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Welcome to our 2026 Spring Webinar Series!

April 29th — May 20th

Wednesdays 11:30am — 1:00pm

CEUs will be available for purchase closer to series start. Must attend the live webinar IN FULL (11:30am - 1:00pm) and with your own device/email to be eligible for CEU/Certificate.

April 29th - Catching Them Upstream: Early Intervention with Adolescents Using Substances

Presented by Kriya Lendzion
11:30am -1:00pm

Session Description:

Substances trending among youth are becoming increasingly potent, appealing, and easier to conceal, resulting in elevated rates of substance use disorders, overdoses, and physical and mental health consequences. Intervening in the early stages of adolescent substance use can prevent years of struggle and harm. Learn how to artfully weave together motivational interviewing, CBT, solution-focused strategies, and "teen whispering" skills to catalyze self-awareness and meaningful change within a brief intervention model. We will also explore how to partner with and empower parents to create supportive home environments, along with the key ethical and legal considerations involved in addressing substance use with minors. This session includes materials for direct use with clients and is appropriate for anyone counseling adolescents in clinical or educational settings. 

Learning objectives:

• Objective #1: Participants will be able to deliver clear, accurate, and impactful psychoeducation about the risks of adolescent cannabis use on adolescent brain development and mental health using a harm-reduction framework. 

• Objective #2: Participants will be able to effectively implement Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive-Behavioral, and Solution-Focused approaches to brief intervention work with substance-using adolescents in ways that enhance therapeutic trust, self-awareness, and motivation to change. 

• Objective #3: Participants will be able to partner with parents, having clarity on ethical and legal issues as they relate to substance use counseling with minors. 

Presenter Bio:

Kriya Lendzion emerged from her own personal journey through teen addiction with a fierce dedication to helping youth avoid and transform risky and self-destructive behaviors. Three decades later, she has served as a school counselor, adolescent addictions therapist, prevention specialist, parenting coach, curriculum designer and consultant, partnering with parents, schools, and community organizations across the globe to help youth thrive.

May 6th - Suicide and Substance Use Disorders: A Current Epidemic

Presented by Geoff Wilson
11:30am - 1:00pm

Session Description:

This training will provide attendees with an up to date review of the prevalence of suicide and substance use disorders. Pertinent aspects of screening and assessment of clients to effectively identify those at risk for suicide will be thoroughly reviewed. Identifying a client's risk status and risk state for suicide along with the formation and completion of a crisis safety plan will be highlighted. The link between suicide and substance use will be explored and the utilization of family and supportive individuals, along with local and national resources will be discussed. 

Learning objectives:

• Objective #1: Will discuss the co-occurring nature of suicide and substance use disorders.

• Objective #2: Will Increase knowledge about effective screening and assessment for suicide and substance use disorders.

• Objective #3: Will Increase knowledge about effective safety planning for suicide and substance use disorders.

Presenter Bio:

Geoff Wilson is a licensed clinical social worker, licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor, and certified clinical supervisor. He has been practicing in the mental health and substance abuse treatment fields in Kentucky for over 30 years. He was employed by Pathways, Inc./Hillcrest Hall, a long-term residential adolescent substance abuse treatment program for 8 years. He then took a position with The Ridge Behavioral Health System in Lexington, KY, working there for 14 years, where he held the positions of Director of Addiction Services, Director of Business Development, and Director of Clinical Operations for their 110 bed inpatient psychiatric and chemical dependency treatment hospital and their outpatient department. He served as the president of the Kentucky Adolescent Substance Abuse Consortium for over 10 years. In 2004, he received the Robert Straus Award for Outstanding Service in the Field of Substance Abuse Treatment in Kentucky and in 2008 was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear to the Kentucky Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, serving for 10 years. In 2013, he was selected by NASW-KY as the Social Worker of the Year. In 2019, Geoff became the President of the Kentucky Association of Addiction Professionals, the state affiliate for NAADAC. In 2023, he was appointed by Attorney General Daniel Cameron to the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel. He currently is in full-time private practice with Lexington Counseling and Psychiatry in Lexington, KY where he treats adults, adolescents, and families. Geoff provides clinical supervision for social workers, alcohol and drug counselors, and peer support specialists and has been a sought after trainer for over 25 years.

May 13th - Understanding Family Dynamics in Addiction: Why Parents and Adult Children Get Stuck — and What Helps

Presented by Barbara Decker
11:30am - 1:00pm

Session Description:

Parents of addicted adult children are often deeply engaged, highly motivated, and acting out of love—yet many of their efforts unintentionally contribute to ongoing patterns that keep both the parent and the child stuck. This session explores the family dynamics that commonly develop in the context of addiction, including how behavior is interpreted, how communication patterns form, and why traditional approaches often fail to produce change. Participants will be introduced to a different framework for understanding the parent–child relationship in addiction and will learn practical ways to respond that reduce conflict, increase clarity, and better support the possibility of recovery while preserving the relationship.

Learning objectives:

• Objective #1: Identify common family dynamics that develop between parents and addicted adult children.

• Objective #2: Explain why well‐intentioned parental responses can unintentionally reinforce problematic patterns.

• Objective #3: Describe how interpretation of behavior impacts communication and outcomes within the family system.

• Objective #4: Apply a framework for responding to an addicted adult child that supports both boundary clarity and relationship preservation.

Presenter Bio:

Barbara Decker is the founder of Live Well and Fully, a Certified Family Recovery Specialist (CFRS), and a Parent Recovery Advocate. She works with parents of adult children struggling with addiction and mental health challenges, helping them understand and shift the patterns that often keep families stuck. Her work grew out of eight years of learning and changing her own approach with her addicted adult son, who is now firmly in recovery. That lived experience, combined with her work with families over the past seven years, informs a practical framework that helps parents respond in ways that support both recovery and the parent–child relationship.

May 20th - The Neuroscience of Addiction: Modern Youth Gambling

Presented by Dr. Crystal Collier
11:30am - 1:00pm

Session Description:

This presentation explores how modern youth gambling—spanning sports betting, online casinos, loot boxes, and in-game microtransactions—hijacks the developing brain’s reward circuitry. Dr. Crystal Collier explains how neurodevelopment, impulsivity, and digital design features intersect to increase the risk of addiction and co-occurring mental health concerns. Participants will learn how early exposure, family patterns, and technology access shape vulnerability across childhood and adolescence. The session concludes with practical, brain-based strategies for prevention, early identification, and intervention in schools and communities.

Learning objectives:

• Objective #1: Describe key neurodevelopmental processes (reward circuitry, executive functioning, and impulse control) that make adolescents uniquely vulnerable to gambling addiction.

• Objective #2: Identify modern gambling exposures affecting youth (e.g., sports betting apps, loot boxes, social casino games) and recognize early warning signs of high-risk gambling behavior.

• Objective #3: Implement at least two brain-based prevention or early intervention strategies in their school, clinic, or community setting to reduce gambling-related harm among youth.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Crystal Collier, PhD, LPC-S, is a licensed professional counselor, author, and neuroscience educator specializing in adolescent brain development and high-risk behavior prevention. She has spent decades translating complex neuroscience into practical tools for schools, families, and communities, including brain-based curricula and user-friendly prevention resources, www.knowyourneuro.org. Through her teaching, consulting, and published works, Dr. Collier equips professionals and parents with actionable strategies to protect developing brains and promote lifelong resilience.

CEUs will be available for purchase closer to series start. Must attend the live webinar IN FULL (11:30am - 1:00pm) and with your own device/email to be eligible for CEU/Certificate.

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All webinars are 60-90 minutes in length.