (WHO) to Creating a Front-door to a Continuum of Care
  • Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
  • Substance Use Disorder and Pregnancy

Training Calendar

View our training calendar for information about upcoming training opportunities.

Virtual meeting

Printable Flyers and Online Resources

PDF resources are available to download or print on important topics like signs of substance use, warm hand-off, safe sleep, and naloxone spray. We also provide links to online resources, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, naloxone resources, prescription drop-off locations, and helpful information about opioid use disorder and recovery.


Certified Recovery Specialist Class

Our Certified Recovery Specialist Class trains those who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction to become recovery specialists. Our program prepares participants for a certification test, leading to job opportunities helping others succeed on their recovery journeys.

Enrollment for the Certified Recovery Specialist class must be completed on the Pennsylvania Certification Board’s website.

Counselor taking notes in counseling session

Recovery Is... Video Series

This video series features conversations with professionals in the field of Addiction Medicine and people with lived experience in recovery from substance use disorders. These interviews provide insight into the disease of addiction, educate about treatment options, and reduce stigma associated with substance use.

Recovery Is Video Series Photo for Shape

Matrix Model Training for Substance Use Service Providers

Matrix Model is an evidence-based treatment program implemented in all levels of care, by any treatment provider who attends the training.

The model consists of 16 weeks of group sessions held three times per week, which combine Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, family education, social support, individual counseling, and urine drug testing.

The Matrix Model is acknowledged by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as an effective and scientifically based approach. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration lists the model on its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. It was also listed as a recommended evidence-based treatment model in Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, a 2016 report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General.

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