Leading Social Skills Groups with At-Risk Youth and Families (in person or virtual)

Christine Highet

Training Description

Training will address the following guiding questions for participants: How do we connect with ourselves? With system involved youth and families? With others who support system involved youth and families? Training will provide best practices and processes for leading social skills groups with youth who are at high risk for system involvement, as well as youth who are already part of child welfare or juvenile justice systems. And finally, what are key strategies and ideas for doing this all online?

Learning Objectives

• Illustrate 3 examples of positive relationships and connections with at-risk youth and families 
• List key steps needed to lead a social skills group with at-risk youth: before, during, and after 
• Identify 3 specific strategies for leading social skills groups online with at-risk youth

Agenda 

1:00- 1:10pm  Introductions

1:10 - 1:15pm  Guiding Questions

1:15- 1:30pm   “I am and I am” Activity

1:30-1:45pm  Building Connections

1:45-2:15pm  Social Skills Groups (Getting started; Before; During; After)

2:15-2:30pm  Leading Groups Online

2:30-2:45pm  Challenges

2:45- 3:00pm  Evaluation and Closing

Meet Our Trainer

Chrissy Highet (LCSW/PPSC) is a school social worker at Manzanita Community School in OUSD. She came to this role after working in elementary and middle school education for ten years, as a Spanish immersion teacher and then as a Clinical Intervention Specialist with Seneca Family of Agencies. Chrissy has led trainings for staff and families on a large range of subjects including trauma informed education, restorative justice, self care, coordination of student services, crisis response, and family and student engagement. She is originally from the east coast and currently lives in the Bay with her husband and her therapy dog, Revi, who also works at MCS.

This course meets the qualifications for (2.0) 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.