Foster Care Training

SEL is a strategy that helps improve outcomes and overall well-being of youth in care. Comprehensive learning goals for SEL include developmental benchmarks across five social and emotional competency domains: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making skills. (CASEL, 2020) This training will discuss and explore the definition of social-emotional learning and its essential role in the systems environments. Participants will identify the critical components of SEL, explore how to incorporate SEL with other systems-based programs, and learn the practical tools for implementing SEL into practice. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/understanding-the-five-competencies-of-sel-to-support-youth-in-care-tickets-415715515297

Disordered eating and eating disorders are becoming more prevalent with system involved youth and young adults. This training will provide an overview of the different types of eating disorders and strategies to engage system involved youth and young adults diagnosed with one. The training will also cover how family members can support a system involved youth or young adults with an eating disorder.

This training is an introduction to implementing behavioral support strategies with children who present with a variety of challenging behaviors. It includes a discussion of basic principles of behavior modification, behavioral assessment, functional assessment and support methods. The discussion addresses the advantages, risks and limitations of these approaches in various settings including group care settings, classrooms and families.

The purpose of this training is to create a renewed and heightened awareness of boundary issues in work with foster youth. Having boundaries is not just a matter of being professional. Appropriate boundaries are a key ingredient in providing the children in our care with the highest quality of care, which often times requires us to build trusting and healing relationships with them. Frequently the relationships we build with clients can have ambiguous boundaries, making it important to develop an awareness of possible danger signs for boundary issues that might result in poor practice or which might be red flags for potential exploitation of clients.

This seminar will discuss some of the central issues surrounding community-based services and give participants the opportunity to discuss the benefits and challenges about seeing youth in a wide range of community settings. It will provide discussion about using an expanded frame to provide services to foster children and families in the home, school, community centers, parks and other non-traditional settings. In addition to all the complexities, delivering community based services can provide a new way of working with foster youth that can allow a more expanded way of engaging and creating relationships with youth and foster families.

This two-hour course is designed to support STRTP administrators and staff in developing a foundation of focused counseling strategies, techniques and principles, to build strong, helpful, and mutually respectful connections. The techniques and principals, termed C.O.R.E. Counseling (Connection Oriented, Relationship Establishing) will be consistent with trauma Informed practices and will support staff in building healthy, beneficial, supportive relationships.

This workshop will address how a traditional cultural game, Lotería, can be used in play with the Mexican-American/Latinx population as well as at-risk youth, youth and families in the welfare/probation system, and clients of all cultural backgrounds. This workshop will not only discuss the relevance/significance of the game within the Mexican community but will also demonstrate various interventions to be used during play with individuals and their families. This workshop will cover the helpfulness of including this game in the play office as well as how this game and its interventions can be used with low to no cost items. This workshop is relevant to working with youth and families […]

The training is derived from an evidence-based model called Pro-ACT (Professional Assault Crisis Training), a principle-based safety enhancement program, designed to teach professionals to prevent or respond to potential client assaults in a successful way.    Register Here

This 3 hour course will cover tools on how to engage caregivers in suicide safety planning for the children and youth in their care. We will discuss how to teach caregivers how to recognize signs and symtoms of suicidality in the youth in their care and what steps to take to establish safety. Information and skills will be discussed and strengthened through lecture, handouts, and small group work.

There is a Mexican saying that goes, “Each head is it’s own world.” This saying perfectly captures the power of sand tray in the therapy room. Sand tray allows for clients to express themselves and get some insight into their own internal world. This is an introductory training for therapists, counselors, social workers, and others who are interested in learning how to integrate sand tray in their clinical work with youth and families in the child welfare or probation systems. This training will cover all the basics of sand tray, from materials needed to implementing sand tray in your first session. The aim for this training is to provide participants […]

Whether a childs communication is effective or ineffective, it can leave a parent feeling like they are constantly trying to put out fires. Learn how to Interpret your child’s needs,Provide opportunities to make choices,Teach appropriate pro-social behaviors. Register Here

In this course, participants will gain a generalized concept of MI. Participants will be introduced to the spirit of MI, Righting Reflex, and OARS (open-ended, affirmations, reflections, and summary). Participants will have the opportunity to work in small groups, engage in various activities, and receive tangible examples to use during their work with system-involved clients. The material will be delivered by PowerPoint presentation, short video clips, group discussion, breakout (small group) discussions and participant workbook (handout).

This is an advanced course developed for care managers, providers, etc. who have a basic understanding of MI. Participants will build on the knowledge gained from an introductory MI course. Skills and strategies will be provided to resist the righting reflex when met with client resistance. An increase of understanding of the righting reflex will be explored. The content explores MI four guiding principles, represented by the acronym R.U.L.E. A general understanding of how resistance may show up when working with system-involved youth and families. Strategies on appropriate response to resistance will be covered as well as what could be said in response to resistance rather than using the righting […]

Motivational Interviewing is client-centered disciplined method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. The goal of this training will be to build skills around engagement with youth using the tenants and techniques of Motivational Interviewing. Participants will be introduced to the principles and skills of motivational interviewing and assess and integrate them into their practice. Service providers will be challenged to assess what roadblocks they may encounter when working with clients, discuss how to repair this work, and utilize MI to build a strong therapeutic alliance as well as insights in a client’s motivation to change. This training will help providers attune their ear and clinical […]

An exploration of how to use Motivational Interviewing strategies in school-based settings with high at-risk youth.

Black and brown students are disproportionately pushed out of the public school system and funneled into the criminal justice system. System-involved youth are at particular risk. It is essential for those who support system involved youth to learn about this topic to advocate and support youth and families impacted by this issue.

Participants will recognize, repair and resolve conflict. Attendees will discuss relationships and assess actions and build connections. Three (3) ways to develop conflict resolution and respond to conflict will be presented. Practice questions asked after a rupture has occurred to support the support and repair a relationship will be role played. A list of questions that can be utilized to ask someone who has been harmed from a rupture will be given. Ways to respond to conflict that causes ruptures will be provided. Six (6) responses to conflict will be identified. Assessment motivation to repair a relationship after a rupture will be discussed as well as what is needed to […]

This training will focus on one of the five social and emotional competency domains: self-management. This training will explore how developing the skill of resiliency leads to being more self-motivated and how practicing self-compassion leads to a healthy sense of self. Participants will enjoy an overview of practical techniques that increase personal motivation, joy, hope and gratitude. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/self-management-building-resiliency-and-compassion-amongst-youth-in-care-tickets-413144254587

This training supports providers working with system-involved youth, including youth with mental health diagnoses, developmental delays, and/or substance use, in identifying ways to help clients self-regulate if they are dysregulated in their work together. Participants will explore multiple mindfulness practices and embody them, as well as experiment with coaching a client in using such practices.

“Training Summary: Strength-based, strength-based, strength-based! Wow, this seems to be an important mantra in our field! Since all of us understand our youth in our own ways, I hope that anyone supporting system involved youth and their families will attend! This training is about how we can remain strength-based when we have to use pathologizing/stigmatizing labels. While I hope that we are all advocating (in our own ways) for important changes that will allow us to be more strength-based and individualized, what do we do NOW to make sure that these negative labels don’t follow our youth in the system of care (foster care, juvenile justice and mental health systems)? […]

Timely management of paperwork and meeting productivity requirements, while making positive connections and impact with clients – that’s being a true SUPERHERO. Learn strategies for sustainable “superheroing” so you can provide super care and interventions to your system involved clients and their families. We will cover strategies to address challenges with paperwork and productivity, and will develop a sustainable superhero plan to address the barriers to successfully meeting your clients’ needs while staying calm and focused.

Mindfulness has been a growing, powerful tool which can facilitate health and healing, but for those who have experienced trauma, it can create discomfort, increase pain and potentially retraumatize system involved youth and/or their families. As such, it is important to understand how to approach providing mindfulness tools in a trauma informed way in order to support improved outcomes for system involved youth and families. In this training, participants will explore, and practice trauma-informed mindfulness tools and learn to offer these tools to support system involved youth and families.

Many mental health professionals recognize the importance of healthy attachment as well as making sure that each child has a secure base from which to learn about themselves and the world. This is especially true in our work with children and youth in foster care. When trauma interrupts secure attachment, the child will experience actual or perceived abandonment by those meant to protect and not harm them. In this course, participants will examine affects of experiencing abandonment; legal, actual and perceived abandonment as well as symptoms in adolescence and adulthood. The group will explore core recovery skills and treatment options, as well.

Some foster youth exhibit psychotic features which can include auditory or visual hallucinations, paranoia or other delusions. It’s important for those who support system-involved youth to understand the different diagnoses and symptoms associated with psychosis and how to effectively support them. This training will help you understand how effective responses to system involved youth suffering from psychosis can improve outcomes for them.

Numerous children and adolescents identified as at-risk struggle with either low self-esteem or an unhealthy high self-esteem based on his/her ability to create feelings of inferiority in others (a.k.a. bullying behavior). Such experiences create an external locus of control thereby perpetuating the risk factors classifying children and adolescents as at-risk. In an effort to encourage an internal locus of control and to increase protective factors, children and adolescents must be empowered to develop a healthy self-esteem and a strong sense of self. We explore hands-on experiential activities based in Adlerian play to provide children with a visual, auditory, and kinesthetic means for conceptualizing and developing a strong sense of self. […]

This 1-day course will discuss vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and moral distress that can arise in the social service field. When individuals don’t intentionally care for themselves, it can lead to burnout, premature department from an organization, etc. The trainers will discuss strategies participants can utilize to increase their self-care to be more resilient and compassionate. It’s essential for social service providers to prioritize our overall well-being so we can model it to the youth and families we work with.

The training will focus on one of the five social and emotional competency domains of relationship skills. This training will explore how developing strong communication skills to build healthy relationships. This training will discuss the importance of communication skills in decision making, conflict resolution and working collaboratively. Participants will enjoy an overview of practical techniques that help develop healthy communication skills. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/communication-decision-making-developing-healthy-relationships-tickets-413142860417

This training is designed to present and consider the impact of multiple forms of trauma and oppression on our youth and their families and communities as well as build shared language and commitment to implementing and sustaining trauma-informed, culturally-grounded healing policies and practices. The training aims to provide new insights into the dynamic and systemic impact of violence on individual and community development, the impacts of personal and collective trauma on adolescent mental health, and strengthen successful clinical and organizational practices for serving trauma-exposed youth and communities.

To promote healthy sexuality for system involved youth, providers and caregivers must feel comfortable talking about sex and sexuality in an age appropriate manner. The California Foster Youth Sexual Health Education Act (Senate Bill 89) went into effect in July of 2017, requires comprehensive sexual health education for youth in foster care and training requirements for foster caregivers, social workers and judges. Learn how to talk to youth off all ages about sex, consent and decision making around engaging in sex.

This training is designed to introduce service providers to the services available to youth at the Alameda County Assessment Center. This training includes overview of the service roles, responsibilities, and expectations for those working directly with youth. The training will help participants to familiarize themselves with the major components of the cases that are seen at the Assessment Center, including screening, transitional services, collaborating with various service providers, and linkage/transfer of services and care. In addition to providing information about the nature of specific tasks inherent for service providers, the training is also designed to help providers consider how the systems and structures in which the Assessment Center operates impacts […]

This training will review key social-emotional and trauma-responsive practices that can be used with elementary aged system involved youth. In particular, we will highlight ways to bring these strategies to the families and caregivers so that they can utilize them with their own youth in their homes.

