Foster Care Training

This training will help those who support system involved youth to recognize the subtle ways we experience or express judgmental perceptions of youth, their families, and our colleagues. The first portion of the training will focus on youth and their families. We will begin by outlining various behaviors in which youth and families engage in support provided to them that can elicit judgements. We will also explore the way biased, judgmental language is historically part of documentation and communication about system involved youth and families, which can reinforce judgmental thinking and behavior. We will then explore ways to address interfering behavior from a non-judgmental, phenomenologically empathic approach. Finally, these same principles and concepts will be used to explore judgments that can arise about colleagues, brainstorming ways to skillfully address within those relationships as well so that all involved in supporting system involved youth can work more effectively together towards improved outcomes for these youth and families.