Transitional Age Youth - Thinking Differently about Transitional Age Youth and “Independence”

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW

Training Description

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 Transition Age Youth (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 kids 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

• Review the history and basics of what is meant by TAY and why we have developed programs focused on this group.
• Learn the TAY Challenges and how we are doing in our service delivery to this population.
• Identify the natural support systems in our lives that should be in place to help TAY individuate.

Agenda

10:00am – 11:30am: What is TAY?  How are we doing?  Where do we need to head in order to improve our positive outcomes?

11:30am – 11:45am: BREAK (CEUs will not be issued at this time) 

11:45am – 1:00pm: Why is the family an important support system?   What is PITH and 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!

1:00pm – 1:30pm: LUNCH (CEUs will not be issued at this time) A working lunch during the training. This is how we can end by 4:30!

1:30pm – 3:00pm: Exploring Pain in Heart Theory (PITH) and the family relational pain that all of our TAY are carrying in their hearts. 

3:00pm – 3:45pm: BREAK (CEUs will not be issued at this time)

3:45pm – 4:30pm: 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!

4:30pm: 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 who are being served by our continuums of care.  Dr. Parkinson’s emphasis is on the importance of family engagement and the healing of traumatic attachment ruptures.  Pamela 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 qualifcations for (5.5) CA 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.