Training Programs and Courses

Training Programs

• Training in Addiction Research Program (T32) – The Training in Addiction Research Program led by Dr. Chris Pierce offers funding for 4 graduate students and 4 postdoctoral trainees to receive research training in addiction neuroscience. In addition to full funding, trainees are invited to attend monthly presentations by external speakers, an annual symposium, and other events aimed at professional development.
• Translational Research Training in Addictions for Racial/Ethnic Minorities (TRACC-RU) – Since its launch in 2013, the Translational Research Training in Addictions for Racial/Ethnic Minorities (TRACC) program has trained dozens of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority researchers in translational addiction research to integrate basic science findings into clinical/community practice and use new technologies to enhance the reach of treatments. TRACC, which launched at The City College of New York and Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), has received additional funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) which has allowed its expansion to Rutgers University.
• MSW Certificate Program – Addiction Counselor Training – The ACT Certificate Program’s primary goal is to educate master’s and doctoral-level clinicians who wish to prepare for licensing in their mental health profession and as addictions counselors (LCADC).  Dual credentialed clinicians are in great demand in our state and across the country, particularly for leadership positions in organizations that treat both mental health and substance abuse disorders. The ACT Certificate Program provides a 6-course curriculum that covers all 5 domains and the educational hours needed for the CADC/LCADC. It is also the first program in the country to provide social workers with the educational training to qualify for accreditation as a Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor (CCGC).
• NJ Acts Fellowship Program – The NJ ACTS Fellowship program provides a unique opportunity for current predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows to obtain broader understanding, enhanced skills, and experiential learning opportunities in translational clinical science over a 2–3-year period, concurrent to their current pre- or postdoctoral research program. It includes one year of support as well as dedicated travel and research funding for translational science-related learning and offers a unique opportunity to expand training and professional career development beyond one’s training environment.
• UBHC Continuing Education Student Opportunities – The Center for Continuing Education offers graduate students clinical experiences through internships, externships and volunteer work.

Training Programs

• Training in Addiction Research Program (T32) – The Training in Addiction Research Program led by Dr. Chris Pierce offers funding for 4 graduate students and 4 postdoctoral trainees to receive research training in addiction neuroscience. In addition to full funding, trainees are invited to attend monthly presentations by external speakers, an annual symposium, and other events aimed at professional development.
• Rutgers Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies Clinical Research Fellowship in Trauma and Addictions – This is a two-year endowed post-doctoral clinical research fellowship available to psychologists, and other social scientists interested in developing their professional trajectory towards translational research on interventions and treatments for traumatic stress and addictions.
• NJ Acts Fellowship Program – The NJ ACTS Fellowship program provides a unique opportunity for current predoctoral students and postdoctoral fellows to obtain broader understanding, enhanced skills, and experiential learning opportunities in translational clinical science over a 2–3-year period, concurrent to their current pre- or postdoctoral research program. It includes one year of support as well as dedicated travel and research funding for translational science-related learning and offers a unique opportunity to expand training and professional career development beyond one’s training environment.

Labs Seeking Candidates

• To view our running list of labs seeking postdoctoral candidates, click here.

Training Programs & Services

• Tobacco Dependence Program Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice – Rutgers Tobacco Dependence Program has been providing National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment Practice training since 2000 and has trained thousands of healthcare professionals from over 40 states and 11 countries. It is one of a handful of tobacco training programs accredited by the Council of Tobacco Treatment Training Programs and utilizes nationally-recognized clinical and research experts in the field.
• Northern New Jersey Medication-Assisted Treatment Center of Excellence – The Northern NJ MAT Center of Excellence aims to increase access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and recovery support services for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) in northern New Jersey by educating and mentoring providers in the community and in healthcare systems. We offer the following services for providers and those interested in learning more about MAT:
  • Educational Resources: Virtual didactic & case presentations discussing various treatment modalities, screening tools & community resources
  • Biweekly Newsletter and Listserv: Announcements of upcoming events & important news pertaining to SUD
  • Website: includes access to all the above-mentioned resources as well as archived virtual training sessions, educational materials for print, and links to additional online resources
  • Mentorship Services: 1-on-1 technical assistance for new & established practices implementing MAT, supporting site-specific workflow/care team design, job descriptions, challenges, billing, health IT & operational needs
  • 24/7 Provider Hotline (844-HELP-OUD): “In the moment” advice from our multidisciplinary team of addiction experts for providers with questions about MAT prescribing
  • Office-based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) Navigator Training Series – A free training series for OBAT navigators and providers/clinical support staff
• Rutgers NJMS Addiction Medicine Fellowship – The Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Fellowship in Addiction Medicine offered by NJMAT is a one-year program that offers qualified physicians the unique opportunity to train in the evaluation and treatment of patients with substance use disorders, behavioral addictions, and co-occurring psychiatric disorders with faculty in the departments of Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, and Obstetrics & Gynecology. Fellows are required to hold a valid New Jersey medical license and to have completed an accredited residency training program in any medical field in the United States or Canada.