This ongoing workshop is designed to provide participants with both foundational tools for exploring conversations around cultural identity and privilege, as well as provide experiential opportunities and conversation to deepen an understanding of cultural identity and how this impacts services and systems for foster youth. This group will be meeting in support of becoming stronger culturally responsive professionals that aligns with overall efforts to participate in anti-racism work and serve marginalized youth. Participants will be provided space to explore cultural lenses and instances of privilege, but also the power inherent in this identity and the impact it has interpersonally and professionally through various tasks of the privileged (from Kenneth V. […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows a steady increase in suicide mortality between 1999 and 2018. A recent study reports the percentage of young adults seriously considering suicide increased from 10.7% to 25.5% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how to identify signs of suicide risk, ask the right questions without fear and find help for those in need.

This 4 hour course is designed to provide staff serving in Group Homes and STRTP’s behavior management strategies for staff working with traumatized youth and families. The aim of the course is to assist adults working with Severe emotional disturbance differentiate between the variety of Depressive Diagnoses and Co-morbid possibilities, (eg, Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation, etc.) Participants will use resources, large and small group discussion as well as lecture to consider best practice treatment options.

Youth in the foster care system are often pathologized and labeled with diagnoses that highlight problems within youth. This training provides context to the diagnoses that are assigned to youth, and the contextual considerations that may influence mental health needs and conditions. Within this training, participants will also review screening tools that are used in order to understand youth’s needs. Participants will have opportunities for reflection and group discussion. Additionally, participants will be encouraged to practice ways of uncovering youth’s needs with them.

From the time they enter the state’s care and likely long before, foster youth experience trauma that can severely alter their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. The impact of trauma on foster youth can mean that this vulnerable population faces numerous additional challenges as they grow and develop into adulthood. Foster youth experience trauma in many ways, often starting at home. Youth will enter the foster care system because they have experienced physical or sexual abuse, neglect, a loss of a parent, or abandonment, forcing the state to step in. Other family stress factors such as poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and incarceration can lead to a child’s removal from […]

How do we utilize methods of Trauma Informed Care while adjusting to meet the needs of those who have experienced intergenerational racial trauma? The first steps are understanding the concepts of trauma-informed care and of intergenerational trauma. This interactive workshop will explore the history of intergenerational trauma experienced by people of color and how to recognize their trauma responses. We will further explore how to adapt a trauma-informed approach with folks to ensure we resist re-traumatization. Finally, what role or responsibility do white folks have to be in a process of self-reflection around their implicit or explicit collusion in systemic racism in order for them to be their fully authentic […]

The Disney film, Encanto has been praised for its story, amazing characters, and cultural depiction of the Latine culture. It, also, has generated a lot of interest in the mental health field due to its illustration of intergenerational trauma and healing. Therefore, in this workshop, participants will study and analyze parts of the film to inform their work in providing services to Latine families in child welfare, especially those who have experienced historical and intergenerational trauma. Characters, their relationships, and symbolism will be analyzed to identify engagement and assessment strategies for Latine families served in community mental health.

This training is designed to provide participants with an overview of the impact helping organizations have on diverse ethnic and racial groups, cultures, social classes and groups with minority status in the US. The values and attitudes of diverse ethno cultural groups in cross-cultural environments will be discussed. The application of a multicultural lens and anti-racist stance when engaging a diversity of cultures will be addressed. The training includes lecture, small group exercises, discussions and videos/films. Please register with: minjonlenoir@lincolnfamilies.org

Training Summary: This course is designed to provide staff with behavior management strategies for working with traumatized youth and families. The aim of the course is to assist adults working with severely emotionally disturbed youth and families to create a safe environment for personal and group differences including but not limited to race, religion, sexual and gender identity. Participants will discuss effective tools and techniques for treatment. Participants will be able to: -Define culture -Identify differences in youth and adults that may impact treatment -Describe treatment options for youth and family population

This training will offer advanced practical information to help participants better provide culturally inclusive, diversity informed work to youth and their families. Its focus is particularly on how to engage in the kind of rich breadth of culturally open, courageously curious dialogues necessary to go deeper in the therapeutic process. All stages of therapeutic work will be covered from conceptualization to termination. This will be an interactive training. Participants should expect to leave with tools for integrating diversity-informed practice into the flow of their everyday work with the youth that they serve.

This training will offer advanced practical information to help participants better provide culturally inclusive, diversity informed work to youth and their families. Its focus is particularly on how to engage in the kind of rich breadth of culturally open, courageously curious dialogues necessary to go deeper in the therapeutic process. All stages of therapeutic work will be covered from conceptualization to termination. This will be an interactive training. Participants should expect to leave with tools for integrating diversity-informed practice into the flow of their everyday work with the youth that they serve.

Cultural responsiveness is the ability to utilize expansive practices that honor the voices and experiences of all contributors and dismantle oppressive tenets of organizational culture that serve to silence and control. We will engage in culturally responsive mindsets and plan to implement them in our work with system involved youth and families including naming how the dominant culture infiltrates organizations and making a plan to interrupt it in order to improve outcomes for system involved youth who are disproportionately youth of color.

Training Summary: The pandemic has had significant impact on the ways that we maintain safe contact with one another and our clientele. This workshop will help mental health professionals and advocates have increased understanding of appropriate boundaries, ethical considerations, and other implications to consider when using telehealth and social media in the context of client contact or other aspects of our work. Participants will be able to: -Participants will identify 2-3 professional boundaries to consider with clientele and caregivers when using technology. -Participants will be able to describe best practices to use in virtual and social media platforms. -Discuss the nuances of ethical considerations in terms of ensuring inclusivity of […]

Trauma informed care is critical and positive development in systems of care, understanding how poverty and racism impact individual children. While this lens moves us in the right direction, it is inadequate. This training introduces a concept of Healing Centered Engagement. By unpacking the missing elements in trauma informed lens, this training outlines and discusses 3 other critical elements to take into consideration when addressing trauma. Understanding trauma typically lead to efforts to eliminate the negative impacts of trauma, but true healing incorporates a lens that supports children and the adults who support them to imagine, envision, and act toward a life of flourishing.

This training will offer advanced practical information to help participants better provide culturally inclusive, diversity informed work to youth and their families. Its focus is particularly on how to engage in the kind of rich breadth of culturally open, courageously curious dialogues necessary to go deeper in the therapeutic process. All stages of therapeutic work will be covered from conceptualization to termination. This will be an interactive training. Participants should expect to leave with tools for integrating diversity-informed practice into the flow of their everyday work with the youth that they serve

First Half of the Day: This training will offer advanced practical information to help participants better provide culturally inclusive, diversity informed work to youth and their families. Its focus is particularly on how to engage in the kind of rich breadth of culturally open, courageously curious dialogues necessary to go deeper in the therapeutic process. All stages of therapeutic work will be covered from conceptualization to termination. This will be an interactive training. Participants should expect to leave with tools for integrating diversity-informed practice into the flow of their everyday work with the youth that they serve. Second Half of the Day: In striving to provide culturally inclusive services, it […]

Training Summary: Meeting ethical and legal standards is foundational for the provision of competent mental health care. Many dimensions of these standards are clear and have remained constant over the years. Yet others continue to evolve, and mental health professionals (MHPs) routinely confront complex and ambiguous ethical and legal situations. The purpose of this course is to give MHPs an opportunity to renew and sharpen their ability to engage in knowledgeable and effective ethical decision-making, and understand and apply ethical and legal standards to challenges inherent in clinical work with children, adolescents and families. The course also has the goal of assisting participants in better managing the risks of clinical […]

“This group will further engage providers within child welfare systems with space to explore the impact that racial inequality has had on the foster youth served in California. Participants will explore how socialization processes and subsequently the impact on child welfare work and systems has had. Participants will be asked to reflect on racial inequality embedded within past practices and policies, and will be encouraged to look at new strategies for promoting racial equity. We will discuss the impact of racial inequality as well as how to use racial privilege toward shifting some of these dynamics toward becoming multicultural allies. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in deeper reflection, […]

This training will explore race and culture and their impact on the dynamics of the assessment relationship. Race-related transference and countertransference will be discussed from theoretical, humanistic, and trauma-informed perspectives. Through reflection and analysis of a case example, this training will integrate race-related transferences as data points in order to create treatment recommendations that may address complex relational trauma. This training is designed to support training clinicians with facilitating therapeutic-collaborative assessment for youth in foster care.

Sharing life stories can be a powerful exchange and tool for supporting client needs and growth. Drawing on the field of Oral History, in this workshop participants will explore storytelling as a work strategy. Owning our own narratives is power. Amplifying stories excluded from dominant narratives can be a tool for change-making. Learn how to cultivate and facilitate this strategy to deepen connections with clients and each other. Through the workshop, we will explore the questions: What stories do I have to tell? What do I need in order to feel safe or bold to share those stories? How do we translate that to clients? How can storytelling offer a […]

Given the large number of Latino families involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, it’s important to understand them through a cultural lens. Without understanding their history, challenges, and their resilience it’s hard to partner with them. Participants will learn strategies to partner with Latino families so that we can support improve outcomes for system involved Latino youth and families.

Gender inequality shows up in many ways from pay inequality, opportunities one has, exposure to violence, objectification, discrimination, etc. It’s important for providers, foster parents, and natural supports to understand how gender inequality shows up and how to help system involved youth and young adults when they experience gender inequality.

Trauma is often misdiagnosed and it’s essential for providers who diagnosis youth to accurately diagnosis them. It is also important for providers who don’t diagnosis youth to be aware of trauma diagnoses so they can effectively advocate for system-involved youth. The workshop will focus on common misdiagnoses, why inaccurate diagnoses occur and how to accurately diagnosis trauma.

This training will support service providers in examining their implicit biases and the adverse impact of these biases on the outcomes of vulnerable youth. Participants will learn about what implicit bias is, how their own biases manifest across settings, and how these biases disproportionality impact at-risk youth, such as clients of color and youth who have experienced trauma. Participants will explore strategies for combating their biases and disproportionate discipline practice in their work.

ttendees will review evidence of implicit bias through illustrations of the neuroscience of implicit bias; will be able to describe the types of bias; and will discuss stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, in-group favoritism, aversive racism, and stigma. This course will assess how implicit bias creates barriers for clinicians working with system-involved youth and families and identify four objective processes to engage the families.

Attendees will: review evidence of implicit bias through illustrations of the neuroscience of implicit bias; learn how to describe the types of bias; and discuss stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, in-group favoritism, aversive racism, and stigma. This course will assess how implicit bias creates barriers for providers working with system-involved youth and families and identify four objective processes to engage the families. This training will support providers with identifying bias in writing and reading of client documentation, comparing a stereotype threat to implicit bias, and outlining the effects and examples of stereotype threat. Attendees will review hidden biases and have a discussion on how biases influence their efforts to support system involved […]

Training Summary: The school-to-prison pipeline (STPP) is often seen as a linear, doomed path for young minorities from school to prison. System-involved youth experience correctional behaviors and consequences while they are still in school, mirroring a future path to prison. This training will cover three main sections regarding the creation, evolution, and sustainability of the STPP. The first will highlight the history of the STPP and the ways this has changed over time. The second section will focus on the policing and punishment of Black and Brown children in school settings and its effects on adolescence which leads to poor health, and academic and social/emotional outcomes. The third will provide […]

This training is relevant for all service providers working with youth and families. Participants will learn to utilizing a trauma informed and culturally inclusive lens. This training is designed to teach the participants practical tips to use when engaging family in the therapeutic work that happens in a school setting.

This training is relevant for all service providers working with youth and families. Participants will learn to utilizing a trauma informed and culturally inclusive lens. This training is designed to teach the participants practical tips to use when engaging family in the therapeutic work that happens in a school setting.

This training is relevant for all service providers working with youth and families. Participants will learn to utilizing a trauma informed and culturally inclusive lens. This training is designed to teach the participants practical tips to use when engaging family in the therapeutic work that happens in a school setting.

