Alaska Behavioral Health and The Alaska Child Trauma Center provide training in trauma-informed care through partnership with the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network.
The Alaska Child Trauma Center at Alaska Behavioral Health is a treatment integration and adaptation center (Category III) for the SAMHSA-supported National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). We joined the network in 2005 and were Alaska’s first NCTSN center. The Alaska Child Trauma Center is a regional training hub for the SAMHSA-supported National Complex Trauma Training Network, and is a certified ARC Training Site.
In 2023, Alaska Behavioral Health earned the additional designation of a SAMHSA-supported NCTSN (Category II) Rural Child Trauma Center, one of 35 nationally certified treatment and service adaptation (TSA) Centers that provide national expertise for specific types of traumatic events, population groups, and service systems, and support the specialized adaptation of effective evidence-based treatment and service approaches for communities across the nation.
Scheduled trainings are included on our Community Events calendar.
Most training opportunities can be offered virtually or in-person and are free of charge to participants with grant support.
A.I.D. (Awareness, Interaction, Direction) Mental Health Awareness Training
A.I.D. is a 60 to 90-minute mental health awareness training, delivered in-person or virtually, that teaches individuals how to interact effectively with someone experiencing mental distress using three steps:
- Awareness: Recognizing signs and symptoms of distress
- Interaction: Effectively interacting with someone in distress
- Direction: Locating and providing resources to individuals in distress
Other key components of this training include:
- Educating trainees on local and national mental health resources
- Practicing the A.I.D. action plan using relevant scenarios
- Reducing stigma about mental illness and substance use
- Promoting self-care
A.I.D. training is an evidence-based training developed by the Center for Public Policy and Health at Kent State University as part of the More Aware Initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is offered at Alaska Behavioral Health at no cost through the SAMHSA supported Mental Health Awareness and Training grant program.
Trainers: Kristin Oberman, Jessica Cochran
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.
Much of the world is familiar with CPR — short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation — an emergency medical intervention created in 1957 by Peter Safar. The process is designed to stabilize people who aren’t breathing or breathing intermittently and who may be in cardiac arrest until the person can reach a hospital or other care.
Similarly, QPR is an emergency mental health intervention for suicidal persons created in 1995 by Paul Quinnett. An abbreviation for Question, Persuade and Refer, the intent is also to identify and interrupt the crisis and direct that person to the proper care.
Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans, like you, are saying “Yes” to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor.
Learning Objectives:
- Increase awareness of stigma and understand suicide as a public health issue
- How to recognize someone at risk for suicide
- How to Question, Persuade and Refer someone who may be suicidal
- How to access local and national referral resources
- How to offer hope, and save a life
Trainers: Quavon Bracken, Kristin Oberman
QPR Training Registration: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Please complete this form to register for Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training on February 12, 2026. This training will be presented virtually via Zoom from 9:00am to 11:00am AKDT.
Common Sense Parenting®
Our parent family navigator offers parenting classes using the Common Sense Parenting® (CSP) curriculum. CSP provides parents and caregivers with logical strategies and easy-to-learn techniques to address issues of communication, discipline, decision-making, relationships, self-control and school success Click here for more information.
Mental Health First Aid ®
Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA) is a full day course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.
Please note: MHFA is an introductory training, meant for students and individuals without clinical mental health training. MHFA is designed to help community members feel more equipped to address mental health situations they encounter in everyday life. When offered via Zoom, this course requires 2 hours of online pre-work requirements to participate in the training. In-person training covers all materials during the class.
Trainers: Taylor Waldner, Brandi Salvatore, Shannon Geese
Mental Health First Aid Registration: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Register for Mental Health First Aid training on Thursday, January 22, 2026. This is a full-day, virtual session through Zoom from 9am to 2pm.
Youth Mental Health First Aid ®
Youth Mental Health First Aid® is a full day course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18. The training covers common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in this age group as well as how to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis and how to connect them with help.
Please note: MHFA is an introductory training, meant for students and individuals without clinical mental health training. MHFA is designed to help community members feel more equipped to address mental health situations they encounter in everyday life. When offered via Zoom, this course requires 2 hours of online pre-work requirements to participate in the training. In-person training covers all materials during the class.
