Working with System Involved Youth who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors

Pamela Parkinson, Ph.D., LCSW

Training Description

Learn what a youth’s challenging behaviors are attempting to communicate! While it is necessary to understand the function of the child's behaviors (since it is a communication to us), we also need to assess and understand what this means in the context of the family relationships. This understanding will allow us to better support caregivers and teachers as they attempt to help our system involved kids to be successful in school and in the home. You do not have to be a clinician to attend since this is a training for anyone who works with kids who have challenging behaviors!

Obtain an overview of the important ingredients in creating a behavior plan and the function of the behavior that the youth is attempting to communicate. Learn what these behaviors mean in the context of school and family relationships so that we can better support caregivers and teachers as they attempt to help our kids to be successful in school, maintain a placement, be reunited with family, etc. Learn to apply theoretical principles shown to be effective, avoiding power struggles, and the basics of developing an effective plan.

Learning Objective

• Ability to assess the function of the child's behaviors from a behavioral perspective and from a Pain in the Heart (PITH) perspective that takes into account the family relationships & what this child being served in our continuum of care is trying to accomplish systemically within the family.
• Be able to identify what caregivers and teachers need to support their kids and how to develop effective behavior plans with the family and school.
• Will be able to construct an effective behavior plan utilizing the 4 essential ingredients of a proactive plan AND of a negative consequence.

Agenda 

10:00AM – 10:15AM Sign In

10:15AM – 11:45AM Section I:  The relationship between family dynamics and youth symptoms/behaviors

11:45AM – 12:00PM BREAK (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

12:00PM – 1:00PM Section II:  Power struggles and behavior theory

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

1:30PM – 2:00 PM Section III: Culture and parenting!

2:00PM – 3:00PM Small group practice to develop behavior plans

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

3:15PM – 4:15PM Reviews of some things that do not work and Q and A

4:15PM – 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. Dr. Parkinson has spent most of her career working with youth in our Continuum of Care (foster care, juvenile justice, mental health and the kids struggling in our school systems). She is a certified PCOMS evidence-based practice trainer. Pamela currently works as a child/family consultant to CBO’s in the Bay Area and 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.