Transitional Age Youth (TAY)-Thinking Differently about TAY and “Independence”

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW

Training Description

Transition Age Youth (TAY) are youth typically between 16-26 years of age who are transitioning from being minors and individuating into young adulthood. For our youth in foster care and in juvenile justice continuums of care, this transition is significantly more difficult than it is for youth not in these systems. Sadly, youth coming out of our systems have poor outcomes into adulthood. Let’s try something different!

This training will allow us to look at some additional ways to include the extended family and other “natural” support systems in the lives of our TAY as they make this very difficult transition. This is the single largest developmental transition that we make as we launch into adulthood and we need all the support that we can get! For system involved youth with poor attachments and deep traumatic attachment ruptures, many will not make this transition successfully unless we can help them with this healing.

Learning Objectives

· Participants will be able to explain at least 2 reasons why TAY need to have programs and support that is specifically applicable to their needs.

· Participants will be able to identify at least 2 challenges system involved TAY face.

· Participants will be able to identify at least 2 strategies for improving outcomes for system involved TAY.

Agenda

10:00 – 10:15AM  Welcome and Check in

10:15 – 10:45AM  What are TAY? How are we doing? Where do we need to head in order to improve their positive outcomes?

10:45 – 11:15AM  Foster youth and traumatic attachment losses! Identifying and clarifying these.

11:15 – 11:45AM  Group work: What support are you already offering to help out TAY? What are your challenges? What do they still need?

11:45AM – 12:00PM  BREAK (CE Hours will not be offered for this time)

12:00 – 1:15PM  Why is the family an important support system? What is Pain in the Heart (PITH) Theory, how can it help a young adult continue to individuate, and to become productive with education, work, housing, etc. All those adult things that we have theoretically been preparing for our whole childhoods!

1:15 – 1:45PM  LUNCH (CE Hours will not be offered for this time)

1:45 – 2:15PM  Exploring Pain in Heart Theory (PITH)and the family relational pain that all of our TAY are carrying in their hearts.

2:15 – 2:30PM  Identifying the importance of family support for successful outcomes of our TAY!

2:30 – 2:45PM  The difference between Primary and Secondary emotions if we are to understand how to proceed with providing the best support possible to our TAY!

2:45 – 3:00PM  BREAK (CE Hours will not be offered for this time)

3:00 – 3:30PM  Small Group work to explore strategies for using our therapeutic alliance with our TAY to help us reach out to their extended families and do some healing. This healing is what will motivate them to use those great skills that we are so good at teaching them!

3:30 – 4:00PM  Understanding and exploring how culture and how attachment are important in supporting healthy outcomes of TAY.

4:00 – 4:15PM  Video presentation of a TAY and mini-case presentation by participant.

4:15 – 4:30pm  Wrap-Up & 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 being served by our continuums of care with an emphasis on the importance of family engagement and the healing traumatic attachment ruptures. Dr. Parkinson is also a certified Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS) evidence-based practice trainer. She currently works as a child/family consultant to Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the Bay Area and Pamela has worked in level 14 residential, Non Public School (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 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.