Description
The engagement of caregivers in family psychoeducation and support is widely acknowledged to be critical in substance use systems of care that serve at-risk youth populations. Family psychoeducation and support has been found to significantly improve outcomes of youth with substance use risk issues during early intervention programming by volumes of research. The 4-hour training will review a Caregiver Psychoeducational Tool that was developed as a supplemental resource to the HealthYOUth Early Intervention Services Curriculum. The Caregiver Tool includes five learning units designed for caregivers to help understand youth substance use risk issues, the importance of early intervention services, and how to support at-risk youth with core skills and resources. The training will also review the Caregiver Psychoeducation Provider Manual to equip providers on how to best implement family psychoeducation and support using the Caregiver Psychoeducational Tool.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of the training, participants will be able to:

1. Describe at least two (2) benefits of engaging caregivers in psychoeducation and support during
   early intervention service programming.
2. Identify at least two (2) ways to overcome caregiver engagement barriers when providing early
   intervention services with at-risk youth. 
3. Demonstrate the learning of the Caregiver Psychoeducation as a resource to support at-risk
   youth during early intervention service programming.
4. Provide at least two (2) examples of how to effectively implement the Caregiver Psychoeducation Supplement with family systems during early intervention service
   programming.

Intended Audience

Healthcare professionals and treatment providers working with youth substance use populations, including:

• Licensed Psychologists and Registered Psychological Associates

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors

• Licensed Vocational Nurses

• Licensed Psychiatric Technicians

• Registered Nurses

• Nurse Practitioners

• Registered and Certified SUD Counselors

• Associate/clinical trainees/interns/students working under the supervision of licensed clinicians.

Instructor
Rachel Castaneda, Ph.D., MPH & Sherry Larkins, Ph.D. 
 

Dr. Rachel Gonzales-Castaneda is a Professor of Psychology at Azusa Pacific University, where she helps lead the university’s Drug and Alcohol Counseling certificate program and Peer Support Specialist training initiatives. She also serves as an Associate Researcher, Step II, at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Integrated Substance Use and Addiction Programs, where she leads and supports multi-year, federally and state-funded research and evaluation projects, including the California Services to Science Academy (CSSA) pilot and the Substance Use Prevention Evidence-Based Resource (SUPER) initiative. With over 20 years of experience in substance use disorder (SUD) research, program development, and training, Dr. Gonzales-Castaneda has worked extensively with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) to design and deliver the YSOC workforce development training series. Her trainings integrate culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and family-centered approaches for providers serving youth and Transitional Age Youth (TAY) across the continuum of care—prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery support. Her expertise spans the implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), co-occurring disorder care, engagement strategies for justice-involved youth, recovery support models, and innovative prevention and early intervention programming for youth and family systems to address substance use risk. She also serves on several local, state and national behavioral health committees that support efforts to strengthen youth substance use prevention, early intervention and treatment programming in school, healthcare, justice, and housing settings.

Sherry Larkins, Ph.D., currently directs the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program’s International
Training and Education efforts. She has directed training, technical assistance, and evaluation initiatives
for local, state, and international programs. Her recent specialties include advocating for change and
improvement in local youth settings with respect to at-risk early intervention programming and
treatment for addressing co-occurring substance use and mental health needs of youth.

Hours/CEs
2 hours; 2.0 CE hours.

Format
This online course uses a mixed-media format of video and PowerPoint slides.

Process
During the training, participants will read or listen to the material presented in the slides. At the end of
the training, participants will need to pass the training post-test with a score of 80% or better to print a
certificate of completion and receive CE credits.

CE Approval

This course meets the qualifications for two (2.0) hours of continuing education credit/contact hours (CEs/CEHs). Los Angeles County (LAC)-Department of Public Health (DPH) Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) is an approved provider of continuing education for CMPSS (CalMHSA, #1014); CAODCs, SUDRCs, SUDCCs (CADTP, #181); RADTs I/II, CADCs-CASs, CADCs I/II, CADCs-CSs and LAADCs (CCAPP, #4-19-316-0227); and, CATCs I/II/III/IV/V/N/i/R (CAADE CEU Provider #: CP40 989 AHC 0725).

Los Angeles County-Department of Public Health (LAC-DPH) Substance Abuse Prevention and Control (SAPC) is approved by the California Psychological Association to provide continuing professional education for psychologists. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts continuing education credit granted by the California Psychological Association or by any of its Approved Providers. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 18086, for 2 contact hours. LAC-DPH SAPC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Disclosure
Azusa Pacific University does not receive commercial support for the content of these trainings.

Questions and Concerns
If you have any questions related to the training content, please email HEALTHPSYCHLAB@APU.EDU.

If you have any questions related to continuing education, please email SAPC.CST@PH.LACOUNTY.GOV.

If you have any questions or concerns with the training, please email INFO@SAPC-LNC.ORG.