Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Training for the Universal Curricula (UC)

Where can I get training?

Training is conducted by governments, independent organizations and educational institutions.  The availability of training depends upon your location. ISSUP hosts a list of registered training providers in each country. Not all training is open to the public as some training providers train only their own staff.  Public training is available through universities and at regional or global ISSUP workshops.  Some training organizations offer public training, those public trainings are listed on the ISSUP website calendar.

What is the difference between an education provider and a training organization?

Both are training providers.  An education provider (EP) is an accredited education institution that can provide the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC), Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC), or Universal Recovery Curriculum (URC), directly to its students or they have used portions of the curriculum in the development of academic courses for medicine, psychology, counselling or related disciplines.  A training organization (TO) is a non-governmental organization (profit or non-profit) with qualified staff that provides professional training to its members or the public.  The Global Center for Credentialing and Certification (GlobalCCC.org) recognizes the academic credits or professional training hours from both for certification purposes. 

Who is a Training Provider Coordinator (TPC)?  

The Training Provider Coordinator (TPC) is the person designated to approve an organizations access to materials and provide guidance on training and implementation of the curriculum.  Who your training provider coordinator is depends on your region.  Contact information is below.

Non-governmental organizations:

  • South and East Asia; Middle East:
    Dr. Josephine Choong, Colombo Plan: jochoong [dot] leankeow [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (jochoong[dot]leankeow[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Europe; Central Asia:
    Gulmira Suleymanova, Colombo Plan: gulmira [dot] suleymanova [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (gulmira[dot]suleymanova[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Africa:
    George Murimi, Colombo Plan: george [dot] murimi [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (george[dot]murimi[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Latin America; Caribbean:
    Jo Rivas, Colombo Plan: jo [dot] rivas [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (jo[dot]rivas[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Canada and United States:
    Dr. Josephine Choong, Colombo Plan: jochoong [dot] leankeow [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (jochoong[dot]leankeow[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)

Government officials:

  • South and East Asia; Middle East:
    Dr. Josephine Choong, Colombo Plan: jochoong [dot] leankeow [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (jochoong[dot]leankeow[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Europe; Central Asia:
    Gulmira Suleymanova, Colombo Plan: gulmira [dot] suleymanova [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (gulmira[dot]suleymanova[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Africa:
    George Murimi, Colombo Plan: george [dot] murimi [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (george[dot]murimi[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Latin America; Caribbean:
    Jimena Kawalwaski, CICAD: Jkalawksi [at] oas [dot] org (cc: mariano.montenegro%40colombo-plan.org) (Jkalawksi[at]oas[dot]org); and
    Mariano Montenegro, Colombo Plan: mariano [dot] montenegro [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (cc: Jkalawksi%40oas.org) (mariano[dot]montenegro[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)
  • Canada and United States:
    Dr. Josephine Choong, Colombo Plan: jochoong [dot] leankeow [at] colombo-plan [dot] org (jochoong[dot]leankeow[at]colombo-plan[dot]org)

All universities and educational institutions: 

  • Carly Searcy, ICUDDR: eylesc [at] icuddr [dot] org (searcyc[at]icuddr[dot]org)

How do I become a training provider?

The application to be a registered training provider is online here.  Once you apply, the training provider coordinator for your region will contact you to review your qualifications to be a training provider and then can authorize access to the curricula materials. 

Can I get copies of the training materials?

All ISSUP members have access to the participant manuals for all Universal Curricula currently available online at ISSUP.net.  This includes the Universal Treatment Curricula (UTC), Universal Prevention Curricula (UPC), and the Universal Recovery Curricula (URC).  Access to the trainer manuals and slides requires an application to become a training provider. 

Do you have online training?

We are developing online training for the Universal Treatment Curriculum and hope to host the first online module by September 2020.

What does it mean to be credentialed?

For information on credentialing of professionals for treatment of substance use disorders through the completion of the Universal Treatment Curricula please see GlobalCCC.org for a calendar of upcoming credentialing exams look here.

Can I adapt the curriculum to my needs?

Some parts of the Universal Curricula have been translated into other languages.  In addition, there have been some cultural adaptations particularly in the presentation of case studies, local statistics and primary narcotics of concern.  No changes to the principles of the curriculum should be undertaken.  Training providers are required to commit to upholding the integrity of the courses as written.  Cultural adaptations should be reviewed with the training provider coordinator.  Education providers can adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of the academic process and should coordinate their adaptations with their training provider coordinator and the Colombo Plan also.  Information and different languages currently available are shown here

Can there be more than one training provider per region?

Yes.  There can be multiple training providers including the government training partners in a region.  For example, a health ministry might train the treatment curriculum to the health workers while the education ministry could train teachers in the prevention curriculum.  One organization might train volunteers who work in rehabilitation centers.  A university might train the issues of substance use for student medical staff.  A professional organization can offer professional continuing education as needed for nurses or clinicians. 

Can I make money being a training provider?

A training provider may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of services, printing and other materials for the classes.  It is not allowed to sell the curriculum.

What about quoting the UC material?

When quoting from the Universal Curricula, researchers and writers should cite the sources as noted in the manuals.  Trainers should not mix the Universal Curricula with other materials in training unless approved by the training provider coordinator to ensure the integrity of the course and ensure that conflicting principles are not being taught.

Universities may integrate the curricula into an existing course or a new course that can be offered at the undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate level. These education providers are required to demonstrate the relevance of their course by the description of the course, goals and objectives, the outline of the training course content and how the course relates to the Universal and related curricula.  For more information contact:  mulveyk [at] ICUDDR [dot] org (Kevin Mulvey at ICUDDR)