Empathy: The Core of our Efforts to Support System Involved Youth and Their Families!

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW

Training Description

What is the role of empathy in our efforts to support system involved youth and their families? This training will take you to a deep level in understanding of what empathy really is and how it will likely make the difference between a youth having successful outcomes or not. I believe that empathy is a skill that can be learned and this skill will allow us to see the positive intent behind the negative behaviors that system involved youth and families sometimes exhibit. The training will include didactic presentation, discussion, and small group work.

Learning Objective

Participants will be able to:

1. Explain what empathy is and identify at least 2 cultural barriers to our being able to develop and practice empathy.
2. Distinguish between empathy and sympathy.
3. Determine at least 2 ways that we can apply empathy transparently within our efforts to support system involved youth and families.

Agenda

9:30-9:45AM      Sign In and Introduction

9:45-11:15AM    Section I: Defining empathy and barriers to our being able to develop and practice it.

11:15-11:30AM    BREAK (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

11:30AM-12:45PM   Section II:  Overcoming the barriers to developing empathy: Small group break-out discussions regarding things we can change.

12:45-1:15PM    LUNCH (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

1:15-2:30PM      Section III: Culture and empathy! Going deeper to overcome barriers and identifying some skills to help us not stay stuck.

2:30-2:45PM     BREAK (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

2:45-3:45PM      Paired and group practice of making out empathy transparent in our support of youth and their caregivers.

3:45-4:00PM      ADJOURNMENT

Meet Our Trainer

Pamela Parkinson, PhD, LCSW, is a clinical psychologist and clinical social worker, whose specialty area is working with youth and their families. Dr. Parkinson has spent most of her career working with system involved youth in our Continuum of Care (foster care, juvenile justice, mental health and the kids struggling in our school systems). She is a certified PCOMS evidence-based practice trainer. Pamela currently works as a child/family consultant to CBO’s in the Bay Area and has worked in level 14 residential, NPS, hospitals, and a variety of community-based settings including outpatient clinics, schools, diversion, kinship, etc.

This course meets the qualifications for (5.5) BBS CE hours 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.