Lowery Training Associates provides workshops
for caseworkers, counselors, and foster and adoptive parents. All of our
programs are based on sound clinical theory and presented in an upbeat, imaginative, and relevant format that trainees really
enjoy. Course evaluations consistently reflect great satisfaction with these programs.
Lowery Training Associates is an approved Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OCWTP) provider
of Caseworker, Foster & Adoptive Parent Training. We are also approved for
social work (#RSX080301) and
counselor (#RCX110602) continuing professional education CPE’s, through the State of Ohio Counselor,
Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board. Social workers and counselors
who attend these sessions will be awarded CPE's and a certificate of attendance.
Please review our course offerings and brief descriptions below.
We would be delighted to send you a detailed course description for any of our programs, including:
· Complete course
outline
· Learning objectives
· Competencies
If you have a need for one or more specialized courses that you do not see here, feel free to
contact us. We are always interested in developing new courses and materials
to further enhance the educational development of both child welfare workers, foster and adoptive parents.
Caseworker,
Specialized, and Related Workshops
Verbal De-escalation in Child
Welfare
Substance Abuse, Chemical
Dependency and Kids
Educational Advocacy: Improving
Outcomes for Children in Out-of-Home Care
Advancing Sexual Safety and
Promoting Healing with Abused Children
Navigating the Whitewater
of Reunification: Primary Family, Agency and Caregiver Collaboration
Understanding and Assessing
Risk and Behavior in Adolescents
Acting Your Way into Better
Thinking: Reinforcement Theory into Action
Casework Interviewing, Problem
Solving and Crisis Intervention
Real World Case Plans for
the Emancipating Adolescent
Bleeding Heart or Purple Heart:
Assessing Parenting Styles and Basic Parenting Education
Reality Therapy and Other Cognitive Approaches to Counseling
Don't Talk...Don't Trust...Don't Feel: Growing Up with an Addicted Parent
Foster
and Adoptive Parent Ongoing Workshops
Behavior Management I – Managing
Surface Behaviors with Acting-Out Children
Behavior Management II - Techniques of Avoiding
and De-escalating Physical Crisis Situations
Attachment, Separation and Loss in Foster Care
“Don’t
Talk…Don’t Trust…Don’t Feel”…Growing Up with an Addicted Parent
Substance Abuse, Chemical
Dependency & Kids
Opening the Door to Independent Living – Overview –
Part 1
Navigating the Path to Independent Living – Process – Part 2
Educational Advocacy:
Helping Your Foster Child Succeed in School
Culture and Diversity
Issues in Foster Care
Advancing Sexual
Safety and Promoting Healing in Foster Care
Fostering Physical and
Emotional Health in the Caregiver
Managing the Whitewater
of Reunification: Primary Family, Agency and Foster Parent Collaboration
"Holy Chaos, Batman!":
Addressing Risk and Behaviors in Adolescents
Bleeding Heart or Purple
Heart: Parenting Today's Troubled Youth
Hands
On Behavior Management for Younger and Developmentally Delayed Children
"Do You Feel Me?": Talking,
Listening and Problem Solving with Your Foster Child
Beyond Time-Out: Managing
the Behavior of Maltreated Pre-school Age Children
Peek-a-Boos and Terrible
Twos: Managing Behavior of Maltreated Infants and Toddlers
Caregiver Toolkit: Using
Reality Therapy with Foster Children
“You Can’t Make Me”: Managing Behavior of Maltreated
School Age Children
The Emotional & Behavioral Sequel to Maltreatment
Verbal De-escalation in Child Welfare
OCWTP Foster Care Fundamentals Offerings
Understanding and Building
Attachment (F13 - 6 Hours)
Primary Family to Foster
Family (F-15 - 6 Hours)
Foster Families and
How They Grow: Understanding the Effects of Fostering (F16 - 6 Hours)
Foster and Adoptive Parent
Pre-Service Training
- Orientation and Overview of Foster Care, Adoption and Kinship Care
- Teambuilding
- Child Development and the Impact of Abuse & Neglect
- Attachment and Separation
- Discipline
- Preventing and De-escalating Crisis
- Cultural Issues in Placement
- Working with Primary Families
- Effects of Caregiving on the Family
- Caring for Children Who Have Been Sexually Abused
- Permanency Issues for Children
- Permanency Issues for Families
- Preparing Adolescents for Independent Living
- Educational Advocacy
Verbal De-escalation in Child Welfare
(Caseworker Workshop)
This class will review the skills of active listening, non-violent communication and
verbal de-escalation. Levels of crisis development and the conflict cycle are
discussed, emphasizing appropriate staff response. Trainees will participate
in exercises and demonstrations concerning proxemics, body posture and motion.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Substance Abuse, Chemical Dependency and Kids
(Caseworker Workshop)
Drug and alcohol abuse takes an enormous toll on families. It may be a factor in two-thirds of all substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. This class will give staff an understanding of substance abuse and chemical dependency and how it affects
the family. Through case studies, we will examine risk and protective factors
