Emotionally and Behaviorally Troubled Adolescents

Level: Advanced Practice – Lineworker & Foster Parents

Credits: 6

Intended Audience: This training is intended for all child welfare professionals and foster parents who work with adolescent youth in child welfare placements

Description of Course: This course will address the wide range of challenging issues related to adolescents in child welfare placements and what both the foster parent and social worker can do to partner with each other and the adolescent to address them. The training will utilize small and large group activities and discussion, video presentations and didactic lecture modalities.

Intended Objectives:

• Addressing the foundational issues involved with working with adolescents in the foster care system including Permanency and Loss, Attachment and Trauma / Abuse History
• Understanding the complexity of the emotional and behavioral issues related to working with adolescents in placement
• Recognizing chemical dependency, suicidal issues, sexual acting out, mental health issues and other challenging behaviors and strategies to address them
• Understanding mandatory reporting laws as they apply to adolescent violent behavior, sexually acting out and sexually exploitive incidents
• Developing skills to assist in providing effective and supportive aid to transitional and emancipating youth

Topics Include:

• Angry and confrontational teens and de-escalation skills
• Foster youth career planning and school attendance, motivation and achievement issues
• Assessing and intervening with adolescents relative to mental health, physical health, substance use / abuse issues, unhealthy sexual behaviors and suicidal ideation / behavior
• Emotional, Behavioral issues related to emancipation / Non-Minor Dependency (AB12)
• Preparation, conducting and participation in an Emancipation Planning Conference