What You'll Learn

By the end of this course, you will be better prepared to:

  • engage and collaborate with clients during the assessment process;

  • understand presenting concerns in context; and

  • identify areas you need to explore further in order to integrate these considerations into treatment for those with co-occurring disorders.

Who This Course Is For

Mental health and addictions treatment providers and peer specialists across the globe, including:

  • Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC);

  • Qualified Mental Health Associates (QMHA);

  • Certified Recovery Mentors (CRM);

  • Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHP);

  • family therapists, art therapists, mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other mental health clinicians; and

  • those who work work in Oregon's approved Integrated Co-occurring Disorder treatment programs.

What Is Included

Assessment can be more than gathering information—it can be an opportunity to build understanding, trust, and partnership. In this on-demand course, you will explore the principles and practices of collaborative, person-centered assessment within integrated co-occurring disorders treatment. Through presentations, video case studies, skills demonstrations, and readings, you will strengthen your ability to engage clients as active partners and develop a fuller understanding of their needs, strengths, priorities, and goals.

  • The course includes presentations, video case studies, skills demonstrations, and readings.

  • We suggest you take your time, view content as many times as you like, and access suggested readings and resources when possible.

  • It is not necessary to complete the course in a single sitting. You are free to open and close the course as many times as you like.

  • Once you have reviewed and mastered the content, you will be required to pass short quizzes before you are eligible for verification that you have successfully completed the course.

Learn from Immersive Case Studies

Who Developed This Course

OHA Instructor David Corse

David Corse, LPC, CADC III, CGAC II has worked with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) since 2018, initially coordinating the Oregon Problem Gambling Treatment System and more recently supporting development of the OHA Integrated Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment and Recovery system. His clinical background includes crisis intervention, gambling disorder treatment, substance use disorder services, and community mental health. David has also served as a program director and clinical supervisor in nonprofit and county mental health organizations. In addition, he maintains a private practice providing therapy for individuals and couples and post-graduate clinical supervision for Licensed Professional Counselor Associates.

Senior Instructor Teresa McDowell

Teresa McDowell, EdD, LMFT is professor emerita at Lewis & Clark, where she served as department chair and co-founded the college’s Problem Gambling Services. With over 40 years of experience as a clinician, educator, administrator, and consultant, Teresa focuses on workforce development, equity-based clinical practice, integrated treatment for problem gambling, and clinical supervision. She is a social researcher, program evaluator, and consultant with Partners in Social Research and Senior Instructor for ACORN. Dr. McDowell has authored more than 50 scholarly publications and is lead author of Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy: Applying Third Order Thinking to Theory and Practice (3rd Ed., 2026).

What Others Are Saying

Behavioral Health Clinician

Angelina Alvarado Castro

Thank you for sharing the different videos of different scenarios as it was very helpful in my current job today coming across all walks of life individuals.

Effective

Lillian Herbert

This framework represents a highly effective shift in care planning, transforming traditional, rigid evaluations into dynamic, empowerment-based conversations. It bridges the gap between clinical requirements and an individual's personal goals.

LOVED IT

Mary Cook

XXXXXXAMAZINGXXXXX

Wonderful Training

Amy Madrigal-Bates

Well put together and engaging

Focusing on the person and their needs

Veronica Clark

Encouraged myself to be more emphatic, listen to glean information and have clients feel heard and cared for

Relevant, practical, and applicable

Tiffany Fine

This is a great course. The information is presented in a way that is easy to understand and the application sessions are helpful to see how the technique is applied.

Start Learning Today

Free of charge, courtesy of Oregon Health Authority. For questions about Oregon’s Integrated Co-occurring Disorders Program contact OHA program support at [email protected].

What About CE Hours

Certificate of completion will be made available on the Student Dashboard after you complete all required course activities and the course evaluation survey.

ACORN is approved by the Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), Provider ID: 26-0044, to provide continuing education courses. Additionally, ACORN is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7274. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACORN is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) logo
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