| January | 1/11/2022 | Why ICWA Matters | Date: 1/11/22
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm PST
Course Description: This session will provide participants with information about the basic legal requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) and the Oregon Indian Child Welfare Act (ORICWA). We will walk through a brief history of U.S. Indian policy as it relates to Tribal children and families which sets the stage for an examination of the specific provisions of ICWA and ORICWA and will lead participants to a stronger understanding of why these laws are needed today. No knowledge of Tribal Nations, ICWA/ORICWA or experience of working with Tribal children and families is required to participate.
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| January | 1/12/2022 | Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) for Resource Parents | Date: 1/12/22 Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm PST Course Description: Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention is a 1.5 hour educational program designed to teach resource parents the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond as a resource parent. Registration
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| January | 1/12/2022 | Youth Thrive: Adolescent Development and Youth Resiliency | Date: 1/12/22 Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm PST Course Description: Based on strengths-based and positive psychology perspectives, this Youth Thrive training gives resource parents, relative resource parents and adoptive parents the concrete knowledge they need to understand young people and promote their long-term well-being. This training is designed to create an understanding of adolescent development, build empathy and remind us of what it was like as an adolescent. Registration
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| January | 1/13/2022 | Youth Transition Planning 101 | Date: 1/13/22 Time: 9:00am – 11:00am PST Course Description: Are you caring for a youth age 14 and up? This training will focus on the preparation for transitioning youth to adulthood and out of foster care utilizing various supports and services that are accessible. Registration
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| January | 1/19/2022 | Collaborative Strategies for Caregivers | Date: 1/19/22 Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm PST Course Description: Learn about the root of challenging behaviors experienced in children and begin to create new strategies toward meaningful collaboration with children and youth being cared for. Trainer: Rebekah Lawrence, Lora Phillippi Registration
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| January | 1/20/2022 | Towards a New Story (Series 1/20, 2/15, 3/31 and 4/20) | Date: 1/20/22 Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm PST Course Description: Story is a way to maintain connection with self, family, community, nation, culture, and land. Storywork educates the heart, mind, body, and spirit. Exploring and narrating our own lives allows us to model and empower those around us to embrace their own story. Through the power of story we are able to honor where we come from as we move towards the future. The practice of storywork is a tool for caregivers, professionals, and families to promote the development of a wholistic narrative for individuals and families experiencing trauma. Participants are introduced to the basic tenets of storywork and how to incorporate this Indigenous practice into assisting individuals create a healthy narrative by instructor Kevin Simmons of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. There are multiple offerings for this series – you will be registered for all four dates; we encourage participants to attend all 4 to move forward in storywork together but participants can join at anytime during the series. Registration
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| January | 1/21/2022 | The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) 101: Your Role as a Resource Parent | Date: 1/21/22 Time: 9:00am – 11:00am PST Course Description: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) will provide resource parents with further information on CSEC and serving youth in care. Youth in foster care are at a higher risk of exploitation. Participants will gain information on risk factors, signs of exploitation and strategies to support youth who may be at risk or have been exploited. Registration
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| January | 1/25/2022 | All About Me Books | Date: 1/25/22 Time: 9:00am – 11:00am PST Course Description: Marvel at the potential of the All About Me Books! These are engaging tools that help children and young adults make sense of their lives, create a snapshot of their lives at a moment in time, enhance their self-worth, and express their thoughts and feelings productively. Registration
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| January | 1/25/2022 | Trauma Informed Parenting (Two Part Series) | Date: 1/25/22 – 1/26/22 Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm PST Course Description: Join us in a two-part series about parenting children who have experienced trauma. Gain an understanding of the effects of trauma on the developing brain of children. Registration
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| January | 1/26/2022 | Youth Thrive: Social Connection and Cognitive and Social Emotional Competencies | Date: 1/26/22 Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm PST Course Description: This Youth Thrive training is intended to provide resource parents, relative resource parents and adoptive parents with an increase awareness of the importance of young people forming social connections and the knowledge needed to understand young people and promote long-term well-being. Gain a better understanding of how the relationship process is different for young people who have experienced trauma or come from challenging backgrounds. Participants will leave this training with a better understanding of how cognitive and social emotional competencies are a essential developmental task in adolescence because they lay the foundation for forming an independent identity and having a productive, responsible, and satisfying adulthood. Registration |
