Trainer Biography
Igor Koutsenok, MD, MS
Dr. Igor Koutsenok is an addiction psychiatrist. In 1982 he graduated from the National Medical University in Kiev, Ukraine as a medical doctor. In 1988 he completed his psychiatry residency training at the Medical University in Sofia, Bulgaria. In 1994-1996 he worked at the University of London, Department of Addictive Behavior and Psychological Medicine at St Georges Hospital Medical School, where he received Masters of Science Degree in Addictive Behavior. In 1997 he was recruited by the University of California San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine, and for many years he worked at the UCSD Center for Criminality and Addiction Research, Training and Application (CARTA) founded and directed by Dr. David Deitch, and he also served as faculty member at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry. Following the retirement of Dr. Deitch in 2007, Dr. Koutsenok was appointed as his successor and became the Director of the UCSD CCARTA. In January 2014 he was appointed as Director of Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations Office in Vienna and he successfully served the United Nations for two terms until January 2016.
Dr. Koutsenok was involved in the design and implementation of multiple training, competency building and technical assistance programs for addiction treatment practitioners, mental health and criminal justice professionals working in custodial and community corrections settings in California and many states in the United States. Dr. Koutsenok also served as one of the trainers for the National Drug Court Institute in the US, providing training and education for judges and members of the judicial system in many states. He was one of the primary collaborators of Dr. David Deitch (UCSD) in designing of the comprehensive re-entry model for substance involved offenders that was later implemented by the UCSD CCARTA in California (Senate Bill 618). In collaboration with Dr. Christopher Lowenkamp he co-authored the IBIS (Integrated Behavioral Intervention Strategies) model for probation and community corrections services – a combination between motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy for offenders. The model was successfully implemented in San Diego County Probation Department. Dr. Koutsenok is also a member of the International Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and he was involved in the design and implementation of several training programs that utilise motivational interviewing as one of the effective strategies in working with substance involved offenders. In 2009-2012 he directed the METRO Project – the largest training program in motivational interviewing in criminal justice environment – for the entire staff at the CDCR – Division of Juvenile Justice. As a Senior United Nations officer he supervised and directly led numerous international global and regional projects, including development of treatment opportunities for substance involved offenders in several countries in Africa, Middle East, South-East Asia, and Latin America.
He has authored and co-authored over 50 scientific publications, one monograph, five book chapters, and 13 training manuals. Dr. Koutsenok has been invited as guest speaker and trainer to numerous conferences and professional gatherings in over 30 countries in 5 continents, and he conducted hundreds of lectures, seminars, and workshops. He is a proud father of three.