20 Hours / 20 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills for Adolescents is presented by Michele Galietta, PhD.

The Dialectical Behavior Therapy DBT Skills Training program is an excellent means of training new team members and milieu/line staff and strengthening existing team members’ skills. This program focuses on Skills Training in DBT. DBT is a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment that is increasingly being used in a variety of health settings. Comprehensive DBT has been found to have great practical utility for the reduction of violence and self-harm. DBT Skills are an essential component of comprehensive DBT, and some evidence suggests that skills alone, with case management, may be efficacious for less acute individuals as well. The primary focus of this program is the content and delivery of the skills component of DBT with an emphasis on relevant adaptations for forensic clients (e.g., substance abuse, skills for reducing violence & obsessional thinking).

Throughout the program, didactic presentations with relevant case examples alternate with participant practice of DBT skills. This program contains a discussion of strategies for successful implementation and interactive discussion with participants about the potential application of DBT Skills to their settings/populations. Participants learn how to apply and teach the effective DBT skills of Core Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance, and Emotion Regulation. Participants also learn how to apply and teach the effective DBT skills of Core Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Distress Tolerance, and Emotion Regulation.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the rationale for skills training & the skills component of DBT
  • 2 Demonstrate how to set up and run skills training groups & how to conduct homework review
  • 3 Describe how to use behavioral strategies to enhance participation in skills groups
  • 4 Describe Skills in the areas of Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Emotion Regulation
  • 5 Describe the elements of Skills Coaching
  • 6 Describe didactics with relevant case examples
  • 7 Describe methods for integrating case management with DBT skills training for less acute individuals
  • 8 Describe how to incorporate interactive discussions to promote application of DBT skills to diverse settings and populations
  • 9 Describe strategies for alternating didactic presentations with participant practice to optimize DBT skills acquisition
  • 10 Describe the importance of behavioral rehearsal Skills Training Groups
  • 11 Describe adaptations of DBT skills training for forensic populations, including approaches for addressing substance abuse, violence reduction, and obsessional thinking
  • 12 Describe strategies for successful implementation into specific settings/populations

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health professionals who provide comprehensive behavioral treatments, particularly those specializing in forensic psychology, correctional mental health, or clinical psychology with high-risk or emotionally dysregulated populations. It is also suitable for a wide range of professionals who support individuals requiring behavioral interventions.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • Social Worker
    • Case Manager
    • Nurse
    • Marriage & Family Therapist
    • Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor
    • Other mental health professionals working with individuals needing cognitive-behavioral treatments

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at varying levels of experience with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training.

    • Beginner: New to DBT or skills training; may have limited experience facilitating DBT groups or applying DBT skills in clinical practice; seeking foundational knowledge of DBT skills, group setup, and basic implementation strategies.

    • Intermediate: Some experience with DBT skills training; familiar with running groups and basic skills coaching; seeking to enhance skills application, adapt DBT for specific populations (e.g., forensic clients), and integrate case management.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who complete this training typically work in structured environments where comprehensive behavioral interventions are delivered to individuals with complex mental health needs. These settings often serve high-risk, emotionally dysregulated, or forensic populations and require multidisciplinary collaboration. Staff frequently engage in group and individual therapy, skills training, crisis intervention, and case management, often within systems that emphasize safety, rehabilitation, and behavioral change.

    Examples of practice settings:

    • Correctional facilities (prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers)
    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals or units
    • Community mental health centers serving justice-involved or high-risk clients
    • Inpatient psychiatric hospitals or acute care units
    • Residential treatment centers for substance use or co-occurring disorders
    • Outpatient clinics specializing in DBT or cognitive-behavioral therapies
    • Crisis stabilization units
    • Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams
    • Court-mandated treatment programs
    • School-based mental health programs for at-risk youth
Presented By

Michele Galietta, PhD

Dr. Michele Galietta is Associate Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York where she served as Director of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program from 2005-2013. Dr. Galietta is a researcher and clinician specializing in the training, adaptation and dissemination of empirically-supported treatments to community and forensic/correctional settings. Her areas of clinical expertise include the assessment and treatment of trauma, self-harm, and suicide across the lifespan. Dr. Galietta has created specialized units and/or consulted to numerous civil, forensic, and correctional settings on risk assessment, risk management, behavioral interventions, and complex needs case formulation.

Dr. Galietta is regarded as a leading expert in the implementation of dialectical behavior therapy. Dr. Galietta is a certified DBT clinician. For over a decade, Dr. Galietta served as a principal trainer for Behavioral Tech, LLC, the company founded by the developer of DBT, Dr. Marsha Linehan. Dr. Galietta has consulted to over 100 agencies in the US and abroad on DBT initiatives. She has worked extensively in public sector settings including state psychiatric hospitals and jails, prisons, and juvenile justice settings. She was principal investigator of an NIMH funded trial of DBT for individuals charged with interpersonal violence or stalking and authored the article, “Adapting DBT for the Treatment of Psychopathy.” She has conducted trainings for New York City Police Officers on mindfulness, communicating with mentally ill individuals, and hostage negotiations. Dr. Galietta has appeared on CNN and Court TV, and has been cited in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time Magazine, and other media outlets.


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CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).

Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.