VPC Training Series

At the VPC, we are committed to fostering a culture of learning and growth. Our VPC Training Series offers a variety of specialized trainings for students, staff, faculty, health practitioners, community members, and organizations—both governmental and non-governmental. Whether you’re looking to deepen your expertise or eager to share it, we have opportunities designed just for you.

UPCOMING TRAININGS

Stay informed about upcoming sessions! Each training is carefully crafted to address timely topics and to equip participants with practical, research-backed strategies for violence prevention. Check back here regularly to register for new sessions.

Summary:
Join Dr. Taylor Scott, Executive Director of the Research Translation Platform at Penn State and President of TrestleLink, for a timely web-based training on strategies that drive the public impact of research. Drawing on her deep expertise at the intersection of science and policy, Dr. Scott will explore actionable, evidence-based methods for engaging policymakers in ways that preserve research credibility while increasing its value in public decision-making. Attendees will gain insights into tested models like the Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC), Family Impact Seminars (FIS), and SCOPE, and learn how to implement these strategies to meet growing funder expectations for effective, nonpartisan dissemination.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, learners will be able to: 

1. Describe evidence-based, nonpartisan strategies for engaging policymakers. 
2. Apply models to research dissemination practice. 
3. Design policy outreach workflows that communicate research findings tailored to the needs of decision-makers. 

Who might benefit from attending?

This workshop is designed for investigators of publicly or philanthropically funded research—particularly those in leadership roles such as center directors and university administrators—who are seeking practical tools to elevate the societal relevance of their work. It’s also highly relevant for researchers navigating how to responsibly communicate findings in increasingly polarized policy environments.

By registering for this event, you agree that your name and email address may be shared with the event organizers and partners (including TrestleLink) for follow-up communication and related professional opportunities in research translation and policy engagement. You also consent to the session being recorded and/or transcribed for educational and promotional purposes.

Summary:
This training is offered through a regional partnership between the UNC Charlotte Violence Prevention Center and the South Piedmont Area Health Education Center.

In this half-day workshop format session, Dr. Cramer will provide the Core Competency Model (CCM) Suicide Prevention Training. The CCM addresses 10 foundation suicide prevention skills for the mental health provider:

(1) Manage your attitudes and reactions toward suicide-related topics;
(2) Maintain a collaborative, empathetic stance toward the client;
(3) Assess evidence-based, culturally-informed risk and protective factors;
(4) Elicit details of current plan and intent of suicidal ideation;
(5) Develop a therapeutic and tailored risk formulation;
(6) Enact a collaborative evidence-based treatment plan;
(7) Involve supportive other persons;
(8) Document formulation, plan, and reasoning for clinical decisions;
(9) Know the law concerning suicide, and;
(10) Engage in debriefing and self-care.

Drawing on the social-cognitive model of suicide prevention training, this session features psychoeducational, self-reflection (e.g., attitude self-assessment), interactive (e.g., case study review), and resource provision (e.g., ethics checklist) educational strategies. Each trainee leaves the session with up-to-date skills training alongside numerous self-assessment and clinical tools and resources.

Who might benefit from attending?

The training targets mental and behavioral health professionals and trainees who would benefit from foundational suicide prevention skills. Ideal participants include those in counseling, social work, psychology, nursing, psychiatry, substance use treatment, and related fields, working across diverse settings such as private practice, hospitals, universities, corrections, military, and community care.

Continuing Education Credits

(You MUST attend the entire webinar to receive credit).

Contact Hours / CEUs
This activity fulfills the requirement for 0.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), representing 4.0 Contact Hours.

4.0 Contact Hours (category A) CE for NC Psychologists
The South Piedmont AHEC is recognized by the North Carolina Psychology Board as an approved provider of (Category A) Continuing Education for North Carolina Licensed Psychologists.

Summary:
This training explores how latent class growth modeling (LCGM) can be used to understand patterns of mental health and substance use indicators in individuals receiving treatment for substance use disorders. Using data from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network studies, Dr. Vest presents findings from person-centered models that identify distinct patient trajectories across pain, depression, suicidal ideation, and relapse indicators. The session will emphasize the translational value of these analytic approaches in clinical, correctional, and community-based settings, especially for vulnerable populations with co-occurring mental health and trauma-related challenges. These insights can inform targeted treatment planning, enable early intervention for high-risk groups, and guide resource allocation to maximize patient outcomes. 

Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, learners will be able to: 

1. List common indicators and data sources used in longitudinal mental health and substance use disorder research. 
2. Define longitudinal latent class analysis and its application in mental health and substance use disorder research. 
3. Discuss how these methods can improve treatment targeting and outcomes in clinical and community settings. 
4. Evaluate the utility of person-centered statistical modeling to inform violence and overdose prevention. 

Who might benefit from attending?

This training is ideal for faculty, behavioral health professionals, clinical researchers, graduate students in public health or psychology, correctional health practitioners, and violence prevention and intervention staff. This training is especially relevant for those seeking advanced tools to analyze recovery patterns and strengthen treatment strategies for high-risk populations.

PAST TRAININGS

Our past sessions have covered a variety of essential topics and have engaged participants from diverse fields. Highlights include: