Self-Regulation & Mindfulness Practices for System-Involved Youth

Kelsey Pacha

Training Description

This training supports providers working with system-involved youth (including youth with mental health diagnoses, developmental delays, and/or substance use) in identifying ways to help clients self-regulate if they are dysregulated in their work together. Participants will explore multiple mindfulness practices and embody them, as well as experiment with coaching a client in using such practices. Participants will identify practices that will be most helpful and relevant to their efforts to improve outcomes fo system involved youth based on developmental age. Mindfulness practices include: the “brain hand” activity, feelings wheel, body sculpting/power poses, body scan, and more somatic exercises.

Learning Objectives

1. Define self-regulation, dysregulation, and window of tolerance.

2. Discuss developmental and mental health factors that may influence how dysregulation manifests in system involved youth.

3. Define mindfulness.

4. Explore 6 mindfulness practices that can help system involved youth regulate.

5. Practice embodying three mindfulness activities throughout the training.

6. Practice coaching a young person to use one or more activities to regulate via roleplay.

Agenda 

10-10:10am  Introductions: name, gender pronoun, one thing you wish to learn. Presenter shares background and context. Practice first mindfulness practice.

10:10-11:10am Define self-regulation, dysregulation, and window of tolerance. Discussion about how our clients get dysregulated and how it shows up in our work individually & in groups. Discuss developmental and mental health factors that may influence how dysregulation manifests. Activity exploring wonderings/needs/dreams about how these behaviors impact our work, and how to intervene to support individuals getting back into their window of tolerance. Practice second mindfulness practice. Practices handout.

11:10-11:50am Define mindfulness and explore mindfulness practices that can help youth regulate in the departmental context. Practice third mindfulness activity and experiment with coaching a youth client in using this activity. Develop individualized mindfulness activity tool box.

11:50am-12pm Questions & Answers, resource list, and evaluations.

Meet Our Trainer

Kelsey Pacha, MA, M.Div. is a trans man who has worked with marginalized communities for 15+ years in a variety of settings. He holds a Master of Religion and Psychology, Master of Divinity, and Certificate of Sexuality and Religion from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Psychological Services from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He is the owner of Kelsey Pacha Consulting, which supports the work of institutions and individuals in increasing their capacity for cultural humility and social justice-informed institutional change. Kelsey offers educational trainings and LGBTQ workplace policy expertise with an emphasis on practical skills, identity awareness, and personal empowerment. He regularly works with corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion officers and LGBTQ affinity groups, as well as legal, clinical, medical, and direct service

(including child welfare and faith leader) personnel. 

This course meets the qualifications for (2.0) 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.