| January | 1/26/2022 | Facilitando Las Transiciones en el Cuidado de Crianza | Fecha: 1/26/22 Hora: 6:00pm – 9:00pm PST
Descripción del curso: En esta clase usted aprenderá como las familias de crianza pueden prepararse y hacer frente al impacto de la separación cuando los niños de crianza tienen que irse a un nuevo hogar. Va a poder reflexionar acerca de como reconocer las emociones que puede sentir cuando un niño de crianza se va. Registro
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| February | 2/1/2022 | Understanding & Supporting Foster Youth Who Identify as LGBTQIA+ | Date: 2/1/22 Time: 5:30pm – 8:30pm PST Course Description: Gain a basic understanding of what it means to be an LGBTQIA+ youth in today's society, the impacts of parental/caregiver support, and how to provide supportive and affirmative care to LGBTQIA+ youth. Registration
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| February | 2/2/2022 | Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) for Resource Parents | Date: 2/2/22 Time: 11:00am – 12:30pm PST Course Description: Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention is a 1.5 hour educational program designed to teach resource parents the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to respond as a resource parent. Registration
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| February | 2/3/2022 | Parenting Ages 0-3: High Risk Infants | Date: 2/3/22 Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm PST Course Description: Spend the day with Debbie Williams, a long-time resource parent for infants in the ODHS Child Welfare foster care system. Debbie will share their experiences and the hard-won knowledge they have gained through their work. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and hear about the many challenges that resource parents face when caring for children between birth to age three. Some example topics will include: preemies and low birth weight; genetic or developmental disorders; attachment; effects related to explore to drug, alcohol and smoking; medically fragile infants and risk factors; and self-care for resource parents. Registration
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| February | 2/8/2022 | Vicarious Trauma | Date: 2/8/22 Time: 9:00am – 11:00am PST Course Description: Learn about what it means to experience vicarious trauma, understanding and ways to address compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, by recognizing the signs, and coping with stress. Registration |
| February | 2/8/2022 | Understanding ICWA | Date: 2/8/22 Time: 5:30pm – 7:30pm PST Course Description: This session will focus on building an understanding of the intent of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and will help guide participants in understanding the differences and protections involved in an ICWA case and a non-ICWA case. Participants will also learn how to cultivate relationships with a Tribe and enhance their understanding of why cultural engagement is important for Tribal children. No knowledge of Tribal Nations, ICWA/ORICWA or experience of working with Tribal children and families is required to participate. Registration |
| February | 2/9/2022 | Talking to Young Children About Race | Date: 2/9/22 Time: 9:00am – 11:00am PST Course Description: Caregivers/parents will gain more insight about the need to discuss race and culture with young children. Gain practical ideas and tools about how to promote self-worth to help young children feel seen and acknowledged. Registration |
| February | 2/9/2022 | Youth Thrive: Adolescent Development and Youth Resiliency | Date: 2/9/22 Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm PST Course Description: Based on strengths-based and positive psychology perspectives, this Youth Thrive training gives resource parents, relative resource parents and adoptive parents the concrete knowledge they need to understand young people and promote their long-term well-being. This training is designed to create an understanding of adolescent development, build empathy and remind us of what it was like as an adolescent. Registration
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| February | 2/9/2022 | Adoption and Guardianship Assistance Training | Date: 2/9/22 Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm PST Course Description: This course is specific to currently certified ODHS Child Welfare resource families. Learn about the purpose of Adoption and Guardianship assistance, the application process, and determination of Adoption/Guardianship assistance benefits. Registration |
| February | 2/10/2022 | Overview of ODHS Child Welfare Independent Living Program (ILP) Services | Date: 2/10/22 Time: 5:30pm – 8:00pm PST Course Description: Learn about the variety of skill development options that youth in foster care can access when connected to the Independent Living Program and your role as a resource parent in advocating for youth in your care. Registration
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| 2/15/2022 | SMART Approach to Caregiver Stress | Date: 2/15/22 Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm PST Course Description: Simple and sustainable, Mindful, Accessible, Renewing; Rejuvenating Timely and Tuned. This training is built around the SMART approach to relieving stress. Resource Families face many stressors while taking care of children in their care, this training will help caregivers become mindful of relieving this stress, so they can continue to bring the best practices of care to the children who are in their care. The most effective stress relievers must be simple, meaning they're easy to do and require no special equipment, clothing, memberships, classes, or meetings. When caregivers are less stressed by using the SMART approach to relieving stress, they can experience actively bringing their mind, body and life into harmony. During this training Resource families will have an opportunity to complete a Customized Stress Relief Profile, so they can document the many skills and techniques they will learn during this training, and hopefully use in the future as they care for Oregon's most vulnerable children. Registration |
