Supporting System Involved Youth Separated from Biological Families: The Impact of Traumatic Separation on Attachment

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW

Training Description

Do we realize the attachment trauma that family separation has on our kids of all ages? This includes kids being separated from their families in foster care, juvenile justice, immigrating to the U.S., etc. What does this breaking up of families do to our kids? This training will look at the deep attachment ruptures that are occurring for our system-involved youth and other ruptures that are happening in their lives which are contributing to the behaviors we see them exhibit. These ruptures are interfering with our kids having positive outcomes!

Learning Objectives

· Explore what is meant by the trauma of lossand the attachment ruptures that these traumatic losses create.

· Learn how these original attachment ruptures create trauma for our system-involved youth, how this results in ongoing retraumatization, and ways that we can decrease the pain of these ruptures.

· Identify the benefits of finding safe ways to keep families “intact” and ensure services and support are in place, after they have been separated, that will facilitate possible reunification and more permanent placements.

Agenda 

10:00 AM – 10:10 AM  Sign In

10:10 AM – 11:30 AM  Discussion of what we mean by the trauma of loss through family separation and what is meant by attachment rupture?

11:30 AM – 11:45 AM  BREAK (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

11:45 AM – 1:00 PM  Review and describe why the healing of these family relationships are important whether the kids live with their families or not.

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM  LUNCH (CEUs will not be issued at this time

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM  Explore Pain in the Heart Theory (PITH) in relation to helping youth recover from the trauma of family separation.

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM  BREAK (CEUs will not be issued at this time)

3:15 PM – 4:30 PM  Small Group work to explore strategies for healing the attachment ruptures that our youth experience during and after family separation! Ways we can advocate on behalf of this healing and how important it is to be addressed!

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 who are receiving services in our continuums of care. Dr. Parkinson’s emphasis is on the importance of family engagement and the healing traumatic attachment ruptures. Pamela is also a certified PCOMS evidence-based practice trainer. She currently works as a child/family consultant and trainer 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, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.