This month's fatality video webcast involves an 11-month-old who died as a result of natural causes from premature birth. No identifying or confidential info. so there are no restrictions on who can view- you can use it in whatever way you think is useful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nKfv9gQjgU

Stacie Bladen
Office of Family Advocate
Department of Human Services
235 S. Grand Avenue, Suite 1512
Lansing, MI 48909
bladens@michigan.gov
(517) 335-3475; FAX (517) 241-8125

We have a sensational line-up of faculty this year including…

Mr. Daniel Beaty - Award-winning actor, singer, and writer performing his “Spoken Word.” Mr. Beaty will also be presenting a workshop titled “Pain to Power-One Man’s Journey". Read more about Mr. Beaty on his website at www.danielbeaty.com

Mr. Steve Garagiola – Back by popular demand our Master of Ceremonies for 2012 is Local 4 DetroitAnchor, Steve Garagiola. Steve is the son of Major League Baseball Catcher Joe Garagiola.

Mr. Vander Green – Mr. Green is a Fatherhood Program Specialist for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms. Denise DeVaan – Ms. DeVaan is a Senior Consultant with ICF International.

Dr. Randall Turner – Dr. Turner was Vice-President of the National Fatherhood Initiative and is currently a Senior consultant with ICF International.

Mr. Joseph Kozakiewicz – Mr. Kozakiewicz is the Director of the Chance at Childhood Program at Michigan State University.

Mr. Colbert Williams –Mr. Williams is the Site Supervisor with ACMH (Association of Children with Mental Health) Colbert is the father of 2 sons Nathan and DJ. sontoafather.com

Ms. Zenell B. Brown – Ms. Brown is the Wayne County Friend of the Court.

Mr. Kurt Faust - Mr. Faust is the Men’s Outreach Coordinator at Mid-Michigan Pregnancy Outreach Center.

Ms. Amanda Burch – Ms. Burch is a CPS Investigatory Supervisor with the Eaton County Michigan Department of Human Services.

Mr. Terry Keller – Mr. Keller is Assistant Professor of Social work at Lourdes University.

Ms. Joyce Wright – Ms. Wright is the Director of Training for the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board.

Mr. Duane Wilson – Mr. Wilson is a National Training Consultant and Master Trainer for the Nurturing Fathers Program and Vice President & co-founder of the Michigan Fatherhood Coalition.

September 12-14:
Annual Senior Management Conference
at Shanty Creek's Cedar Village

May 9:
Michigan Federation for Children and Families Annual Spring HR Training Day, at Michigan Chamber of Commerce

Based on a True Story: Best Practice for Child Welfare Professionals
March 14, 2012 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Hall of Justice, Lansing, Michigan

This training presents best practices for child welfare professionals. The training curriculum is based on an actual Michigan case about a child who was placed in care based on incomplete medical evidence. Facilitators will highlight various stages of the legal process to demonstrate what each child welfare professional involved in the case could have done differently to return the child home earlier. The facilitators will use videotaped interviews of the family involved in the case to illustrate the consequences to families when decisions are made based on incomplete medical information.

Target Audience: Judges, referees, attorneys for children and parents, and caseworkers for the Michigan Department of Human Services, tribes, and private agencies.

Self-Care for Child Welfare Professionals: Avoiding Burnout
March 16, 2012 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Hall of Justice, Lansing, Michigan

This half-day workshop is designed to help child welfare professionals identify the behavioral, psychological, and physical symptoms of their personal and professional stressors. Professionals in this field are intimately exposed to the grief and loss that children experience. The workshop presenter will discuss tools for managing stress by recognizing how our personal needs are met by the work we do, setting clear boundaries, and committing to the goal of self-care. Participants will have opportunities to identify their own signs and symptoms, to exchange ideas with others, and to problem-solve on how to reduce stress and increase well-being.

Target Audience: Attorneys working in child welfare, Child Protective Services and Foster Care caseworkers for the Michigan Department of Human Services, tribes, and private agencies.

MSU School of Social Work, in conjunction with the other six Michigan graduate Schools of Social Work and the support of the Michigan Department of Human Services, is pleased to announce FREE training opportunities to DHS Child Protective Services, Foster Care, and Adoption Workers and DHS-contracted private agencies’ foster care and adoption workers. The title of this collaborative project is Child Welfare In-Service Training.

Multiple human service, health, and education professionals who also serve the families involved with the child welfare system may find the workshops of interest; many of the workshop topics will have applicability beyond child welfare practice, thus a LIMITED number of FOR CHARGE spaces are available for interested professionals who work outside of DHS and the contracted private agencies. All courses offered are eligible for Social Work CECHs.

Early registration is encouraged. Registrations are nontransferable; if you register but are unable to attend, please contact the appropriate University at your earliest convenience so they might offer your unused space to someone else.

To learn more specifically about the MSU CW In-Service Training programs, you may view descriptions, objectives, faculty information, location, and pricing as well as registration instructions and tools by visiting: https://socialwork.msu.edu/ceu/catalog.php.

Programs are listed under Child Welfare In-Service trainings.

A catalog of all of the courses available statewide can be downloaded below.

