Community Training
We partner with organizations across West Virginia to build skills, increase understanding, and make support part of everyday life.
Navigating Resources in West Virginia
1 HOUR
Accessing and navigating resources can be overwhelming—for both clients and providers. First Choice Services operates several statewide helplines and programs designed to make it easier to connect people with the support they need. Whether it’s mental health, addiction, gambling, crisis support, health insurance, or employment assistance, we’re here to help.
safeTALK: Suicide Alertness for Everyone
4 HOURS
safeTALK is a proven, internationally recognized training that teaches participants how to recognize the signs of suicide and act by connecting someone to life-saving help. In just four hours, you’ll gain the tools and confidence to support someone in crisis—no clinical background needed.
Problem Gambling in West Virginia: Awareness & Resources
1 HOUR
Gambling addiction is a growing issue across West Virginia, impacting individuals, families, and entire communities. This presentation from the 1-800-GAMBLER program sheds light on the realities of problem gambling in our state—who it affects, how it develops, and what resources are available to help those impacted.
Youth Gaming and Gambling: The Coming Crisis
1 HOUR
Today’s youth are growing up in a digital world where the line between gaming and gambling is increasingly blurred. From loot boxes and sports betting ads to online casinos and video game addiction, young people face risks that many adults don’t yet fully understand.
Motivational Interviewing Training: Helping People Move Toward Change
TIME VARIES—CUSTOMIZABLE
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centered counseling style proven to help people explore and resolve ambivalence toward behavior change. Whether you're working in healthcare, behavioral health, social services, or corrections, MI is a powerful tool to enhance your conversations and outcomes.
CIT for Dispatchers
8 HOURS
CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training for dispatchers equips them to recognize mental health crises, understand mental illness, and de-escalate situations by providing vital information to first responders and connecting callers to appropriate services.
Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) for Law Enforcement
8 HOURS
ICAT is an evidence-based training program developed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) for first-responding police officers. It provides officers with skills and options for de-escalating a range of critical incidents, particularly those involving unarmed or non-firearm-armed individuals who are in crisis.
Handle with Care
1 HOUR
The HWC program provides the school or child care agency with a “heads up” when a child has been identified at the scene of a traumatic event. Police and other first responders are trained to recognize when children may experience a traumatic reaction to an incident. They then submit a confidential Handle With Care notice that goes to the child’s school and simply says… “Handle Johnny with care”. The notification lets school staff know to provide extra support and accommodations to the youth without sharing any details of the incident. Learn more about the program and how you can help keep children safe from further trauma using Handle With Care.
Helping Someone in Crisis: Suicide Awareness & Intervention
1 HOUR
When someone is struggling with suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, knowing how to respond can make all the difference. This one-hour presentation offers practical guidance and life-saving information on how to recognize a mental health crisis and provide meaningful support.
Mental Health First Aid
8 HOURS
Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized program to help participants recognize and respond to individuals who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Mental Health First Aid will help you gain the tools to recognize warning signs, offer support, and connect people with the help they need.
Gambling and Recovery: Understanding the Overlap
1 HOUR
For individuals in recovery from substance use disorders, the risk of developing a gambling problem is significantly higher, but it’s often overlooked. This presentation shines a light on the critical connection between problem gambling and addiction recovery.
This presentation is ideal for participants in addiction recovery programs, residents of recovery houses, and addiction treatment professionals.
Real Stories of Recovery
1 HOUR
Every day, people across our communities encounter individuals who are struggling with mental health challenges or substance use disorders—often at their lowest points. Whether you’re a teacher, faith leader, social worker, community volunteer, or neighbor, those moments of contact can leave lasting impressions.
This presentation brings those moments full circle. Through personal stories of recovery, participants will hear directly from individuals who have experienced mental illness or addiction—and who now share how compassion, connection, or help made a difference in their journey.
CIT Training for First Responders
40 HOURS
The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) 40 hour training is a highly sought after specialized training to educate first responders on mental illness and teach de-escalation skills. CIT training is proven to improve safety for first responders, those in crisis and community members. The CIT training week consists of presentations from subject matter experts, tactical instruction, community site visits and more. Participants who successfully complete this in-depth and interactive training will receive CIT certification.
CIT Training is recommended for first responders, behavioral health mobile crisis responders and community based peer recovery support specialists.
ASIST Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
16 HOURS
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is an internationally recognized, two-day, interactive workshop that teaches “suicide first-aid” skills. It is designed for anyone over the age of 16 who wants to learn how to help a person who may be at risk of suicide.
Emotional Intelligence
8 HOURS
Emotional intelligence (EI) training is a structured process designed to enhance an individual's ability to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions, as well as to understand and influence the emotions of others.
Naloxone Administration Training
30 MINS
Naloxone training is a program that educates individuals on how to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses using naloxone, an emergency medication that can reverse the effects of opioids.
Dolan De-Escalation Training “Surviving Verbal Conflict”
4-8 HOURS
Dolan de-escalation training focuses on equipping public safety and other professionals with time-tested verbal and non-verbal communication skills to safely de-escalate volatile situations and hostile encounters. The training aims to improve officer safety and well-being, enhance community relations by fostering peaceful interactions, and build skills to handle individuals in distress or crisis, potentially reducing injuries and fatalities during interactions. Key aspects include practical skill-building, understanding how to manage stress from hostile encounters, and promoting a common definition of de-escalation within the field.
Crisis De-Escalation 101
1 HOUR
Learn the very basics of crisis de-escalation. This course teaches individuals to use proven communication, body language, and empathy techniques to diffuse tense situations, calm agitated individuals, and prevent behaviors from escalating to violence.