The Academy for Community Behavioral Health: Let’s Talk About Drugs: A Three-Part Course

This three-part course integrates theoretical frameworks with practical communication skills to consider how we can bring a more holistic approach to our work with people who use drugs. The first session introduces Dr. Zinberg’s “Drug, Set, Setting” framework to develop a multidimensional understanding of drug use, examining how pharmacological properties, individual characteristics, and societal factors interact.

Building on this foundation, Session 2 introduces Motivational Interviewing techniques that you can use to help community members develop their own insight, grow confidence in their capacity to make changes, and honor their autonomy—core elements of self-determination theory and facilitating meaningful change.

We will move beyond traditional deficit-focused approaches to develop a more nuanced, person-centered practice that recognizes the complex interplay between drugs, individuals, and their social contexts. Through didactic learning, sharing knowledge and experience, and skill-building exercises, this course asks us each how we might bring more effective, compassionate, and empowering support for people who use drugs.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Participants will:

• Distinguish between the physical effects of major drug classes, while analyzing how individual characteristics and social contexts influence drug use experiences and risks
• Demonstrate Motivational Interviewing techniques—including reflective listening, open questions, and autonomy support—to foster conditions that promote self-directed change in people who use drugs
• Assess your own assumptions about drug use and recovery in a supportive learning environment, reconsidering your professional stance through newly acquired frameworks including “Drug, Set, Setting” and Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
• Apply more effective, respectful, and person-centered interventions in your professional role

Applications are due by October 27, 2026.

The Academy for Community Behavioral Health, part of the CUNY School of Professional Studies, launched in June 2021 with funding from the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health and Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity. The Academy puts behavioral health tools in the hands of community-based organizations and others who have meaningful opportunities to start conversations and provide help.