Dear VIPACT Applicant,

I am writing to introduce myself and to provide an overview of the VIPACT curriculum. My name is Laurie Rokutani and I am the VIPACT Training Coordinator, co-located at the Mid-Atlantic ATTC and DMHMRSAS, and am excited about the prospects of working with all of you!

The VIPACT Institute was created in 1993. It was developed in Virginia to continue the work of the Project for Addiction Counselor Training (PACT), which was established by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) in 1991. The Office of Substance Abuse Services was granted vendor status and began our PACT system in late 1992. The Institute has been operating since 1993. In September 2003 we inaugurated the first session of the “revised VIPACT curriculum.” This offering marks the fifth “revised” session.

The current initiative is funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Prevention Treatment Block Grant, and is offered in collaboration with the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Technology Transfer Center (Mid-ATTC). The training is free and certificates are provided for each course completed. Since the training operates on weekdays and is located at The Virginia Diocesan Center at Roslyn in Richmond, we will provide accommodations and/or meals for all participants. For those who commute daily, lunches will be provided. For those who are able to stay overnight, we provide lodging on a double occupancy basis.

These training initiatives represent a very different approach to training and skills development. The current VIPACT series will include online course work for several of the classes. There will also be an increased emphasis on the development of the skills (see enclosed outline). Following each course, the training and the trainer/facilitators will be evaluated by all participants.

If you are interested in participating in VIPACT training and are willing to make a commitment to attend the entire program, I invite you to submit the enclosed application. Please share with your supervisor the enclosed letter from Ken Batten, Director of the Office of Substance Abuse Services, and make sure to fill out the supervisor form, also. Space is limited and applications will be screened. For those of you who may be interested in continuing education/professional development and would like to take one or several individual courses, there may be space available. However, preference will be given to those who plan to complete the entire curriculum.

Applications will be reviewed beginning August 1, 2006; notifications of acceptance will be mailed by September 1.

Best regards,

Laurie J. Rokutani, Ed.S., MAC, CPP

Training Coordinator