LIVE: Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START:AV)
February 18, 2026 - February 26, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific
February 18, 2026 - February 26, 2026
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Pacific
14 Hours | 14 CEs
$650 Registration | $600 Early Registration (through February 11th) | Live Virtual Training via Zoom
Tonia L. Nicholls, PhD and Andrew Gray, PhD, present a live virtual professional training program on Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START:AV).
This live virtual training takes place over four half-day sessions from 9:00 am - 12:30 pm PST / 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm EST each day.
- Wednesday, February 18th
- Thursday, February 19th
- Wednesday, February 25th
- Thursday, February 26th
This is a multi-day training event. Participants must attend all scheduled sessions in full to be eligible to receive continuing education (CE) credit. Partial credit will not be awarded.
This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards various certificates. Enroll to earn credit and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues. This program counts as a foundational program in the certificates:
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.
This training is intended for professionals across mental health, social services, education, and justice settings who assess and support adolescents ages 12 to 25, including those with varying levels of experience in formal risk assessment. Throughout this training, participants will 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.
Program Outline:
- Context and Rationale for the START:AV
- Describe how START:AV is consistent with clinical guidelines, evidence-based practice
- Summary of supporting research
- Overview of the START:AV
- Key Concepts
- Case Example: Sebastian
- Sebastian Items 1 – 6
- Sebastian Items 7 – 10
- Sebastian Items 13 – 14
- Sebastian Items 15 – 20
- Unique characteristics: Case specific items, signature risk signs
- START:AV Outcomes
- Sebastian History and Future Risks
- Case Example 2
- Case Example 3
Intended Audience
This live program is intended for mental health and other allied professionals.
Experience Level
This live program is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.
CE / CPD Credit
APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC: Click here for state and other regional board approvals.
Presented By
Tonia L. Nicholls, PhD
Dr. Nicholls is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC and Distinguished Scientist and Lead, Forensic Research BC Mental Health and Substance User Services and President-Elect, International Association of Forensic Mental Health. She holds cross-appointments at UBC including the SPPH and an Adjunc...
Presented By
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 Depa...
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program you will be able to:
Describe an integrative assessment to identify adolescents at risk of a range of adverse outcomes
Describe how to administer the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START:AV)
Describe the rationale and advantages for developing the START:AV -- a measure that addresses multiple adverse outcomes in behavioral health populations
Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risk to harm others
Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risk to violate conditions
Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risk to harm self
Describe the role of static and dynamic variables in risk assessment
Describe the role of strengths and vulnerabilities in risk assessment
Describe and receive feedback on the application of the START:AV to three training cases
Describe how START:AV assessments can facilitate bridging risk assessment and risk management
Live Event Policy
Registration for our live events is covered for one (1) person per purchase. If you would like to purchase for a group, please contact our group training team.
Event Communications
When registering, use an email that is active and that you check regularly. We are not responsible for communications not being received; if you do not add caps@paloaltou.edu to your email safe sender list, our emails are likely to end up in your spam or junk folders.
Cancellation Policy
Have a sudden change of plans and are unable to attend live? No worries; you will be given access to the on-demand version of the program once available. Please note if you attend live, no access to the recording will be given.
Event Conduct
Professional conduct is expected during our live programs. Our goal is to make our events as interactive as possible for all participants. We reserve the right to remove any participants who are disruptive, act unprofessionally, or who we are unable to verify their purchase.
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