Training Schedules

Caregiving Together

Monthly support group for resource parents. Come meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Rocio Garcia

Maintaining Relationships After Emancipation

Many foster youth who emancipate from the foster care system find themselves without a strong support system, and statistics on this population are rather concerning. Just because one reaches adulthood, whether they leave care at 18 or 21, does not mean they can survive without a family. Young people who have been in foster care need families who are going to stay connected and remain a part of their life throughout adulthood. This training will address the concerns for foster youth who do not have a support system and provide strategies and encouragement for developing and maintaining a relationship with the young people you raise.

Virtual (Zoom)

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

A hands-on approach to Mindfulness

This training will educate on the importance being mindful as a parent and helping children to be mindful. The busyness in our lives often takes our attention away from the present, even in our parenting. Many are multi-tasking even when we are trying to redirect children’s behavior or trying to help them when they are experiencing emotional dysregulation. Being present is such an important part of parenting, and it is important to model to our young people. We will look at mindfulness exercises that you can engage in and mindfulness exercises you can teach children.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Perla Davis, MFT

The 5 Love Languages of Children

Every one of us has a primary language of love, a way that fills our “love tank” better than any other. In this class series,  we will utilize the best-selling book The 5 Love Languages of Children in our care. There are 5 ways children (indeed, all people) speak and understand emotional love. They are physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, and acts of service.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Perla Davis, MFT

Monthly Book Club for Resource Parents: "It Didn't Start With You" by Mark Wolynn

"For our next book club we’re exploring ""It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle"" by Mark Wolynn.
This book is a powerful resource for understanding how trauma can be passed down through generations and how it affects our relationships, emotional health, and parenting. Mark Wolynn, an expert in inherited family trauma, explains how unresolved wounds from the past—often unknowingly inherited from previous generations—can impact us and our children today."

Virtual (Zoom)

Perla Davis, MFT

Working with the System

"The child welfare system can often be viewed as big and complex. However, research indicates that everyone working together as part of the foster care team results in the best outcomes for children. This training will focus on helping foster parents understand how the different parts of the system work together. We will focus on helping foster parents learn how to navigate this complex system, while engaging in their role on the foster care team. The role of the courts, as well as techniques to increase the effectiveness of the Child Family Team meeting, will be discussed as well."

Virtual (Zoom)

Yolanda Covian, MSW

Strategic Planning for Chronic Behavior

Virtual (Zoom)

Dr. Judy Sullivan Osterhage

Supporting Normalcy

Children in foster care need to feel normal.  They want to be treated just like all the other children.  They want to wear the same clothes, style their hair the same as others, socialize like others, etc.  How can we as Resource Parents help them to feel more normal.  This class will give tips on creating normalcy in your home.

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Valerie Tovar, MSW

Caregiving Together

Monthly support group for resource parents. Come meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Rocio Garcia

Monthly Book Club for Resource Parents: "It Didn't Start With You" by Mark Wolynn

For our next book club we’re exploring "It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle" by Mark Wolynn. This book is a powerful resource for understanding how trauma can be passed down through generations and how it affects our relationships, emotional health, and parenting. Mark Wolynn, an expert in inherited family trauma, explains how unresolved wounds from the past—often unknowingly inherited from previous generations—can impact us and our children today.

Setting Limits & Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries are important in any kind of relationship - between parents and children, friends, employers and employees, and certainly between resource families and birth families. Simply stated, a boundary is anything that separates two things. This class will discuss the importance of boundaries and how to successfully use them as a resource parent to foster a healthy environment for both parents and children.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

The Importance of Life Connections

As children come into foster care, we all know that they lose a lot – parents, siblings, extended family, friends, pets, church family, sport teammates, school friends, etc. Most of the time, these relationships are very important to the child. The child will make a new life in foster care but wouldn’t it be great to let them continue with some past relationships. Maybe they can attend the school they attended previously, maybe they can continue to attend their church, maybe they can complete their season in the sport they were attending, etc. Let’s explore some options we can use to help children maintain life connections. And how you as a Resource Parent may be a life long connection to the children that temporarily come into your home. 

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Human Trafficking: Commercial Sexual Exploited Children (CSEC)

This is an introductory training to commercial sexual exploitation. We will define it and describe how children in foster care are impacted by CSEC. We will share statistics and information from our own community, and talk about things to look for in
order to prevent children from being trafficked and to support those who may have been affected by it already. We will look at the importance of a supportive relationship between you and the youth in your care. We will also discuss and define
harm reduction, a practice that has shown success in helping individuals who have been addicted to substances. We will talk about how harm reduction can be helpful in working with youth who have been trafficked.