Trainers: Taylor Waldner, Brandi Salvatore
Trauma 101
Trauma 101 training focuses on understanding how trauma impacts the body and the brain, how people adapt to trauma, and what we can do as providers, caregivers and community members to support recovery and resiliency. Trauma 101 is not a training on a specific type of intervention but rather is focused on providing a baseline understanding of what trauma is and how to be more trauma-informed.
This course provides basic information on:
- Definitions of trauma
- Types of trauma
- How the brain and body respond to trauma and traumatic events
- Impact of trauma
- Adaptations
- Tuning in/Understanding how to interact
Course options include a half day or full day in-person training, as well as a short form 1-hour Intro to Trauma Informed Care. This training has the potential to be adapted to suit multiple different audience demographics, but is ultimately meant to be a introductory-level training to understanding trauma and its impact.
Trainers: Marissa Hanson, Amanda Nalewaja, Sarah Pype, Hannah Johnson
Trauma 101 Registration – Monday, January 19, 2026
Submit this form to register for the Trauma 101 training session on Monday, January 19, 2026. This training will be held virtually through Zoom 9:00am – 2:00 pm AKDT.
Peer Support
Alaska Behavioral Health offers introductory and advanced classes form people with lived experience with mental illness and substance use who are interested in working as peer support professionals. Learn more on our peer support page.
The November 40-hour Basic Peer Support Training is currently on a waitlist. Please submit the following form to be added and we will reach out to you if space opens up.
Complex Trauma Training
Alaska Behavioral Health is a field site for the Complex Trauma Training Consortium (CTTC), a national trainer-training and workforce development initiative designed to establish sustainable local expertise in complex trauma understanding, assessment, and treatment. The CTTC curriculum includes a comprehensive range of complex trauma-informed topics that address major knowledge gaps in the field of child & family trauma intervention. Learn more.
ARC (Attachment, Self – Regulation, and Competency) Framework
The Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency or ARC framework (Kinniburgh & Blaustein, 2005) is a natural next step for individuals and organizations who want to go beyond Trauma 101 in providing trauma-informed care to their service recipients.
ARC is a flexible, components-based intervention developed for children and adolescents (3-18) who have experienced complex trauma, along with their caregiving systems. ARC is designed as both an individual level clinical intervention, to be used in treatment settings for youth and families, and as an organizational framework, to be used in service systems to support trauma-informed care.
ARC interventions can be helpful for providers in both clinical and non-clinical settings including:
- Early Intervention/Prevention
- Schools
- Domestic Violence and Homeless Shelters
- Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
- Inpatient and Acute Care Settings
- Residential Treatment Programs/Group Homes
- Juvenile Justice Programs
- Child Welfare Systems
- Foster Care Training Programs and More!
Training format: 2 full days in person or 4 weekly (3 hour) sessions held virtually
Learn more about ARC Training and implementation consultation
Trainer: Marissa Hanson & Kirstin Oberman
ARC Training Registration: Tue 11th & Wed 12th March 2026
Submit this form to register for Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) Training. Training will be held Tue 11th & Wed 12th March 2026, 9:00am – 3:00pm each day. This is a two-day training taking place in-person.
Trauma – Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy that aims at addressing the needs of children and adolescents (3-18) with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Training participants must be Master’s level therapists in order to be eligible for training in this intervention.
Our next TF-CBT training will take place in person in Anchorage from Monday, September 22 through Wednesday, September 24! Please submit the following form to apply. Upon submission, you will receive an email that includes a link to the required pre-training. Please complete this pre-training and submit your certificate of completion to the training team by Thursday, September 17th in order to complete your registration.
This training and the subsequent consultations (if opting in) are free of charge. The only cost associated with this training is the $35.00 fee associated with the required pre-training.
Contact trainingteam@akbh.org for more information.
Alaska Advanced Trauma Training Institute
The Alaska Advanced Trauma Training Institute is hosted annually by the Alaska Child Trauma Center. More information can be found HERE
Customized Training
Speaking engagement requests around customized trauma topics to include agency staff trainings, workshop and keynote presentations at professional conferences, as well as event panel experts on trauma.
For more information on customized trainings, please email trainingteam@akbh.org
For more information on any of these training opportunities, please fill out the training request form below. You can also email us at trainingteam@akbh.org.
