Understanding How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Can Support Improved Outcomes for System-Involved Youth

Marya Wright, MSW, ASW 

Training Description

This training on will provide comprehensive information about this tailored approach to address the unique challenges and needs of system involved youth and families. Participants will gain a deep understanding of ACT's core principles and learn how to adapt its techniques to navigate systemic constraints and trauma experienced by system-involved youth and families. The training emphasizes the importance of building strong therapeutic relationships within a systemic context, promoting psychological flexibility, and helping youth and young adults identify and pursue values-driven goals despite the challenges they face. Participants will also receive guidance on ways to prevent compassion fatigue and ethical considerations to help ensure that they can effectively support system involved youth while maintaining their own well-being. The material will be delivered by PowerPoint presentation, short video clips, group discussion, breakout (small group) discussions and participant workbook (handout).

Learning Objectives

· Participants will be able to differentiate and explain the six core processes of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), demonstrating their understanding of how each process contributes to psychological flexibility.

· Participants will be able to explain at least one strategy for adapting ACT strategies to address the specific challenges faced by system-involved youth and families.

· Participants will be able to explain at least one strategy for supporting the understanding of client values, 1 strategy for identifying meaningful goals aligned with those values, and 1 strategy for measuring progress toward these goals.

Agenda

10:00 – 10:05am  Welcome and Training Purpose

10:05 – 10:15am  Objectives and Learning Goals

10:15 – 10:30am  Setting the Context: Challenges of working with system-involved youth 

10:30 – 10:45am  Understanding System-Involved Youth

10:45 – 11:00am  Common Challenges and Trauma Experienced

11:00 – 11:10am  The Impact of the System on Mental Health

11:10 – 11:35am  Introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

11:35 – 11:45am  Overview of ACT

11:45am – 12pm The relevance of ACT for system-involved youth

12:00 – 1:00pm Lunch (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

1:00 – 1:15pm  Building a Relationship

1:15 – 1:25pm  Importance of Trust and Rapport

1:25 – 1:30pm  Cultural Competence and Sensitivity

1:30 – 1:45pm  The six core processes of ACT

1:45 – 2:00pm  Adapting ACT techniques for system-involved youth

2:00 – 2:15pm Integrating ACT into Systemic Interventions

2:15 – 2:30pm  Break (CE Hours will not be offered for this time

2:30 – 2:45pm  Values-Based work with system-involved youth

2:45 – 3:00pm  Compassion Fatigue prevention for professionals

3:00 – 3:20pm  Ethical considerations in working with system-involved youth

3:20 – 3:45pm  Dual relationships and boundaries

3:45 – 3:50pm  Questions/Answers/Wrap-up

3:50 – 4:00pm  Closing

Meet Our Trainer

Marya Wright Consulting provides innovative, high-value, and culturally responsive training content for professionals. Marya offers continuing education training (CEUs) for agencies who service system-involved youth, foster youth, children and families. Marya is a registered Associate Clinical Social Worker with the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Marya is a Child Welfare Worker II with County Children and Family Services in the Dependency Investigation Unit. She conducts investigations and assessments based on the Welfare & Institutions Code §300 regarding child abuse, neglect and exploitation on the legality of court intervention.

Marya graduated from San Diego State University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Social Work with a focus on Child Welfare Services and Motivational Interviewing. She then received her Master’s in Social Work from California State University, East Bay with a focus in Child Welfare Policy and research. Marya has also conducted research in Child Sexual Exploitation and Foster Care. In addition, she is a seasoned lecturer in the Sociology Department at CSU, East Bay.

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.