*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Date: Thursday, 26 February 2026 9:30AM – 1:00PM
Location: Online
Description:
In this half-day workshop, we explore effective ways of managing challenging and aggressive behaviours in professional settings. Learn to recognise early warning signs, understand common triggers and respond with confidence to maintain safety and therapeutic engagement.
You’ll improve your informal screening skills and learn how to have effective conversations about challenging and aggressive behaviours. Increase your toolbox of effective responses, including brief and longer therapeutic interventions, build skills in maintaining therapeutic relationships and learn how to practice self care.
You’ll walk away with the skills you need to handle difficult situations and maintain strong professional relationships while also prioritising your own wellbeing and self care.
Learning outcomes:
- Understand professional boundaries and their maintenance
- Understand challenging and aggressive behaviours and their contributing factors
- Build screening, formulation and conversation skills about challenging and aggressive behaviours
- Learn and practice effective responses, including de-escalation
- Enhance self and other care techniques
Suitable for new, experienced and advanced practitioners and workers in low threshold and clinical settings.
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, 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.
*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Details:
Date: Thursday, 10 December 2026, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Online
Description
Prerequisite: The workshop is suitable for workers who have completed MI Foundation Skills AND Developing Skills (or equivalent) and now want to deepen and integrate MI skills more effectively into their practice.
Deepening Conversations builds on the Foundation Skills and Developing Skills workshops to build confidence in guiding curious, respectful conversations about change. This workshop is highly practice-based, applying the principles and core skills to common challenges to work with resistance and ambivalence, evoke change talk and foster hope.
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 at least 24 hours before the cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
No shows will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.
*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Details:
Date: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Online
Description
As a follow up from the Foundation Skills workshop, this one-day course offers an opportunity to refresh, consolidate and deepen understanding of MI and practical application of the model after a period of putting the skills into practice.
This workshop provides participants to practice core skills in a positive learning environment with coached feedback. The aim is to have fun revisiting the skills, and gain more focus in their ongoing practice. The workshop extends the foundation skills training, including deepening reflections, exploring the role of values and working with change talk.
The workshop is suitable for workers who have prior training in MI (or completed the MI Foundation Skills training).
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 at least 24 hours before the cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
No shows will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.
*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Details:
Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Online
Description
As a follow up from the Foundation Skills workshop, this one-day course offers an opportunity to refresh, consolidate and deepen understanding of MI and practical application of the model after a period of putting the skills into practice.
This workshop provides participants to practice core skills in a positive learning environment with coached feedback. The aim is to have fun revisiting the skills, and gain more focus in their ongoing practice. The workshop extends the foundation skills training, including deepening reflections, exploring the role of values and working with change talk.
The workshop is suitable for workers who have prior training in MI (or completed the MI Foundation Skills training).
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.
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.
No shows will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.
*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Date: Wednesday, 10 June 2026 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Online
Description:
This training will be facilitated by VACCHO. The training encompasses and builds on cultural awareness content by providing considerations and advice to implement cultural safety considerations into practice. Participant learning and understanding are enhanced by the personal stories and the lived experience of our facilitators while exploring Aboriginal identities, cultures, and history.
Session topics:
- The historical and intergenerational impacts of colonisation and policies and how they have shaped Aboriginal culture, peoples and Communities
- Aspects of Aboriginal identities, culture and protocols
- Fostering respectful relationships with Aboriginal peoples and Communities
- Foundational skills and strategies for implementing cultural safety into practice
The training aims to provide the necessary foundational knowledge to enable participants to:
- Develop a greater understanding of Aboriginal cultural and social perspectives
- Engage meaningfully with Aboriginal peoples and Communities
- Strengthen existing relationships and integrate cultural safety into practice
- Identify ways to embed and apply learnings in professional and personal contexts.
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, and workers not in an AOD-specific role.
Terms & Conditions
No shows will be charged a $50 late cancellation fee. If you cannot attend, cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Dates:
Day one: Wednesday, 4 November 2026, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM*
Day two: Wednesday, 11 November 2026, 9:00 – 4:30 PM
*Bookings can only be made from day one of training.
Location: Online
Description
Motivational Interviewing is a skills-based approach to conversations about change that focuses on the client’s needs and wants. MI offers a framework for navigating the common experiences of resistance and ambivalence that so often accompanies the change process.