This training will focus on the developmental needs that are specific to young children in foster care. Approaches to assessing their functioning will be reviewed. Strategies for helping caregivers respond in a way that enhances resilience will also be discussed.

Understanding the needs of youth in care can be impacted by a number of factors specific to the youth, the environment, and the perspectives of those professionals who work with youth and screen their needs. This training contextualizes the factors that may be external to the youth that may be impacting the services that youth are able to access. Special attention is paid to the notion of cultural biases in the exploration of youth needs. Participants learn strategies to self-critique cultural understandings and to demonstrate humility and curiosity with youth and families at the center.

Youth in the foster care system are often more at risk for being vulnerably impacted by the community, culture, and relationships around them. Their experiences can either create opportunities or present challenges for healing the traumas that they have experienced. Providers in this training will explore cultural, economic, political, and social realities occurring outside of the organization and how these events can directly impact youth in the foster care system. Participants will explore best practices for working across differences and how to best collaborate within systems to deliver culturally relevant care. Participants will learn how to determine the needs of foster youth by modifying program culture to support these practices.

“Provide a couple sentences summary (content themes/training techniques, and how this training is relevant to working with children who live in out of home care) This training presents a frame of working with students, families & communities in a way that challenges racial bias and other punitive manifestations of racism. By framing the typical mindset of adult educators as controlling or constructive while framing the school & community environment as toxic or supportive. The supportive frame is quite literally a model of ‘Mothering’ that frames how to work with students, especially young students. But what does Fathering look like? Why is it less acceptable in these environments? These are questions […]

“Provide a couple sentences summary (content themes/training techniques, and how this training is relevant to working with children who live in out of home care) This training presents a frame of working with students, families & communities in a way that challenges racial bias and other punitive manifestations of racism. By framing the typical mindset of adult educators as controlling or constructive while framing the school & community environment as toxic or supportive. The supportive frame is quite literally a model of ‘Mothering’ that frames how to work with students, especially young students. But what does Fathering look like? Why is it less acceptable in these environments? These are questions […]

We can’t know how to develop plans to support system involved youth if we don’t understand fully the youth’s context including family relationships, historical trauma, and intergenerational influences. Learn how the history of the biological families of our system involved youth impacts their current functioning and how a family’s life cycle developmental challenges are intricately related to a youth’s own developmental challenges and attachment issues. We will review the importance of creating family trees and timelines with families in order to learn about their culture/stressors/life experiences and other important values. This information guides our case planning and service provision of all kinds. Without context, we cannot possibly understand what the […]

This seminar looks at how the Collaborative Model can provide a framework for engaging families in understanding youth needs and strengths. This multi-part training series focuses on applying family-centered theories to creating plans for engagement, dialogue, and case planning that will help the family begin to understand the youth’s experiences and reasons for their challenging behaviors. Participants will learn effective strategies to use with families in order to demonstrate key elements of family relationships and dynamics. This seminar focuses on foundations of family systems theory that create a basis for understanding some of the challenging dynamics present between youth and caregivers. Participants will be involved in case-based discussion to explore […]

This 4-hour course is designed to provide staff serving in Group Homes and STRTP’s behavior management strategies for youth suffering from fragile attachments with original caregivers. The aim of the course is to assist adults working with system-involved children and teens experiencing actual or perceived abandonment in developing healthy relationships.

Shame is perhaps the most excruciating emotion youth experience, sometimes embedded deeply into their experiences of emotional abuse. It is also a signal that can assist in protecting and maintaining social bonds. Because of its aversive nature, there is a natural inclination to avoid shame either by denying, avoiding, ignoring, or rising above it. However, failure to tend to youth experiences of shame can lead to other negative consequences. Avoidance may foreclose rich and crucial channels to understanding and deepening human relationships, particularly within foster families. In this class, participants will look at the topic of shame: how a relationship to shame can inhibit and/or facilitate work with foster youth. […]

This training is focused on how simple acts of appreciations, compassion and Community Building helps with symptoms of Vicarious Trauma felt by providers and families working with foster youth and youth at risk in the system. Participants will gain experience through discussion and activities of strategies underlying appreciations and gratitude practices. Through exercises encouraging reflection on compassion and building of relationships and community, participants will gain an experiential understanding of how to strengthen families and natural supports surrounding youth.

This training for service providers looks at Narrative Family service approaches that can be used to externalize problem narratives and utilize strengths within the family system. The training will utilize didactic and experiential approaches to introduce key concepts and techniques of Narrative Therapy. Selected readings that exemplify the use of Narrative Therapy in “real world” situations with families will be provided for participants. Additionally, participants will be referred to additional informational resources and connections to the international Narrative Therapy community.

This training will focus and expand the conversation about what is already true: community practices have long been the location of significant meaning-making about the overlapping realities of individual, family, community, institutions, and the larger social-historical surround for foster youth and families

It is not uncommon for service providers who work with youth in out of home care to experience secondary trauma. While secondary trauma can be experienced in a multitude of ways for service-providers, it is known to impact the capacity to provide effective care for youth and can increase feelings of isolation and exhaustion. By engaging in a dialogue that centers on the impact of secondary trauma among service providers and their work with foster youth, participants can work together to collaborate on strategies and skills to manage their experiences of secondary trauma in their work.

This training will discuss the implications of fathers of children in the system being deprived parental rights and involvement through the child welfare, juvenile justice and education systems. Paternal figures have been historically disenfranchised by systems of care. This trend has lasting impacts on youth development and eventual outcomes. Fathers of youth of color tend to be particularly impacted. This training will address the barriers that lead to this issue and what organizations and communities can do to positively impact the youth that they work with.

The Tree of Life (TOL) was created as a way to safely engage young people around the trauma they have experienced. The exercise is designed to invite youth to share multiple facets of themselves allowing youth care workers to hear/witness many stories about what the youth give value to. Further explorations into how these young people have responded to difficult times in their lives helps to situate them in a territory of identity that is connected to personal agency and not merely victimhood. From this position, the risk of re-traumatizing youth when they talk about traumatic experiences is reduced.

This training is designed to invite staff to pay attention to what brought them to this work, the values and beliefs that inform their practices and the social and relational history of these values and beliefs. Participants will engage in the Tree of Life exercise in order to connect to what they hold as important in the work and how they live into these things in their everyday practice. Having a better understanding of brings us to work with foster youth allows us to access those cherished ideas even when the work gets difficult.

This 4 hour course is designed to provide staff serving in Group Homes and STRTP’s behavior management strategies for staff working with traumatized youth and families. The aim of the course is to assist adults working with System-involved youth and families acquire clarity regarding Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), which has been known as Domestic Violence (DV) through definitions, statistics, symptoms seen in youth and helpful tools for families. Participants will use resources, large and small group discussion as well as lecture to consider best practice treatment options

This training will equip attendees with foundational knowledge about how to best understand and support children with ADHD, autism & other learning differences. Register Here

This training will provide attendees with information about Awareness and Prevention on the topic of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) in the US and local communities. Attendees will be provided with valuable tools and resources that empowers them to make a difference in the effort to eradicate exploitation of children.  Register Here

This training will provide attendees with information about Awareness and Prevention on the topic of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) in the US and local communities. Attendees will be provided with valuable tools and resources that empowers them to make a difference in the effort to eradicate exploitation of children.  Register Here

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. The Advanced CSEC Caregiver training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for supporting and parenting youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in previous introduction to commercial sexual exploitation trainings, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when caring for and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact parenting/caretaking and caregivers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and […]

This training is designed to introduce prospective Resource Families to the Child Welfare System and the role of a resource parent. Participants will receive an overview of the steps to becoming a resource parent with Alternative Family Services.

This training is designed to introduce prospective Resource Families to the Child Welfare System and the role of a resource parent. Participants will receive an overview of the steps to becoming a resource parent with Alternative Family Services.

This training is designed to introduce prospective Resource Families to the Child Welfare System and the role of a resource parent. Participants will receive an overview of the steps to becoming a resource parent with Alternative Family Services.

This training is designed to introduce prospective Resource Families to the Child Welfare System and the role of a resource parent. Participants will receive an overview of the steps to becoming a resource parent with Alternative Family Services.

If you have every thought of fostering now is your chance to learn what it’s all about from the comfort of your home. Please join us a a short presentation to learn about the fostering options to help the children and youth in our communities. Register Here

If you have every thought of fostering now is your chance to learn what it’s all about from the comfort of your home. Please join us a a short presentation to learn about the fostering options to help the children and youth in our communities. Register Here

If you have every thought of fostering now is your chance to learn what it’s all about from the comfort of your home. Please join us a a short presentation to learn about the fostering options to help the children and youth in our communities. Register Here

If you have every thought of fostering now is your chance to learn what it’s all about from the comfort of your home. Please join us a a short presentation to learn about the fostering options to help the children and youth in our communities. Register Here

This training will review the history of how and when youth’s personal rights were enacted, clarify the differences between youth and non-minor dependent’s,  what their personal rights are and the caregivers role and responsibilities to ensure the youth’s rights are protected.  Register Here

This training will review the history of how and when youth’s personal rights were enacted, clarify the differences between youth and non-minor dependent’s,  what their personal rights are and the caregivers role and responsibilities to ensure the youth’s rights are protected.  Register Here

Attendees will understand Sexual and Reproductive Wellness Rights for youth in foster care. These rights ensure young people in foster care age 10 and older, including non-minor dependents, have access to education, information, and services about their sexual and reproductive health. Attendees will understand the sexual and reproductive health rights of youth in foster care and the duties and responsibilities as a caregiver as well as those of the case worker, how to engage with youth about sexual and reproductive wellness. Register Here

Attendees will understand Sexual and Reproductive Wellness Rights for youth in foster care. These rights ensure young people in foster care age 10 and older, including non-minor dependents, have access to education, information, and services about their sexual and reproductive health. Attendees will understand the sexual and reproductive health rights of youth in foster care and the duties and responsibilities as a caregiver as well as those of the case worker, how to engage with youth about sexual and reproductive wellness. Register Here

Presenter will review the basic care and precautions while caring for infants in the foster care system. The training covers best practices in sleep rules when caring for infants. Presenter will discuss new crib standards, crib recalls, safety hazards and how they affect a safe sleeping environment. Training addresses the proper way to feed and burp a new born infant and how to make certain the infant is consuming the proper amount formula, basic diaper rash symptoms and how to properly treat and prevent rashes. Presenter also discusses common health issues in infants and toddlers in Foster Care. Presenter will discuss teething, infant development stages and milestones, well baby checkups, […]

Presenter will review the basic care and precautions while caring for infants in the foster care system. The training covers best practices in sleep rules when caring for infants. Presenter will discuss new crib standards, crib recalls, safety hazards and how they affect a safe sleeping environment. Training addresses the proper way to feed and burp a new born infant and how to make certain the infant is consuming the proper amount formula, basic diaper rash symptoms and how to properly treat and prevent rashes. Presenter also discusses common health issues in infants and toddlers in Foster Care. Presenter will discuss teething, infant development stages and milestones, well baby checkups, […]

“This support group will offer a space for prospective and current foster and adoptive parents to talk about their experiences as such. This space will offer support from other fost/adopt parents who have been through similar experiences as they learn to process the legal, social and emotional expectations on their families. The group will cover such topics as: behavioral issues, separation and attachment (theoretical frameworks and practical application(s), IEPs/educational needs, legal expectations, and other critical topics of concern for our families. Fost/Adopt parents will learn that their experience is uniquely similar to others who are struggling with the joys and pains of the process of fostering and adoption.”

“This support group will offer a space for prospective and current foster and adoptive parents to talk about their experiences as such. This space will offer support from other fost/adopt parents who have been through similar experiences as they learn to process the legal, social and emotional expectations on their families. The group will cover such topics as: behavioral issues, separation and attachment (theoretical frameworks and practical application(s), IEPs/educational needs, legal expectations, and other critical topics of concern for our families. Fost/Adopt parents will learn that their experience is uniquely similar to others who are struggling with the joys and pains of the process of fostering and adoption.”

