Reducing Disruptive Behavior in Children by Fostering Secure Attachment and Non-Violent Communication

Thursday, June 24, 2020 & Friday, June 25, 2020
9:00am-12:00pm, Catholic Charities, Harrisburg, PA via Zoom Webconference

Participants will increase their understanding of the Secure Attachment, Insecure Attachment and Disorganized Attachment patterns and how these patterns present in children and families. By learning the principles and process of Nonviolent Communication, participants will learn how to increase self-awareness, self-empathy and empathic connection with others. Participants will practice and build effective communication skills with the intention of introducing Nonviolent Communication to clients. Through the actual practice of the Nonviolent Communication four part process participants will be able to look beneath the surface of behavior to the needs that are driving the behavior, be able to create more understanding and empathic connection between people and rebuild suboptimal attachment patterns to more safety and security.

Objectives:
As a result of attending this educational activity, participants will be able to:

Participants will be able to identify the basic components of Secure Attachment, Insecure Attachment and Disorganized Attachment.
Participants will be able to recognize the traits of each of the Attachment type.
Participants will be able to identify caregiving patterns that are likely to produce shame states and disruptive behavior children.
Participants will be able to identify the importance and benefits of Nonviolent Communication, including its application to parental self-awareness and attuning to the needs of children.
Participants will be able to describe the basic principles of Nonviolent Communication
Participants will be able to identify the importance of empathy in relationships, and be able to identify what is empathy and what is not empathy.

Instructors

Barbara Kopystecki, MA, has worked with children and families for over 20 years as a family therapist. She is currently the Director of the Family Based Program at the Penn Foundation in Sellersville, PA, where she also serves as the Director of Trauma Services. She holds a certification in Traumatic Stress Studies from the Trauma Center in Brookline, MA. Most recently, Barbara has taught workshops in Attachment and Nonviolent Communication, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), as well as conducted various trainings on topics related to trauma awareness and trauma treatment.

Lauren Verbilla, LPC has many years of experience working with families within the community, serving as director of Family Based Services at Penn Foundation for five years and owner of Lauren Verbilla Counseling, where she currently works with families struggling with anxiety or addictions that have impacted their relationships. Lauren has written and presented on issues concerning families including maintaining connection with children during difficult times, fostering resilience in adolescents and the benefits of using nonviolent communication. Lauren is passionate about helping families reconnect and enjoys seeing families grow and embrace positive change within their family systems.

Frequently Asked Questions
Visit our FBMHS Policies & FAQs for additional information regarding the CFBT online learning center, accommodations for disabilities, reporting problems with the course, instructions for viewing webinars, etc.

ASD: A spectrum of treatments for a spectrum disorder

Friday, March 27th, 2020, 8:30am-3:30pm, Catholic Charities, Harrisburg, PA

Children and adolescents on the Autism Spectrum, already at risk, become exceptionally vulnerable when the family is struggling to function, relationships are fragile and negative emotions are rampant. For caregivers to effectively parent the child or for therapists to effectively help the family with the child, actions must be grounded in an understanding of the psychology of the child on the spectrum. This workshop, therefore, provides an in-depth overview of what autism is, how it impacts social-emotional processing and emotion regulation, and the challenges this can create for the child, the siblings and the caregivers. Also identified are common negative family patterns that can exacerbate the social-emotional and behavioral problems of the child on the Spectrum. An opportunity is provided to practice identifying and changing these patterns through viewing videotapes of interviews with families and individuals on the Autism Spectrum.

Although the primary focus of this workshop is on how the family based therapist can facilitate more functional family relationships and improve parenting functions, a review of evidence based interventions currently used to support children on the Autism Spectrum will be provided. The child is likely to have an IEP at school and be involved with other service providers. This means the case management, service coordination role of the family based therapist is often critical when working with a family who has a child with a developmental disability. Opportunities are provided through case consultation to learn strategies for communicating with a child or adult on the spectrum and for helping parents adjust their expectations of the child and learn to soothe them when they escalate or become dysregulated.

