Age Group: All

Understanding Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Date: Thursday 11 March 2027

Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm

Location: Online

Description:

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is one of the key practice skills you need for effective alcohol and other drug treatment. This interactive workshop offers an engaging and practical introduction to CBT and makes CBT meaningful in day to day practice. Improve your understanding of CBT theory and practice, learn a comprehensive CBT framework, and develop skills in tailoring strategies and treatment for different client presentations.

Key learning outcomes:

  • Gain core knowledge and clinical skills in different types of behavioural and cognitive therapies
  • Understand the CBT approach to assessment, formulation, brief interventions and treatment planning
  • Apply knowledge and practice of key alcohol and other drug specific CBT interventions

Eligibility Criteria

This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service including those under the AOD Traineeship Program.

Who is not eligible?

Workers from other community sectors such as Family Violence, Homelessness and Mental Health and AOD workers outside of Victoria.

Terms & Conditions

Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.

Walking the line – A workshop on professional boundaries (online)

*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’

Date:  Thursday, 3 December 2026

Time: 9:30AM – 1:00PM

Location: Online (a link will be sent to your email address prior to the workshop date)

Description:

This half-day workshop will build and strengthen core knowledge and skills in understanding and maintaining professional boundaries, specifically when working with clients with alcohol and other drug issues. This will include:

  • Understanding professional boundaries
  • Strategies to prevent and respond to boundary challenges
  • Consideration of specific boundary issues to different AOD treatment roles, including lived experience roles
  • The use of technology
  • Selfcare

This workshop will use case based discussion throughout to ensure knowledge and skills taught are relevant to the AOD workforce.

Key learning outcomes:

  • Understand professional boundaries and their maintenance
  • Recognise and respond to boundary challenges
  • Build your own toolkit of practitioner-specific boundary maintenance strategies, including managing technology
  • Recognise your own and your colleagues’ warning signs and challenging client presentations
  • Enhance your self-care skills and know when to debrief and access further support

 

Eligibility Criteria

This training is open to people working in AOD-specific roles in publicly funded services (i.e. AOD, mental health locals).

Who is not eligible?

Students on placement or internships, workers outside of Victoria, workers not in an AOD-specific role.

Terms & Conditions

If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.

Harm Reduction Masterclass

*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’

This is a 2-day training.

Day 1: Wednesday 21 October 2026, 1:00PM – 5:00PM

Day 2: Thursday 22 October 2026, 9:30AM – 12:30PM

Enrolling to Day 1 automatically enrols you into Day 2.

Location: Online

Description: An entry-level introduction to harm reduction principles and best practice, delivered by peer trainers from Harm Reduction Victoria. Across 7 modules (delivered over two half-days online), you’ll gain a basic understanding of key topics and learn directly from people with living experience about what people who use drugs really want and need from services. There is an activity that needs to be completed before attending the second day of training. Participants will receive details via email the week before the training.

Eligibility Criteria

This training has been funded for workers employed under the Victorian AOD Traineeship initiative, and AOD workers working in state funded services.

Terms & Conditions

If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.

Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Alcohol and Other Drug Workers in-person workshop

**Workshop Full**

Presented by James McGregor

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is among the most widely researched and practised therapeutic approaches for people seeking treatment for alcohol and other drugs (AOD). CBT is highly effective in supporting people to identify and understand unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour, and then to make positive changes to these. The ways that CBT is utilised have changed over the decades, with current approaches expanding the focus to seamlessly blend traditional CBT principles with concepts of mindfulness, acceptance, compassion, metacognition and therapeutic relationship dynamics.

In this workshop, we will cover a range of techniques and interventions to support people to make sustained changes in their lives, whether directly for AOD use or other areas of life. This will include the knowledge and skills to raise awareness of unhelpful thinking patterns and to foster an environment that encourages positive changes in behaviour. This will be a practical and interactive workshop where you will be introduced to a range of tools and relapse prevention strategies which you can use collaboratively with people in recovery-oriented practice.

This will be a practical and interactive workshop where you will be introduced to a range of tools, worksheets and Relapse Prevention Strategies that you can use collaboratively with your client to promote a recovery-oriented practice.

About James

James McGregor has over 15 years’ experience working in clinical AOD programs – both individual and group-based – as well as running education and training programs for staff and consumers. He holds a Masters of Social Work, Graduate Diploma in Narrative Therapy, and Diploma of Leadership & Management.

Who should attend?

State-funded AOD workers new to their role and/or those looking to refresh and update existing knowledge.

Eligibility Criteria

This workshop is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian State-funded AOD organisation.

Date: Tuesday 13th October 2026
Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm
Venue: Turning Point, Level 1, Training Rooms – 110 Church St, Richmond 3121

Cost: Free (This workshop is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH) funded AOD organisation.)

