G16 - Integrating Verbal Intervention Training for Addiction Professionals in Residential Settings

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM MDT

Location: Bluebird 3C

Frontline staff in residential addiction programs often face crises without standardized training in verbal de-escalation or trauma-informed care. Samaritan Daytop Village, in partnership with Stony Brook University, addressed this challenge by implementing the Crisis Prevention Institute’s Verbal Intervention curriculum through a train-the-trainer model that equipped more than 130 staff across 14 sites. This interactive session will share lessons learned, demonstrate how the RE-AIM framework can be applied to evaluate workforce initiatives, and engage attendees in scenario-based exercises. Participants will leave with replicable strategies and practical tools to strengthen staff skills, improve safety, and build sustainable, trauma-informed organizational cultures.

Learning Objectives:

Identify how a train-the-trainer model utilizing direct supervisors equips staff with sustainable crisis de-escalation skills that strengthen program stability, client safety, and a shared framework and understanding for this work.
Apply trauma-informed verbal intervention strategies to residential treatment scenarios to improve staff crisis response, reduce reliance on restrictive practices, and enhance client engagement in recovery.
Analyze organizational readiness and evaluation data using the RE-AIM framework to strengthen workforce training initiatives, assess implementation outcomes, and improve program safety and culture in residential treatment settings.

Disclosure(s):

James Hollywood, LCSW: No financial relationships to disclose

Deirdre A. Rice-Reese, MPA, CASAC: No financial relationships to disclose

Melissa Earle, PhD, LCSW: No financial relationships to disclose

Jill Poklemba, MPP: No financial relationships to disclose

Breakout Presenter(s)

James Hollywood, LCSW

Vice President of Residential and Recovery Services
Samaritan Daytop Village
Briarwood, New York

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Deirdre A. Rice-Reese, MPA, CASAC

Assistant Vice President of Residential Treatment
Samaritan Daytop Village
Briarwood, New York

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
Melissa Earle, PhD, LCSW

Clinical Associate Professor; Director, CASAC Program & Addictions Education
Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare
Stony Brook, New York

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Slides
Jill Poklemba, MPP

Vice President of Development and Communications
Samaritan Daytop Village
Briarwood, New York

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose