Workshops for Residential, Foster Care, Juvenile Justice, and All Other Professionals Who Work with At-Risk Children, Youth & Families
Online and In-Person Workshops
Listed below is our most popular workshop. This training can be presented in 2 to 21 hours to any number of participants. A 45-page handout is emailed ahead of time to be duplicated for the attendees.
“No Such Thing As a Bad Kid!”
Understanding and Responding to Children, Youth, and Families Struggling with Emotional and Behavioral Challenges Using a Positive, Trauma-Informed, Strength-Based Approach
Workshop Description:
Strength-based practice is an emerging approach to guiding at-risk children, youth and families that is exceptionally positive and inspiring. Its focus is on strength-building rather than flaw-fixing. It begins with the belief that every individual has or can develop strengths and utilize past successes to mitigate problem behavior and enhance functioning. This presentation will highlight many of the key principles and techniques of this transforming modality.
Areas covered include: What is strength-based practice & the power of a positive attitude & culture; the effects of trauma and positive emotions on the brain; how and why to create trauma-informed treatment environments; changing negative mindsets and the deleterious effects of pejorative labeling; strength-based communication principles and techniques – including reframing, using solution-focused questions, positive-predicting, the millimeter acknowledgement, and inspirational metaphors; self-esteem building & activities for at-risk children and youth; how to help cognitively inflexible young people; the importance of being family-friendly; why, how, and when to use incentives; the importance of controlling personal emotions (i.e. managing number one first); core strength-based verbal interventions including de-escalation techniques; respectful, relationship-based limit setting; and a host of creative cognitive behavioral strategies.
A/V requirements: LCD and screen, TV/VCR, and flip-chart. For groups of 50 or more, a lavaliere microphone is requested.
Fee: Negotiable, based on location, time of year, the number of attendees, training content, the number of training hours and days, required preparation time.
CEUs: Charlie is able to offer CEUS through a colleague in Maryland. Cost is $15/person.
Charlie is able to customize a workshop to meet a program’s needs. Many of the topic areas listed above can be weaved into a 90 minute or 2-hour workshop. Popular two-hour workshops:
- Use the Force, Luke!
Managing Number One and Staying Motivated to Make a Difference- Working day after day with kids struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges elicits difficult feelings that can compromise a professional’s performance. This presentation examines the major triggers and provides strategies for self-management that keep enthusiasm alive. Focal points include: how to respond instead of react when personalizing difficult interactions, the need to check personal baggage at the door, the pivotal role of support and how to “Do your job” when it is lacking, understanding and mitigating staff “splitting” and staying cohesive, and a new, uplifting definition for success in working with at-risk populations.
- Spock Talk!
What Every Youth Care Professional Should Know About Developmental Psychology - “You Can’t Do It, Yet, Michael!”
Strength-Based Communication Strategies that Help Professionals Engage, Motivate, & Inspire At-Risk Kids
Charlie also conducts workshops on effective, strength-based supervision & leadership – as well as his two- or three-day Train The Trainer Seminar.
Learning Objectives:
Attending this continuing education activity, participants will be able to:
- Describe the major principles of a strength-based approach to working with at-risk children and youth.
- Discuss the importance of personal self-awareness and self-management in working with at-risk children, youth, and families.
- Cite specific strength-based verbal interventions that help professionals engage and motivate at-risk children, youth, and families
- Develop individualized behavioral support strategies that help children learn to self-manage.
- Discuss innovative strategies for enhancing self-esteem in at-risk youth.
- Describe at least two specific cognitive-behavioral techniques that can help at-risk children, youth, and their parents to better self-manage their actions.
Bibliography:
Achor, S. The Happiness Advantage. New York, NY. Crown Press. 2010
Appelstein, C. No Such Thing As a Bad Kid: Understanding and Responding to the Challenging Behavior of Troubled Children and Youth. Weston, MA. Gifford School, 1998
Appelstein, C. The Gus Chronicles I: Reflections From An Abused Kid. Salem, NH. Appelstein Training Resources, 1999
Bertolino, R. Therapy with Troubled Teenagers. New York, NY. Wiley and Sons, 1999
Gladwell, M. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York, NY Little, Brown, and Company, 2008
Glasser, W. Choice Theory. New York, NY. Harper Collins, 1999
Greene, R. The Explosive Child. New York, NY. Harper Collins, 1998
Lavoie, R., It’s So Much Work to Be Your Friend. New York, NY. Simon and Schuster, 2005
Saks, O. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. New York, NY. 2007, Alfred A. Knopf; London: Picador