"No Such Thing as a Bad Kid!"

Understanding and Responding to Students with Emotional & Behavioral
Challenges Using a Positive, Trauma-Informed, Strength-Based Approach &
Creating a Positive, Strength-Based Culture in Your School

Presented by: Charlie Appelstein, MSW

Date: Friday, October 19, 2018 
Time: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM  
Session: 19-117201

Description: Strength-based practice is an emerging approach to guiding students and, in particular, students with emotional and behavioral challenges. This exceptionally positive and inspiring practice focuses on strength-building rather than flaw-fixing.  It begins with the belief that every young person has or can develop strengths and utilize past successes to mitigate problem behavior and enhance academic and social functioning. This training highlights many of the key principles and techniques of this transforming modality. 

Topic areas covered include: 

• Developing strength-based practice and the power of a positive attitude and culture;
• Effects of trauma and positive emotions on the brain; 
• Changing negative mindsets and the deleterious effects of pejorative labeling; 
• Strength-based communication principles and techniques - including reframing, using solution-focused questions, positive predicting, and inspirational metaphors; 
• Self-esteem building and activities for at-risk children and youth; 
• How to help cognitively-inflexible students; 
• Importance of being family-friendly; 
• Why, how, and when to use incentive plans; 
• Importance of controlling personal emotions (i.e., managing number one first); 
• Respectful, relationship-based limit setting; and 
• Creative cognitive behavioral strategies, 

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to: 

• Describe the major principles of a strength-based approach to working with at-risk children and youth. 
• Discuss the importance of personal self-awareness and self-management in working with at-risk children, youth, and families. 
• Cite specific strength-based verbal interventions that help professionals engage and motivate at-risk children, youth, and families. 
• Develop individualized behavioral support strategies that help children learn to self-manage. 
• Discuss innovative strategies for enhancing self-esteem in at-risk youth. 
• Describe at least two specific cognitive-behavioral techniques that can help at-risk children, youth, and their parents to better self-manage their actions. 

Audience: K-12 Educators, Counselors, School Psychologists, Administrators
Hours/PDPs: 6 hours
Cost: $179 NRC member districts; $199 Other districts. 
Register by: October 15, 2018