Thursday, October 11th, 2018, 8:30am-12:00pm & 1:00pm-3:30pm, Catholic Charities, Harrisburg, PA

This workshop introduces basic principles of couples relationship assessment and treatment, integrating ideas from three leading evidence-informed models of couples treatment. These models include Imago Therapy, John Gottman’s model, and Emotionally Focused Treatment. The importance of collaboratively identifying the couple’s core negative interactional cycle is discussed, as well as identifying core relationship strengths. Basic treatment techniques for decreasing emotional reactivity, interrupting negative interactional cycles and pushing the conversation are described and demonstrated. This workshop will involve a mix of didactic, film, small group discussion, and practice.

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

1. Describe methods for assessing severity of discord and tension points
2. Describe methods for identifying couple strengths and remaining strength-focused in treatment
3. Describe strategies for interrupting negative cycles
4. Identify three major couples therapy models
5. Explain the application of common couples’ interventions
6. Identify strategies for facilitating more effective ways to communicate and express emotions

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.

Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 9:00am-4:00pm, Catholic Charities, 4800 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA

This workshop seeks to enhance providers understanding and treatment of children who are experiencing behavioral and cognitive symptoms that are causing functional impairments. While aggression will be a focus behavior of the workshop, participants will leave with an understanding of the neurobiological and physiological underpinnings of common behavioral and cognitive symptoms seen within their practice. This workshop will support providers in differentiating between child and adolescent psychopathology and stress-related responses, increasing provider sensitivity toward children’s responses to adverse experiences. Providers will have the opportunity to analyze their current clinical skills that have been efficacious in supporting children in practice while developing and practicing new clinical skills to improve treatment outcomes. The workshop will ensure a strength-based perspective through providing experiential activities for providers to formulate support plans that infuse child resiliency factors.

Learning Objectives:

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

1. Describe different types of stress and importance of understanding navigation of stress in children;
2. Discuss the neurobiological and physiological underpinnings of common child behavioral and cognitive symptoms;
3. Differentiate between psychopathology and stress-related responses;
4. Analyze current clinical tools and demonstrate new clinical tools needed to improve treatment outcomes;
5. Critique the use of evidence-informed and evidence-based practices with a given child case study;
6. Formulate support plans that demonstrate an understanding of child resiliency factors.

Trainer Biography:

Dr. Stephen DiDonato holds his Ph.D. in International Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Stephen is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Pennsylvania and holds his National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential. Stephen has clinical expertise working with children, families, and communities who have been exposed to potentially traumatic events.  Specifically, Stephen’s clinical focus has been on enhancing the adaption to the inherently complex traumatic environments that children and families face in underserved communities. Stephen as an outpatient trauma counselor and as an in-home counselor. Stephen also has a held non-clinical consultative role with the Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress at Nemours Children’s Health System where he was the training director and program manager utilizing his counseling professional skills to enhance the way that medical professionals engage with and support children and families adapting to medical traumatic stress. Stephen now holds a small private counseling practice where he specializes in trauma treatment working children and their families impacted by exposure to potentially traumatic experiences. Stephen has been trained specifically in three evidence-based treatments (1) Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), (2) Surviving Cancer Competently Intervention Program – Newly Diagnosed (SCCIP-ND), and (3) Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI).  

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.

Wednesday, 5/30/18 – Harrisburg, PA
9:00am-12pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm

Learning Goals & Objectives

1. Describe the characteristics of fragile, multi-stressed families
2. Identify the reasons services fail to help children living in fragile, multi-stressed families
3. Explain how treatment failure impacts developmental trajectories of children with SED?
4. Describe four vulnerabilities that maintain SED in multi-stressed, fragile families
5. Identify strategies for remaining strengths- based when facing chronic problems
6. Analyze family therapy sessions with fragile families done from eco-systemic perspective

Friday, January 19th, 2018, 8:30am-12:30pm, Mercer County Behavioral Health, Mercer County, PA
Thursday, May 3rd, 2018, 8:30am-12:30pm, Venango County Human Services, Franklin, PA 

Despite the well-meaning efforts of therapists, there are many children with severe emotional and behavioral problems who do not improve regardless of the treatment program in which they are enrolled.  In fact, some seem to get worse the longer they have been in treatment.  This workshop addresses how this happens, giving focus to commonly missed clues about the root psychological and contextual causes of challenging behavior.  Session videotapes and case discussions are used to highlight principles and practices that can help improve outcomes through more developmentally informed case conceptualizations and treatment.

Objectives:

1. Describe the characteristics of children with SED
2. Describe the consequences of treatment failure for children with SED
3. Identify the main reasons troubled children do not improve
4. Identify seven strategies for improving treatment outcomes

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.

Wednesday, 7/12/17 – Harrisburg, PA
9:00am-12pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm (6 Contact  Hours)

Learning Goals & Objectives

1. Describe the scope of family violence
2. Identify the red flags of neglect, abuse and intimate partner violence
3. Identify the link between coercive interactional patterns and family violence
4. Identify the differences between situational couple violence and violence associated with characterological issues
5. Identify strategies for having direct conversations with families about family violence
6. Describe the use of meaningful targeted crisis plans to prevent and/or manage crises related to family violence