This two-day workshop introduces the framework and rationale of MI, core skills and application of these skills across the change process. Combining theory with practice, the workshop provides a comprehensive overview into what MI is, what it isn’t and how it works in practice. The training is highly interactive, with a focus on practical skill development.
The workshop is suitable for both workers with no knowledge of MI and for those who want to refresh and deepen their understanding and practice of the core skills of MI.
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 at least 24 hours before the cancel your registration and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
No shows will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.
*To enrol, change ‘Enrol Now’ to ‘I’m Going’. Check if you’ve enrolled correctly under ‘My Courses’
Dates:
Day one: Thursday, 12 March 2026, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM*
Day two: Thursday, 19 March 2026, 9:00 – 4:30 PM
*Bookings can only be made from day one of training.
Location: Online
Description
Motivational Interviewing is a skills-based approach to conversations about change that focuses on the client’s needs and wants. MI offers a framework for navigating the common experiences of resistance and ambivalence that so often accompanies the change process.
This two-day workshop introduces the framework and rationale of MI, core skills and application of these skills across the change process. Combining theory with practice, the workshop provides a comprehensive overview into what MI is, what it isn’t and how it works in practice. The training is highly interactive, with a focus on practical skill development.
The workshop is suitable for both workers with no knowledge of MI and for those who want to refresh and deepen their understanding and practice of the core skills of MI.
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as Family Violence, Homelessness and Mental Health and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
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.
No shows will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.
Date: Thursday, 12 February 2026
Time: 9.30AM – 4:30PM
Location: Online
Description:
Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, with a typical onset before 12 years of age. It can significantly impact a young person’s participation in life, school and community. ADHD can increase the risk of harmful substance use, and AOD dependence, particularly if someone’s ADHD has been undiagnosed or not treated.
This training is designed for AOD workers who want to deepen their understanding of ADHD, and build confidence in responding to co-occurring substance use.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe the core symptoms, subtypes, and developmental course of ADHD in young people.
- Understand the prevalence and patterns of co-occurring ADHD and substance use problems among young people
- Describe the role of medication in treating ADHD and the evidence regarding their safety and effectiveness in individuals with co-occurring substance use.
- Apply evidence-based psychological and behavioral interventions for ADHD and co-occurring substance use
Eligibility Criteria
This training has been funded for workers employed in a Victorian State-funded Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) service.
Who is not eligible?
Students on placement or internships, workers from other community sectors such as Family Violence, Homelessness and Mental Health and AOD workers outside of Victoria.
Terms & Conditions
Please cancel your registration at least 24 hours before and make your spot available to someone else on the waitlist.
This is a 2-hour webinar
Date: Tuesday, 17 February 2026, 10:00AM – 12:00PM
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free
Description:
For many years, support for people wanting to reduce harmful alcohol use has focused heavily on one pathway – abstinence. While this may be a necessary path for some, many clients are seeking alternative ways to change their drinking and workers are looking for practical options to offer them.
In this webinar, Dr Paul MacCartney (GP and Addiction Medicine Specialist) and the team from Uniting will share a holistic, evidence-informed pathway that is changing outcomes for clients and the services that support them. Through real-world examples and practice-focused discussion, they’ll unpack how pharmacotherapy and collaborative care can be used as a meaningful part of treatment planning.
You’ll explore:
- The impact of alcohol use on clients, families and communities
- Alternatives for people stuck on the “detox-relapse” cycle
- How AOD workers, GPs and specialist services can partner to get the best outcomes for clients
This session is ideal for AOD workers, GPs, clinicians and anyone wanting to feel more confident talking about and working with pharmacotherapy as part of alcohol treatment for the people they support.
This is a one-hour Turning Point Connect & Learn webinar. To attend the webinar, click the link below to register.
Description: Professor Edward Ogden PSM will delve into the impacts of alcohol and other drugs on road safety. Drawing from decades of research to explore how substances impair cognition, reaction times and decision-making. Key topics will include the nature of the driving task, the pharmacology of impairment and the role of addiction specialists in driver assessment.
Date: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Time: 1:00pM – 1:45PM
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free
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
