20 Hours / 20 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START:AV) is presented by Tonia Nicholls, PhD, and Andrew Gray, PhD.

This training provides participants with comprehensive instruction in the use of the START:AV (Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version) - a structured guide designed for assessing and planning treatment with adolescents ages 12 to 25. The START:AV takes an integrative approach, evaluating short-term risk for a range of adverse outcomes commonly encountered among youth involved in mental health and justice systems. These include violence, crime, substance use, unauthorized absences, self-harm, suicide, victimization, and health neglect.

Unlike many traditional tools that focus solely on risk or vulnerability factors, the START:AV emphasizes both strengths and vulnerabilities, supporting a more balanced and individualized understanding of each adolescent. The tool also encourages a dynamic and developmentally informed approach, orienting professionals to an adolescent’s recent functioning and identifying factors that are modifiable through intervention.

Throughout this training, participants develop the knowledge and practical skills necessary to use the START:AV effectively in both assessment and intervention planning. The program incorporates a combination of didactic instruction and interactive case examples, allowing participants to apply concepts in realistic scenarios and build confidence in using the tool in their professional practice.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe an integrative assessment to identify adolescents at risk of a range of adverse outcomes
  • 2 Describe how to administer the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START:AV)
  • 3 Describe the rationale and advantages for developing the START:AV -- a measure that addresses multiple adverse outcomes in behavioral health populations
  • 4 Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risk to harm others
  • 5 Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risk to violate conditions
  • 6 Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risk to harm self
  • 7 Describe the role of static and dynamic variables in risk assessment
  • 8 Describe the role of strengths and vulnerabilities in risk assessment
  • 9 Describe and receive feedback on the application of the START:AV to three training cases
  • 10 Describe how START:AV assessments can facilitate bridging risk assessment and risk management

  • Intended Audience

    This training program is intended for individuals involved in the assessment and support of adolescents with mental health and justice system contacts, who are seeking to enhance their skills in structured professional risk assessment and risk management. The program is suitable for those working with youth across diverse sectors, including mental health, legal, justice, health, and housing, and who are interested in integrative approaches that consider both strengths and vulnerabilities in adolescents.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • Nurse
    • Social Worker
    • Allied Professional (e.g., Spiritual Advisor, Peer Support Worker, Indigenous Navigator)
    • Postdoctoral Fellow
    • Advanced Graduate Student

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at all experience levels who wish to develop or enhance their skills in adolescent risk assessment and intervention planning using the START:AV.

    • Beginner: Participants new to adolescent risk assessment or the START:AV, seeking foundational knowledge and practical skills in integrative assessment and treatment planning.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in risk assessment or adolescent behavioral health, aiming to deepen their understanding of dynamic risk factors, strengths-based assessment, and application of the START:AV to case examples.

    • Advanced: Participants with substantial experience in adolescent risk assessment, interested in refining their use of the START:AV for complex cases, integrating research evidence, and bridging risk assessment with risk management strategies.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who participate in this training typically work in multidisciplinary environments that support adolescents with complex mental health and justice system needs. These settings are often collaborative, involving teams from various sectors such as healthcare, social services, education, and justice.

    The work environment may be community-based, institutional, or outreach-oriented, and often requires professionals to assess and manage short-term risks while considering both the strengths and vulnerabilities of youth. These professionals engage in dynamic, client-centered practice, frequently using structured tools like the START:AV to inform assessment, intervention planning, and risk management.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Community mental health centers serving youth with behavioral and emotional challenges
    • Hospital-based adolescent psychiatric or crisis intervention units
    • Youth justice facilities or probation services
    • School-based mental health or counseling programs
    • Residential treatment centers for adolescents
    • Outreach programs supporting homeless or at-risk youth
    • Integrated care teams in primary health or family health clinics
    • Indigenous health and wellness organizations
    • Non-profit agencies providing support to youth involved in multiple systems

Training Instructors:

Tonia Nicholls, PhD

Tonia Nicholls, PhD

Dr. Tonia Nicholls was promoted to full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2017. She is also the Scientific Director of Forensic Research with British Columbia Mental Health and Substance Use Services (BCMHSUS). She holds several cross-appointments, including the School of Population and Public Health, UBC and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University. She is Past-President of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services (2023-2025). She was Editor of the International Journal of Forensic Mental Health Services for five years (2019-2023).

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Andrew Gray, PhD

Andrew Gray, PhD

Dr. Gray is the Clinical Lead, Programming and Research, in the Secure Treatment Unit at the Brockville Mental Health Centre in Ontario and is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Département de Psychiatrie et d’addictologie at Université de Montréal. He is also an Adjunct Research Professor with the Department of Psychology at Carleton University and is the Secretary-Treasurer for the Criminal Justice Psychology Section of the Canadian Psychological Association.

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Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
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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.