In this course, you will learn about the role that shame and stigma play in substance use disorder (disease of addiction) by looking at the effect they have on individuals, families, caregivers, and communities. The course will review the consequences of shame and stigma associated with the disease of addiction, why addiction is stigmatized within society, and solutions to address shame and stigma. Register Here

This training is designed to prepare resource families to work with youth in the foster care system. Participants will receive a better understanding of the foster care system structure and explore how to provide a well-planned, safe, and secure environment designed to meet children’s individual and unique needs, and how to create an environment that promotes children’s social emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Participants will continue to review; Interim Licensing Standard, Child Growth and Development, Medication Guidelines, Discipline, Working with Biological Families and understanding the Effects of Trauma.

This training is designed to prepare resource families to work with youth in the foster care system. Participants will receive a better understanding of the foster care system structure and explore how to provide a well-planned, safe, and secure environment designed to meet children’s individual and unique needs, and how to create an environment that promotes children’s social emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Participants will continue to review; Interim Licensing Standard, Child Growth and Development, Medication Guidelines, Discipline, Working with Biological Families and understanding the Effects of Trauma.

This training will explain the purpose of the Child Welfare system and the Resource Family Approval application process. We will define what a Resource Parent is and go over the responsibilities that come with the role, where the Resource Parent is in the larger team of supports for foster youth, as well as the five competency categories guiding a Resource Parent. The Aldea Staff will introduce Aldea’s history, its programs, and support services provided to Resource Families. She will explain the steps in the process to become an approved Resource Parent: the required documentation, pre-service trainings, submission of background checks, how to prepare your home for RFA approval, and review […]

The topic of self-care has been gaining momentum in the social services and behavioral health field. Just as it’s important for providers to practice self-care, it’s important to teach parents and caregivers to take care of themselves. This training will teach you practical skills for educating parents about self-care, addressing barriers to self-care and helping parents and caregivers create a self-care plan. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alameda-strategies-to-teach-self-care-to-parents-tickets-394069641907

This training will cover important aspects of Native American history and how to support Native American youth in foster care by focusing on preserving their cultural identity. The training will provide participants with knowledge and resources to engage youth in their traditional cultural activities and beliefs such as connecting them with mentors and tribal elders, attend native ceremonies, supporting traditional dress, cooking traditional foods and listening to traditional musi Register Here

Trainer explains with Power Point presentation, grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one – and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief, but any loss can cause grief. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. The five stages of grief:  Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”  Anger: […]

Trainer explains with Power Point presentation, grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one – and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief, but any loss can cause grief. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. The five stages of grief:  Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”  Anger: […]

“Trainer explains with Power Point presentation, grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one – and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief, but any loss can cause grief. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. The five stages of grief:  Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”  Anger: […]

Trainer explains with Power Point presentation, grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one – and this type of loss does often cause the most intense grief, but any loss can cause grief. Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. The five stages of grief:  Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”  Anger: […]

Professional mental health services ethics codes, case law and regulations are ever changing. With the busy schedules most school-based MHPs have, it can be difficult to keep up with these changes, particularly as they relate to children in the foster care system. As a result, licensing boards require regular updates for practicing professionals (e.g., the Board of Psychology and the BBS), and malpractice insurers are encouraging their insured members to regularly engage in continuing education on the topic. The purpose of this course is to meet and exceed the requirements of regulatory organizations, assist school-based mental health professionals in maintaining competence in this vital area, and in better managing the […]

Many mental health professionals, regardless of their work environments, will most often encounter a case or situation concerning of child abuse or neglect. In the state of California, legally mental health professionals are mandated to report suspected child abuse and neglect. There is a wide range of issues pertaining to child abuse/neglect intervention. These include identification, assessment, reporting, and treatment. Therefore, it is critical that mental health professionals be informed about the principles and strategies helpful in these areas in order to ethically and accurately meet their legal duty.

Many mental health professionals, regardless of their work environments, will most often encounter a case or situation concerning of child abuse or neglect. In the state of California, legally mental health professionals are mandated to report suspected child abuse and neglect. There is a wide range of issues pertaining to child abuse/neglect intervention. These include identification, assessment, reporting, and treatment. Therefore, it is critical that mental health professionals be informed about the principles and strategies helpful in these areas in order to ethically and accurately meet their legal duty.

“CSEC 103” is a 1-day training. CSEC 102 and CSEC + Harm Reduction are prerequisites. “CSEC 103” is an interactive training in which best practices for working in a multidisciplinary team will be shared. Participants will have an opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team to apply harm reduction strategies based on the Stages of Change Model. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lincoln-families-csec-103-engagement-teaming-tickets-390173588707

As professionals we are often invited to slip into conversations about the people who consult us when they are not present.  This training will focus on the real and possible effects of these second, or dual, dialogues.  Participants will read and discuss a brief article written by Johnella Bird (“Professional Talk”) that outlines the dangers of this dual dialogue.  We will examine the invitations to engage in professional talk, the effects of these practices, and strategies to avoid falling into a way of working with people that can objectify them.

This training will cover who are Mandated Reporters and their responsibilities to report child abuse, types of child abuse and neglect, accidental vs purposeful abuse and what, when and where to report abuse. Protection for reporters and penalties for failure to report. This training is intended for those that work with children and youth within the child welfare system or are at-risk of entering. This includes child welfare workers, resource parents, youth sports coaches, youth mentors, teachers and volunteers/staff working with this population. Register Here

This training will cover who are Mandated Reporters and their responsibilities to report child abuse, types of child abuse and neglect, accidental vs purposeful abuse and what, when and where to report abuse. Protection for reporters and penalties for failure to report. This training is intended for those that work with children and youth within the child welfare system or are at-risk of entering. This includes child welfare workers, resource parents, youth sports coaches, youth mentors, teachers and volunteers/staff working with this population. Register Here

This training will educate providers about at least two paths to medical transition available for system involved youth who are transgender, nonbinary, or questioning their gender. We will review research about medical transition’s impact on long-term health outcomes. Participants will review the five Tanner stages of puberty, which determine what kind of medical interventions are available for system involved youth, and the impact possible future surgical options. We will review standard of care protocols and procedures used to determine the appropriate path for adolescents for whom medical transition is indicated, including required & recommended socioemotional support, psychological care, and continued evaluation, through a lens of supporting youth who are involved […]

The California Department of Social Services identified harm reduction principles as a best practice for working with commercially sexually exploited children and youth involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. This training will address four key topics. An overview of harm reduction. An overview of the Stages of Change model. Applying harm reduction principles to each stage in the Stages of Change. Lastly, protective strategies planning will be covered. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lincoln-families-harm-reduction-strategies-for-working-with-csec-youth-tickets-390177199507

Many foster care and juvenile justice system-involved youth run away which can place them in extreme danger. Unfortunately telling youth not to run away doesn’t work. In this training, we will apply harm reduction strategies to youth who run away to help increase their wellbeing. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lincoln-harm-reduction-strategies-for-working-with-youth-who-runaway-tickets-401254993487

The training will focus on Seeking Safety and Harm Reduction. It will address the client perspective in relation to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder treatment (SUDT), as well as the provider perspective. Register Here

Youth in foster care may experience varying degrees of trauma exposure and response. For providers who may be new to working with foster youth, this can pose challenges for engaging and addressing youth’s needs. This training will discuss strategies to address varying levels of trauma that foster youth experience. The aim will be to help providers to understand the proper level of containment once a traumatic event has been experienced.

This is a 3 hr course once a week for 5-weeks. This training series will focus on introducing the Internal Family System mode. There will be a focus on developing an understanding of working with clients’ inner systems by taking a deep dive into care provider parts, self-leadership, methods to building a relationship within the inner system, and the healing steps of the model. Please Register Here

Everyone needs to bring a mind-body somatic tool into their practice, to reach areas not accessible by talk therapy alone. Breakthroughs in neuroscience demonstrate that emotional upsets are not just a cognitive experience, but are stored in the body as well. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) also known as Tapping are gentle, self-applied, physiologically rebalancing, heavily researched therapies. They usually desensitize and reprocess a specific upset permanently. They also are an easy and quick take-aways for the clients to use at home and in some cases, a better option than potentially addictive benzodiazepines. These methods go beyond talk therapy which has a big advantage in the child welfare world where […]

This 4 hour course reviews Law and Regulations for Short-Term Residential Treatment Program. It includes a review of Title 22, Division 6, Chapter 1, & Subchapter 4.6 as well as the Interim Licensing Standards Version 4.0. In addition, it covers Personal Rights, Mental Health Program Certification and Medi-Cal Certification. And lastly, it dives into the requirements for an STRTP Plan of Operation and Program Statement. The training includes PowerPoint lecture, review of pertinent documents, large & small group discussion, as well as retention games & quizzes. There will be one 10 minute break per hour.

The Layperson Naloxone (NARCAN) training course will teach you how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone.The Layperson Naloxone (NARCAN) training course is suitable for laypersons, including, but not limited to: businesses, organizations, community members, correctional facilities, educators, faith groups, government and health care professionals, parents and caregivers, pharmacies, school nurses, senior living facilities, sober living communities, treatment and recovery centers, and more. Register Here

STAT is a mental health screening and assessment program, located at the Alameda County Assessment Center. When a child is taken into protective custody by Alameda County Child Protective Services or the police, s/he is brought to the Assessment Center, a child-friendly receiving center where the child can comfortably wait until placement with a relative, foster home or group home is found. This training provides an overview of STAT and issues that face foster youth in the milieu as well as ways to support youth during the acute transition to placement.

The purpose of this training is to teach participants to focus on respectful and professional conduct in the workplace and across all aspects of work with children, youth, and families. As a part of that approach, they are instructed on the legal definition of sexual harassment, as well as the reality of what types of potentially inappropriate conduct occur in the workplace. Supervisors and managers are taught what they are legally obligated to do when they become aware of sexual harassment between supervisors and employees, between co-workers, and between third parties and employees. Participants should leave the training with an understanding of what sexual harassment really is, what conduct occurs […]

Trainee’s will gain skills on how to appropriately intervene when a youth or a youth’s family member is having suicidal ideation or attempts, using the QPR skills of: Question a person about suicide, Persuade someone to get help, and Refer someone to the appropriate resource. Trainees will be able to recognize the warning signs and clues and use suicidal communication to instill hope and resiliency in youth and families. Trainees will gain skills to act vigorously to prevent possible tragedy for youth or their families.  Register Here

Relapse prevention planning is helpful with youth struggling with a variety of issues from substance use, self-harm, engagement in the commercial sex industry, etc. This training will provide an overview of relapse prevention planning to help you teach youth about relapse prevention and create a relapse prevention plan. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alameda-relapse-prevention-planning-tickets-394058879717

The training will educate participants about the importance of teaching and communicating social pragmatics in a culturally competent way for system involved autistic youth. Training participants will learn strategies for responding to autistic foster youth and/or system involved youth to who may be at risk for suicide so that they can support improved outcomes for autistic system involved youth, including ways to help autistic system involved youth advocate for themselves in a healthy way. A power point presentation will accompany share lived experience by an autistic adult.

