Building Client-Centered Relationships with System-Involved Youth and Families

Marya Wright, MSW

Training Description

By attending this course, attendees will develop new strategies to build client-centered relationships with system involved youth and families by utilizing Motivational Interviewing (MI). Participants will gain practical skills to collaborate with youth, families and the community. This training supports participants with developing a plan to implement MI skills with multi-system involved youth and families. Attendees will learn how to engage youth and family’s current motivation to change a particular behavior. This course provides a general overview of MI open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries (OARS) along with the skills and concepts to understand the spirit of MI, the four processes of MI, value work, assessing communication (sustain talk, change talk, discord), goal setting/focusing, and change plans to further enhance or consolidate the youth’s and/or family member’s level of motivation. The material will be delivered by PowerPoint presentation, short video clips, group discussion, breakout (small group) discussions and participant workbook (handout).

Learning Objectives

• Trainees will learn how the four processes of motivational interviewing can be applied to efforts to support system-involved youth and families.
• Trainees will learn how to detect the righting reflex when responding to youth and/or family needs.
• Trainees will learn how to explain the value of understanding a youth and/or family member’s motivation for change.

Agenda

12:00 – 12:15pm  Welcome, Agenda, Objectives and Learning Goals

12:15 – 12:30pm  Overview of client-centered relationships

12:30 – 1:00pm  Building rapport with multi-system involved youth

1:00 – 1:30pm  Using MI to engage

1:30 – 1:45pm  Four Process of MI

1:45 – 2:00pm  BREAK(CEUs will not be offered for this time)

2:00 – 2:20pm  Open ended questions &Affirmations

2:20 – 2:45pm  Reflections & Summaries

2:45 – 3:00pm  30-day plan

3:00 – 3:30pm  Questions/Answers

3:30 – 4:00pm  Evaluation & Closing

Meet Our Trainer

Marya Wright Consulting provides innovative, high-value, and culturally responsive training content for professionals. Marya offers continuing education training (CEUs) for agencies who service system-involved youth, foster youth, children and families. Marya is a registered Associate Clinical Social Worker with the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Marya is a Child Welfare Worker II with County Children and Family Services in the Dependency Investigation Unit. She conducts investigations and assessments based on the Welfare & Institutions Code §300 regarding child abuse, neglect and exploitation on the legality of court intervention.

Marya graduated from San Diego State University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Social Work with a focus on Child Welfare Services and Motivational Interviewing. She then received her Master’s in Social Work from California State University, East Bay with a focus in Child Welfare Policy and research. Marya has also conducted research in Child Sexual Exploitation and Foster Care. In addition, she is a seasoned lecturer in the Sociology Department at CSU, East Bay.

This course meets the qualifications for (3.75) BBS CEUs for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.