Behavioral Health Training Workshops
To fulfill our mission to help children and teens with mental health issues successfully transition to adulthood, Hillside not only treats clients in their mental health facilities in the Atlanta, GA areas, but we also use our expertise in behavioral health to train other professions who work with children and adolescents. Hillside’s community-based services include reaching out to parents, teachers and mental health practitioners to help create a holistically supportive environment to support all children and teenagers.
Professional Workshops and Continuing Education Opportunities for Clinicians
Strong, effective care for children and families depends on clinicians who are deeply trained, thoughtfully supported, and grounded in evidence-based practice. At Hillside, our commitment extends beyond the services we provide on campus. We invest in the professional community by offering high-quality clinical education rooted in our expertise in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and our decades of experience working with adolescents and their families.
Our training programs are designed to strengthen real-world clinical skill, promote ethical and compassionate care, and expand equitable access to effective mental health treatment. By equipping professionals with practical, research-informed tools, we help ensure that more young people and families can receive the responsive, relationship-centered support they deserve—both within Hillside and throughout the broader community
Choose Hillside for Mental Health Training Courses in Atlanta
Hillside® has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6948 and works closely with Georgia Society for Clinical Social Workers for continuing education approvals.
There are many opportunities to receive mental health training in person on our campus or through live synchronous webinars from the experienced professionals at Hillside. We strive to offer a variety of continuing education classes that are practical and innovative. Clinicians can submit referrals through our admissions inquiry form.
For custom and private agency training, please reach out to our Director of Clinical Education, Gaan Akers, LPC, NCC.
Upcoming Workshops



Previous Workshops



Thursday July 16, 2026
11AM-1PM Live Synchronous Webinar






Treating Complex Trauma with Active Life Threatening Behaviors: Utilizing a DBT-PTSD Approach
This workshop introduces DBT-PTSD, an evidence-based trauma treatment developed by Dr. Martin Bohus for clients with complex PTSD and a history of chronic self-harm, suicidality, and emotion dysregulation.
Unlike traditional trauma models that require full stabilization before trauma work begins, DBT-PTSD is designed to treat trauma without waiting—integrating skills-based DBT with exposure, cognitive restructuring, and compassion-focused strategies.
Participants will learn how to:
- Address trauma while managing life-threatening behaviors
- Work effectively with shame, dissociation, and avoidance
- Create a treatment structure that’s both validating and change-oriented
This is an introduction to an effective treatment modality that can enhance the therapeutic work for clinicians working with high-risk clients who need trauma-informed care now—not later.
Audience:
Clinicians, therapists, and treatment teams working with clients facing both complex trauma and acute emotional or behavioral crises.
Location: Hillside's Monroe Training Room 1301 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
When:
- Monday January 12, 2026
- Doors open at 8:30am
- Workshop starts promptly at 9AM
- Instruction time 9AM-12:15PM
Understanding and Addressing School Avoidance
School avoidance/refusal behaviors are among the most challenging attendance concerns for educators and clinicians, often resulting in significant academic disruption and increased mental health symptoms. This workshop provides a framework for assessing the function of avoidance behaviors, collaborating across school and clinical systems, and implementing targeted interventions that promote consistent school attendance.
This two-hour workshop will introduce assessment tools, DBT based strategies and intervention for the student, the caregivers, and the school, along with collaboration scripts to address both school-based and home-based factors. We will discuss appropriate and unhelpful accommodations, including family accommodation, which can unintentionally reinforce avoidance.
Location: Hillside's Monroe Training Room 1301 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
When:
- October 3, 2025 - 9:30am - 11:30 am
STAYING THE COURSE: Maintaining Family Engagement throughout Treatment
Location: Online
When:
- Friday, August 9, 2024 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Using Multidimensional Grief Theory to Tailor Interventions when Working with Bereaved Youth
Location: Online
When:
- Friday, July 26, 2024 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Understanding Levels of Care and the Ethical Implications of Treatment
Location: Online and In-Person
When:
- Monday, May 6, 2024 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM (Live)
- Friday, June 14, 2024 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM (Zoom)
Relationships are Hard: Helping Teens with Emotion Management from Platonic to Romantic and “Situationships” in between.
Location: Online Event
When: Feb 16, 2024 12:00 PM
Class Times & Duration: 12:00 PM EDT
Let’s Talk about Psychological Evaluations
Location: Online Event
When: Friday, January 19, 2024
Class Times & Duration: 11:55 AM – 1:00 PM EDT
Tailoring DBT Skills Instruction to Neurodivergent Needs
Location: Online Event
When: Friday, September 22
Class Times & Duration: 11:45 AM – 2:00 PM EDT
Past Training Workshops
Supporting Transgender Teens
Location: Online Event
When: Fri, March 24, 2023
Class Times & Duration: 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM EDT
Signaling Matters: Intro to Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Location: Online Event
When: Wed, August 24, 2022
Class Times & Duration: 1:00 PM – 4:10 PM EDT
STAYING THE COURSE: Maintaining Family Engagement throughout Treatment
Therapy Tools of the Trade: Experiential DBT Strategies for Distress Tolerance








