Training

Behavioral Health Institute Training Projects

The Behavioral Health Institute (BHI) is dedicated to advancing behavioral health care through innovative training and educational initiatives. Below are our key training projects designed to equip professionals, foster equity, and promote compassionate, person-centered care.

TeleBehavioral Health Training
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, BHI has been a leader in telebehavioral health training, offering ongoing monthly webinars and more than 40 online modules that cover both core and advanced concepts in the field. These programs, accredited for AMA Category 1 CME credits and NASW continuing education, feature cutting-edge insights from nationally renowned experts, supporting professionals in delivering safe, effective, and high-quality telebehavioral health care. For more information, please visit TeleBehavioral Health Training.

On-Demand Training
BHI offers free on-demand training modules through our learning management system (LMS) to support the behavioral health workforce. These modules include:

  •  A four-part series on Advancing Person-Centered Care in SUD Settings, which enhances therapeutic relationships and recovery-focused interventions in substance use disorder treatment
  • Cultural Humility in Behavioral Health Care, promoting culturally sensitive and respectful approaches to care
  • mpowering Recovery: Ethics and Shared Decision-Making in Behavioral Health, a comprehensive training that integrates ethical principles and collaborative decision-making into practice. 

For more information, please visit On-Demand Training.

Re-Imagining Behavioral Health: Race, Equity & Social Justice (RESJ) Conference
The RESJ Conference is a virtual, two-day event that brings together diverse professionals and community members to advance equity and social justice in behavioral health. Focused on dismantling systemic racism, addressing social injustices, and healing racial trauma, the conference provides actionable strategies, fosters collaboration, and promotes diversity, inclusion, and belonging in behavioral health care.

Call-to-Action Series
The Call-to-Action Series builds on the momentum of the Race, Equity, and Social Justice (RESJ) Conference, providing year-round opportunities to deepen dialogue and drive actionable change in behavioral health equity. This growing series fosters innovation, inclusion, and systemic change, addressing racial trauma, systemic racism, and social injustices in mental health and substance use care. 

TeleMental Health Guides
In response to Washington State Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5092, BHI partnered with the UW CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy to create actionable TeleMental Health Guides for clinicians. These guides were developed following a comprehensive review of best practices in telebehavioral health for individuals across the prenatal-to-25 spectrum, addressing gaps in evidence and expert consensus for younger age groups.

The eight guides focus on developmental stages and mental health needs, providing clinicians with practical tools to integrate telemental health into their practice. More than1,000 healthcare professionals have accessed these resources to date. For more details, visit TeleMental Health Guides for Infancy to Young Adults.

Law Enforcement Training
In partnership with the UW Addictions, Drug and Alcohol Institute (ADAI), BHI developed mandatory training for law enforcement officers, as required by 2021 State legislation. This training covers SUD basics, trauma, recovery principles, and referral resources, including youth-specific processes. Featuring powerful video testimonials from individuals with lived experience and officers, it aims to reduce stigma and improve interactions with individuals experiencing SUD or co-occurring mental health conditions. Developed collaboratively with stakeholders across Washington state, the program launched in 2022 and continues to evolve through ongoing evaluation. The training program’s success is documented in Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice.

BHI Training Benefits

  • Free Access: All courses are free for Washington state providers.
  • Licensure Compliance: Meet State requirements while gaining practical, actionable knowledge.
  • Real Impact: Feedback from participants highlights significant and transformative learning experiences.