
Counseling Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Training Program
Join us for a 2-day Live Webinar event on May 25 and May 26, 2023 from:
10am - 5pm Eastern Daylight Time BOTH days
12 CE Credits available for behavioral health clinicians
The Intellectual Disabilities Counseling Certificate (IDCC) is included with course completion
People with intellectual disability (ID) have been a marginalized group in the United States for the past 200 years. Despite being more prone to abuse, neglect, and trauma, mental health concerns for people with ID were underestimated or ignored until late into the 20th Century. While comprising an estimated 2.5-3.0% of the US population, this group of people remains markedly underrepresented as participants in mental health supports. Providers of mental health counseling services have an affirmative duty to serve all members of their communities but, unfortunately, many practitioners may feel ill-equipped to understand or adjust their practice to meet the particular needs of this population.
In this extensive training, Dr. Buckles will help participants understand how they may expand their skill sets and practices to address the mental health needs of people with ID. Beginning with an exploration of the often disturbing history of the treatment of people with ID, participants will then participate in discussions about the social construction of disability, current concepts and definitions of ID, and related systems of supports. Specific attention is given to ways in which co-occurring mental health conditions may present differently in this population. Following these foundational topics, specific ways in which assessment and counseling methodologies can be adjusted are illustrated from both the literature and Dr. Buckles’ 20+ years of personal practice experience. Aspects of trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavior therapy, autism specific considerations, bereavement counseling, supportive counseling, experiential methodologies, and ancillary supports are all addressed in detail.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain historical and current concepts of disability and intellectual disability (ID).
- List the current definitional requirements for ID.
- Explore the historical mistreatment and current misconceptions of ID in US service systems.
- Discuss the concept of social construction as applied to disability.
- List the areas of the Americans with Disabilities Act as they apply to counseling all community members.
- Explain differences in how co-occurring mental health conditions may present in people with ID.
- Discuss potentially useful adjustments to initial psychosocial assessment procedures and mental status exam components.
- Explain how enlistment of other supporters and providers may aid the counseling process with this population.
- Discuss current literature on the efficacy of counseling for people with ID.
- Explore methods of adjusting typical counseling practices such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
- Explore alternate counseling models for this population, such as autism-specific considerations, bereavement counseling, and experiential counseling.
12 CE hours for the live webinar event on May 25 and May 26
No partial CEs will be rewarded - Full attendance is required both days
Counselors: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC 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-0048. Approval renewal date: 1/31/2026
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if this course would be accepted by your licensing board.
Social Workers: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC, #1609, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC maintains responsibility for the program. ASWB Approval Period: 05/02/2021 – 05/02/2024. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval for continuing education credits. Socials workers will receive 12 clinical continuing education clock hours.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC 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-0435. Approval renewal date: 2/28/2026
Psychologists: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC 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-0128. Effective 8/31/2021 – 8/31/2024
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC 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 creative arts therapists #CAT-0093. 7/21/2021 – 7/31/2024
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 720 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
Register for the webinar by midnight before the event. So that we can provide you these CEs, you are required to:
- login and access the direct link to the webinar through your account
- participate fully during both days of the event
- complete a post-test and course evaluation at the conclusion of the second da of the event
- collect your certificate of completion on your account after steps 1-3 are completed
Enroll in a course by adding it to the cart and proceeding through the check out process. Create an account (or login to yours) during the checkout process.
Prepare: Download Zoom software. Participants must use a device that is connected to adequate internet speed with a camera, microphone and speakers (or headset).
Attend: At least 15 minutes before the starts of the webinar, login to your account on the website. Go to "My Courses", click on the title/date of the webinar. A separate link for each day will be listed in the course content.
Attendance is automatically recorded when you use the link to join.
Any recording made of a live event is NOT included with webinar registration and webinar registrants are required to attend both days to earn credit.
When possible, webinars are recorded and converted into online self-study courses, available for separate purchase/enrollment for those who did not attend the live event.
Schedule for both days: (times listed in Eastern Daylight Time, beginning at 10am EDt and concluding at 5pm EDT)
10-10:50 Lecture
10:50-11 Q&A/Interaction/Discussion
11-11:05 Break
11:05-11:50 Lecture
11:50-12 Q&A/Interaction/Discussion
12-12:05 Break
12:05-12:50 Lecture
12:50-1:10 Q&A/Interaction/Discussion
1:10-1:50 Lunch
1:50-2:40 Lecture
2:40-2:50 Q&A/Interaction/Discussion
2:50-2:55 Break
2:55-3:40 Lecture
3:40-3:50 Q&A/Interaction/Discussion
3:50-3:55 Break
3:55-4:45 Lecture
4:45-5 Q&A/Interaction/Discussion

Jason Buckles
Ph.D.
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jason earned his Bachelor’s in Psychology at New York University in 1996. While there he worked on diagnostic projects at Bellevue Hospital and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He earned his Master’s in Counseling at The University of New Mexico in 2001 and PhD in Special Education at The University of New Mexico in 2016. His dissertation focused on the experiences of direct support professionals who support people with sexually challenging behavior. Since 2002 Jason has been owner of Talkabout Inc., a Behavior Consultation agency specializing in supports for people with intellectual disability and concurrent mental health diagnoses. From 2012 through 2016 Jason was the Statewide Clinical Director of the New Mexico Department of Health – Bureau of Behavioral Support overseeing statewide systems of behavioral support consultation. From 2016-2019 Jason was the Executive Director of A Better Way of Living, a CQL accredited agency that provides life-wide supports for people with intellectual disability. He is currently a contracting consultant with the New Mexico Department of Health where he supervises the sexual risk screening program, the ongoing development of behavior support systems, and provides statewide trainings on co-occurring mental health conditions for people with intellectual disability among other topics. For several years Jason has also served as the Program Manager for the Developmental Disability/Mental Illness project with the University of New Mexico. For most of the past 20 years he was a part time instructor at both The University of New Mexico teaching Introduction to Intellectual Disability and at New Mexico Highlands University teaching DSM Assessment for Counselors.