determining the appropriateness of child removal or reunification.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Educational Advocacy: Improving Outcomes for Children in Out-of-Home Care
(Caseworker Workshop)
One of the best ways case workers can help to improve educational outcomes for at risk
youth is to know the facts, to identify roadblocks that may hamper educational success, and to make a plan. This class will provide caseworkers a skill building model to use with biological or substitute parents
in improving educational outcomes for their children. This course also examines
special education for children with disabilities, and serves as a basic introduction to Surrogate Parenting.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Advancing Sexual Safety and Promoting Healing in Children Services
(Caseworker Workshop)
This workshop is designed for professionals interested in developing their knowledge
in addressing the special needs of their children who have been sexually abused. Special
emphasis will be devoted to creating an environment of safety, developing a sexual safety plan and talking with children who
have been abused.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Navigating the Whitewater of Reunification: Primary Family, Agency and Caregiver Collaboration
(Caseworker Workshop)
Historically, children service agencies have aligned themselves with children to protect
them from their parents. Yet, in doing so, they jeopardize the connection between parents and their children, which undermine
efforts to preserve or rebuild birth families. This class will examine the complex dynamics facing principal actors before,
during and after placement. Emphasizing the advantages of safe reunification of children with birth families, this training
will develop a framework for shared parenting, including promoting and building the “parent - foster parent team.”
Further, it will explore the relationships between foster parents and agency staff, and potential organizational and value
conflicts that may obstruct therapeutic parenting and case management of children.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Understanding and Assessing Risk and Behavior in Adolescents
(Caseworker Workshop)
This class reviews the fundamentals of behavioral assessment in adolescents within
the context of their physical, cognitive and psycho-social development. It will
explore issues related to family and culture and their effect on behavior. Further,
it explores the behavioral manifestations of common adolescent emotional problems, including depression, eating disorders
and cutting and suggests various treatment options available.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Acting Your Way into Better Thinking: Reinforcement Theory into Action
(Caseworker Workshop)
Understanding the concepts of social learning theory and utilizing it’s principles
to effect behavior change may be two entirely different matters. This class will
review reinforcement theory and offer workable models to put it into practice. Those attending will learn how to perform a
functional analysis of child behavior recognizing the various drivers within the social ecology. Behavior management approaches, including token economies & behavior contracts will be explored.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Casework Interviewing, Problem Solving and Crisis Intervention
(Caseworker Workshop)
Acknowledging the many challenges of caseworker interviewing, this class will present
several effective interviewing techniques, including motivational interviewing, and offer strategies to help families resolve
their unique problems. Also, this workshop will examine the dynamics of crisis
and offer suggestions for crisis counseling, verbal de-escalation and stress management.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Real World Case Plans: For the Emancipating Adolescent
(Caseworker Workshop)
This class will examine effective case planning for troubled adolescents. The essentials of various data collection strategies, including assessment measures and strength focused
interviewing will be reviewed. Suggestions on practical and effective case plan
development will be shared. Finally, tools for assessing adolescent readiness
for independent living and strategies to assist them will be explored.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Bleeding Heart or Purple Heart: Assessing Parenting Styles and Basic Parenting Education
(Caseworker Workshop)
This workshop explores models of effective parenting including STEP, PET & Behavior
Modification. Special emphasis will be given to assessing parenting styles and applying discipline strategies and parenting
techniques appropriate to the child’s developmental level and individual needs. Concrete strategies will be shared on
how to help parents tackle the many challenges of parenting today’s troubled youth.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Reality Therapy & Other Cognitive Approaches to Counseling
(Caseworker Workshop)
This class reviews the fundamentals of Reality Therapy and it’s applications
in child and family services. Strategies for creating as strength focused environment
of alignment and engagement with clients will be shared. Finally, the efficacy
of assertive individual and family communication and behavior will be explored.
