Attachment Theory and Evidence-Based Practice

The quality of early parent-child attachments has been shown to affect the long-term mental health of both children and parents. In recent years, there has been an emergence of evidence-based practices which use parent-child attachment as a theoretical framework to address child mental health and behavioral concerns. Examples include: Attachment Bio-Behavioral Catch-Up, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, and the Incredible Years, all of which target an array of needs, including attention difficulties, non-compliance, aggression, and trauma. This workshop will summarize the theory of parent-child attachment and link how these concepts are found in the above-mentioned evidence-based practices. In addition, we will focus on teaching some of the hands-on techniques that are essential components to the models. 

How to Choose an Evidence-Based Program that Fits Your Agency

This workshop is an open discussion with participants about how to select an Evidence-Based Model that fits your agency, target population, and community. The facilitator will lead the group through a list of questions to help them consider ways that a particular model may or may not fit their needs. Examples of evidence-based models which vary in their length; age range; area of emphasis (abuse, neglect, general parenting skills); format (group vs. home-based); cost of training; cost of materials; and fidelity monitoring/licensing costs will be provided. The group will also explore the success of various models with specific populations (low-income families, low-literacy participants, Spanish speakers, and African Americans), appropriateness of fit with current agency procedures, and being aware of other community agencies and what services they offer (to avoid gaps or redundancy).

Layering Best Practices to Help Families Thrive

The quality of early parent-child attachments has been shown to affect the long-term mental health of both children and parents. In recent years, there has been demonstrated efficacy from evidence-based practices which use parent-child attachment as a theoretical framework to address child mental health and behavioral concerns. When parents understand their child's development, have age-appropriate expectations, and are a responsive presence, this supports their children's social-emotional development. But training staff to use an evidence-based model isn’t enough to ensure positive outcomes for families. How do staff engage parents to participate? How do staff address unconscious bias and the impact of racism on their work so that they can build trusting relationships with families? How do we help parents who live with extreme stress (due to racism, poverty, and immigration status—amplified by the current pandemic and social distancing) to be in the mental frame for learning? How do we motivate parents to use the skills they learn outside of our time together? Weaving together information on best practices in implementation science, cultural humility/racial equity, secondary traumatic stress, engagement/motivation, two-generation trauma treatment, and evidence-based parent-child interventions, this workshop explores the foundational layers that support successful intervention.

Lessons from the Coached: Coaching for Fidelity

Coaching someone in an evidence-based model requires a mix of techniques to support skill development, while holding them accountable for making progress toward change. How do coaching characteristics impact time, feelings, and fidelity? What models of coaching would best meet your agency’s needs? How can supervision be positive and strengths-based, while also holding people to high standards? In this workshop, we will explore how to use coaching to help staff fulfill their potential.

Initial Engagement

This workshop explores five crucial steps (based on the research of Mary McKay) that need to occur in an initial phone contact to increase the rate of attendance at the first appointment and to engage parents so that they return after the first visit.

Introduction to Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based communication style designed to help clients identify their readiness, willingness, and ability to make meaningful change in their lives. MI can be added to other models to increase the likelihood of participants’ success and reduce attrition. In this workshop, we will examine the theory behind this client-centered approach to support our work in helping individuals resolve ambivalence and commit to action. We will discuss techniques to draw out people in order to magnify their motivations and help them become empowered to make changes to meet their own goals. The introduction will involve a number of exercises to help distinguish the practice of MI from other styles of psycho-education.

Skill Development in Motivational Interviewing

During this training, participants will continue to develop their comfort and confidence using Motivational Interviewing (MI). We will learn specific applications of MI, practice communicating the spirit of MI, and develop our capacity to use MI within our roles. Participants will develop awareness of the fundamental client language cues (change talk and sustain talk) that allow continued feedback and learning in practice. Exercises will provide opportunities to make meaningful complex reflections, evoke and amplify change talk, soften sustain talk, strengthen empathic counseling skills, and understand and practice the directive aspects of MI.

Advanced Clinical Training in Motivational Interviewing

In this training, you will receive individual feedback regarding Motivational Interviewing (MI) practice, have intensive observed practice in advanced MI skills, and update your knowledge of MI by learning about new research and developments.

Supervisor Training in Motivational Interviewing

This workshop supports supervisors in understanding the sequence of skills for acquiring Motivational Interviewing (MI) proficiency. In addition, participants will learn observational/analytic methods for evaluating MI in order to be able to give accurate feedback. Additionally, the class will include an introduction to methods for facilitating practice improvement over time.

Motivational Interviewing in Groups

Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques can be utilized in support and psycho-educational groups. Explore exercises and strategies that will help you respond to group dynamics, manage different styles and beliefs of group members, elicit group energy to change, and address group members’ righting reflex.

Community Resiliency Model

The Community Resiliency Model (CRM) trains community members to not only help themselves, but to help others within their wider social network. CRM educates individuals about the biology of trauma, stress, and resilience, as well as teaching simple biologically-based wellness skills that can stabilize the nervous system. Through CRM, individuals learn to read sensations connected to their own well-being and to expand their capacity to return to their resilient zones. CRM develops a shared understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system and how resiliency can be restored or increased by helping ourselves and others through simple wellness skills.

The Impact of Toxic Stress on Health and Your Role in Resilience

Many professionals don’t have a clear understanding of the impact of adverse childhood events (ACEs), how to mitigate the risks by building up protective factors, or how to explain to their clients how toxic stress in childhood has had a sustained impact on their physical and behavioral health. Together we will view the documentary Resilience; discuss social determinants of health (both risk and protective factors); review tools to screen for social determinants of health (including ACES, benevolent childhood events, and adult resilience); and explore the professional's role within a two-generational approach to supporting adults who experienced ACES and the children they will be/are raising using the Community Resiliency Model (CRM).