Register Now

Enquiries: tp@turningpoint.org.au

Webinar: When less is more’: Benzodiazepines deprescribing

This is a 45 minute Turning Point Connect & Learn webinar. To attend the webinar, click the link below to register.

Description:
Dr. Daniel Pham is an addiction psychiatrist at Turning Point, currently working across its Statewide Services in Richmond and Turning Point Eastern Treatment Services in Box Hill. His area of interest includes the treatment of persons with co-occurring addictive and mental disorders, including pharmacological, psychological, and social intervention modalities. This webinar will explore a broad look at the different approaches to the prescribing, deprescribing and management of benzodiazepines in the addictions/AOD context.

Date: Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Time: 1:00pm – 1:45PM

Cost: Online – A link will be sent to you before the webinar

Who should attend: This webinar is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH) funded AOD organisation.

Registration:  Click here to register

Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for AOD workers

This workshop is now full!

Date: 2 Day Workshop – Monday 3rd & Tuesday 4th August 2026 (AEST)
Time: 9:30am to 4:30pm
Location: Turning Point, 110 Church St, Richmond 3121, Level 1, Training Room Two
Cost: Free
Enquiries: tp@turningpoint.org.au

Register Here

IMPORTANT NOTE: This workshop is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH) funded AOD organisation.

Curious about Motivational Interviewing (MI) or looking to build your confidence in having conversations about change? This practical, hands-on workshop is designed especially for those working in Department of Health funded AOD positions who want to learn (or re-learn) how MI can make everyday client interactions more effective and meaningful.

Motivational Interviewing is a simple yet powerful approach that helps people find their own reasons for making positive changes — without pressure or persuasion. It’s about working with clients, not on them, and creating space for open, respectful conversations about change.

Across two days, you’ll have the chance to:

  • Learn what MI is and how it supports real-world AOD work
  • Experience the “spirit” of MI — collaboration, acceptance, and compassion
  • Practice using questions, reflections, and summaries to keep conversations flowing
  • Explore ways to respond when clients feel unsure or stuck
  • Build skills you can take straight back into your day-to-day work

Lauren Zelunka has over 10 years of experience in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) sector, with the past five years focused primarily on AOD education and training. She is passionate about equipping professionals with the skills and confidence to use Motivational Interviewing effectively in their work. Lauren is currently involved with the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers Oceania (MINTO) as a Friend of MINTO and is working toward becoming a registered member in the coming years.

Sheridon Byrne is an Education and Training Officer within the workforce development team, with over two decades of experience in capacity building across family violence and AOD.  Her work focuses on strengthening practitioner confidence and capability in having effective, respectful conversations about change. Her work includes private consultation and the design of tailored training programs that support sustainable skill development. Sheridon is deeply committed to fostering systemic change and supporting practitioners to use MI with clarity, confidence, and compassion in their day‑to‑day AOD work.

Who should attend? Victorian Department Health funded AOD workers new to their role and/or those looking to refresh and update existing knowledge.

NOTE: This online training is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH) funded AOD organisation in an AOD role, please register with your WORK email, your ticket will be cancelled if you do not use your work email, thank you.

Cancellation policy: This workshop is a free event, however if your circumstances change, please log into your Eventbrite account and cancel your registration or alternatively email tp@turningpoint.org.au no later than 7 days prior to advice of your inability to attend.

ATTENTION: places are limited in these free workshops – If you register and do not attend your organisation will receive a fee.

Group Facilitation Skills Training for AOD Workers (in-person)

Click to book a ticket

1-day workshop:

Date: 12th August 2026

Time: 10am – 4:30pm

Location: Catholic Leadership Centre – 576 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002. (read more about travel contribution)

Training Room: Studio 7 (upstairs)

Cost: $40 + booking fee

Learning outcomes

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

  • Establish the culture of the group and safety within the group space.
  • Define content and process and apply both with balance between the two.
  • Identify common challenges that present in the delivery of group programs and apply strategies for managing these.
  • Understand how to work in a variety of group formats.
  • Apply skills and strategies for attending to responsivity in groupwork.
  • Apply skills for providing the group with a sense of closure at the end of a group program.

Eligibility Criteria

This training is open to people working in AOD-specific roles in publicly funded services (i.e. AOD, mental health locals).

Who is not eligible?

Students on placement or internships, workers outside of Victoria, workers not in an AOD-specific role.

Register

To register, please follow

Terms & Conditions

If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist. Refunds available only up to 1 day before event.

Introduction to Gambling Disorder: An overview of the concepts & assessment of Gambling Disorder & an introduction to treatment principles

Presented by Dr Nicholas Burgess

Register Here

Since the legislative and societal shift from addressing public intoxication with a law-enforcement response to a health response, cohealth and other providers have been providing both outreach and temporary sobering-up services to people displaying intoxication in public places.

