Collaborative Crisis Response Strategies for System-Involved Youth (SIY)

Robert Dousa

Training Description

Across the nation, system-involved youth (SIY) are experiencing a rising increase of emotional and behavioral health needs which can negatively affect them in the core areas of their life. All too often, these young people are subjected to unnecessary hospitalizations, long stays in inpatient facilities, juvenile justice system involvement, disproportionate school discipline, and out-of-home placements. There are also pronounced disparities impacting young people of color, families from low-income communities, and transgender or gender fluid youth. For too many youth, these crises end tragically. All SIY and their families should have access to robust crisis response strategies that address their needs equitably and effectively with appropriate and timely support delivered for optimum results. In this training, we will explore how to enhance our capacity to support SIY & their families in crisis, by learning and practicing effective ways of engaging, serving, advocating, networking & collaborating effectively with others who support young people in the multiple settings they may encounter in crisis. Furthermore, we will learn how to blend coaching efforts with system partner collaboration which can foster alliances for SIY in crisis that will promote young people’s emotional development, wellbeing, and resilience. During this workshop, we will have a chance to connect with colleagues utilizing open learning discussion groups, roleplays, coaching and partnering strategies interspersed with and complementing the learning content offered.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

● Identify at least 2 crisis response strategies that support SIY & their families equitably and effectively when navigating public systems;

● Identify at least 2 way to engage system partners in efforts to more effectively support SIY &families; and

● Identify at least 2 blended coaching and system partner collaboration strategies that foster alliances which support SIY in crisis within our public systems of care.

Agenda

12:30-12:35pm  Sign-in and Introduction

12:35-12:45pm  Explore multiple settings crisis response situations that challenge system-involved youth and their families when public systems of care intervene and inherently put them at risk for negative life-long consequences.

12:45-1:00pm  Learn the impacts of multiple settings crisis response situations that challenge system-involved youth and their families when public systems of care intervene.

1:00-1:15pm  Explore crisis response strategies for school site settings

1:15-1:30pm  Explore crisis response strategies for legal consequence settings

1:30-1:45pm  Explore crisis response strategies for professional settings

1:45-2:00pm  Explore crisis response strategies for SIY with substance abuse disorders

2:00-2:15pm  GROUP: Meet with colleagues to prepare a 5 min group presentation on one of the 4 previous listed crisis response strategies so they can teach the rest of the workshop participants on a “best approach” when discussing their particular crisis response strategy

2:15-2:30pm  GROUP: Groups 1 & 2 present their respective 5 min crisis response strategies (school site & legal settings) so they can teach the rest of the workshop participants on “best approach” strategies that would support SIY and their families when navigating public systems of care interventions in crisis

2:30-2:45pm  GROUP: Groups 3 & 4 present their respective 5 min crisis response strategies (professional settings & substance use disorders settings) so they can teach the rest of the workshop participants on “best approach” strategies that would support SIY and their families when navigating public systems of care interventions in crisis

2:45-3:00pm  Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

3:00-3:15pm  Learn Situational Leadership Coaching techniques to be used when engaging system partners during crises

3:15-3:30pm  Explore effective ways of engaging systems partners to better support SIY and families in crises

3:30-3:45pm  Pair Practice with colleagues coaching each other system partner engagement during crises

3:45-4:00pm  Explore blended coaching strategies that foster alliances which improve support for SIY in crisis

4:00-4:15pm  Pair Practice with colleagues coaching each other usingblended coaching strategies

4:15-4:30pm  Questions & Answers + Wrap-up

Meet Our Trainer

Mr. Robert Dousa, for the past 26 years has been working on researching how to prevent substance abuse, explosive anger outbursts, gang involvement, human trafficking, etc. of young people and how to support the healing of people suffering from Complex Post Traumatic Disorders (CPTSD) towards thriving in life, learning, and career. Robert, who came from an abusive childhood, has experienced various healing modalities himself to attain personal freedom from trauma. Prior to retirement from the public education system (22 years paid, 3 years volunteer) and most especially (2003-2022) as a Program Manager in the Behavioral Health Department for the Oakland Unified School District’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs Intervention program, Robert developed a strengths-based life coaching program, grant funded by the CA Dept of Education, that utilized 15 life coaches (diversity of gender, multi-ethnic, with individual hobby strengths) who utilized a variety of interventions and approaches while implementing inside Oakland schools. Currently, he offers services designed to empower young adults struggling with inner negative talk to find their own inner guiding light and individual gifts, talents, and passions in support of their future… and to also coach parents of SIY to re-establish a positive influential relationship with their children, guiding them towards healing their own inner child in the process. Currently, he is providing individual life coaching, training of intervention approaches, coaching training, and teaching to those individuals and organizations that support system involved youth

This course meets the qualifications for (3.75) 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.