At-risk youth can engage in many risky and dangerous behaviors including but not limited to drug use, running away, risky sexual behaviors, engagement in the commercial sex industry, etc. This training will cover risk assessments, safety planning strategies and resources in the community to be aware of. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alameda-safety-planning-with-at-risk-youth-and-young-adults-tickets-372885770377

This training will focus on one of the five social and emotional competency domains: self-awareness. This training will explore emotions to enhance skills in self-care and understanding of self. We will examine how our emotional vocabulary helps build our capacity to understand ourselves, appreciate the impermanence of feelings, and provides clarity on how to move forward. Additionally, we will explore benefits of managing emotions such as self-control and the freedom to be our true selves. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/self-awareness-understanding-our-emotions-and-self-care-practices-for-yout-tickets-415726728837

If you are a professional working with court dependent families and the agencies that serve them, you are at increased risk for health concerns. This course includes strategies for maintaining physical, emotional and psychological health at work and at home. You will leave this course being able to recognize signs of stress and poor health, and be confident in your ability to take effective action to prevent burnout. Participants will learn how to engage clients in a health-minded parallel process using these strategies. By keeping everyone’s health at the forefront of services, you will support your clients in retaining previous skills they’ve gained from you during services.

Unfortunately teen dating violence is common so it’s imperative that providers, school educators and parents are aware of the issue. This training will provide an overview of teen dating violence including risk factors, warning signs, preventative strategies and intervention strategies. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alameda-strategies-to-support-system-involved-youth-in-abusive-relationship-tickets-394057415337

This training will provide an overview of bullying online, in schools, and in communities. Participants will learn how bullying impacts youth and strategies to support youth who are bullied. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alameda-strategies-to-support-youth-who-are-bullied-tickets-393572595227

It’s important social service providers have ongoing dialogue with youth about dating, boundaries and sex. Without these conversations, youth are left to navigate these topics on their own or with their peers. This training will equip you to have these crucial conversations. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lincoln-families-strategies-to-talk-to-youth-about-dating-boundaries-sex-tickets-390180048027

This workshop is geared toward mental health professionals or anyone that would be in a position to work with a child at risk for suicide. The workshop uses a combination of teaching methods including didactic work, lecture, and discussion. The workshop will encourage participates to explore their own feelings towards suicide and suicidal youth. It will address common myths and perceptions about suicide and suicidal behavior in children and adolescents. The workshop will cover suicide statistics, trauma, and suicide theory with an emphasis on Thomas Joiners model: The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Risk factors, warning signs and protective factors will be discussed. Participants will learn how to understand the combination […]

This workshop is geared toward mental health professionals or anyone that would be in a position to work with a child at risk for suicide. The workshop uses a combination of teaching methods including didactic work, lecture, and discussion. The workshop will encourage participates to explore their own feelings towards suicide and suicidal youth. It will address common myths and perceptions about suicide and suicidal behavior in children and adolescents. The workshop will cover suicide statistics, trauma, and suicide theory with an emphasis on Thomas Joiners model: The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Risk factors, warning signs and protective factors will be discussed. Participants will learn how to understand the combination […]

More and more youth are using the internet and social media at younger ages, many times before experts recommend. So, it’s crucial for those that support system involved youth to understand the potential harms youth can be exposed to on the internet and on social media platforms. This training will provide participants with safety strategies and conversation starters to review with youth. Additionally this training will highlight how technology can place foster care and juvenile justice involved youth at high risk for commercial sexual exploitation.

A little of 20% of new HIV diagnoses in the US and dependent areas were among youth. In order to help prevent HIV infection in system involved youth, providers need to understand risk factors, prevention strategies and how to teach this information to system involved youth and their families. HIV+ system involved youth and their families need support to manage the medical and psychosocial issues they face. In this class we will focus on prevention, signs and symptoms, testing, stages of infection, legal issues, social and cultural issues, preparing youth for loss of a parent from HIV, mental health issues and resources. This course meets the pre-licensure requirements for HIV/AIDS […]

Professionals who work directly with at-risk children and system involved youth are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect. It is critical that mandated reporters and caregivers of system involved youth are trained to recognize the signs of different types of abuse or neglect. Additionally, a mandated reporter must fully understand how and where to report suspected abuse in accordance with their legal obligation.

“This training will focus on effectively engaging caregivers in the suicide safety planning process. Attendees will review current U.S. youth suicide risk statistics, discuss research concerning caregiver experience when presented with their child’s suicide risk acuity, and identify ways to support the caregiver in collaborating with their child in the safety planning process. Attendees will practice the use of Motivational Interviewing open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections and summaries to elicit caregiver understanding of their child’s suicidality, increase provider understanding of client’s risks and resiliency factors and consolidate motivation to safety plan. The training will include strategies for speaking with caregivers about means safety. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-suicide-assessment-and-prevention-effectively-engaging-caregivers-tickets-415740489997 “

This course is designed to impress upon participants the importance of providing youth with a solid foundation of supports, activities, and resources within their community. The course will identify different types of community resources that are appropriate for youth to be aware of and in contact with as well as a process for introducing youth to these programs taking into account safety, confidentiality, cultural appropriateness and age and developmental readiness.

Managers (both new and experienced) often find themselves supervising staff from instinct. This method often falls short of meeting the needs of supervisees and ultimately impacting the youth that these supervisees serve. This training is designed to help participants gain managerial skills that supplement their instincts so that they can better support successful foster youth outcomes. This combination should result in managers facilitating the development of their supervisees on an ongoing basis. Participants will explore practical strategies for successful supervision of staff from the beginning of the relationship. Setting performance goals, giving feedback and effective documentation will be covered.

As professionals we are often invited to slip into conversations about the people who consult us when they are not present. This training will focus on the real and possible effects of these second, or dual, dialogues. Participants will read and discuss a brief article written by Johnella Bird (“Professional Talk”) that outlines the dangers of this dual dialogue. We will examine the invitations to engage in professional talk, the effects of these practices, and strategies to avoid falling into a way of working with people that can objectify them. Cultural and political discourse that sustains dual dialogues will be exposed and discussed.

This training will discuss cultural resiliency traits observed within the Latinx families who have migrated to the US. We will then explore how youth health care providers can enhance, empower and assist in building meaning based on their history, trauma and their lived experiences in order to increase that resiliency. By expanding on resiliency as an adaptive response and empowering the youth and families we serve, that youth care professionals can assist in transcending traumatic experiences. We will discuss and explore ways youth can move beyond resiliency to overcome language and cultural barriers, bonding with their loved ones, connecting with new people and reconnecting with their own creativity and a […]

“Provide a couple sentences summary (content themes/training techniques, and how this training is relevant to working with children who live in out of home care) This training will discuss cultural resiliency traits observed within the Latinx families who have migrated to the US. We will then explore how youth health care providers can enhance, empower and assist in building meaning based on their history, trauma and their lived experiences in order to increase that resiliency.”

This training is designed to provide management level staff with an understanding of effective management skills in order to best support staff development, effectiveness with the foster youth served and retention. The training will cover topics such as Emotional Intelligence, the purpose of a manager, and different management and personality styles. The training will allow staff time to develop their management theory and practice strategies to achieve their management goals as they relate to the effective care, supervision and support of foster youth.

This training is going to review the materials from the Equilibrium curriculum as it relates to chapter one Why are you here. Through didactic, collaborative, and individual reflective learning, the group will explore the values that brought them to work in the child welfare system, how to maintain connection to those during difficult times with thoughtful personal resilience plans, and the professional responsibilities related to expressing those values such as cultural humility. These activities will support staff to provide thoughtful, responsible services for youth in their care.

“Participants will discuss several different categories of behavior support strategies to use with youth including individual and group support strategies as well as crisis communication techniques. Participants will learn how to prepare youth to support themselves and work toward their goals when they are no longer in care. Didactic presentation, group discussion, art and visualization exercises are utilized. “

This training will educate providers about the concept of “coming out” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, & queer (LGBTQ) communities, with a focus on youth identity development. Participants will situate “coming out” sociohistorically, examining the assumption that a young person will or must share their sexual orientation and/or gender identity from an intersectional lens. Participants will compare & contrast two models of sexuality development and three models of gender identity development, and Identify three best practices for how to respond when a youth expresses their authentic sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

This training part of a 5 part Spanish-Speaking Professional Learning Community where those who identify as or ally with women will be guided through various avenues to learn about themselves and their personal connection to their profession, find community in their work with youth, and how to better support themselves. The overarching goals of this series is to provide a safe-space to learn and grow as professionals in order to increase longevity and balance in the profession of working with foster youth. Many of the topics discussed during the series will not only apply to the professionals but will be applicable for the youth and families we serve. This will […]

Many people have expressed an interest in having an on-going group consultation format with a focus on collaborative practices and, specifically, Narrative Practices. In this Professional Learning Community (PLC) consultation group participants will have the opportunity to dive deeper into Narrative practices through readings, presentations, and case consultation. We will use Michael White’s Maps of Narrative Practice book to guide the group and will include other articles, videos, and practice examples to further our learning and exploration of the ideas related to Narrative practice. Participants will have opportunities to discuss their current work and be invited to view it through a Narrative lens.

In this training, participants will gain a basic understanding of child abuse and neglect mandated reporting in California. Participants will have a general understanding of who mandated reporters are and what their role is in California. This training will provide practical knowledge regarding reporting child abuse and neglect. Participants will learn their responsibility as a mandated reporter. This training will also provide an overview on information needed to complete a child abuse and neglect report to a Child Welfare agency. Participants will be provided with the document(s) required of a mandated reporter when completing a report in California. The material will be delivered by PowerPoint presentation, short video clips, group […]

This 4.5-hour course is designed to provide staff serving in Group Homes and STRTP’s behavior management strategies for staff working with traumatized youth and families. The aim of the course is to assist adults who experience stress, ongoing symptoms of illness or lack of well being with self-help tools and techniques to prevent burnout when participating in trauma-informed work.

This virtual course will review the history of child welfare in the United States and the significant laws and policies that guide child welfare practice in California. Public child welfare programs are complicated and this training will assist the participant gain a better understanding of the complexities and nuances of this public system. Additionally, participants will learn what contributes to child abuse and neglect and how they can support vulnerable families prior to and after becoming involved in the system.

Storytelling holds the capacity to identify the patterns of our internal knowing-believing-valuing systems, transformative storytelling, the capacity to re-script the narratives and radical transformative storytelling, the capacity to rewrite the script with radical self-presence, within the context of the social, political, and cultural realities of the times. Here, the participant will view radical transformative storytelling as a creative and visionary ethno-autobiographical process of authoring the self as protagonist in one’s own narrative.

Storytelling holds the capacity to identify the patterns of our internal knowing-believing-valuing systems, transformative storytelling, the capacity to re-script the narratives and radical transformative storytelling, the capacity to rewrite the script with radical self-presence, within the context of the social, political, and cultural realities of the times. Here, the participant will view radical transformative storytelling as a creative and visionary ethno-autobiographical process of authoring the self as protagonist in one’s own narrative.

Storytelling holds the capacity to identify the patterns of our internal knowing-believing-valuing systems, transformative storytelling, the capacity to re-script the narratives and radical transformative storytelling, the capacity to rewrite the script with radical self-presence, within the context of the social, political, and cultural realities of the times. Here, the participant will view radical transformative storytelling as a creative and visionary ethno-autobiographical process of authoring the self as protagonist in one’s own narrative.

If you are a supervisor and are supervising unlicensed support providers who are working with system-involved youth and their families, this is an important training for you. We will focus on issues of culture in supervision and also on ethical boundaries in supervision and how this parallels boundaries that support providers need to establish and maintain their relationships with system involved youth and their families. We will also review the relevance of countertransference in the supervisory relationship and how to help supervisees identify this in order to stay focused on, and most effectively address, the needs of system-involved youth and their families.

Over the past several years, everyone has been challenged by the ongoing stress of the COVID public health crisis, community, national and global interpersonal violence and natural disasters. How we and our supervisees manage our own stress and trauma impacts how we provide supervision and how our supervisees provided services to system involved youth. Learn how to identify and address stress and vicarious traumatization in yourself and your staff. Support staff in time management strategies, support healthy boundaries in work with system involved youth, identify and intervene in challenging supervisee behaviors.

