Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for AOD workers, presented by Lauren Zelunka, Senior Education & Training Officer, Turning Point.
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.
NOTE: This workshop is only available to staff who are working in a Victorian Department of Health (DH) funded AOD organisation.
Date: 2 Day Workshop – Monday 24th & Tuesday 25th November ’25
Time: 9:30am to 4:30pm
Location: Turning Point, 110 Church St, Richmond 3121, Level 1, Training Room Two
Cost: Free
Register: here
Enquiries: tp@turningpoint.org.au
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.
Who should attend? Victorian Department Health funded AOD workers new to their role and/or those looking to refresh and update existing knowledge. 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.
Register: here
This is a 1-day in person training.
Description: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has evolved over the years and is a most favourably reviewed treatment approach. There is much evidence for the effectiveness of CBT with a range of Alcohol and Other Drugs issues. In recent years CBT has expanded its focus to include third wave approaches. These approaches seek to blend traditional CBT principles with concepts new to cognitive-behavioural therapies such as mindfulness and acceptance.
In this introductory workshop you will build your capacity in applying evidence-based interventions that work on the underlying processes that support behavioral change. You will discover how, when and why to apply a best practice cognitive, behavioral or emotion focused approach.
This workshop will introduce you to a range of models, techniques and interventions to help your clients to change negative thought patterns, develop coping strategies, and improve emotional wellbeing. It 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 implement.
Date: Thursday, 2nd October 2025
Time: 10:00pM – 4:00PM
Location: Turning Point, 110 Church Street, Richmond, VIC 3121
Cost: Free
Who should attend: AOD clinicians, counsellors, support workers and allied health working in a Victorian Department of Health funded AOD organisation.
Registration: Click here to register
This is a 1-day in person training.
Description: Working with cognitively impaired clients can be a significant challenge, particularly when access to assessment services and resources are limited. Cognitive difficulties may arise from a range of aetiologies including acquired brain injury, mental health, substance use, or neurodevelopmental differences and together, this can have a cumulative and adverse impact on treatment outcomes and recovery. This workshop will provide practical strategies for working with clients who present with or have concerns regarding cognitive difficulties. In particular, this workshop will cover four main themes:
- Recognising cognitive impairment
- Underlying aetiologies across the lifespan
- Supporting clients with cognitive impairment
- Referral pathways: When might assessment be indicated?
Date: Friday, 28th November 2025
Time: 9:30pM – 4:30PM
Location: Turning Point, 110 Church Street, Richmond, VIC 3121
Cost: Free
Who should attend: AOD clinicians, counsellors, support workers and allied health working in a Victorian Department of Health funded AOD organisation.
Registration: Click here to register
Registrations have closed. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Description:
This training aims to support AOD workers to engage and include families when supporting clients. Single Session Family Consultation (SSFC) offers timely, accessible support to all family members while retaining a strong therapeutic relationship. In keeping with single session thinking, it enables workers to make the most of each encounter with families.
**Please ensure you can commit to the package below before enrolling.
Training package:
- Pre-requisite: Participants must complete a self-paced learning before attending the online training session. You will have approximately 6 weeks prior to the online training session to complete this at your own time (generally takes about 3 hours).
- In-person training session: Thursday 2 October 2025, 9:30AM – 1:30PM @ The Bouverie Centre 8 Gardiner Street, Brunswick VIC 3056
- Optional online consultation: Thursday 30 October 2025 – Participants will have the opportunity to attend an optional 1.5 hours online consultation 4 weeks after the training. This would take the form of a facilitated group supervision to explore your experience in applying SSFC in your practice.
Learning outcomes:
On completion of SSFC, you will be able to:
- Understand the Single Session Thinking and Family Consultation frameworks that underpin SSFC
- Convene, conduct and undertake follow-up as part of SSFC
- Address challenging situations in sessions with families
- Identify how you can incorporate SSFC into your practice
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service including peer workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other sectors (i.e. homelessness, mental health) and workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend.
Email elevate@vaada.org.au at least 24 hours before the training to cancel you registration.
Date: Wednesday, 6th May 2026, 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Location: In-person, Melbourne
Cost: $80 + booking fee
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Description
This is a full day workshop with Jen Thompson, a psychotherapist and trainer passionate about creating welcoming, hopeful, and trauma informed service systems.
Trauma Responsive Practice is foundational training for AOD and Mental Health workers that builds on the Introduction to Trauma Informed Care e-learning.
This workshop will explore the following concepts and will bring them to life with experiential exercises and discussion:
- Creating safety and the felt experience of safety
- Understanding trauma in the context of substance use
- Bringing body awareness into our work
- Understanding trauma informed care principles and applying to our work
- Understanding Polyvagal Theory
- The Zone of fabulousness
- Collective Care and Solidarity Teams
Eligibility Criteria
This training is open to workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) and Mental Health service including peer workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships and AOD/MH workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration at least 24 hours before the cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Date: Tuesday, 2nd September2025, 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Location: Catholic Leadership Centre, 576 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, VIC 3002
Cost: $40 + booking fee
Description
This is a full day workshop with Jen Thompson, a psychotherapist and trainer passionate about creating welcoming, hopeful, and trauma informed service systems.