Return to Caseworker Workshop List
Behavior Management I – Managing Surface Behaviors with Acting-Out Children
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This program explores pre-placement dynamics and how those influences behavior. It
also gives substitute caregivers a model for structuring a supportive and therapeutic setting for behaviorally challenged
children. Further, it reviews fundamental social learning theory; and finally examines ten tried and true techniques for handling
surface behaviors.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Behavior Management II – Verbal De-Escalation
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This class will examine how pre-placement experiences and current stressors may affect
a foster child’s behavior. The skills of active listening, non-violent
communication and de-escalation will be reviewed. Levels of crisis development
and the conflict cycle are discussed, emphasizing appropriate foster parent response.
Trainees will participate in exercises and demonstrations concerning personal space, body posture, and motion.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Attachment, Separation and Loss in Foster Care
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This class introduces foster parents to the concept of attachment and the biological
bond. Separation will be addressed by reviewing the five stages of grief vis-à-vis a foster care placement. Strategies for helping insufficiently attached and grieving children are reviewed.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
“Don’t Talk…Don’t Trust…Don’t Feel”…Growing Up with an Addicted Parent
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This class will
give trainees an understanding of the dynamics of growing up in a home where one of the primary caregivers is abusing substances
or is addicted. We will examine roles children take on to meet their needs, bring balance to their family and how those roles
may transfer into the foster home. Foster caregivers will be armed with tools & strategies to support these children during
out of-home placement and upon return.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Substance Abuse, Chemical Dependency & Kids
(Foster Parent Workshop)
Drug and alcohol abuse takes an enormous toll on families. It may be a factor in two-thirds of all substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. This class will give trainees an understanding of substance abuse and chemical dependency and how it affects
the family. We will also examine factors related to special risk for substance
abuse, and review methods of prevention and treatment.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Opening the Door to Independent Living – Overview –
Part 1
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This workshop will introduce caregivers to the many challenges that adolescents face
when leaving foster care, and moving toward independent living. After a review
of adolescent physical, cognitive and psycho-social development, this class will identify some of the major blocks & barriers
that youth face upon emancipation and strategies caregivers can use to help them along this journey.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Navigating the Path to Independent Living – Process – Part 2
(Foster Parent Training)
This class is designed to systematically walk foster parents through the process of
preparing their foster youth for independent living. A very practical & helpful assessment is introduced which will help caregivers and their youth develop
a roadmap document,
which will set goals and objectives leading to successful emancipation. A model contract will be shared which will help all parties
involved make a commitment to follow through with the plan.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Educational Advocacy: Helping Your Foster Child Succeed in School
(Foster Parent Workshop)
As surely as you are your children’s most important teachers, your children’s
ideas about education and its significance begin with you. Therefore, foster parents have a responsibility to participate
actively in your children’s education. This class will offer caregivers
an opportunity to enhance their own skills to assist children with their academic achievement. This course serves as a basic
introduction to Surrogate Parenting.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Culture and Diversity Issues in Foster Care
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This class begins by introducing caregivers to the concept of cultural sensitivity
and moves them toward improving their ability to understand and work with people from different backgrounds. This is done by examining our own values and codes of conduct, making an effort to learn more about other
cultures and people, and by talking to our foster children about these issues. By
the end of the session, caregivers should begin to have a greater appreciation for the unique opportunities and blessings
inherent in a diverse foster family experience.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Advancing Sexual Safety and Promoting Healing in Foster Care
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This workshop is designed for foster families who need to develop their knowledge and
parenting skills to address the special needs of children who have been sexually abused.