On-Demand Resources

• Advanced Clinical Skills for Working with Opioid Use Disorder – GSAPP On-Demand Webinar – This recording of a previously held live webinar focuses on skill building among clinicians already proficient in treating Substance Use Disorder and who either want to learn psychological interventions specific to Opioid Use Disorder or hone their expertise in treating Opioid Use Disorder. This specialized training focuses on conceptual integration of psychological interventions for Opioid Use Disorder designed to enhance knowledge and skills specific to this population. Following a review of the interweaving of established treatments, there will be an extended case presentation. Much of the material’s source will be from presenter Kevin Moore’s 2019 book.
• Smoking Cessation – GSAPP On-Demand Webinar – “Smoking cessation” is a training for psychologists and mental healthcare providers about evidence-based interventions for smoking cessation. After this introductory lecture, you will have the skills to assess for tobacco use, use motivational interviewing to intervene and meet the person where they are, and provide empirically based smoking cessation treatment, including behavioral counseling and nicotine replacement therapy and/or referral for prescription medication, to increase their chances of success. We will also cover scheduled reduced smoking and other evidence-based tips and tricks, as well as strategies for working with particularly vulnerable and stigmatized groups.
• Opioid Addiction and Its Treatment: A Brief Overview for Psychotherapists – GSAPP On-Demand Webinar – The persisting opioid epidemic has resulted in unprecedented rates of addiction, overdose deaths, emergency room visits, and treatment admissions. Because rates of addiction are especially high among people affected by other types of mental health problems, it behooves all psychotherapists to have a working knowledge of SUDs and be able to skillfully assess and treat these disorders in office-based practice. This presentation will describe demographics of the current opioid epidemic, the pharmacology of opioid agonists and antagonists, medications for treating opioid dependence (including naltrexone and buprenorphine), and evidence-based behavioral and psychosocial interventions. Lecture material combined with case vignettes will be used to demonstrate how to formulate an initial treatment plan, respond to various challenges and setbacks, and work collaboratively with medication prescribers. In order to receive CE credits, users will be required to pass a post-test after watching the video.
• Opioid Use within the Affectional and Gender Diverse Populations (LGBTQ+) – GSAPP On-Demand Webinar – Opioid use disorder has reached an alarming rate in the United States.  As more and more people struggle with opioids, it is important for behavioral healthcare workers to understand how to best support people in need; specifically, members that identify within the affectional and gender diverse community.  Members of this community are disproportionately affected by substance use disorders, inclusive of the opioid epidemic.  This presentation will highlight the impact that opioid use disorder has on sexual and gender diverse populations, best practices, trauma-informed care, and behavioral health integration into primary care. 

• Community Integrated Services for Addiction Treatment and Recovery – This inter-professional workforce education development program aims to improve the ability of healthcare professionals to work collaboratively in teams for the purpose of improving the quality of patient care and health outcomes for individuals suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD).
• Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling Certificate Program – The Rutgers Center of ALcohol and Substance Use Studies Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling Certificate Program requires 6 undergraduate courses which encompass the 270 educational hours necessary for the New Jersey State Alcohol and Drug Counselor certificate. These undergraduate courses can be taken as part of the certificate program or as electives, they are open to any students who are interested in the course topics. All course topics could benefit students seeking information related to substance use disorders and their treatment.
• Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) – The IPCE program is a collaboration of the continuing education units of Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, New Jersey Medical School, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, School of Nursing, and University Behavioral Health Care. The program plans and provides coordinated continuing education with the goal of improving the skills, strategies, and performance of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, behavioral health professionals, and other healthcare team members and stakeholders.
• Opioids in the Workplace: Awareness – Free Online Training through Rutgers Center for Public Health Workforce development – This 1-hour online asynchronous course is intended for workers and employers who may be impacted by the opioid crisis. The goal of the course is to provide an evidence-based worker training program that identifies the scope of the opioid crisis and its relationship to the workplace as well as provides workers with actions to prevent and respond to opioid use and misuse. This training is free and can be accessed via your internet browser. A certificate will be provided at the conclusion on training. Access the training at http://go.rutgers.edu/OpioidTraining.

• New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) – The New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) initiative is an association of higher education institutions in New Jersey that works in partnership with the State of New Jersey Department of Corrections and New Jersey State Parole Board , (a) to provide higher education courses toward a college degree for students while they are incarcerated, and (b) to assist in their transition to college life upon release from prison. Raritan Valley Community College confers the AA degree in Liberal Arts and Rutgers University – Newark confers the BA degree in Justice Studies.
• Opioid Overdose Prevention Network Training (OOPN) – The OOPN offers free public trainings six times per month in New Jersey. Training attendees who are 18 years of age and older will also receive a free naloxone kit after attending the training. Trainings are currently being conducted over Zoom.
• Rutgers Interdisciplinary Opioid Trainers – The Rutgers Interdisciplinary Opioid Trainers (RIOT) program is meant to provide a FREE 1-hour session that provides an overview of the current U.S. Opioid Crisis, covering topics such as Opioid Use Disorder, Overdose Management, and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). This presentation is delivered by graduate and doctoral students from Rutgers University, including those from medical, pharmacy, social work, and public health programs.. Contact addictionpsychiatry@ubhc.rutgers.edu to schedule a free 1 hour presentation or request more information.
• 5 Minutes to Help Training – This short course is designed to arm New Jersey’s first responders with new knowledge and communication skills that can be applied on the scene, post-overdose reversal, to encourage patients to seek help for their addiction and increase their awareness of available recovery resources in their communities. If you are a first responder interested in participating in one of our upcoming trainings, please email 5MinToHelp@doh.nj.gov.