Trauma Responsive Practice is foundational training for AOD and Mental Health workers that builds on the Introduction to Trauma Informed Care e-learning.
This workshop will explore the following concepts and will bring them to life with experiential exercises and discussion:
- Creating safety and the felt experience of safety
- Understanding trauma in the context of substance use
- Bringing body awareness into our work
- Understanding trauma informed care principles and applying to our work
- Understanding Polyvagal Theory
- The Zone of fabulousness
- Collective Care and Solidarity Teams
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) and Mental Health service including peer workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships and AOD/MH workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please ensure you have clearance from your line manager to attend. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration at least 24 hours before the cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
Sold out. Registrations have closed.
*This is a paid event*
2-day workshop:
Day 1: Wednesday, 27th August 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Day 2: Thursday, 28th August 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Catholic Leadership Centre – 576 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002 (read more about travel contribution)
Cost: $80 + booking fee
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Description:
Co-occurring mental health issues are the norm rather than the exception among people seeking alcohol and other drug treatment. Across this 2-day 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.
Learning outcomes
- Recognise and understand the common mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment
- Undertake a thorough assessment and develop an integrated case formulation to guide your practice
- Apply a range of alcohol and other drug treatment skills to working with clients with co-occurring mental health conditions
- Learn how to respond therapeutically and effectively within the bounds of the alcohol and other drug treatment setting
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, 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. Refunds available only up to 1 day before event.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Sold out. Registrations have closed.
*This is a paid event*
2-day workshop:
Day 1: Wednesday, 27th August 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Day 2: Thursday, 28th August 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Catholic Leadership Centre – 576 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002 (read more about travel contribution)
Cost: $80 + booking fee
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Description:
Co-occurring mental health issues are the norm rather than the exception among people seeking alcohol and other drug treatment. Across this 2-day 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.
Learning outcomes
- Recognise and understand the common mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment
- Undertake a thorough assessment and develop an integrated case formulation to guide your practice
- Apply a range of alcohol and other drug treatment skills to working with clients with co-occurring mental health conditions
- Learn how to respond therapeutically and effectively within the bounds of the alcohol and other drug treatment setting
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, 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. Refunds available only up to 1 day before event.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
*This is a paid event*
2-day workshop:
Day 1: Wednesday, 2nd July 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Day 2: Thursday, 3rd July 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: La Trobe University – City Campus, 360 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Cost: $80 + booking fee
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Description:
If you are a practice or clinical supervisor in the alcohol and other drug sector (or looking to become one), this workshop is for you. 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.
Learning outcomes
- Understand different approaches to supervision and determine which one is right for you and your supervisees
- Understand and apply structured practical supervisory processes to deepen core supervisory relationship skills, including listening, questioning, guiding, and giving and receiving feedback
- Understand and utilise the reflective practice model of supervision
- Understand and practice self-reflection and self-practice as a way of improving supervisory skills
- Increase skills in facilitating reflective practice in staff
- Understand and utilise a framework to support decision-making with ethical dilemmas
- Improve knowledge and skill in responding to staff exposed to complex client presentations
Eligibility Criteria
This is a specialist skills workshop suitable for advanced practitioners who are current or future practice supervisors. This workshop is suitable for practitioners in low threshold and clinical settings.
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, 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. Refunds available only up to 1 day before event.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
*This is a paid event*
2-day workshop:
Day 1: Wednesday, 2nd July 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Day 2: Thursday, 3rd July 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: La Trobe University – City Campus, 360 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Cost: $80 + booking fee
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Description:
If you are a practice or clinical supervisor in the alcohol and other drug sector (or looking to become one), this workshop is for you. 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.
Learning outcomes
- Understand different approaches to supervision and determine which one is right for you and your supervisees
- Understand and apply structured practical supervisory processes to deepen core supervisory relationship skills, including listening, questioning, guiding, and giving and receiving feedback
- Understand and utilise the reflective practice model of supervision
- Understand and practice self-reflection and self-practice as a way of improving supervisory skills
- Increase skills in facilitating reflective practice in staff
- Understand and utilise a framework to support decision-making with ethical dilemmas
- Improve knowledge and skill in responding to staff exposed to complex client presentations
Eligibility Criteria
This is a specialist skills workshop suitable for advanced practitioners who are current or future practice supervisors. This workshop is suitable for practitioners in low threshold and clinical settings.
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service, including Peer and LLE workers.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as family violence, homelessness, 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. Refunds available only up to 1 day before event.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
