Transitional Age Youth (TAY)-Thinking Differently about TAY and “Independence”

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW

Training Description

Transition Age Youth (TAY) are youth typically between 16-26 years of age who are transitioning from being minors and individuating into young adulthood. For our youth in foster care and in juvenile justice continuums of care, this transition is significantly more difficult than it is for youth not in these systems. Sadly, youth coming out of our systems have poor outcomes into adulthood. Let’s try something different!

This training will allow us to look at some additional ways to include the extended family and other “natural” support systems in the lives of our TAY as they make this very difficult transition. This is the single largest developmental transition that we make as we launch into adulthood and we need all the support that we can get! For system involved youth with poor attachments and deep traumatic attachment ruptures, many will not make this transition successfully unless we can help them with this healing.

Learning Objectives

· Participants will be able to explain at least 2 reasons why TAY need to have programs and support that is specifically applicable to their needs.

· Participants will be able to identify at least 2 challenges system involved TAY face.

· Participants will be able to identify at least 2 strategies for improving outcomes for system involved TAY.

Agenda 

9:30 – 9:45AM Welcome and Check in

9:45 – 11:15AM What are TAY? How are we doing? Where do we need to head in order to improve their positive outcomes?

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

11:30AM – 12:45PM Why is the family an important support system? What is Pain in the Heart (PITH) Theory and how can it help a young adult continue to individuate and to become productive with education, work, housing, etc. All those adult things that we have theoretically been preparing for our whole childhoods!

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

12:45 – 2:15PM Exploring Pain in Heart Theory (PITH) and the family relational pain that all of our TAY are carrying in their hearts.

2:15 – 2:30PM BREAK (CE Hours will not be offered for this time)

2:30 – 3:45PM Small Group work to explore strategies for using our therapeutic alliance with our TAY to help us reach out to their extended families and do some healing. This healing is what will motivate them to use those great skills that we are so good at teaching them!

3:45 – 4:00pm Wrap-Up & 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 and MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.