Objectives:
As a result of attending this educational activity, participants will be able to:

Describe the DSM-V diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum
Explain the link between common behavioral problems and the psychology of the child on the Spectrum (cognitive rigidity, difficulty with perspective taking and emotion
processing, etc)
Identify individually focused supports and services that have evidence of being helpful to the child on the Spectrum
Identify common negative family interactional patterns that escalate and undermine the functioning of a child who is on the Spectrum
Utilize various interventions to increase a social relationship with family members on the spectrum.
Describe strategies for supporting caregivers to become more effective in de-escalating and soothing the child who is having a meltdown

Recognizing and Treating Embattled, High-Conflict Families

Wednesday, March 11th, 2020, 8:30am-12:30pm, Venango County Human Services, Franklin, PA

Embattled family systems are marked by an intense power-struggle between the caregivers, creating an emotional war zone where pressure is placed on children, extended family, friends, and professionals to choose sides. Avoiding becoming triangulated into the conflict between caregivers while maintaining a balanced therapeutic alliance, is one of the most challenging aspects of treating these families. This workshop provides an eco-systemic framework for understanding the dynamics of these families and for effectively navigating their complicated toxic interpersonal politics.

Objectives:
As a result of attending this educational activity, participants will be able to:

Describe the characteristics of embattled, high-conflict families
Recognize and disrupt triangulating interactions
Identify the impacts of chronic intense caregiver conflict on children
Identify common traps when working with high-conflict families
Describe how to structure treatment sessions with caregivers, keeping treatment child-focused

A Relational Approach to Supporting Young Children Who Are Emotionally Vulnerable

Friday, January 31st, 2020, 9:00am-12:00pm, Mercer County Behavioral Health,
Mercer County, PA

Early childhood experiences shape the architecture of the developing brain and lay the foundations of sound mental health. Disruptions to this developmental process can impair a child’s capacities for learning and for relating to others — with lifelong implications. Too often, however, emotionally vulnerable children are not identified and are misunderstood. They do not receive the developmentally-informed intervention and support they and their families need. This workshop identifies what to look for as signs of emotional vulnerability and/or resilience in young children, as well as signs of problems in the parent-child attachment relationship. Parent-child interactions are identified that support the building of emotional competence and those that can undermine it. Implications for interventions are provided.

Objectives
As a result of attending this training, participants will be able to:

Describe an infant/early childhood mental health perspective for understanding young children’s behavior
Identify signs that a young child is emotionally vulnerable and needs extra support
Describe the role of parent-child attachment in emotional development
Identify fragile parent-child relationships and strategies for strengthening them

Introduction to Addictive Behaviors

Wednesday November 6, 2019, 9:00am-12:00pm & 1:00pm-4:00pm
Catholic Charities, Harrisburg, PA

This workshop will provide an overview of the foundational concepts of addictions. In this workshop, participants will analyze the relationship between trauma, high-risk behaviors and addictions. Participants will learn to define addiction. Behavioral warning signs and subsequent symptoms will be explored. Participants will survey current substance and behavioral addictions as determined by the DSM V. This survey will include substance abuse, sexual addiction, food addiction, and gambling. Course will explore differences and similarities, current trends, and evidence-based practices used in treatment. Participants will utilize knowledge throughout workshop to review a case study.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of the workshop, participants should be able to:

Analyze the relationship between trauma, high-risk behaviors and addictions.
Define addition and describe the difference between substance and behavioral “process” addictions.
Describe different behavioral warning signs of addictions.
Discuss the current prevalence of various addictions.
Demonstrate use of skills that will be helpful in developing evidenced based treatment interventions.
Utilized information presented to identify warning signs of addiction, links to trauma and treatment possibilities for a case study

Dr. Nicole G. Johnson, has over 18 years of experience working in the behavioral health care system in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. Dr. Nicole has earned a Bachelors’ degree in Psychology, Masters of Education degree in Counseling Psychology (Temple University) and a Doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision (Regent University). She has also earned a certificate in Spiritual and Faith Based Counseling.

Dr. Johnson is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Certified Co-Occurring Disorder Professional Diplomate and holds a counseling competency in Problem Gambling. Nicole is also a Certified Prepare/Enrich Premarital & Marital Counselor. Nicole is a certified trainer in Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) for the State of Pennsylvania Bureau of Autism Services. Finally, Nicole is a Certified Master Trainer for QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Curriculum, and a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor for both the Youth, Adult, Public Service and Higher Education Curricula.

Currently, she serves as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Clinical Development in the Community and Trauma Counseling Program at Thomas Jefferson University. She is also the President (2019-2020) of the Greater Philadelphia Area Counseling Association (GPACA), a division of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association. Nicole owns NGJohnson Counseling & Consulting LLC, a firm which trains, consults with Community and Faith Based Organization across several states and provides clinical supervision for professionals preparing to obtain their license as a professional counselor in Pennsylvania.

Frequently Asked Questions

Visit our FBMHS Policies & FAQs for additional information regarding the CFBT online learning center, accommodations for disabilities, reporting problems with the course, instructions for viewing webinars, etc.