Juvenile Personnel Training Program

Direct Care Workshops

For anyone working in a JPTP-eligible organization that tends to the basic needs of children, primarily in a residential setting, such as child care workers, house parents, resident managers, shelter directors, and youth guidance specialists.

Catch the Wave: Prevention and Early Intervention Skills

Cynethia Rayford, MEd
October 8, 2009 | Oklahoma City
June 15, 2010 | Tulsa
PREREQUISITES: None

Usually the thought of working with an aggressive person arouses strong emotions in each of us. We may respond with fear, anger, confusion, or a combination of emotions. How we go about addressing with a person's aggressive behavior affects our ability to successfully redirect the behavior for the moment, as well as influence how the person acts in the future. Because children and youth are highly impressionable and vulnerable, we must be extremely sensitive to the impact of our interventions and/or non-interventions. Although we are often able to understand the causes of aggression and violent behavior, few of us were taught to effectively handle such behavior. This workshop focuses on nonphysical skills such as prevention and early intervention to assist workers in appropriately de-escalating aggressive behavior without the use of physical intervention.

Objectives:

Learn a common knowledge base regarding crisis intervention
Explore effective prevention skills and techniques
Strengthen skills in the essential area of nonphysical intervention techniques
Identify a youth's stage in the Crisis WAVE
Learn the importance of managing their bodies and emotions

Managing Aggressive Behavior for Direct Care Staff

Kristal Nicholson, MA, LPC; Steven Mullen, BS, CTRS; Mitch Tindell, MEd; Matt Ferree, BA
Nov. 17-18, 200 9| Oklahoma City
Feb. 3-4, 2010 | Tulsa
June 9-10, 2010 | Oklahoma City
PREREQUISITES: None.

However; you are required to wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing, such as sweat suits and athletic shoes.
Intervening strategies are presented for use with clients in potentially explosive situations. The focus is on the worker's relationship with youth and on using verbal and nonverbal communication skills to prevent and/or reduce a crisis from becoming explosive or violent. Explore physical and nonphysical skills to work with children and youth who become physically aggressive.

Objectives:

Gain an understanding of how people behave in crises
Learn and practice how to implement prevention and early intervention skills
Develop de-escalation and physical protection skills
Recognize personal limitations and strengths

Systemic Training to Assist in the Recovery from Trauma

Jean Carpenter-Williams, MS, CYC-P and Steven Mullen, BS, CTRS
December 2-3, 2009 | Tulsa
PREREQUISITES: None

Systematic Training to Assist in the Recovery from Trauma (S.T.A.R.T.) is a trauma-informed curriculum for direct care workers and their supervisors. Learn about the basic concepts of childhood traumatic stress, exposure types, what to look and listen for, and how staff can respond to traumatic statements and behaviors. Explore what your organization can do to embed trauma-informed practices into the agency culture to help improve outcomes for the children, youth, and families served.

Objectives:

Understand the importance of an O.P.E.N. system to support a trauma-informed culture of care
Learn the definitions of trauma, and the prevalence of trauma in our society, and in our agencies
Discuss the connection of traumatic stressors to mental, psychological, and social problems of children
Discuss the importance of the role of child and youth care workers in helping young people recover from past traumatic events
Demonstrate the steps of the R.E.C.O.V.E.R. technique and demonstrate the use of the technique through role-play activity

Basic Counseling Skills for Direct Care Staff

Cynethia Rayford, MEd
December 10, 2009 | Oklahoma City
PREREQUISITES: None

Direct care workers have numerous opportunities to engage in therapeutic interventions with young people. Effective communication skills are essential in successful work with youth in care. This workshop focuses on communication skills that are necessary for basic counseling.

Objectives:

Understand the strengths-based approach and how it can be positively used in the direct care setting
Know and practice listening and reflecting skills
Refine and practice questioning skills
Explore how values influence our work with young people
Know techniques for rapport building

Keeping Professional Boundaries and Avoiding Power Struggles with Children and Youth

Frank Delano, LMSW and Jill C. Shah, LMHC
April 29, 2010 | Tulsa
PREREQUISITES: None

Building healthy and appropriate adult/child relationships is the heart and soul of the work that we do with children and youth in care. This highly interactive workshop will examine the dynamics of professional boundaries between young people and direct service workers and look at a variety of strategies for the worker to avoid unnecessary power struggles with children and youth for whom they work. Participants are encouraged to bring real-life examples from their practice to class for discussion.

Objectives:

Become more aware of how their own set of values and experiences in life can impact judgment and ability to keep good professional boundaries
Learn and practice a self reflection tool to help make better decisions regarding boundaries with children and youth
Gain a better understanding of the crisis cycle and examine how power struggles with children and youth are more likely to develop
Learn and practice a series of concrete strategies to add to their tool box of ways to better avoid power struggles with children and youth
Develop and commit to an action plan to bring back to work to improve relationships with children and youth

Turning Your Documentation Into Pictures

Barbara Pinkerton, MEd, LPC
May 4, 2010 | Oklahoma City
PREREQUISITES: None

This workshop for direct care staff will focus on the development of skills needed to document successfully. Participants will be actively learning using role-play, small group interaction, and interactive handouts to become comfortable with this process.

Objectives:

Develop an understanding of communication skills
Understand the principles of interpretation of what you see
Learn to use all your senses when working with clients
Become comfortable in turning observations into written dialog that paints pictures

Ethics for Direct Care Staff

Kristal Nicholson, MA, LPC
May 20, 2010 | Tulsa
PREREQUISITES: None

This three-hour workshop focuses and familiarizes direct care staff with the Standards for Practice of North American Association of Child and Youth Care Professionals. In 1997, the National Organization of Child Care Worker Associations, currently Association for Child and Youth Care Practice (ACYCP), completed and approved this new ethics code for North American child and youth care professionals. Since that time, this ethical code has been adopted by many state and provincial child and youth care associations in the United States and Canada. This course focuses on teaching participants the process of “doing ethics” and helping them bridge the gap between professional ethical standards and daily practice applications.

Objectives:

Develop an understanding of the Standards for Practice of North American Association for Child and Youth Care Professionals
Learn the process of making ethical decisions
Know how to bridge the gap between professional ethical standards and daily practice applications

Solving the Mystery Behind the Behavior

Toby Ellison, RN, MHA and Barbara Pinkerton, MEd, LPC
June 22, 2010 | Tulsa
PREREQUISITES: None

During this workshop, direct care staff will focus on looking beyond behavior for answers. The skill of de-escalation can only be accomplished when staff is willing to use their skills to determine the motivation for the behavior. Using interactive handouts, lecture, and role-play, participants will learn about needs, triggers, communication styles, listening skills, and the art of observation.

Objectives:

Increase knowledge of de-escalation skills
Determine your own self-control plan and recognize your triggers
Discover the pitfalls of power struggles
Be able to use skills to determine and use appropriate interventions