Kriss is licensed in the State of Ohio as a supervising professional clinical counselor and has more than 30 years of experience. Between 2005 and 2013, Kriss was involved with the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) initiative, serving as the SBIRT Training Manager for a five-year SAMHSA grant for medical resident training grant at Kettering Medical Center in Kettering, Ohio. SBIRT is focused on providing early identification and intervention in substance use disorders, using the framework of Motivational Interviewing to increase patient engagement. During the period of the grant, Kriss trained more than 3,000 medical and allied health professionals in the theoretical foundations, intervention skills, and implementation strategies of the SBIRT model in various health-related settings. She also developed a strong interest in improving patient engagement and patient health outcomes, primarily through the use of Motivational Interviewing interventions.
Kriss is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and has been training SBIRT and Motivational Interviewing since 2009. Kriss has trained a wide range of professionals in the medical, mental health and allied health fields, as well as human resource and education professionals.