Supporting System Involved Youth Who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW

Training Description

Learn what a system involved youth’s challenging behaviors are attempting to communicate! While it is necessary to understand the function of the child's behaviors (since it is a communication to us), we also need to understandwhat this means in the context of the family relationships. This understanding will allow us to better support caregivers and teachers as they attempt to help our system involved youth to be successful in school and in the home. You do not have to be a clinician to attend since this is a training for anyone who supports youth who have challenging behaviors!

Obtain an overview of the important ingredients in making plans to support youth and understanding the function of the behavior that the youth is attempting to communicate. Learn what these behaviors mean in the context of school and family relationships so that we can better support caregivers and teachers as they attempt to help system involved youth to be successful in school, maintain a placement, be reunited with family, etc. Learn to apply theoretical principles shown to be effective, avoiding power struggles, and the basics of developing an effective plan.

Learning Objectives

· Ability to understand the functionof the child's behaviors from a behavioral perspective and from a Pain in the Heart (PITH) perspective that takes into account the family relationships & what this child being served in our continuum of care is trying to accomplish systemically within the family.

· Be able to identify what caregivers and teachers need in order to better support system involved youth and how to develop effective behavior plans with the family and school.

· Will be able to construct an effective case plan utilizing the 4 essential ingredientsof a proactive plan AND a negative consequence.

Agenda 

10:00–10:15AM  Sign In

10:15–11:45AM  Section I: The relationship between family dynamics and youth behaviors.

11:45AM–12:00PM  BREAK (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

12:00–1:00PM  Section II:  Power struggles and behavior theory

1:00–1:30PM  LUNCH (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

1:30–2:00PM  Section III: Culture and parenting!

2:00–3:00PM  Small group practice to develop plans to support system involved youth

3:00–3:15PM  BREAK (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

3:15–4:15PM  Reviews of some things that do not work & Questions and Answers

4:15–4:30PM  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 with an emphasis on the importance of family engagement and on the healing of traumatic attachment ruptures in work with youth, especially youth who we serve in our continuum of care: child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and the school systems. Dr. Parkinson is also a certified PCOMS evidence-based practice trainer. She currently works as a child/family trainer and consultant to CBO’s in the Bay Area and Pamela 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 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.