| February | 2/15/2022 | Towards a New Story (Series 3/31 and 4/20) | Date: 2/15/22 Time: 5:30pm – 7:00pm PST Course Description: Story is a way to maintain connection with self, family, community, nation, culture, and land. Storywork educates the heart, mind, body, and spirit. Exploring and narrating our own lives allows us to model and empower those around us to embrace their own story. Through the power of story we are able to honor where we come from as we move towards the future. The practice of storywork is a tool for caregivers, professionals, and families to promote the development of a wholistic narrative for individuals and families experiencing trauma. Participants are introduced to the basic tenets of storywork and how to incorporate this Indigenous practice into assisting individuals create a healthy narrative by instructor Kevin Simmons of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. There are multiple offerings for this series – you will be registered for all three remaining dates; we encourage participants to attend all to move forward in storywork together but participants can join at anytime during the series. Registration |
| February | 2/16/2022 | The Impact of Trauma on the Mind and Body | Date: 2/16/22 Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm PST Course Description: During this training, participants will learn and discuss ACE's (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and their impact on health outcomes; understanding how trauma rewires the brain; the stress responses of fight, flight, freeze or fawn; and the window of tolerance concept. Participants will also learn tips and tools for assisting children in regulating their nervous system to minimize the body's stress response. Registration
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| February | 2/17/2022 | All About Me Books | Date: 2/17/22 Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm PST Course Description: Marvel at the potential of the All About Me Books! These are engaging tools that help children and young adults make sense of their lives, create a snapshot of their lives at a moment in time, enhance their self-worth, and express their thoughts and feelings productively. Registration
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| February | 2/17/2022 | Fostering Meaningful Transitions: Grief and Loss | Date: 2/17/22 Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm PST Course Description: Learn how resource families can plan for and cushion the transition of children in their care into new placements; reflect on how to honor own emotions; and explore the role of grief and loss within the context of providing foster care. Registration
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| February | 2/22/2022 | “It's all relative" Supportive ideas for Resource Families who are also Relatives | Date: 2/22/22 Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm Course Description: More than ever, relatives and kinship families are becoming primary caregivers for children in their extended families that need a placement resource. There are many things that relative caregivers have in common, most, if not all, came into this current role with the intent of making a child's life better by parenting them during a crucial time – or maybe long term. Relative resource parents are providing them with the added benefit of it being family, while caring for them. This is a very important role that relative's step into and one that has its own challenges. This training will take a deeper look at the role of the relative resource parent, the familial impact of being a relative resource parent. It offers strategies for setting boundaries with family members, birth parents and children as well as increasing the knowledge of ways to support the emotional wellbeing of the children who are in their care. Registration |
| February | 2/23/2022 | Youth Thrive: Social Connection and Cognitive and Social Emotional Competencies | Date: 2/23/22 Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm PST Course Description: This Youth Thrive training is intended to provide resource parents, relative resource parents and adoptive parents with an increase awareness of the importance of young people forming social connections and the knowledge needed to understand young people and promote long-term well-being. Gain a better understanding of how the relationship process is different for young people who have experienced trauma or come from challenging backgrounds. Participants will leave this training with a better understanding of how cognitive and social emotional competencies are a essential developmental task in adolescence because they lay the foundation for forming an independent identity and having a productive, responsible, and satisfying adulthood. Registration |
| February | 2/24/2022 | Parents and Resource (Foster) Parents: Trauma-Informed Co-Parenting for Success | Date: 2/24/22 Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm PST Course Description: Resource Parents: Have you ever wished you could have talked to family members about how to support children in your home? You may have wondered about their favorite food or stuffed animal, sleep schedules, or school struggles. Join a panel discussion of Oregon Parents and Resource (Foster) Parents as they answer your questions and share their lived experiences of relationship building, establishing healthy communication and partnering together for trauma-informed co-parenting to best support resilience for children in care and their families. Registration
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| February | 2/24/2022 | Court Hearings: The What and the Why | Date: 2/24/222 Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm PST Course Description: As a resource parent, have you wanted to better understand the different court hearings associated with ODHS Child Welfare cases? Attend this course and learn more specifics. Note: This training will be specific to the court processes in Multnomah County – other counties may not have the same process. Registration |
| March | 3/1/2022 | Transitions to Adulthood: Caring for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | Date: 3/1/22 Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm PST Course Description: Learning about Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Individualized Education Programs, and breaking the silos of agencies to support a youth's growth and development |