Summit Social Workers - Christian Alliance for Orphans

Child Welfare Professionals One Day:

A Summit for Social Workers & Government Officials

Most of the children you encounter on a daily basis have been profoundly impacted by trauma. Chances are that you spend much of your time trying to help foster and adoptive parents navigate the resulting behaviors.

If you are like most, you sometimes feel unsure of how to best help the children on your caseload and it can leave you feeling overwhelmed and living out the effects of secondary trauma yourself. This one day workshop has been designed to help.

National experts and leaders in the field of childhood trauma will help you better understand the impact of trauma on the brain and most importantly, what to do about it. You will end the day better able to take care of children and families and be better able to care for yourself in process.

DETAILS

One Day Summit

WHEN: May 9, 2019: 10:000AM – 4:45PM
WHERE: Southeast Christian Church | Louisville, KY
WHO: State & County Child Welfare Professionals: Case Workers, Government Officials, etc.
COST: $39/Participant
CEUs: 5 CEUs available

Full CAFO2019 Summit

WHEN: Wednesday, May 8, 3:00pm – Friday, May 10, 12:30pm
WHERE: Southeast Christian Church | Louisville, KY
WHO: State & County Child Welfare Professionals: Case Workers, Government Officials, etc.
COST: $79/Participant
CEUs: up to 13 CEUs available

One Day Summit: Schedule & Workshops

8:45am – 9:45am

General Session: In Beauty & Brokenness…It is Well

Join national and global thought leaders exploring front-line care for vulnerable children domestically and internationally.

10:00am – 12:00pm

Shame, Beauty and the Healing Power of Community

Beauty lies in wait for us around every corner. Who would guess that it is God’s invitation to vulnerability and one of his most profound resources for the healing from shame that we so deeply long for? Who knew that—if we would only open our eyes to it—beauty is the wellspring that God uses to nourish who we are such that we can flourish as we care for the orphan and draw them into doing the same? The good and the hard news is that beauty will find us in an infinite manner of forms and places—but never more profoundly than in the context of deeply connected interpersonal relationships. For indeed, beauty is not merely something that we seek, but something we are becoming. This two-hour workshop will explore the nature of shame and the necessary place of being deeply known in community as the way home to the goodness and beauty that God imagines for us and the orphans for who are in our care. (Curt Thompson, Being Known and author of Anatomy of the Soul and The Soul of Shame)

Parents as Partners: From Co-Regulation to Self-Regulation

Caregivers of hurt children often need an expanded parenting toolkit. Building trusting attachments often requires caregivers to shift their own paradigms first in order to help traumatized children shift theirs. This workshop will delve into the neurobiology of trauma and attachment, and the SOOTHE strategies – a set of skills for helping children when they are not in their choosing minds. (Paris Goodyear Brown, Nurture House)

Family Strengthening: Proven Practices and Strategies

Even with the best care settings, separation from parental care always brings with it a layer of trauma. How can we prevent that trauma from happening at all? Family strengthening – whether involving psychosocial, educational, vocational, or other kinds of supports, can prevent children from being unnecessarily separated from their parents. Join panelists serving vulnerable families around the world, and hear about what works to prevent separation or empower a family to reunite. Walk away with your one next step toward strengthening families in your context. ** Models will lean global but could still be a fit and of interest for domestic work. Facilitated by: Elli Oswald, Faith to Action Initiative Joined by: Delia Pop, Hope and Homes for Children; Tracy Imbach, American Friends of International China Concern; Chris Page, Agape Children’s Ministry; Claudia Leon, Buckner; Kate Borders, World Orphans; and Kimberly Quinley, Step Ahead

12:00pm – 1:15pm

Lunch Networking Hour

You’re invited to join a special lunch to connect with other professionals in your region and field. Lunch is included!

1:15pm – 2:15pm

The Foster Journey: Characteristics of a Great Foster Parent

Much effort is spent on recruiting more foster parents. But what are the characteristics of great foster parenting and how do we help ourselves and others aspire to this greatness? Come engage in a discussion with former foster youth and seasoned foster parents and glean the most important lessons they’ve learned. Whether you are on the road to foster care or on your way through it, this workshop has been created just for you. (Johnston Moore, Home Forever; Trent Taylor, Former Foster Youth & Adoptee; & Jason Weber, CAFO)

Surviving Puberty and the Sexual Development of Children with Complex Trauma

You will leave this workshop understanding what sexual behaviors should be alarming and what behaviors are considered typical for children with histories of complex trauma. Puberty looks different for these kids, but it doesn’t have to be scary. (Dr. Melody Aguayo, Real Child Consulting, LLC)

Attachment: Parenting With Your Brain In Mind

How can we create relational environments in which secure attachments are the more likely outcomes for those for whom we care, especially as we engage children in adoptive/foster settings? Moreover, how does knowing more about how our brains and relationships work together make this more likely? And lastly, how does our awareness of beauty—that of ourselves and of our children—create a smoother path toward secure attachment? This workshop will explore these and other related questions as we seek to care for the orphan and love God with all our mind in the process. (Curt Thompson, Being Known and author of Anatomy of the Soul and The Soul of Shame)

2:30pm – 3:30pm

Helping Caregivers Hold Hard Stories for Traumatized Children

Part of becoming a Safe Boss for hurt children is expanding our ability to hold their pain. This workshop will focus on what it means for caregivers to be containers and history keepers for the children in our care while continuing to delight in the journey. (Paris Goodyear Brown, Nurture House)

3:45pm – 4:45pm

Church and State Partnerships in Foster Care

Let’s be honest – whether you are a social worker or a member of the faith community, you have a least some reservations about working with “the other side.” Learn from those who have seen great results from these vital partnerships and have lived to tell about it. Hear seasoned veterans talk about initial reservations, successes and missteps, all of which will help you gain confidence as you move ahead for the sake of the kids. This session is ideal for child welfare professionals, non-profit leaders and church ministries. (Felicia Mason-Edwards, DFPS; Tom Lukasik, 4KIDS of South Florida; Rhonda Littleton, A Home For Me; & Brian Mavis, America’s Kids Belong)