Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative Training Courses
The Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative offers a variety of educational modules to support community agencies in meeting the unique needs of this growing population.
Questions about trainings? Contact us through our OABHI Training Interest Form
Courses We Offer:
2025 List of Training and Education Available
GOBHI’s OABHI team provides a variety of workforce training and community education. Several sample topics and programs are listed below.
Audience
Workforce and Community
Details
If you are interested in one of these or another topic not listed, please fill out the OABHI Training Interest Form .
Scheduled training events are also listed on this page below.
Workforce Training:
Oregon Advance Directives
Crisis Intervention Training
Getting to Know Dementia and other Positive Approaches to Care (PAC) Training
GOBHI Older Adult Behavioral Health Training Series 2025 Part II
Oregon Project Visibility (LGBTQIA2S+ competency training)
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training
Substance Misuse and Problem Gambling Trainings
Other Geriatric Competency Trainings available per request
Community Education:
(Click here for more information on topics below)
Advance Care Planning
Oregon Advance Directive
Death Café
Aging
Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE)
Aging Café
Chronic Disease Self-Management (CDSMP)
Senior Planet (AARP Senior Technology Lectures and Workshops)
Neurocognitive Health
Healthy Brain
What is Dementia Really?
Getting to Know Dementia (series)
Memory Café
Behavioral Health
Mental Health First Aid for Older Adults
Question, Persuade, Refer - QPR Gatekeeper (Suicide Prevention)
Program to Encourage Active and Rewarding Lives (PEARLS)
Caregivers
Powerful Tools for Caregivers
Positive Approach to Care(PAC) Care Partner Support Series
Positive Approach to Care (PAC) Care Partner GEMS Series
Filling the Day with Meaning
Support Groups
John Day Caregivers Support Group (Alzheimer’s Assoc.)
John Day Parkinson’s Support Group
In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|
Yes | Yes |
EOCCO Oregon Advance Directive 2025
Thinking about advance healthcare wishes for yourself, a loved one or someone you are providing care for?
EOCCO's Advance Directive online training teaches you how to talk with loved one and/or a person you are providing care for about health care wishes and choosing a person to make healthcare decisions when the person in question is unable to.
Audience
Oregon Residents and Healthcare Care Providers
Details
This free online training will help you to:
Share with loved ones your health care wishes
Remove the burden of making difficult health care decisions from loved ones
Provide guidance for loved one(s) and health care providers in honoring to your wishes
You will also learn about Oregon's Declaration for Mental Health Treatment; a tool for sharing your mental health wishes in a time of crisis.
When: Click on Date below to register
For questions or to get help registering for one of these sessions contact - Rod Harwood at rharwood@gobhi.org or Kai Nichols at kburgessnichols@gobhi.org
In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|
No | Yes |
Eastern Oregon Caregiver Support Group
Build a support system with people who. understand. Alzheimer’s Association® support groups, conducted by trained facilitators, are a safe place for people living with dementia and their care partners to:
• Develop a support system. • Exchange practical information on challenges and possible solutions. • Talk through issues and ways of coping. • Share feelings, needs and concerns. • Learn about community resources.
Audience
Care Partners of those Living with Dementia
Details
Third Monday of the month
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|
No | Yes |
GOBHI Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative Training Series 2025 Part II
Build your knowledge and skills to meet the behavioral health needs of older adults. Join the GOBHI OABHI team for a series of two-hour trainings.
Audience
Workforce
Details
All trainings on Zoom
*NASW CEUs pending*
Sept 9th Older Adults & Opiates - An Ethical Lens
1-2pm with Kai Burgess Nichols
Oct 21st Older Adult and Alcohol Use - An Ethical Lens
10-1am with Kai Burgess Nichols
Nov. 18th Older Adult & De-escalation
10-12pm with Lacy Plasker
Dec. 9th SLUMS Cognitive Assessment
10-12pm with Nirmala Dhar
In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|
No | Yes |
Helping Yourself Heal - Grief Support Series
You find yourself facing a major loss, adrift from what was your life and feeling unprepared navigate the difficult path. Yet you must face it and learn to adjust. Whether your loss is a loved one, a job, a role or a place. Grieving is an essential part of how you process your loss.
Supporting your grief needs the series will cover:
Understanding grief and the necessity of mourning
Common myths about grief and mourning
How your grief is unique
What you might expect on your grief journey
The six central needs of mourning
The 12 freedoms of healing in grief
Knowing when you need additional help – signs of complicated grief
Where you can find help in your community
Audience
Adults who are experiencing grief and loss in their lives
Details
When: Wednesday, October 15th through Wednesday, November 19th (6 Weeks)
Time: 5:00-6:30pm
Location: Provided virtually via Zoom
To Register click on registration link this training
In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|
No | Yes |
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Training
Build your confidence and capability to help someone in crisis with this three-step, evidence-based training.
Audience
Professionals, volunteers and community members
Details
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can
learn to help save a life from suicide.
People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.
Also covered information about preventing suicide among older adults populations.
QPR can be learned in our Gatekeeper course. Choose from the one of the following three sessions that best works with your schedule.
We will also provide a special 2 hours session which will include a focus on the Veteran population
Virtual Zoom Training
QPR 1 hour Session
March 6th 1-2pm
May 1st 1-2pm
Sept 4th 1-2pm
Special Veterans Addition
Nov 6th 1-3pm
In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|
No | Yes |
What is Dementia Really?
This workshop is designed to help attendees develop a basic appreciation for what happens in the brain due to some form of dementia. Specifically, attendees will discover the value in what remains as the condition progresses, as well as an introduction of supportive responses. The goal is to see that the person living with dementia is doing the best they can, rather than assuming they are simply not trying, or doing something on purpose. Finally, attendees will learn to identify for themselves when it is time to pause their agenda, such as a care task, and seek support for themselves or the person living with dementia.
Audience
Family Caregivers/Community Members
Details
6 Sessions
In-person | Virtual |
|---|---|
Yes | No |