Since sexual abuse is the ultimate betrayal of the parent-child relationship, the primary resource available to these
victimized children is understanding and committed families who can prove to them that families can be trusted and nurturing.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Fostering Physical and Emotional Health in the Caregiver
(Foster Parent Workshop)
“You’re in time-out!” This workshop explores the value of foster
parents taking care of themselves. Trainees will experience a mini-retreat
that is chock filled with ideas and experiences that include approaches to the physical, spiritual and mental well-being of
the caretaker. Participants will walk away with a recipe for establishing daily self-nurturing practices and routines.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Managing the Whitewater of Reunification: Primary Family, Agency and Foster Parent Collaboration
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This class will examine the complex dynamics facing birth families before, during and
after placement. Emphasizing the advantages of safe reunification of children with birth families, this training will help
foster parents come to further appreciate the “biological bond” as well as challenge them to consider forgiveness
as a foundation of collaborative work with parents. It will also develop a framework
for shared parenting, including promoting and building the “parent - foster parent team” and provide practical
guidelines for such issues as visiting, phone calls and establishing boundaries. .” Further, it will explore the relationships
between foster parents and agency staff, and potential organizational and value conflicts that may obstruct therapeutic parenting
and of children.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
"Holy Chaos, Batman!": Addressing Risk and Behaviors in Adolescents
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This class reviews the fundamentals of behavioral assessment in adolescents within
the context of their physical, cognitive and psycho-social development. It will
explore issues related to family and culture and their effect on behavior. Further,
it explores the behavioral manifestations of common adolescent emotional problems, including depression, eating disorders
& cutting and suggests various treatment options available.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Bleeding Heart or Purple Heart: Parenting Today's Troubled Youth
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This workshop explores models of effective parenting including STEP, PET & Behavior
Modification. Special emphasis will be given to discipline strategies and parenting techniques appropriate to the child’s
developmental level and individual needs. Concrete strategies will be shared on how to help foster/adoptive parents tackle
the many challenges of parenting today’s troubled youth.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Hands-on Behavior Management for Younger and Developmentally Delayed Children
(Foster Parent Workshop)
Understanding the concepts of social learning theory and utilizing it’s principles to effect
behavior change may be two entirely different matters. This class will review
reinforcement theory and offer workable models to put it into practice for younger and developmentally delayed children. Caregivers
will learn how to perform a functional analysis of child behavior recognizing the various drivers within the social ecology. Behavior management approaches, including token economies & behavior charts will
be explored.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
"Do You Feel Me?”: Talking, Listening and Problem Solving with
Your Foster Child
(Foster Parent Workshop)
“Seek ye first to understand…then to be understood”. Pretty good
advice; but does this apply to our children? You better believe it! Lacking a
feeling of empowerment, foster children desperately need someone to truly understand the feelings they are experiencing. This
class will explore the importance of understanding and share practical strategies to help foster parents better understand
their children’s feelings. In addition, we will offer a helpful problem
solving paradigm for the family.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Beyond Time-Out: Managing the Behavior of Maltreated Pre-school Age Children
(Foster Parent Workshop)
Parenting a pre-school child in foster care is a daunting task, especially when the
child comes into care as a result of maltreatment. This workshop focuses on the special needs of these children. Effects of abuse and neglect on the development of pre-school children will be examined vis-à-vis the major
domains of their development. Behavior problems resulting from maltreatment will be discussed and suggestions for effective
behavior management will be outlined, including Parent Child Interactive Therapy.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Peek-a-Boos and Terrible Twos: Managing Behavior of Maltreated Infants and Toddlers
(Foster Parent Workshop)
Parenting an infant or toddler in foster care is a challenging task, especially when
the child comes into care as a result of maltreatment. This workshop focuses on the special needs of these children. Effects
of abuse and neglect on infant & toddler development will be examined vis-à-vis the major domains of their development.
Behavior problems resulting from maltreatment will be discussed and suggestions on behavior management will be outlined.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Caregiver Toolkit: Using Reality Therapy with Your Foster Children
(Foster Parent Workshop)
This class reviews the fundamentals of Reality Therapy and its potential applications
in out of home care. Strategies for creating as strength focused environment
of alignment and engagement with children will be shared. Finally, the efficacy
of assertive individual and family communication and behavior is explored.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
“You Can’t Make Me”: Managing Behavior of Maltreated School Age
Children
(Foster Parent Workshop)
Parenting a child in foster care is a challenging task, especially when the child comes
into care as a result of abuse and neglect. This workshop focuses on the special needs of these children. Effects of abuse
and neglect on school age children development will be examined vis-à-vis the major domains of their development. Behavior
problems resulting from maltreatment will be discussed and suggestions on behavior management will be presented.
Return to Foster Parent Workshop List
Understanding and Building Attachment (F13 - 6 Hours)
(Foster Care Fundamentals)
This workshop. designed for licensed foster caregivers with placement experience, focuses
on the initiation and development of attachment in children. Distinctions between
secure and insecure attachment are presented along with how separation and placement impacts the child’s attachment
pattern. A template for parenting children with attachment problems will be advanced.
Return to Foster
Care Fundamentals List
Foster Families and How They Grow: Understanding the Effects of Fostering (F16 - 6 Hours)
(Foster Care Fundamentals)
This workshop is designed for licensed foster parents in the early years of foster
parenting. Issues unique to fostering are discussed, including: 1) Understanding
and dealing with the new set of challenges; 2) Recognizing stages of adjustment and changing family relationships; and, 3)
identifying stressors and developing strategies to build a healthy fostering experience.
Return to Foster
Care Fundamentals List
