Working With Youth Who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors in Foster Care: Avoiding Power Struggles

Do you work with youth who can behave in ways that are disruptive, disrespectful, and sometimes dangerous to themselves, you, or others? Do you sometimes find yourselves in power struggles and want to know some of the interventions and behavioral principles that will allow you to better help youth make positive choices? Explore the basics of why youth act the way they do and examine what you bring to the situation. The focus of this training is on understanding the importance of the function of the behavior (what is the youth trying to communicate) and behavioral interventions that work, including antecedents, consequences, incentives, proactive strategies, and helping youth make appropriate choices!

(For trainings that focus primarily on the basics of why youth act the way they do and examine what you bring to the situation, select Why Youth Act the Way they Do or Awareness of our Own Reactions in Working with Our Clients).

Instructor Pamela Parkinson, PhD, LCSW, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a licensed clinical social worker with over 26 years in the field of providing services to children and families. Dr. Parkinson been trained in two disciplines (psychology and social work) and has worked as a residential counselor, a teaching assistant for special education, and a recreation specialist in residential treatment. Additionally, she has worked in the full continuum of services from residential and non-public school to community-based services such as outpatient clinics, school-based programs, diversion, kinship, etc.