Training
The GAIN is designed to be a key piece of infrastructure in the substance abuse treatment and research fields which are characterized by a high turnover workforce, diverse needs and severity among clients, lack of use of data to guide clinical decisions, missing or biased data that needs to be incorporated into clinical interpretations, and a lack of infrastructure needed to support implementation and fidelity. The GAIN Logic Model shows how these issues are related. Meeting these needs can be only achieved when the instruments and tools are used appropriately. This requires balancing the rigid rules of standardized tests, which maximize reliability, with more flexible approaches used in clinical interviews, which maximize validity. Our model incorporates practice using and training others on the GAIN in your intended setting while receiving written feedback and support from our training team. This ensures you master administration and training skills to sustain quality use of the GAIN.
GAIN-I and GAIN-Q Training
Online Coursework
Training is provided via online learning. Trainees will complete the online coursework and quiz at their own pace during a specified two-week timeframe. This course takes approximately seven hours to complete and does not need to be completed in one sitting.
Administration Certification
Once a trainee has completed the coursework, they go on to submit recorded interviews to the GCC. We will review the interview, provide written feedback and outline next steps towards certification. This process continues for up to three months until the interviewer demonstrates the ability to maintain or add to the validity of the information collected during an interview with a real client. On average it takes three to five submissions to reach certification. We recommend that candidates who pursue this level of certification are those who will often be conducting GAIN interviews at their agency or will go on to become Local Trainer certified.
Local Trainer Certification
Once administration certification is achieved, a trainee is eligible to continue on to Local Trainer Certification. This is an additional three-month process that provides training to learn to write formal feedback and determine readiness for certification of other GAIN users at their agency. This can be a time consuming process (between 45-50 hours), so it is recommended that only candidates who will be actively training other GAIN users pursue this level. Once someone is certified as a GAIN Local Trainer, they are eligible to train and recommend staff from their agency for GAIN Site Interviewer Certification.
GAIN-SS Training
Training is provided in a self-paced online course. The course is available 24/7 and there are no set-times for attendance. The course covers GAIN-SS administration, scoring, and interpretation, and takes approximately 60 minutes to complete. It can be purchased agency-wide with unlimited number of people at your agency or as a per-person training session.
Please contact us at gaininfo@chestnut.org for a training estimate to best serve your project needs.