Timely tracking and monitoring of support provided, meeting productivity requirements, maintaining boundaries, and preventing vicarious traumatization from negatively impacting the support we provide to system involved youth all while making positive connections and impact – that’s being a true SUPERHERO. Learn strategies for sustainable “superheroing” so you can provide the support to system involved youth and their families. We will cover challenges and strategies to address challenges with productivity, professional boundaries and vicarious traumatization and will develop a sustainable superhero plan to address the barriers to successfully meeting the needs of system involved youth and families while staying calm and focused

Gender inequality shows up in many ways from pay inequality, opportunities one has, exposure to violence, objectification, discrimination, etc. It’s important for providers, foster parents, and natural supports to understand how gender inequality shows up and how to help youth and young adults when they experience gender inequality. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alameda-the-impact-of-gender-inequity-on-youth-and-transitional-age-youth-tickets-410582532407

This training will support providers in identifying and addressing toxic masculinity with system-involved youth. Participants will explore how masculinity is defined in varying social contexts, identify gender expectations leveled at boys & young men, and analyze how these sociocultural messages impact emotional awareness, social relationships, and physical & mental health outcomes for youth. In small groups, participants will explore the APA’s guidelines for working with young men & boys impacted by “traditional” masculine messages and will practice methods for inviting vulnerability and emotional awareness among youth.

Youth in foster care are in complex systems, where multiple disciplines of providers and systems of care are working to cross barriers in collaboration in order to share relevant information about youth and families with each other. This training for service providers will provide an overview of automated systems for child welfare and the process of information sharing across systems of care. Service providers will be exposed to systems such as welligent and avatar and develop an understanding of how these are strategies for navigating and sharing information across complex systems.

This course supports providers in understanding intersecting concerns for girls, young women, and transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary youth who are system-involved. Participants will define gender minority as encompassing the gender identities above, and review four systemic barriers for gender minority youth in the child welfare system within our current sociohistorical context.

Privacy of system involved children, youth, and families is held to many local, state, and federal expectations. For youth in care, their privacy rights are protected via the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Other service-specific privacy practices including confidentiality, and mandated reporting requirements may apply, and have the potential to impact engagement and partnership with foster youth. This training will provide a comprehensive overview of HIPAA, protected health information (PHI), confidentiality, and mandated reporting requirements for service providers, and delve into a discussion of how these privacy practices are relevant to youth in foster care. Due to the ever changing nature of how we communicate with children, families, […]

We have all heard the common saying that “Laughter is the best medicine”. Laughter therapy has many scientific bases that show its benefits. Laughter helps to enhance our moods and acts as a buffer from negative effects of stress and anxiety. With these truths in mind, we will spend the afternoon looking at how to approach and practice a variety of methods of laughter-based activities specifically focused on supporting system involved youth through the wide range of their grief experiences.

Wraparound is an intensive, home-based service model that seeks to stabilize and sustain youth and their families in their communities. This comprehensive training seeks to establish the framework of this uniquely flexible model. Participants can expect to learn in-depth theory as well as have ample opportunity for practice by utilizing real case examples. Day one of the Wraparound training covers a general introduction to the Wraparound model (including the principles of Wraparound), the different roles in Wraparound, Unconditional Care, phases of Wrapround, and permanency/family team building.

Wraparound is an intensive, home-based service model that seeks to stabilize and sustain youth and their families in their communities. This comprehensive training seeks to establish the framework of this uniquely flexible model. Participants can expect to learn in-depth theory as well as have ample opportunity for practice by utilizing real case examples. Day one of the Wraparound training covers a general introduction to the Wraparound model (including the principles of Wraparound), the different roles in Wraparound, Unconditional Care, phases of Wrapround, and permanency/family team building.

Wraparound is an intensive, home-based service model that seeks to stabilize and sustain youth and their families in their communities. This comprehensive training seeks to establish the framework of this uniquely flexible model. Participants can expect to learn in-depth theory as well as have ample opportunity for practice by utilizing real case examples. Day one of the Wraparound training covers a general introduction to the Wraparound model (including the principles of Wraparound), the different roles in Wraparound, Unconditional Care, phases of Wrapround, and permanency/family team building.

Wraparound is an intensive, home-based service model that seeks to stabilize and sustain youth and their families in their communities. This comprehensive training seeks to establish the framework of this uniquely flexible model. Participants can expect to learn in-depth theory as well as have ample opportunity for practice by utilizing real case examples. Day one of the Wraparound training covers a general introduction to the Wraparound model (including the principles of Wraparound), the different roles in Wraparound, Unconditional Care, phases of Wrapround, and permanency/family team building.

Wraparound is an intensive, home-based service model that seeks to stabilize and sustain youth and their families in their communities. This comprehensive training seeks to establish the framework of this uniquely flexible model. Participants can expect to learn in-depth theory as well as have ample opportunity for practice by utilizing real case examples. Day one of the Wraparound training covers a general introduction to the Wraparound model (including the principles of Wraparound), the different roles in Wraparound, Unconditional Care, phases of Wrapround, and permanency/family team building.

Wraparound is an intensive, home-based service model that seeks to stabilize and sustain youth and their families in their communities. This comprehensive training seeks to establish the framework of this uniquely flexible model. Participants can expect to learn in-depth theory as well as have ample opportunity for practice by utilizing real case examples. Day one of the Wraparound training covers a general introduction to the Wraparound model (including the principles of Wraparound), the different roles in Wraparound, Unconditional Care, phases of Wrapround, and permanency/family team building.

Many providers do not practice stress reduction techniques despite endorsing the importance of self-care ideas, techniques, and recommendations with caregivers, youth, and families. With research demonstrating that the amount of time spent working with traumatized clients strongly predicted secondary trauma in helping professionals and caregivers, the necessity of self-care as a critical component of managing vicarious trauma is clear. Learning self-care practices experientially provides professionals with an additional level of familiarity in working with caregivers to implement their own self-care practices.

The experience of loss and secondary trauma for service providers, caregivers, and others who work with foster youth can at times impact quality care that is offered. This training looks at how vicarious and secondary trauma may impact those who work with system involved youth. This is an opportunity to explore the trauma that exists at micro and macro levels, and how these dynamics influence and are influenced by the direct dynamics within families and teams. Participants learn strategies to mitigate the effects of secondary trauma and strategies of sustainability for those who work long term with foster care.

This training will focus on the developmental needs that are specific to young children in foster care. Approaches to assessing their functioning will be reviewed. Strategies for helping caregivers respond in a way that enhances resilience will also be discussed.

This training is for service providers who work with chronically and severely mentally ill youth in out-of-home care. The training reviews common challenges that are faced by youth with chronic or severe mental illness with regard to placements, relationships, stability, and wellbeing. Providers will also understand the benefits of team-based approaches in service delivery for youth and NMD with high needs.

This seminar will discuss some of the central issues surrounding community-based services and give participants the opportunity to discuss the benefits and challenges about seeing youth in a wide range of community settings. It will provide discussion about using an expanded frame to provide services to foster children and families in the home, school, community centers, parks and other non-traditional settings. In addition to all the complexities, delivering community based services can provide a new way of working with foster youth that can allow a more expanded way of engaging and creating relationships with youth and foster families.

Trainees will be taught the common signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and learn how to recognize it in themselves and others. Having this knowledge will bring awareness and ability to identify and interrupt the progression of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue to allow successful client-staff relationships and increase staff retention in the helping profession.   Register Here

This training was designed to help educators, group home staff and other providers to have a clear understanding of how trauma impacts youth and how to best respond. Participants will learn strategies and techniques that can be applied to support youth who have experienced trauma and systemic processes that can be revisited in ways that support youth who have trauma in their history.

Understanding the needs of youth in care can be impacted by a number of factors specific to the youth, the environment, and the perspectives of those professionals who work with youth and screen their needs. This training contextualizes the factors that may be external to the youth that may be impacting the services that youth are able to access. Special attention is paid to the notion of cultural biases in the exploration of youth needs. Participants learn strategies to self-critique cultural understandings and to demonstrate humility and curiosity with youth and families at the center.

Children and youth living in communities affected by urban poverty are disproportionally impacted by traumatic life events, which in turn can affect development and learning. COVID-19 has exacerbated existing inequities for historically marginalized communities. Educators in public schools who serve these communities may find themselves overwhelmed as they strive to meet the needs of these children and their families in virtual setting. This stress can result in teacher burnout as well as a tendency to operate under a deficit model of thinking – or identifying what children and families lack as opposed to their adaptive abilities. Mental-health clinicians who work in schools are in a unique position to serve as […]

During this current time of sheltering-in-place, behavioral health services to at-risk children, youth and families are being provided by telehealth services. This training will provide behavioral health providers with online tools and strategies that specifically meet the needs of assessing, engaging and providing services to foster youth and youth at risk of future involvement in the foster care system. Providers will gain the tools needed to assess their own capacity for delivering these services and acquire strategies for addressing obstacles and challenges that arise when utilizing telehealth tools.

This training is relevant to all care providers who work with high needs youth in out of home care. When youth have recently been removed and placed into out of home care, there may be increased levels of escalation in their behaviors that present risk for themselves, providers, and other youth in care. The goal aim of this training is to visit strategies of de-escalation and conflict prevention in order to support the safety and wellbeing of all youth in out of home care.

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. This CSEC 102 training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for serving youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in CSEC 101, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when serving and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact the work and the providers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and healing of youth who have been exploited, […]

Commercially sexually exploited children and youth present with a unique set of needs, requiring a comprehensive approach to engagement and support. This CSEC 102 training will provide an advanced and comprehensive curriculum on best practices for serving youth that are commercially sexually exploited. In this 16-hour training, we will build on the skills and concepts learned in CSEC 101, including but not limited to: an exploration of common dynamics when serving and supporting commercially exploited youth and how these dynamics impact the work and the providers. We will also discuss how the trauma of exploitation impacts the behavior, health, help-seeking, general engagement, and healing of youth who have been exploited, […]

This training is intended to Learning Normative factors associated with positive early child development, The Diagnosis of Reactive Attachment DisorderThe effects of child abuse and neglect on development Register Here

This training is designed to present and consider the impact of multiple forms of trauma and oppression on our youth and their families and communities as well as build shared language and commitment to implementing and sustaining trauma-informed, culturally-grounded healing policies and practices. The training aims to provide new insights into the dynamic and systemic impact of violence on individual and community development, the impacts of personal and collective trauma on adolescent mental health, and strengthen successful clinical and organizational practices for serving trauma-exposed youth and communities.

This training is designed to present and consider the impact of multiple forms of trauma and oppression on our youth and their families and communities as well as build shared language and commitment to implementing and sustaining trauma-informed, culturally-grounded healing policies and practices. The training aims to provide new insights into the dynamic and systemic impact of violence on individual and community development, the impacts of personal and collective trauma on adolescent mental health, and strengthen successful clinical and organizational practices for serving trauma-exposed youth and communities.

This training provided by former foster youth in the WCC Youth Advocate Program (YAP) will provide a unique lens from the perspective of the experience of the foster care system. Providers, social workers, and resource families attending this training will understand the importance of engaging foster youth to increase permanency, develop positive relationships, and ensure positive outcomes. Content themes presented throughout this training will include the importance of strategies of engaging youth in foster care, and promoting resilience for youth in and out of home care through involvement in services.

Youth in the foster care system are often more at risk for being vulnerably impacted by the community, culture, and relationships around them. Their experiences can either create opportunities or present challenges for healing the traumas that they have experienced. Providers in this training will explore cultural, economic, political, and social realities occurring outside of the organization and how these events can directly impact youth in the foster care system. Participants will explore best practices for working across differences and how to best collaborate within systems to deliver culturally relevant care. Participants will learn how to determine the needs of foster youth by modifying program culture to support these practices.

