Family Engagement, Cultural Responsiveness, & Communication Skills for System Involved Youth

Anisa Mustafa and Waynette Brock

Training Description

Effective communication skills are essential for those who support system-involved youth, enabling them to establish trusting relationships, convey information clearly, and actively listen to the needs and perspectives of youth and their families. Developing active listening skills, practicing empathy, and utilizing appropriate communication strategies, such as open-ended questions and non-judgmental language, can enhance communication and promote positive engagement with system-involved youth and their families. The training aims to equip participants with the necessary skills, knowledge, and strategies to effectively communicate, understand cultural contexts, and engage with both system-involved youth and their families.

Learning Objectives

· By developing active listening skills, practicing empathy, and utilizing appropriate communication strategies gained, participants can improve their ability to connect and engage with system-involved youth effectively.

· By understanding cultural norms, values, and practices, participants can better navigate cultural differences, avoid assumptions, and tailor their communication approaches to align with the cultural contexts of the system involved youth and their families.

· By enhancing their skills in family engagement, participants can strengthen the support network for system-involved youth, increase family involvement, and create a collaborative environment that promotes positive outcomes for the youth.

Agenda

12:00 – 1:00pm Importance of Family Engagement

· Exploration of the critical role of family engagement

· Promoting positive outcomes for system involved youth, their families, and their communities

· Discussion on the benefits of building collaborative partnerships with families

· Involving them in decision-making processes.

1:00-2:30pm Cultural Responsiveness

· Understanding cultural diversity

· The impact of cultural diversity on family dynamics

· The impact of cultural diversity on communication

· Introduction to cultural responsiveness as a framework

· Recognizing and respecting diverse cultural backgrounds

· Strategies for integrating cultural responsiveness into system involved youth and family engagement practices

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

2:45-5:00pm Effective Communication Skills

· Building Therapeutic Relationships and Creating Safe Spaces:

o Overview of effective communication techniques, including active listening, empathy, and non-verbal communication.

o Developing skills for clear and respectful communication with system involved youth and families, considering linguistic and cultural differences.

o Strategies for building rapport and trust with families to establish positive relationships.

· Enhancing Family Engagement Practices

o Exploring innovative approaches to engage families, including strengths-based and inclusive practices.

o Identifying barriers to family engagement and implementing strategies to overcome them.

o Cultivating meaningful partnerships with system involved youth and families to support their active involvement in decision-making processes.

· Addressing Cultural Bias and Stereotypes

o Recognizing and challenging personal biases and stereotypes that may impact interactions with system involved youth and families from diverse backgrounds.

o Strategies for promoting cultural humility and self-reflection

o Fostering more inclusive and equitable practices

Meet Our Trainer

Anisa Mustafa is currently responsible for National and International Trauma, Crisis and Mental Health Recovery, Community Inclusion, Psychiatric Advanced Directives, Wellness/Recovery Education programs, certification training, curriculum development, and sourcing of initiatives through implementation. Provides support for all operational aspects of the vendor management process while delivering strategic projects and leadership that provided key business insights for high-priority initiatives.

Waynette Brock has lead peer teams focusing on high risk individuals and underserved populations such as those that are incarcerated, individuals seeking recovery from substance use disorder, and those with life threatening illnesses, as well as anyone who wants to make positive life changes. Waynette lives in Northern California and is the National Trainer for the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery.

This course meets the qualifications for (4.75) 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.