Foster Care Training

The goal of this presentation is to describe Seeking Safety, an evidence-based model for trauma and/or addiction (clients do not have to have both issues). By the end of the training, participants can implement Seeking Safety in their setting if they choose to. Seeking Safety teaches present-focused coping skills to help clients attain safety in their lives. It is highly flexible and can be conducted in any setting by a wide range of counselors and also peers. There are 25 treatment topics, each representing a safe coping skill relevant to both trauma and/or addiction, such as “Asking for Help”, “Creating Meaning”, “Compassion”, and “Healing from Anger”. Topics can be done in any order and the treatment can be done using as few or many of them as time allows. Seeking Safety strives to increase hope through emphasis on ideals; it offers exercises, emotionally-evocative language, and quotations to engage patients; and provides concrete strategies to build recovery skills. In this training we cover (a) background on trauma and addiction (rates, presentation, models and stages of treatment, clinical challenges); and (b) overview of Seeking Safety including its evidence-base; and (c) clinical implementation, including adaptation to various populations (e.g., adolescents, individuals with serious and persistent mental illness, veterans), frequently asked questions, fidelity, engagement methods, and cultural adaptation. By the end of the training, participants can implement Seeking Safety in their setting if they choose to. Assessment and treatment resources are also provided. Learning methods include lecture, slides, video, experiential exercises, role-play, and discussion. For more information on Seeking Safety see www.seekingsafety.org.