A1 - Lifelong Issues in Adoption - This three hour class provides an overview of the seven lifelong issues in adoption from the perspective of the adoptee, adoptive parent, birth parent and siblings. While every family experiences the themes differently, it is important to acknowledge they are a normal part of participating in an adoption. These themes surface in different ways at different times as the people involved progress through different developmental milestones and life transitions. In other words, the way a child would define these issues will change as the child grows and develops - just as their understanding of the world changes. Having this awareness can help you be prepared to best meet the needs of your child and your family. (Also approved for social worker CEUs.)
About the Trainer: Denise Leffingwell, MSW, LCSW is currently the Senior Director of the Education Center at The Adoption Exchange in Denver, Colorado. Denise coordinates, manages and provides training across Colorado, also to the seven member states of the Adoption Exchange and across the country. Denise’s previous experiences include supervising Community and Home Based Services through a mental health center, providing direct services and clinical support to pre and post-adoptive families through a mental health center in collaboration with the local Department of Human Services (which included co-facilitating all of the counties pre-adoption trainings for three years), was an ongoing caseworker and has been a therapist specializing in foster care, kinship and adoptive families. Denise has worked in the social work arena for over 13 years.
A2 - Generation X, Y & Z - The Toxic Culture of Teens: The Impact of Media and Technology - Today’s pre-teens, teens and young adults walk every day through a culture that has become increasingly toxic. They face personal, familial, social and societal issues that often result in risk taking, danger, loss and sometimes tragedy. This presentation will focus exclusively on the “feeding” of this toxic culture by technology and media including television, movies, music, video games and internet. Participants will gain awareness of how technology and media affect communication, development, “early mental sexualization”, violence and more. Participants will be able to personally examine the evolution of technology and media and the “good, the bad and the ugly” elements that have resulted. (Also approved for social worker CEUs.)
About the Trainer: Mike McGuire and his wife Christie are licensed foster and adoptive parents. Mike has provided many trainings throughout the state on a variety of topics for foster/adoptive parents. Mike has also facilitated a variety of educational groups relating to relationships, parenting and communication. He works for the Dept. of Corrections as a Probation/Parole Officer and currently coordinates the Cerro Gordo County Community Drug Court Program.
A3 - Creating Cultural Connections: Compassion Compels
(This is an all day course, participants can attend all day or only the AM or PM session.)
The focus of this training is geared towards helping parents understand and respect the various cultures of foster children. The training provides realistic and relevant ways in which parents can create cultural connections with children in their care. We candidly explore our core values and personal patterns of thought that help or hinder us from truly appreciating and experiencing the richness of diversity. This training challenges us to respect and celebrate all children for who they are and where they come from.
About the Trainer: Tommy Ross and his wife Melinda have been licensed foster and adoptive parents for over twelve years. He has over twenty years of experience in the social work field, along with sixteen years of experience as a licensed minister and five years of experience as a licensed and ordained pastor. Tommy has facilitated trainings for Life Works Counseling Services, parenting classes for the Child Abuse Prevention Council, staff trainings on group facilitation for PACE, group trainings on parenting skills, life skills and career planning for Gateway Recovery Center and has done group and individual training on child welfare, empowering parents and general leadership.
A4 - Mood Disorders in Children and Teens: What does it Look Like and What Can We Do? - This training will focus on the description of various mood disorders in children and teens such as dysthymia, major depression, atypical depression, and bipolar disorder and how they differ from normal sadness, irritability, and moodiness. We will also talk about best practices for assessment and treatment of mood disorders in childhood and adolescence and the advantages and disadvantages of diagnosis and various treatment methods. Participants should leave this workshop with a basic understanding of what mood disorders might look like in children and teens and what to expect from a thorough and appropriate assessment and treatment approach. (Also approved for social worker CEUs.)
About the Trainer: Dr. Phillips is the owner and CEO of Central Iowa Psychological Services (located in Ames and West Des Moines) and a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology Department at Iowa State University. He received his PH.D. in Criminal and Development Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He provides psychological assessment and therapy to children as young as age 3, adolescents, adults, families and couples. His areas of specialty include working with children, adolescents and adults who have attention-deficit disorder, learning disabilities, behavior problems, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and adjustment difficulties due to abuse, bereavement or divorce. Dr. Phillips teaches classes in Developmental Psychology, Psychological Assessment and Psychotherapy Methods at ISU and presented workshops on ADHD, Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, sexual abuse of children, Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Behavior Management/Parenting for IFAPA and other groups for the last 10 years. Dr. Phillips loves his work; particularly the time spent talking and connecting with his clients, students and workshop attendees. One of his primary goals is to discover and experience the joy in each and every day.
A5 - Helping Children Heal - This training gives the understanding to truly provide emotional safety for children with trauma histories. By revealing the connection between the body/mind system as it relates to trauma and stress, it challenges all of us to embrace a paradigm shift as reflected in the works of Drs. Bruce Perry and Bryan Post. It reveals our own fears, invites us to step into our child’s internal world and demonstrates how to respond to them with love, thus enhancing the healing process.
About the Trainer: Kim Combes, LBSW, M.ED is a knowledgeable and experienced trainer in the areas of foster care and adoption. Along with being a foster and adoptive parent, he is a family therapist and provides training for DHS, churches, youth groups and other conferences nationally and statewide. He has written a training curriculum for the Child Welfare Institute of Atlanta, Georgia.
A6 - CPR & First Aid (Part 1 of 2)
(This is an all day course, participants must attend the full day in order to receive credit.)
IFAPA’s CPR and First Aid class is designed to give you the confidence to respond in an emergency situation with skills that can save a life. IFAPA’s CPR and First Aid training classes are presented by CPR and First Aid certified trainers and have been approved by DHS as an approved training for foster parents. All newly licensed foster homes must be certified in CPR and First Aid within their first year of licensure and every three years thereafter.
About the Trainer: Mike Cormier is the owner of CPR Central in Des Moines. He is certified to teach CPR and First Aid through the American Heart Association. Mike has also worked as a fire-fighter/paramedic at the Indianola Fire Department for 11 years and has been on the State of Iowa Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) since 2007.
