20 Hours / 20 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

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

The 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 Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Dialectical Behavior Therapy (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 designed for mental health professionals at all experience levels who provide comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatments. The course is particularly relevant for those specializing in forensic psychology, correctional mental health, or clinical psychology with high-risk or emotionally dysregulated populations. Participants typically work in settings such as inpatient or residential treatment centers, correctional or forensic facilities, community mental health agencies, or hospital-based programs. The training is also suitable for a wide range of professionals who support individuals requiring cognitive-behavioral interventions.

  • Experience Level

    This training is applicable for all career stages: entry-level, mid-career, and experienced professionals.

  • Practice Setting

    Who is this training designed for?

    • Psychologists
    • Psychiatrists
    • Social workers
    • Case managers
    • Nurses
    • Marriage & family therapists
    • Alcohol & drug abuse counselors
    • Other mental health professionals working with individuals needing-behavioral treatments

Presented By Michele Galietta, PhD

Michele Galietta, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

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.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Michele Galietta, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • DBT overview

  • Introduction to DBT skills training

  • Review strategies to effectively run DBT skills groups and enhance participants skills

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).



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) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 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), SW CPE 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 and 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #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. CONCEPT Professional Training 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.