Sector Professional Development

Gain a deeper understanding of how to respond to co-occurring mental health problems in alcohol and other drug treatment 

When: Thursday 31 July 2025
Time: 9:30am–4:30pm
Duration: 7 hours
Location: Online

Co-occurring mental health issues are the norm rather than the exception among people seeking alcohol and other drug treatment. With this one day interactive online workshop, you will learn how to adapt and expand your existing alcohol and other drug treatment skills to assist your clients with managing mental health symptoms.

Deepen your understanding of co-occurring mental health and alcohol and other drug issues and build your knowledge, confidence and skills to better understand clients’ needs, respond effectively, and adapt treatment. Find out what you need to know about the different co-occurring conditions you may encounter and how to effectively incorporate best practice responses into your treatment.

Balance your lived experience with your role and enhance outcomes for your clients and yourself

When: Wednesday 6 August 2025
Time: 9:30am–4:30pm
Duration: 7 hours
Location: Online

Lived experience brings a unique and valuable perspective to alcohol and other drug treatment. Many workers with lived experience are not in dedicated lived experience roles and may be searching for ways to balance their lived experience with the models of care that govern their practice. In this new workshop, you will explore how to make this work best for you, your service, and your clients.

Join Dr Amanda Davies, who draws on her lived and professional experience in this new workshop. With discussion of frameworks, clinical anecdotes, and a focus on self care and boundaries, you will walk away with skills and confidence to find the right balance in your work.

Work effectively with people who use methamphetamine

When: Thursday 14 August 2025
Time: 9:30am–1:00pm
Duration: 3.5 hours
Location: Online

Keep up to date about methamphetamine use and increase your understanding, confidence and skills in working with people who use methamphetamine.

Understand how methamphetamine affects the brain and how to adapt existing treatments and strategies for people who use methamphetamine.

You’ll learn about common co-occurring conditions associated with methamphetamine and the most effective ways to modify treatment and support to get the best outcomes.

Build your leadership skills and contribute to the next generation of practitioners

When: Monday 18 August 2025
Time: 9:30am–4:30pm
Duration: 7 hours
Location: Online

The key to great practice is great supervision. Are you a practice or clinical supervisor in the alcohol and other drug sector or looking to become one? Level up your supervisory skills by learning about effective supervision frameworks, building key supervision skills, and gaining strategies to manage challenges with our Superskills for Supervisors workshop.

Gain a deep understanding of the ‘why’ as well as the ‘how’ and ensure that you have the right theoretical and practical foundation skills to offer powerful practice supervision across different contexts and supervisees.

You will learn about developing and implementing supervision contracts and plans, assessing supervisee development needs, and navigating challenges and roadblocks.

Understand the causes and impacts of trauma and how to effectively respond

When: Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 September 2025
Time: 9:30am–4:30pm (both days)
Duration: 7 hours
Location: Online

Step up your trauma response skills with one of Australia’s most knowledgeable trainers. Find out everything you need to know to be able to understand and respond to trauma in the alcohol and other drug sector in a sensitive and evidence based way. You will come away with clear frameworks for understanding trauma and an effective toolkit in this essential area of practice.

Building on our Trauma Informed Practice workshop, you will deepen your knowledge of trauma and practice advanced strategies to effectively support people with trauma symptoms in alcohol and other drug treatment. Go deeper into understanding and responding to trauma and enhance your knowledge, skills and confidence in working with people who have experienced trauma.

Do you know what to say and do if you are subpoenaed to appear in court? Are you court ready?

When: Thursday 11 September 2025
Time: 9:30am–4:30pm
Duration: 7 hours
Location: Online

Join our clinical expert Paula Ross for this practical and fun interactive one day workshop specially designed to assist practitioners to get court ready. Understand the court system and gain a thorough understanding of good court preparation, including ensuring your case notes and reports are court ready. Gain confidence and reduce anxiety about appearing in court by enhancing your court presentation skills.

You will walk away feeling fully prepared and confident to represent your work and opinions in court so that your knowledge and experience really count.

Enrolments now open.

Start date 1 May 2025.

Online classes held Thursdays 9:30am – 1:30pm for 10 weeks.

To enquire about the AOD Skillset, please contact training@atoda.org.au.

The AOD Skill Set Course is comprised of four core, AOD specific, units from the Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drug Work. Upon successful completion of the AOD Skill Set, each worker will be provided with nationally-recognised Statements of Attainment.

Units are:

CHCAOD001 Work in an AOD context
CHCAOD004 Assess the needs of clients with AOD issues
CHCAOD006 Provide interventions for people with AOD issues
CHCAOD009 Develop and review individual AOD treatment plans

Training fees are fully subsidised by ATODA with funding from ACT Health.

Please contact training@atoda.org.au to discuss enrolment in the AOD Skillset in 2025.

The Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs is offered by a number of providers including CIT and TAFE. Fee-free places may be available. Please contact ATODA to discuss how you can access the Certificate IV as a requirement of the Qualifications Strategy.

Maintaining a current Provide First Aid (Senior First Aid) certificate is a requirement of the Qualifications Strategy. On occasion, ATODA offers limited spaces in subsidised First Aid training for workers in the ACT ATOD sector. To enquire about enrolment, please contact ATODA.

Upcoming training:

• No upcoming training, please contact ATODA at training@atoda.org.au.