Family Assessment, History, and Life Cycle Development

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW 

Training Description

We can’t know what we are treating if we don’t do a full assessment of the youth’s context including family relationships, historical trauma, and intergenerational influences.  Learn how the history of the biological families of our youth impacts their current functioning and how a family’s life cycle developmental challenges are intricately related to a youth’s own developmental challenges and attachment issues.  We will review the importance of utilizing genograms and timelines with families in order to learn about their culture/stressors/life experiences and other important values.  This information guides our case planning and service provision of all kinds.  Without context, we cannot possibly understand what the behaviors of our kids mean or how we might go about healing the pain and achieving positive outcomes.

Learning Objectives

This course is designed to help participants:

• Review Family Systems Theory and the Importance of Assessment 
• Identify child development theories and learn the 4 diagnostic questions of Pain in the Heart Theory
• Identify 3 techniques for assessing the impact of family life cycle development on youth attachment

Agenda

9:45      Sign In

10:00      Section I:  Systems theory and the importance of family assessment in understanding the symptoms of the youth.  Small group break-out discussions.

11:30    BREAK (CEUs will not be issued at this time)  

11:45   Section II:  Building the genogram (family tree) with the family in the room!  Also, small group genogram practice break-out groups.

1:00   30 Minute LUNCH (CEUs will not be issued at this time)—Bring food or run and get something to eat for a working lunch during the training.  This is how we can end by 4:30!

1:30      Section III: Review of a few child development theories and family life cycle development:  impact on the youth’s development and attachment issues.

3:00      BREAK (CEUs will not be issued at this time) 

3:15       PITH theory introduction and break out groups to apply the day of learning.

4:30      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 is also a certified PCOMS evidence-based practice trainer.  She currently works as a child/family 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 and MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.