This workshop is designed to provide child welfare professionals with a brief review of substance abuse and chemical dependency dynamics. The participant will also gain a better understanding of the substances themselves and the current trends of use among youth. In addition, this presentation will provide skills to be able to perform an assessment, understand the process of recovery and gain some knowledge of techniques used in the field. This workshop will utilize small and large group discussions, exercises, pre and post tests, and visual displays.

This class will assist the DHS and private agency field workers to understand human trafficking, identifying human trafficking victims, understanding victim trauma, and clarifying the basic aspects of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.

We are pleased to offer an opportunity to receive advanced training in appellate advocacy. The training will feature appellate briefing and oral advocacy components. Six to eight weeks prior to the training, participants will submit briefs that they have filed in actual cases (appellate cases must be closed). Appellate experts will review the briefs and provide individualized critique at the training. Additionally, upon registering, we will send participants a case “record” that will be used to prepare a mock oral argument. At the training, participants will present a mock oral argument in front of presiding Court of Appeals judges. The judges will provide feedback on participants’ oral advocacy. This advanced training is designed to provide participants with the tangible skills necessary to improve their appellate advocacy.

The challenges facing parents and children of adoptive families can often result in tremendous stress. This stress can be expressed through destructive acting out behavior, resulting in fractured family relationships. This can lead to more acting out for both child and adult, creating a vicious negative cycle. This cycle can lead to a sense of hopelessness. In this course, participants will learn how to assist families in accessing their innate health through understanding concepts related to trauma, attachment, and the power of thought. Concrete strategies will be taught to support solid family relationships based on neurobiology, mindfulness principles, self regulation, and trauma-informed attachment parenting

This conference offers the child welfare bench and bar with an opportunity to learn the latest in child welfare law from the perspectives of both the practitioner and jurist. The morning portion of this conference will feature a workshop on trauma informed practice specifically designed for legal professionals. Clinicians from the Childhood Trauma Assessment Clinic (CTAC) and University of Michigan clinical professor Frank Vandervort will provide the audience with information about child trauma that will prove useful to advocates and decision-makers alike. The presentation will also address how issues surrounding the caregiver’s own trauma history can inform decisions regarding a child’s placement. The conference also features a legal update covering recent changes in child welfare law. Finally, the afternoon session is designed to put child welfare practice “into motion.” A panel comprised of a juvenile court judge, parent attorney, lawyer guardian ad litem, and prosecutor will provide realistic practice tips and decision-making points on the most under-utilized and misused motions in a child welfare case. Using audience response technology, audience members will have the opportunity to rule on sample motions from hypothetical case scenarios. This is sure to be an engaging, yet practical, presentation that will inspire consistent motion practice in child welfare cases.

This free webinar is brought to you by the Children’s Bureau, National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC), andNational Resource Center for Youth Development (NRCYD) as part of National Foster Care Month.

The experience that children and families have before, during, and after adoption impact how they approach treatment. Professionals who want to maximize theri effectiveness with adoptive families need to have an understanding of the complexity of the adoption experience for children and families they are working with.

This course will provide practical information on how child welfare workers can better understand trauma in the families they serve and how to apply this knowledge to the work that they do. Particular emphasis will be on how to provide interventions that protect children and are trauma sensitive. Training will also include information on secondary trauma, including what symptoms to look for and how to address its effects. This workshop will utilize group discussion, case examples, and visual displays.

The morning portion of this full-day training will feature tips on creative case planning and how to tailor services to address deficits identified in the federal Child and Family Services Review. The afternoon portion of the training will help caseworkers develop and expand their courtroom presentations and ability to testify. The training will focus on the roles and responsibilities of adoption, foster care, and protective services workers as they relate to court proceedings. The training will cover the importance of being prepared, as well as how preparedness improves courtroom performance. Attendees will learn about the various court hearings that occur during the life of a child welfare case. Finally, the presenter will discuss in specific detail the do’s and don’ts of testifying in court-from courtroom demeanor to the more substantive elements of effective testimony. The training also will include mock trial practice opportunities

The State Court Administrative Office, Child Welfare Services Division, and the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect are sponsoring the 9th Annual Child Welfare Issues Conference. This two day event is available to 500 cross disciplinary child welfare professionals from around the state.

These child welfare training sessions are offered free of charge for DHS CPS, foster care and adoption workers and DHS contracted private agencies’ foster care and adoption workers on a first come, first serve basis.

Lutheran Social Services and the Department of Human Services will soon be hosting seven regional trainings across the State of Michigan. Each training will cover the Michigan Education and Training Voucher Program (ETV), the educational needs and newest education policy requirements for children and youth in care, and various college resources for Foster Youth.

The Office of Workforce Development and Training, Child Welfare Training Institute, is pleased to announce the second year of implementation of the internet based staff training program; Elevate powered by Essential Learning.

The State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) has announced their upcoming training schedule for the first half of the 2013 calendar year.

In this program, state and tribal court experts will team up to guide participants through an introduction and overview of the recently enacted Michigan Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA). This training opportunity will provide information on the historical background of the new law, clarification of certain federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) provisions and definitions, and how child welfare professionals can comply with the MIFPA. Chief Tribal Court Judge Allie Maldonado will provide historical context for the new legislation by guiding participants through historical treatment of Native American families in the United States and in Michigan. She will describe the purpose and intent of the ICWA and MIFPA. Washtenaw Circuit Court Judge Timothy Connors will discuss the legislation as one of many ongoing efforts to promote healthy relationships between state and tribal courts in Michigan and among our sister states. Annette Nickel, prosecuting attorney for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, will facilitate interactive case study exercises to put the “Act” into action. Audience members will have an opportunity to engage in a constructive dialogue about the policy and practice implications of the groundbreaking new law. This is a full day highlighting the cultural context, collaboration, and compliance when working with Native American families in the child welfare system.

The Michigan Federation for Children and Families is hosting this conference to address issues related to the special challenges of working with individuals in residential treatment settings and other specialized direct care settings.

The morning portion of this full-day training will feature tips on creative case planning and how to tailor services to address deficits identified in the federal Child and Family Services Review. The afternoon portion of the training will help caseworkers develop and expand their courtroom presentations and ability to testify. The training will focus on the roles and responsibilities of adoption, foster care, and protective services workers as they relate to court proceedings. The training will cover the importance of being prepared, as well as how preparedness improves courtroom performance. Attendees will learn about the various court hearings that occur during the life of a child welfare case. Finally, the presenter will discuss in specific detail the do’s and don’ts of testifying in court-from courtroom demeanor to the more substantive elements of effective testimony. The training also will include mock trial practice opportunities.

DHS Medical Consultant, Dr. Jeanette Scheid, in co-operation with the Child Welfare Training Institute are offering a training session on Medical Mental Health issues in the Child Welfare System.

Child welfare professionals are regularly exposed to the grief and loss that children experience. When child welfare professionals focus on others without practicing self-care, destructive behaviors can surface. Apathy, isolation, bottled up emotions and substance abuse head a long list of symptoms associated with the secondary traumatic stress disorder now labeled: Compassion Fatigue. John Micsak, founder and Clinical Director for the National Institute for Resiliency & Wellness will explore various topics including: understanding compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, stress response systems, and brain wellness. Mr. Micsak will address these topics using various techniques that are designed to engage every adult learning style. Throughout the day, the audience will participate in group building exercises, self exploration, mindfulness exercises, and numerous other learning activities.