“This training will review the impact of trauma on children, youth and families particularly families who have had contact with DHS or have experienced any family separations and/or foster placement. The training will also review the impact of trauma on communities and systems and will encourage participants to consolidate and put these concepts into practice using case based scenarios. This training will highlight the benefits of utilizing strategies that are trauma based as well as restorative practices within a social justice frame. “

This seminar looks at how the Collaborative Model can provide a framework for engaging families in understanding youth needs and strengths. This multi-part training series focuses on applying family-centered theories to creating plans for engagement, dialogue, and case planning that will help the family begin to understand the youth’s experiences and reasons for their challenging behaviors. Participants will learn effective strategies to use with families in order to demonstrate key elements of family relationships and dynamics. This seminar focuses on foundations of family systems theory that create a basis for understanding some of the challenging dynamics present between youth and caregivers. Participants will be involved in case-based discussion to explore […]

Considered by scholars to be the oldest practiced healing science, this training will provide a holistic approach to health that can be applied to helping foster youth improve their wellbeing through the use of different modalities. These practices emphasize the uniqueness of an individual and offers approaches based on foster youth’s individual needs. In this workshop, participants will learn the basics of this approach. They will gain insight into how a youth’s unique individual needs can surface. They will also learn how to incorporate these to help youth use their 5 senses to achieve wellbeing and resiliency.

Shame is perhaps the most excruciating emotion youth experience, sometimes embedded deeply into their experiences of emotional abuse. It is also a signal that can assist in protecting and maintaining social bonds. Because of its aversive nature, there is a natural inclination to avoid shame either by denying, avoiding, ignoring, or rising above it. However, failure to tend to youth experiences of shame can lead to other negative consequences. Avoidance may foreclose rich and crucial channels to understanding and deepening human relationships, particularly within foster families. In this class, participants will look at the topic of shame: how a relationship to shame can inhibit and/or facilitate work with foster youth. […]

Training Summary: This course is designed to provide staff with behavior management strategies for youth suffering from fragile attachments with original care-givers. The aim of the course is to assist adults working with children experiencing actual or perceived abandonment in developing healthy relationships. Participants will be able to: -Define actual and perceived abandonment -Identify symptoms exhibited by youth suffering from fragile attachments -Explain core recovery skills and treatment options

This training is focused on how simple acts of appreciations, compassion and Community Building helps with symptoms of Vicarious Trauma felt by providers and families working with foster youth and youth at risk in the system. Participants will gain experience through discussion and activities of strategies underlying appreciations and gratitude practices. Through exercises encouraging reflection on compassion and building of relationships and community, participants will gain an experiential understanding of how to strengthen families and natural supports surrounding youth.

Trauma informed care is critical and positive development in systems of care, understanding how poverty and racism impact individual children. While this lens moves us in the right direction, it is inadequate. This training introduces a concept of Healing Centered Engagement. By unpacking the missing elements in trauma informed lens, this training outlines and discusses 3 other critical elements to take into consideration when addressing trauma. Understanding trauma typically lead to efforts to eliminate the negative impacts of trauma, but true healing incorporates a lens that supports children and the adults who support them to imagine, envision, and act toward a life of flourishing.

In this training participants who support youth and their families or significant support persons will learn about youth crisis and how to respond with compassion and safety in mind. Foster youth often exhibit risk behaviors which are misinterpreted as behavioral problems. This training will discuss best practices in working with youth crisis.

Youth in foster care may experience varying degrees of trauma exposure and response. For providers who may be new to working with foster youth, this can pose challenges for engaging and addressing youth’s needs. This training will discuss strategies to address varying levels of trauma that foster youth experience. The aim will be to help providers to understand the proper level of containment once a traumatic event has been experienced.

Training will focus on attachment and self-concept indicators that contribute to client-centered understanding of mental health needs and impairments, and systemic service needs. Case examples will be used to show to how to notice attachment and self-concept indicators in foster youth.

Communities are continually impacted and challenged in addressing complex trauma in their settings. Children may display a range of symptoms and behaviors that are difficult to organize and understand. Teachers, providers and caregivers need frameworks for interpreting behaviors and expanding practices that build a more attuned and responsive environment. This course will offer providers a framework of understanding traumatic impact in terms of arousal and attachment behaviors that can guide response and support improved functioning in the community, participation in tasks required for daily functioning. Facilitated discussion, didactic material, and experiential exercises will be used to discuss the themes and address class objectives.

Communities are continually impacted and challenged in addressing complex trauma in their settings. Children may display a range of symptoms and behaviors that are difficult to organize and understand. Teachers, providers and caregivers need frameworks for interpreting behaviors and expanding practices that build a more attuned and responsive environment. This course will offer providers a framework of understanding traumatic impact in terms of arousal and attachment behaviors that can guide response and support improved functioning in the community, participation in tasks required for daily functioning. Facilitated discussion, didactic material, and experiential exercises will be used to discuss the themes and address class objectives

Communities are continually impacted and challenged in addressing complex trauma in their settings. Children may display a range of symptoms and behaviors that are difficult to organize and understand. Teachers, providers and caregivers need frameworks for interpreting behaviors and expanding practices that build a more attuned and responsive environment. This course will offer providers a framework of understanding traumatic impact in terms of arousal and attachment behaviors that can guide response and support improved functioning in the community, participation in tasks required for daily functioning. Facilitated discussion, didactic material, and experiential exercises will be used to discuss the themes and address class objectives

Communities are continually impacted and challenged in addressing complex trauma in their settings. Children may display a range of symptoms and behaviors that are difficult to organize and understand. Teachers, providers and caregivers need frameworks for interpreting behaviors and expanding practices that build a more attuned and responsive environment. This course will offer providers a framework of understanding traumatic impact in terms of arousal and attachment behaviors that can guide response and support improved functioning in the community, participation in tasks required for daily functioning. Facilitated discussion, didactic material, and experiential exercises will be used to discuss the themes and address class objectives

As participants engage youth in identifying the youth’s presenting needs, what often follows are more nuanced relational dynamics that begin to emerge. Foster youth may at times be reserved in their openness to communicate vulnerabilities and needs. However, as trauma content begins to surface between youth and providers or caregivers, those supporting youth may find themselves struggling to navigate their own emotional reactions. This training reviews areas of nuance for providers to attend to in their work with youth, where dynamics of trauma reactions, implications for secondary trauma, and the impact on relationships is reviewed.

This orientation covers Katie A./ Intensive Care Coordination, a service provided through WCC, in partnership with Alameda County, to offer intensive care coordination to youth and families with high needs. Intensive Care Coordination services are a result of a lawsuit sought to improve the provision of mental health and supportive services for children and youth in, or at imminent risk of placement in, foster care in California. This training will describe how the county child welfare and mental health systems and service providers can work together to address the needs of children/youth and families in the child welfare system. This training identifies specific required components that support the standards and […]

Youth in foster care who come from Latino immigrant families may experience placement instability, at times when a parent is deported and there are no remaining family in the United States with which youth can be placed. This training will review unique needs for the Latinx youth in care. Participants will be exposed to a basic understanding of the Latino population, including the difference between Hispanics, Latinos, LatinX and other most commonly used references towards this population. The training will have a concentration in the area of trauma, including historical and intergenerational trauma that Latino families may experience in their country of origin, in their immigration journey, and while resident […]

STAT is a mental health screening and assessment program, located at the Alameda County Assessment Center. When a child is taken into protective custody by Alameda County Child Protective Services or the police, s/he is brought to the Assessment Center, a child-friendly receiving center where the child can comfortably wait until placement with a relative, foster home or group home is found. This training provides an overview of STAT and issues that face foster youth in the milieu as well as ways to support youth during the acute transition to placement.

This training for service providers looks at Narrative Family service approaches that can be used to externalize problem narratives and utilize strengths within the family system. The training will utilize didactic and experiential approaches to introduce key concepts and techniques of Narrative Therapy. Selected readings that exemplify the use of Narrative Therapy in “real world” situations with families will be provided for participants. Additionally, participants will be referred to additional informational resources and connections to the international Narrative Therapy community.

This training is designed to introduce service providers to the services available to youth at the Alameda County Assessment Center. This training includes overview of the service roles, responsibilities, and expectations for those working directly with youth. The training will help participants to familiarize themselves with the major components of the cases that are seen at the Assessment Center, including screening, transitional services, collaborating with various service providers, and linkage/transfer of services and care. In addition to providing information about the nature of specific tasks inherent for service providers, the training is also designed to help providers consider how the systems and structures in which the Assessment Center operates impacts […]

Youth in foster care may enter with a variety of pre-existing needs as well as needs that may have arisen in the aftermath of their placement change. Parents and caregivers should be aware of how to identify or screen for behavioral or emotional needs, as well as what services may be available to address youth’s health needs. This training provides an overview of how outpatient services may benefit youth in care, and common considerations for families in need of this support.

This training will review services and resources available to transitional age youth. TAY present with unique needs based on their stage of development, degree of independence, and at times due to a higher level of risk and need. This training will review services for helping youth and young adults in the foster care system to address high levels of mental health crisis and needs identified to move from residential treatment to community-based support and placements. Additionally, this training will review supports and resources available to youth who are at risk or actively being sexually exploited. Their needs, as well as strategies to support these youth, will be discussed.

To understand how trauma shapes a child’s brain, To understand how calm parental authority fosters greater responsibility in more intense, challenging children.To learn a transformative approach beyond traditional behavior management. Register Here

Those who support stressed and traumatized populations, particularly those with limited internal and external resources such as system involved youth and their families, often experience vicarious traumatization.  Support providers need to understand signs of vicarious traumatization (VT) and how to prevent and address VT in order to improve outcomes for system involved youth and families. In this training participants, will learn about burnout and VT, the differences between the two, and strategies for preventing and addressing them including how to complete the stress cycle and specific regulating exercises. They will have the opportunity to make a plan to prevent VT while serving system involved youth and their families.

This ongoing workshop is designed to provide participants with both foundational tools for exploring conversations around cultural identity and privilege, as well as provide experiential opportunities and conversation to deepen an understanding of cultural identity and how this impacts services and systems for foster youth. This group will be meeting in support of becoming stronger culturally responsive professionals that aligns with overall efforts to participate in anti-racism work and serve marginalized youth. Participants will be provided space to explore cultural lenses and instances of privilege, but also the power inherent in this identity and the impact it has interpersonally and professionally through various tasks of the privileged (from Kenneth V. […]

Storytelling holds the capacity to identify the patterns of our internal knowing-believing-valuing systems, transformative storytelling, the capacity to re-script the narratives and radical transformative storytelling, the capacity to rewrite the script with radical self-presence, within the context of the social, political, and cultural realities of the times. Here, the participant will view radical transformative storytelling as a creative and visionary ethno-autobiographical process of authoring the self as protagonist in one’s own narrative.

This training will explore race and culture and their impact on the dynamics of the assessment relationship. Race-related transference and countertransference will be discussed from theoretical, humanistic, and trauma-informed perspectives. Through reflection and analysis of a case example, this training will integrate race-related transferences as data points in order to create treatment recommendations that may address complex relational trauma. This training is designed to support training clinicians with facilitating therapeutic-collaborative assessment for youth in foster care.

This training will focus and expand the conversation about what is already true: community practices have long been the location of significant meaning-making about the overlapping realities of individual, family, community, institutions, and the larger social-historical surround for foster youth and families

Providers may engage with youth and families in a variety of settings, including at clinics, schools, homes, or in other areas of the community. This seminar will provide information for providers around safety issues that may arise with youth in the community and on how best to keep youth safe. This training provides an overview of the general areas where safety issues may arise, and review how providers may explore and respond to youth risk behaviors. It will also cover determining which policies and procedures to implement around mandated reporting and critical incidents both in the clinic and in the field.