The MSU School of Social Work Continuing Education Spring 2012 Catalog has been issued, featuring courses related to:

• Adoption Certificate Program
• Advocacy/Leadership/Social Justice
• Aging
• Children, Youth, & Families
• Clinical Practice
• Ethics
• Mental Health
• Pain Management
• Online Programs
• Supervision in Child & Family Services Certificate
• School Social Work Competency Series

We would like to draw your attention to the April 26 session, "Helping the Judge Make the Right Decision: Effective Courtroom Testimony," which will be held in Grand Rapids, led by attorneys Joe Kozakiewicz and Delanie Pope of MSU's Chance at Childhood program.

Also of note, numerous experts from within MichFed member agencies are among the presenters of the 26 in-person course offerings:

• Jean Niemann, national training director at Spaulding for Children, leading "Family Assessment & Preparation for Adoption Professionals"
• Kevin Roach, CEO of Whaley Children's Center, leading "Identifying & Leading Change within Your Organization"
• Sarah Bretz, clinical supervisor at Judson Center, presenting "Understanding Autism: Beyond the Basics"
• Emily Besecker, behavior services supervisor at Judson Center, presenting "Behavioral Supports & Interventions for Individuals with an ASD"
• Michael Reiffer, clinical social worker at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, presents "Motivational Intereviewing with At-Risk Youth & Families & Substance Abuse"
• Sean deFour, COO at Judson Center, leading "Supervision Certificate #6: Recruiting & Selecting the Right Staff"

Twenty slots are open for this special four-day train-the-trainer event on March 7-10, 2012, in Ann Arbor. Completion of this training will earn Instructor Certification by the National Institute for Healing and Wellness, certifying you to assist parents and professionals and educators struggling with the most difficult behaviors displayed by children with trauma histories. This boot camp will review components of groundbreaking approaches and provide tools to assist you in instructing successful classes. This intensive training utilizes proven brain-based wellness approaches with stressed and traumatized children, adolescents and adults by implementing a revolutionary and non-traditional method that incorporates body/mind research, neuro-relational research, resilience approaches and trauma-informed care. Read all about it at this link: http://www.healingtheinsidechild.com/bootcamp.php

Application approval for 24 SW CECHs is pending.
A special offer—$100 coupon—is downloadable as an attachment.

The 16th Annual Governor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect Summit: "Calling all Dads! The Importance of Fathers in Children's Lives"

October 20-21, 2011 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Target Audience: Attorneys, Judges, Social Workers, and other child welfare professionals.

The National Resource Center for Adoption is offering training in May and June 2011 on five modules of its Adoption Competency Curriculum:

• May 12: Module 1: Federal Laws Impacting Adoption Placement
• May 25 & 26: Module 2: Child/Youth Assessment & Preparation
• June 8 & 9: Module 3: Family Assessment & Preparation
• June 9: Module 4: Decision Making & Placement Selection
• June 15: Module 5: Post Adoption Services

This series is designed as a comprehensive curriculum for training child welfare practitioners in public and private agencies who provide adoption services for children/youth who have been abused or neglected. Registration for each module is limited to 25 participants. All course materials and lunch are provided free of charge. Social Work CECHs are offered for participants who complete one or more modules. An Adoption Competency Overview booklet is available, along with registration information. See attachments below.

Find full details of Wedgwood Institute’s spring schedule of workshops in the attached brochure. Sessions for spring include:
➢ April 12: Children and Teens with ADHD
➢ April 19: Conflict Resolution
➢ April 26 and June 24: Becoming Trauma Sensitive
➢ May 10: Treating Terrified Children
➢ May 17: Cultural Competence
➢ June 14: Human Trafficking Seminar

Lutheran Social Services of Michigan is hosting six informational trainings across the State of Michigan. Presenters include: ETV Program Staff & YIT Departmental Analyst, Ann Rossi.

Thursday, March 10, 2011: Southfield, MI

Thursday, March 24, 2011: Kalamazoo, MI

Tuesday, April 5, 2011: Flint, MI

Wednesday, April 27, 2011: Lansing, MI

Wednesday, May 25, 2011: Grand Rapids, MI

Friday, June 3, 2011: Mackinaw City, MI

Please register on JJOLT at: http://www.michiganchildwelfaretraining.com/
Class Title: Education Planner Training - Funding Sources
Register here.

What Parents are Saying about Foster Care Adoptions: Key Findings from the 2007 National Survey of Adoptive Parents

FREE WEBINAR
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST

Child Trends invites you to join a free webinar to learn about key findings from the National Survey of Adoptive Parents (NSAP) and their implications for federal and state policies. Researchers from Child Trends will present key findings from the national survey, and policy experts will discuss how these findings inform deliberations on adoption policies. Invited guests include adoption experts from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC).

The NSAP was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and represents the first ever nationally-representative survey on the characteristics, adoption-related experiences, and well-being of adopted children and their families in the U.S. The webinar will focus on findings involving families with children adopted from foster care. Although more than 57,000 children were adopted from the public foster care system during FFY 2009, 115,000 children in care continued to wait for an adoptive family at the end of the year. The NSAP findings provide invaluable information from the voices of parents themselves about improving adoptive parent recruitment, better preparing prospective adoptive parents, and enhancing support services for adoptive families and their children.

Register below. Space is limited.Reserve your webinar seat now at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/549859873

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

The Michigan State University School of Social Work Continuing Education Fall 2010 Catalog features courses in adoption, crisis intervention with children, ethics, pain management, psychoeducational groups, self-care, and much more! On November 12-13 is an Art & Play Therapy conference, with renowned art therapist Cathy Malchiodi. Click here to find a downloadable catalog and online registration.