TRAININGS

FOSTER FAMILY INITIAL TRAINING

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This is a twelve-unit training series, developed to provide the training, education, and skills needed to become a "Treatment Foster Parent".  As a training participant, you learn the skills needed to effectively nurture, support and redirect the youth placed in your home. Experienced Foster Parent Trainers provide a curriculum which is based on Professional Parenting, Trauma-Informed Care, Conflict Resolution, and Crisis Intervention.   The training follows the Pressley Ridge curriculum and will:

 

• Review and explain the expectations of “Professional Parents”

• Explore the roles of all treatment team members​

• Reinforce "core" positive parenting skills and provide a “parenting tool kit” to respond to challenging behaviors

• Focus on self-awareness and self-management to help all parents be mindful of their own attitudes and behavior as they seek to help youth with theirs

• Emphasize the importance of forming deep meaningful, trusting relationships with the youth; provide tips and techniques for building attachments

• Build the ability to empathize to accurately read and respond to a child's feelings

• Review effective communication skills

• Promote the understanding the nature of true 'discipline' as an internalized set of principles that guide behavior rather than as a set of external punishment procedures

 

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

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After you are approved as treatment foster parents, you will attend training sessions to expand your resources and knowledge.

 

Monthly training may cover topics such as but not limited to:

• Medication management

• Mental health diagnoses

• Communication skills

• Behavior modification techniques

 

These are also great opportunities to interact with other foster families in your area!