When trauma occurs, the tension, anger, frustration, and other emotions associated with it become trapped in one’s body and can show up in our body language, physical pain, digestive issues, depression, and anxiety to name a few. Somatic strategies aim to bring homeostasis back to one’s body. It’s essential to address the relationship between one’s mind and body with their past, and yet so many strategies for foster youth have only addressed the mind. This training will teach clinicians somatic strategies to use with clients. These strategies have been shown to help at risk youth regulate their emotions and body, increase self-awareness, reduce stress, and increase physical health. Please register […]

This training will provide strategies for direct service providers in reducing the impact of secondary trauma. These strategies include meditation, the role of nutrition, mindfulness, essential oils, body work and movement such as stretching and yoga. These strategies can be implemented by providers on an ongoing basis, and can also be shared with clients and caregivers as strategies to cope with trauma symptoms.

It is not uncommon for service providers who work with youth in out of home care to experience secondary trauma. While secondary trauma can be experienced in a multitude of ways for service-providers, it is known to impact the capacity to provide effective care for youth and can increase feelings of isolation and exhaustion. By engaging in a dialogue that centers on the impact of secondary trauma among service providers and their work with foster youth, participants can work together to collaborate on strategies and skills to manage their experiences of secondary trauma in their work.

This workshop is geared toward mental health professionals or anyone that would be in a position to work with a child at risk for suicide. The workshop uses a combination of teaching methods including didactic work, lecture, and discussion. The workshop will encourage participates to explore their own feelings towards suicide and suicidal youth. It will address common myths and perceptions about suicide and suicidal behavior in children and adolescents. The workshop will cover suicide statistics, trauma, and suicide theory with an emphasis on Thomas Joiners model: The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Risk factors, warning signs and protective factors will be discussed. Participants will learn how to understand the combination […]

This workshop is geared toward mental health professionals or anyone that would be in a position to work with a child at risk for suicide. The workshop uses a combination of teaching methods including didactic work, lecture, and discussion. The workshop will encourage participates to explore their own feelings towards suicide and suicidal youth. It will address common myths and perceptions about suicide and suicidal behavior in children and adolescents. The workshop will cover suicide statistics, trauma, and suicide theory with an emphasis on Thomas Joiners model: The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. Risk factors, warning signs and protective factors will be discussed. Participants will learn how to understand the combination […]

Youth entering foster care are often removed due to reasons of abuse or neglect. Providers at the Assessment Center work with youth that have recently been removed and determine what supports and strategies the youth needs. This training offers providers with an understanding of the impact of trauma on a child’s social and emotional development. Participants will learn strategies for working with youth experiencing trauma and provide tools for promoting developmentally appropriate functioning.

This training teaches how to understand family dynamics from a relational perspective that will allow us to develop case plans for our system-involved youth using a strength-based lens with the Pain in the Heart Healing (PITH) Questions. These questions were developed specifically to utilize evidence-based elements from structural and attachment-based family theories in an applied way for kids in our continuum of care who have experienced multiple serious trauma and attachment ruptures in their lives. We will explore the link between past trauma, current feelings about the past trauma, and the fear of what might happen in the future. Since our kids are acting out these traumas in their behavioral […]

This workshop is for all service providers working with children and families. This training will provide definition and reflection on transference, countertransference and parallel process. Participants will learn tips and tools through larger group discussion and small group work. Helping participants effectively engage in difficult conversations with clients and families with understanding of their own impact on youth and families.

This training will focus on providing information and understanding related to the neurological systems which impact the overlap of trauma experiences and the attachment relationship in foster youth. Additionally, the training will review risk and resiliency factors for foster youth who experience trauma based on their attachment style and the presentation of their caregivers. Recent research will be reviewed and a group discussion will be utilized to support the integration of information into practice.

Trauma Informed and Resilient Classrooms workshop is designed for teachers, administration, staff, and providers that work with and within the school system. This workshop is an introduction to understanding how trauma, stress, and resilience impact us – individually, collectively and systemically. The training will cover the neurobiology of stress, trauma and resilience, and the impact of sociocultural trauma. Each of us, whether school staff or students, are impacted by stress and trauma, and can leverage resilience and positive relationships to heal from stress and trauma. In the training, classroom strategies for countering stress and trauma, as well as strengthening resilience will be reviewed. This training is important for all who […]

“Parenting In OZ!” is an experiential, memorable, trauma-informed, parenting curriculum designed to help parents and staff understand and respond therapeutically to the acting-out behaviors often exhibited by children who have experienced the trauma of neglect, abuse, and loss. Utilizing the vivid imagery from “The Wizard of OZ” and the emergency room, this unique training is an entertaining, multi-sensory approach to working with trauma that both professionals and parents cannot help but remember and integrate into their work. Trauma informed parenting is a paradigm shift for many parents who have often been trained to utilize tools designed to bring external controls to address or remediate problematic behaviors within a particular environment.

This training was designed to help services providers, group home staff and foster parents to have a clear understanding of how trauma impacts the brain. Participants will learn strategies and techniques that can be applied to support youth who have experienced trauma and systemic processes that can be revisited in ways that support youth who have trauma in their history.

Many system-involved youth struggle to regulate their emotions and can dwell on self-defeating thoughts. Mindfulness is a helpful skill for social service providers to practice to be present and engaged with clients as well as a great skill to teach youth to practice so they don’t get lost in their thoughts and emotions. Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alameda-trauma-overview-for-parents-and-caregivers-tickets-394075328917

Just as the age-old airline safety message emphasizes that parents put on their mask before assisting their child, this training provides mental health providers the support and skills needed to navigate collaborative relationships with foster and non-foster caregivers in order to fully support the well-being of at-risk and system-involved children/youth. Providers working in family systems and larger systems of care are often impacted by relational dynamics that can impede the cohesion and well-being of the child and family – this training provides mental health providers an understanding of those dynamics, how to work with them when they occur and build solid and trauma-informed relationships with caregivers.

This training will focus on providing information and understanding related to the neurobiological and psychological systems which are activated when address trauma-embedded memories in foster youth populations seeking mental health services. Additionally, this training will also review information related to dissociation and traumatic memory avoidance and how these symptoms can be supported by attending to biological and physical manifestations of traumatic memory. Recent evidence-based research will be reviewed and a group discussion will be utilized to support the integration of information into the clinical practice.

This training aims to provide an in depth look at assessing client’s for psychosis, and trauma The training focuses on helping participants recognize the differences as well as the overlap in the symptoms of trauma and psychosis. More specifically, the training reviews various key terms in psychosis, symptoms of psychosis, and the symptoms of complex trauma as well as PTSD. Additionally, the training explores ways to identify and understand questions of psychosis and trauma through various projective measures of assessment. Finally, the training provides resources for support for individuals struggling with attenuated or full psychosis.

This training will provide a review of relevant and evidence supported service approaches for foster youth at risk for exploitation. Additionally, the training will review strategies for adapting services to ensure they are CSEC and trauma informed. Special issues such as best practices for meeting the needs of culturally diverse foster youth, LGBTQI2-S foster youth, as well as youth engaged in substance abuse will be considered.

Youth in the foster care system are often pathologized and labeled with diagnoses that highlight problems within youth. This training provides context to the diagnoses that are assigned to youth, and the contextual considerations that may influence mental health needs and conditions. Within this training, participants will also review screening tools that are used in order to understand youth’s needs. Participants will have opportunities for reflection and group discussion. Additionally, participants will be encouraged to practice ways of uncovering youth’s needs with them.

The mental health effects of Covid-19 can shape health for many years, long past the events that precipitated them. We have been focusing on mitigating the short-term consequences of Covid-19, but the long-term consequences may be equally, if not more, important. Foster families and communities may experience pandemics as traumatic, leading to feelings of loss and resulting in problematic behaviors in children. This training will review some of these potential consequences of widespread community disruption.

From the time they enter the state’s care and likely long before, foster youth experience trauma that can severely alter their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. The impact of trauma on foster youth can mean that this vulnerable population faces numerous additional challenges as they grow and develop into adulthood. Foster youth experience trauma in many ways, often starting at home. Youth will enter the foster care system because they have experienced physical or sexual abuse, neglect, a loss of a parent, or abandonment, forcing the state to step in. Other family stress factors such as poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and incarceration can lead to a child’s removal from […]

From the time they enter the state’s care and likely long before, foster youth experience trauma that can severely alter their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. The impact of trauma on foster youth can mean that this vulnerable population faces numerous additional challenges as they grow and develop into adulthood. Foster youth experience trauma in many ways, often starting at home. Youth will enter the foster care system because they have experienced physical or sexual abuse, neglect, a loss of a parent, or abandonment, forcing the state to step in. Other family stress factors such as poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, and incarceration can lead to a child’s removal from […]

This training will provide relevant information about commercial sexual exploitation and how to support vulnerable foster youth/families. Child sexual exploitation is a major child protection issue for communities across the country. Hidden from view and often unnoticed, vulnerable young girls and boys are recruited, groomed and then abused, leaving them traumatized and without support. Issues specific to sexual exploitation of youth, including the difficulty in identifying youth at risk, can make the provision of appropriate treatment and services a challenge for systems that serve the youth. This training will address the importance of early identification and will present the Commercially Sexually Exploited Identification Tool (CSE-IT) as a method of screening […]

During this introductory training, participants will have an overview of depression as it relates to system involved youth. The training will provide a brief overview on the causes of depression and what possible symptoms are for youth. Participants will gain practical skills to identify, respond to, and support a system involved youth who is experiencing depression. By attending this training, participants will engage in a collaborative discussion regarding common services and support for parents and caregivers of youth who are experiencing depression. This training will support those who support system-involved youth with increasing their understanding of how depression shows up for a youth as it relates to their mood, physically, […]

Youth in foster care may at times be exposed to multiple instances of interpersonal trauma, both in their homes of origin, as well as in their placements. An introduction to complex trauma, the impact of complex trauma on the development of the brain in adolescents and how trauma creates vulnerabilities for youth at risk for exploitation is provided in this training. Special focus will be placed on the relationship between youth in foster care at risk for exploitation and the impact of complex trauma.

This training provides an introduction to complex trauma, the impact of complex trauma on the development of the brain in adolescents, and how trauma creates vulnerabilities for youth at risk for exploitation is provided. Youth with experience of exploitation at times may have difficulty identifying that they have been exploited. Providers working with these youth face special challenges around supporting youth’s safety and healing process. Special focus will be placed on the relationship between youth in foster care at risk for exploitation and the impact of complex trauma.

Strategies to Address Vicarious Trauma Part builds upon Strategies to Address Vicarious Trauma. Given the high degree of vicarious trauma experienced by social service professionals in child welfare, it is necessary we strive for health and wellness so we can provide the quality of services we aim to serve. In this course, we will talk further about the impact of bearing witness to our clients trauma and ways in which we can protect ourselves from the negative impact and experience vicarious resilience and compassion satisfaction.

Collaboration is an essential component when working with youth in care, yet often there are challenges that can arise where communication between team members can negatively impact work with foster care. This training will facilitate a conversation with providers on how to exercise professionalism when difficult situations present themselves in the work. The training will help providers understand how biases may impact work with foster youth. Finally this training will review how to navigate difficult conversations with related providers on behalf of youth in care.

For providers who are working with Latinx youth and families, there are important factors of which to be aware, such as cultural concepts around familismo, personalismo, and more. This training provides an overview of cultural principles that are relevant to engaging with Latinx youth and families. Participants practice applying principles to vignette examples and through small and large-group discussion.