In this presentation, Dean and Andrea will reflect on the learnings from operating this service. Dean will also look at the current treatment approach to alcohol use disorder and review the evidence for adopting a more harm reduction-focused paradigm. Andrea will discuss how public intoxication services operate as an entry point for those requiring assistance to manage their use of alcohol.

Dr Dean Membrey is a general practitioner and addiction medicine specialist who has over a decade of experience providing health care to people experiencing substance use disorders. He is passionate about providing holistic, patient-centred care in community settings to understand the social, cultural and psychological influences on their presentation. He currently works at cohealth Innerspace and provides outreach services in the Melbourne CBD to people experiencing homelessness.

Andrea Fischer is the Director of Community-based Drug and Alcohol Responses at Cohealth. Andrea has a long career in Public Health, having worked for the Burnet and Doherty Institutes. She specialises in managing large-scale public health activities in Victoria and overseas. Her passion is working with people who use alcohol and other drugs, with an emphasis on infectious diseases prevention, testing and treatment.

Connect & Learn webinar series addresses a wide range of practice-relevant topics presented by local expert clinicians. The webinars aim to enhance the capabilities of Victorian AOD and MH workers in responding to substance use and addiction issues among their clients and consumers.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This webinar is funded by the Victorian Department of Health and is only available for Victorians to register

Date: Tuesday 21st April 2026
Time: 1pm to 1:45pm AEDT

Register Here

Enquiries: tp@turningpoint.org.au

Moving the goalposts a non-punitive, non-abstinence approach to alcohol use

Presented by Dr Dean Membrey and Andrea Fischer

Register Here

Since the legislative and societal shift from addressing public intoxication with a law-enforcement response to a health response, cohealth and other providers have been providing both outreach and temporary sobering-up services to people displaying intoxication in public places.

In this presentation, Dean and Andrea will reflect on the learnings from operating this service. Dean will also look at the current treatment approach to alcohol use disorder and review the evidence for adopting a more harm reduction-focused paradigm. Andrea will discuss how public intoxication services operate as an entry point for those requiring assistance to manage their use of alcohol.

Dr Dean Membrey is a general practitioner and addiction medicine specialist who has over a decade of experience providing health care to people experiencing substance use disorders. He is passionate about providing holistic, patient-centred care in community settings to understand the social, cultural and psychological influences on their presentation. He currently works at cohealth Innerspace and provides outreach services in the Melbourne CBD to people experiencing homelessness.

Andrea Fischer is the Director of Community-based Drug and Alcohol Responses at Cohealth. Andrea has a long career in Public Health, having worked for the Burnet and Doherty Institutes. She specialises in managing large-scale public health activities in Victoria and overseas. Her passion is working with people who use alcohol and other drugs, with an emphasis on infectious diseases prevention, testing and treatment.

Connect & Learn webinar series addresses a wide range of practice-relevant topics presented by local expert clinicians. The webinars aim to enhance the capabilities of Victorian AOD and MH workers in responding to substance use and addiction issues among their clients and consumers.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This webinar is funded by the Victorian Department of Health and is only available for Victorians to register

Date: Tuesday 21st April 2026
Time: 1pm to 1:45pm AEDT

Register Here

Enquiries: tp@turningpoint.org.au

The role of dual diagnosis in AOD rehabilitation

Presented by Dr Lea Foo & Elvira Tsecoutanis

Register Here

This presentation aims to improve knowledge about the prevalence of comorbid mental health and substance use disorders, their relationship and impact on recovery. Dr Lea Foo and Elvira Tsecoutanis will provide tools and strategies to support addressing comorbid mental health conditions in the AOD space.

Dr Lea Foo is an Addiction Psychiatrist at Western Health Drug Health Services. She works with people who use drugs (PWUD) and supports other clinicians working with PWUD through the Hamilton Centre Victoria Statewide service for people living with mental illness and substance use or addiction, and in general hospital settings through the Addiction Medicine consultation service. Dr Lea Foo also coordinates the training program for doctors specialising in Addiction Medicine and Addiction Psychiatry at Western Health.

Elvira Tsecoutanis has been in recovery from a long-term heroin addiction for eight years. Elvira has Bipolar II Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). She spent three decades trying to navigate services for dual diagnosis to access treatment for her addiction and mental health issues. Eight years ago, she found a recovery support group and multidisciplinary team of professionals, all of which she credits with saving her life. Elvira is employed by Western Health in Drug Health Services as a Peer Lead for AOD Peer Workforce.

Cost: Free
Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2026,
time: 1:00 PM  to 1:45 PM AEST

Register Here

Enquiries: tp@turningpoint.org.au

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