Story-telling and family play can exert powerful effects on children. Some beliefs, values, and personal life-style choices that relate to how play is created are examined. Using the primary concepts in "narrative therapy,""adventure-based programming," and "family play therapy," play is employed to create an empowerment framework to consider the…

Although the trauma that children experience in abusive situations differs from the trauma of a disaster, its effects are just as profound. The information and skills that caseworkers need to assess families and children who have been traumatized, to make more appropriate treatment planning decisions, and to carry out their professional roles with…

Loss is a common theme of family protection work and particularly of foster care. Ways in which foster families can deal with loss are explored. It is designed to accompany a one- or two-day training course and uses a strategy of collaborative learning for caseworkers and foster parents. The course explores loss and grief through role play, small…

This module is part of a training program for foster parents and foster care workers offered at Colorado State University. The module's learning objectives include: (1) identifying the needs of those involved in the foster care process; (2) examining the decisions involved in placing a child in foster care; (3) focusing on the family in which the…

Solution parenting is designed to provide both foster parents and caseworkers a new kind of parenting for difficult children and youth in placement. The specialized training program is for those who will teach solution parenting. Objectives for trainees include: (1) identify small, positive behavioral changes; (2) recognize and use pre-existing…

Addressing the complexities of families facing substance abuse can help caseworkers in assessment and treatment-planning activities. Some basic information and skills that caseworkers and foster care parents can use in the assessment of addiction and treatment-planning decisions are presented in this training manual. The manual and training…

This module is part of a training program for foster parents and foster care workers offered at Colorado State University. The module's learning objectives address: (1) the organization of a social services foster care system; (2) the functioning of human systems and the rules governing their operation; and (3) the difficulties complex systems…