StarkMHAR Trainings
About StarkMHAR Trainings
Working in partnership with clients, families, healthcare, and behavioral health providers, local county systems such as education, criminal justice, law enforcement, health and human services, elected officials, businesses, faith-based organizations, and community members, StarkMHAR strives to offer a full curriculum of educational events to inspire innovation and to ensure accountability and effectiveness in our local system of client care.
Registration
While most StarkMHAR trainings are free of charge, registration is necessary to be admitted on the training date(s).
Registration Information
Attendance Policy
Cancellations
If you are unable to attend a scheduled training, please notify the Training Coordinator by email at least (2) two business days prior to the training to avoid any applicable fees. For full details regarding cancellations, substitutions, and fees, please refer to the Attendance Policy.
Continuing Education Units
Continuing Education Units (CEU) Information
Training Newsletter
Sign Up For Our Training Newsletter
Questions
For training questions, please contact the Training Coordinator or 330-455-6644
APRIL 2026
QPR – Question. Persuade. Refer.
April 9 | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM @ Stark Library – Plain Community Branch | Not CEU Eligible
QPR is an evidence-based training that teaches three simple steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught Gatekeeper training in the world.
HIPAA Compliance & the Behavioral Health System: An Update on the Federal Confidentiality Laws (HIPAA, 42 CFR, FERPA)
April 9 | 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM @ Virtual | CEU Eligible
Federal confidentiality laws, while long established, continually require revisiting for modern application and understanding. This training will provide an overview and updates on HIPAA, 42 CFR, student behavioral health records under FERPA, and an explanation of how compliance with each of these confidentiality laws affects our ongoing provider coordination of care.
Verbal Intervention
April 14 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM @ StarkMHAR | Not CEU Eligible
Verbal Intervention (VI) Training provides skills to build an effective culture of safety within an organization. It is designed to help professionals in any setting provide the best possible Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security for individuals presenting a range of crisis behaviors. Verbal Intervention will prepare attendees to identify, respond to, and prevent low-risk crisis behavior with nonrestrictive intervention techniques. It teaches non-restrictive verbal interventions, such as limit setting, that effectively de-escalate challenging behavior. It instills the confidence and skills to verbally de-escalate disruptive behaviors. It will build on knowledge and skills to recognize, prevent, and manage crisis behaviors using person-centered and trauma-informed responses. Attendees will begin to establish a common philosophy and framework for an organization’s culture of Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security.
MAY 2026
Cultural Competency Training – Part 1: General Module
May 6 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM @ StarkMHAR | CEU Eligible
The Cultural Competency Training (CCT) provides foundational knowledge related to cultural competence, cultural humility, and person‑centered care. The training supports understanding and implementation of the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care and builds practical skills for working effectively with individuals, families, and communities from varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds within behavioral health settings.
QPR – Question. Persuade. Refer.
May 14 | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM @ The Stark County Educational Service Center | Not CEU Eligible
QPR (Question. Persuade. Refer.) is an evidence-based training that teaches three simple steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught Gatekeeper training in the world.
Verbal Intervention
May 19 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM @ StarkMHAR | Not CEU Eligible
Verbal Intervention (VI) Training provides skills to build an effective culture of safety within an organization. It is designed to help professionals in any setting provide the best possible Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security for individuals presenting a range of crisis behaviors. Verbal Intervention will prepare attendees to identify, respond to, and prevent low-risk crisis behavior with nonrestrictive intervention techniques. It teaches non-restrictive verbal interventions, such as limit setting, that effectively de-escalate challenging behavior. It instills the confidence and skills to verbally de-escalate disruptive behaviors. It will build on knowledge and skills to recognize, prevent, and manage crisis behaviors using person-centered and trauma-informed responses. Attendees will begin to establish a common philosophy and framework for an organization’s culture of Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security.
CIT Dispatcher Training
May 27 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM @ StarkMHAR
This training is exclusively for emergency service dispatchers currently working with any Stark County law enforcement agency.
Emergency dispatchers are a critical link in the CIT program and may include call-takers, dispatchers and 911 operators. The success of CIT depends on their familiarity with the CIT program, knowledge of how to recognize a CIT call involving a behavioral crisis event, ability to solicit information that will help the community member and the responding CIT Officer, and appropriate dispatch of CIT Officers. The CIT model was first developed and implemented in 1988 by the Memphis, Tennessee Police Department. The Team was developed to address the special challenges to law enforcement posed by persons with mental illness and to better serve the community.
JUNE 2026
Cultural Competency Training – Part 2: Advanced Module
June 9 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM @ StarkMHAR | CEU Eligible
The Cultural Competency Training (CCT) Advanced module will increase the awareness, knowledge and skills required to function effectively with cultural differences that may be present in the area of medical services, service organizations and agencies, medical interpretation and community partnership. The CCT Advanced curriculum includes, but is not limited to: building a culturally competent system of care and community partnership.
QPR – Question. Persuade. Refer.
June 10 | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM @ StarkMHAR | Not CEU Eligible
QPR (Question. Persuade. Refer.) is an evidence-based training that teaches three simple steps anyone can learn to help prevent suicide. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is the most widely taught Gatekeeper training in the world.
Motivational Interviewing I and II
June 16 & 17 | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM @ StarkMHAR | CEU Eligible
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, person-centered form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change. It is a way of working with persons to assist them in accessing their intrinsic motivation to change behaviors that contradict their essential values and interfere with the achievement of their life goals. Motivational Interviewing is both a philosophy and a set of strategic techniques. It is an evidence-based treatment with a broad range of applications. The Center for Evidence-Based Practices makes an attempt to incorporate exercises and examples specific to the unique practice settings of participants, with an emphasis on individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
Advanced CIT: Safety on the Spectrum
June 30 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM @StarkMHAR
The Safety on the Spectrum Law Enforcement training is a nationwide effort by the Autism Society of America and participating affiliates, including the Autism Society of Greater Akron (ASGA). This training is essential due to the growing prevalence of Autism, the increased risk of Autistic individuals becoming victims of crime, and the rising frequency of interactions between people with Autism and law enforcement.
Department of Behavioral Health Peer Support Trainings
Certified Youth Peer Support
The DBH Youth Peer Support Training is a 40-hour training curriculum that is the only approved training for Certified Youth Peer Supporters in the state of Ohio. This training provides participants with an understanding of youth peer support and equips them with tools and supports that can be used when working with peers in a provider setting. All interested participants of this training must submit a training application. Once DBH has reviewed your application, you will be sent a confirmation email of your training attendance and will be provided with further training details.
Links:
Contact DBH: youthandfamilypeersupport@dbh.ohio.gov
Certified Peer Recovery Supporter (Adult)
The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) 40-hour Peer Recovery Supporter (PRS) Training is a live, interactive training that teaches prospective Certified Peer Recovery Supporters (CPRS) who self-identify as being in recovery from a mental health or substance use disorder to use their experience to help their Peers with the same lived experience. Prospective CPRS will engage in role-play activities and learn the skills necessary to offer high quality Peer Support. Upon successful completion of PRS training, prospective CPRS will be eligible to apply for Adult Peer Recovery Supporter Certification in Ohio. To attend training, you must be personally in recovery from a mental health and/or substance use disorder and be willing to share your personal story appropriately in a group setting. Having a friend or family member in recovery will not qualify you to attend this training. Trainings are offered both online and in person. There is no cost to register for PRS training. All training registration is coordinated through our community partner, Ohio Peer Recovery Organizations (OhioPRO).
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