Series Description: Youth who are dually diagnosed and supported in foster care not only experience the trauma associated with being placed outside of their community, but also have the potential to be misunderstood and not appropriately cared for due to their unique needs. This lunchbox series will cover best and promising practices when working with individuals with I/DD and/or neurodivergence in the foster care system.
Modality: This series consist of four trainings. Each webinar will be a 1-hour lecture. These webinars will be a live virtual training via zoom video conferencing platform.
Registration: Registration is free, but participants must pre-register for this training. We will confirm your registration by email.
Target Audience: Providers and foster care parents who serve or have the capacity to serve children with complex needs.
All training sessions will occur from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
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Inclement Weather Policy:
Any announcements regarding changes to the schedule due to inclement weather will be posted on https://bhs.unc.edu. Registered participants will also be notified by email.
ADA Statement:
Registrants requiring any of the auxiliary aids or services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act to participate in our training programs, please contact us by email at bhs-support@unc.edu or by phone at (919) 445-0990 after completing registration to ensure we have enough time to secure the requested services.
Contact for Questions:
For questions, further information, or concerns, contact bhs-support@unc.edu
Or call (919) 445-0990
Confirmation Notices and Certificates of Completion:
Immediately after the training concludes participants will receive an email notifying them of the process and the manner, they will gain access to the evaluation and the certificate of completion for the training. The Certificate of Completion email will go within 5 business days after the training concludes to participants who met the time requirement listed in the continuing education policy based on the length of the training.
Dual Diagnosis Lunchbox Series: Considerations when Supporting Youth with Complex Needs in Foster Care Fall 2022
Trauma Informed Care Using a Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Approach When Working with Youth in Foster Care who have ID and Mental Health Conditions
Will be held live on 09/13/2022 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Speaker: Lara Palay
Description
In this session we will explore the needs of dually diagnosed youth in foster care from a trauma-informed perspective. This population of youth can be vulnerable to a unique constellation of traumas and stressors, creating challenges for the foster home environment. A bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to assessment and support takes a rounded view of the whole child, and addresses needs with this framework in mind. We will discuss how multidisciplinary teams can help build a bio-psycho-social-spiritual support network. We will also use vignettes using common foster care situations to implement bio-psycho-social-spiritual interventions and approaches.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Define the Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual approach and its importance when working with youth in foster care who have MH & I/DD.
- Explain the best and promising practices when working with dually diagnosed youth, and its implications on the foster care home.
- Examine scenarios using the Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual approach and best practices when serving youth in foster care who have MH & I/DD.
Description
Experiencing crisis is part of being human, but some youth in foster care are particularly susceptible to crisis and dual diagnoses can compound this. Traumatic stress increases the likelihood that crises will occur. We will look at the elements of crisis, and special considerations for dually diagnosed youth. Along with some basic crisis intervention techniques, we’ll explore how crisis can be opportunities for growth, and how foster settings can encourage coping and resilience. We’ll cover what evidence-based approaches can be helpful to support someone during and after a crisis has occurred.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Describe the important elements of post crisis support, including resource identification and accessing strengths.
- Identify common drivers of complex behavioral presentations in IDD
- List strategies to mitigate crisis.
- Planning for ongoing supports
Description
For youth in foster care transitioning into adulthood is challenging. Addressing cultural considerations in tandem with highly coordinated person centered, cross-system transition planning offers youth the opportunity to engage in committed, stable relationships in the community of their choosing and access to not only culturally responsive services and supports, but those services and supports that can be responsive their constellation of needs. This session will review the risk factors of transition aged youth who have co-occurring I/DD and mental health diagnoses who are in foster care and offer strategies to successfully supporting youth as they move into adulthood, while honoring individual and cultural considerations by engaging in trastion practices that are strength based, person-driven, and highly integrated.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Identify the importance of culture and its impact on the I/DD population.
- Describe the risk factors of transition aged youth who have MH & I/DD.
- Apply strategies to assist transition age youth move into adulthood successfully, while also taking into consideration cultural implications of I/DD.
How to Support Foster and Biological Families with Youth who have a Dual Diagnosis and are Supported in Foster Care
Will be held live on 04/04/2023 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Speaker: Brian Tallant
Description
Youth with IDD and co-occurring mental health issues are at high risk for out-of-home placement. Child welfare is often the system responsible for seeking therapeutic foster placements for these children, posing unique stressors and challenges for the youth, their biological families and foster care providers. This presentation will focus on how clinicians can support youth with IDD/DD and their foster care providers and family members through advocacy, education, and coordination of care. This presentation will demonstrate how the clinician can promote resilience within the family system, including biological parents and foster providers, through adapted family therapy and a collaborative approach to engagement and communication
Learning Objectives - Participants will be able to:
- Describe the challenges faced by foster care providers and biological family members in working together.
- Illustrate the importance of biological and foster family collaboration in supporting youth with MH & ID who are supported in foster care.
- Develop a collaborative plan with the biological and foster care families, to support effective communication.
Children with Complex Need Didactic Series
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6642. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Each successfully completed webinar qualifies for 1 contact hour.
This course has been submitted the North Carolina Addiction Specialist Professional Practice Board for 1 contact hour.


