Foster Care Training

Many youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems experience anger and aggression. Understand contributing factors to anger in youth including the impact of trauma, the experience of multiple losses, learned behavior, and complex trauma. Review the social development of anger in early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Learn mental health issues associated with anger from childhood through adolescence including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, behavior disorders, and substance use. Review information of racial disparities in school discipline and mental health services that impact youth of color. Participate in group discussions on challenges in working with youth who have anger and aggression. Discuss the behavior change process with youth including how to evaluate anger and aggression and how to motivate youth to initiate change. Learn physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral self regulation skills for helping youth manage anger and including relaxation and self nurturance, identifying and expressing emotions, positive self talk, thinking ahead to consequences, assertive communication and identifying positive options for handling situations. Review guidelines for teaching youth positive social skills for managing their anger and helping other people.