Attend these webinars to learn about trauma-informed practices and motivational interviewing with youth while earning CRC credits!
Applying Trauma-Informed Practices to Work with Youth in the VR Setting
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2019.
Time: 2:00PM – 3:30PM EST
Speaker: Adene Karhan, LCSW
Over the past twenty years, research in the areas of neuroscience, epigenetics, and the long-term impact of adversity and stress have revealed that exposure to trauma, violence, and adverse experiences affects the health and well-being of individuals and communities at staggering levels across a wide variety of domains. Trauma has become a nationally recognized public health problem.
This webinar will provide an overview of the various types of trauma that individuals accessing VR services may have experienced, including acute trauma, complex trauma, and historical trauma.
Participants will learn about the potential lifelong impact of trauma and adversity on individuals, as revealed by the groundbreaking ACEs study and other evidence-based research. This background information will provide the context for discussing the national trend toward integrating trauma-informed practices into all service sectors as a universal approach to service delivery. Specific strategies will be provided for incorporating trauma-informed principles into VR counseling with youth and young adults in order to improve the quality of services, to increase feelings of safety for all, and to achieve more successful employment outcomes for young people referred for vocational rehabilitation.
Motivational Interviewing with Youth in the VR Setting
Date: Thursday, August 8, 2019
Time: 2:00PM – 3:30PM EST
Speaker: Adene Karhan, LCSW
Within the field of psychology, researchers assert that the developmental stage of adolescence now lasts approximately 15 years, which is twice as long as it was in the 1950’s. Neuroimaging technology has revealed that the part of the brain responsible for executive functioning skills does not fully develop until the mid-20’s in many youth. In addition, over the last several decades, there has been a trend for youth to delay the transition to adulthood roles such as obtaining employment and becoming financially independent. Given these demographic and social trends and the increased federal mandates to support youth with disabilities in transitioning to adulthood, it is beneficial for VR counselors to possess skills for relating to adolescents and young adults, who historically show low levels of engagement in supportive services within the community.
This webinar will provide an overview of adolescent development and the match between adolescent needs and motivational interviewing techniques. An overview will be provided of Miller and Rollnick’s MI process and accompanying techniques, including the OARS communication skills, the EPE method, strategies for developing discrepancy and agenda-setting, and how to roll with resistance. Throughout the workshop, tips will be provided for adapting traditional MI skills to meet the unique needs of adolescence. Additionally, this workshop will highlight VR themes that lend themselves well to the MI approach and a crosswalk between the traditional VR approach and the MI model.
This webinar series is designed for Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, school personnel, community-based organizations, and other youth service professionals working with transition-age youth.
Y-TAC is a national technical assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (Award # H264H150006), and housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership.
For more information or assistance with registration contact Jessica Fuentes-Diaz at fuentesdiazj@iel.org.