The Deepest Well

Studies have shown that two-thirds of humans have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, from different experiences such as bereavement and divorce to abuse and neglect. In the book "The Deepest Well" Dr. Nadine Burke Harris reveals the science behind childhood adversity and offers a new way of understanding the adverse events that affect us throughout our lifetime. Based on her clinical work and public leadership, Dr. Burke Harris shows us how to disrupt this cycle through interventions that help retrain the brain and body, foster resilience, and help children, families, and adults live healthier, happier lives.

Children with Autism

This class will discuss identification and screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders, community resources available to children with Autism, other symptoms that could lead to an incorrect diagnosis, and treatment information focused on issues of speech and communication.

Claudia Martinez, MSW, LCSW

Caregiving Together

Monthly support group for resource parents. Come meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Rocio Garcia

Book Discussion "Somebody's Someone: A Memoir Book Discussion"

This training will be based on the book "Somebody's Someone". Written by author Regina Louise written in a first person narrative about a family and community that abused and neglected her, causing her to feel unloved and unwanted. The class will cover a brief summary of the book and key points and a discussion on the impact of trauma, specifically on the brain and how it correlates to the author's experiences growing up. We will also discuss the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) test and its impact on health across a lifetime.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Alejandra Torres, MSW

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Film Screening & Discussion: Somebody's Child

Film Screening & Discussion: Somebody's Child This movie is based on the book titled “Somebody’s Someone” written by Regina Louise, and is a memoir about the author’s life in and out of the American foster care system. Regina grew up living in more than thirty foster homes, group homes, and psychiatric facilities. Along the way, she missed many years of formal education and went through several dangerous withdrawals from inaccurately prescribed medications. Both the book and movie describe the plight of foster youth within the United States and highlights the importance of one caring adult in a foster youth’s life.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Alejandra Torres, MSW

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Turning Dreams Into Degrees

This course will help caregivers understand how to support their youth to make a smooth transition from high school to college. Caregivers will learn about the benefits of college and the different pathways available to better support youth in making a plan. Caregivers
will also learn about the key steps youth must take in the junior and senior year of college, and the supports and resources that exist to help youth along the way.

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Claudia Martinez, MSW, LCSW

Monthly Book Club for Resource Parents: "It Didn't Start With You" by Mark Wolynn

For our next book club we’re exploring "It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle" by Mark Wolynn. This book is a powerful resource for understanding how trauma can be passed down through generations and how it affects our relationships, emotional health, and parenting. Mark Wolynn, an expert in inherited family trauma, explains how unresolved wounds from the past—often unknowingly inherited from previous generations—can impact us and our children today.

Virtual (Zoom)

Perla Davis, MFT

Turning Dreams Into Degrees-Part 2

This course will help caregivers understand how to support their youth to make a smooth transition from high school to college. Caregivers will learn about the benefits of college and the different pathways available to better support youth in making a plan.
Caregivers will also learn about the key steps youth must take in the junior and senior year of college, and the supports and resources that exist to help youth along the way.

Virtual (Zoom)

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Claudia Martinez, MSW, LCSW

The Body Keeps the Score

This is a training based on the book, which is summarized here: “Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neuro-feedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuro-plasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.”

Valerie Tovar, MSW

Cherilyn Haworth, MSW, LCSW

What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

In this class, the trainers will go over some highlights of the book by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry. Many of us struggle to understand why children do the things they do. It is often correlated with trauma and early childhood experiences.

Valerie Tovar, MSW

Caregiving Together

Monthly support group for resource parents. Come meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Rocio Garcia

TBD

Virtual (Zoom)

Valerie Tovar, MSW

Monthly Book Club for Resource Parents: "It Didn't Start With You" by Mark Wolynn

For our next book club we’re exploring ""It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle"" by Mark Wolynn. This book is a powerful resource for understanding how trauma can be passed down through generations and how it affects our relationships, emotional health, and parenting. Mark Wolynn, an expert in inherited family trauma, explains how unresolved wounds from the past—often unknowingly inherited from previous generations—can impact us and our children today.

Virtual (Zoom)

Perla Davis, MFT

Teens and Technology 

Help teens manage technology successfully and how to have conversations about technology and setting limits. Also understand the dangers and damage.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Dr. Judy Sullivan Osterhage

Anti-Bullying Strategies

We cannot be there to protect our kids all the time But we can teach them to protect themselves against bullying In a pro-social way.  Find out how you are setting healthy bounders can help.  Your child navigates bullying.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Dr. Judy Sullivan Osterhage

Film Screening & Discussion: The Mask you Live In

In this training participants will watch The Mask You Live In documentary which follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity. Pressured by the media, their peer group, and even the adults in their lives, our protagonists confront messages encouraging them to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify and degrade women, and resolve conflicts through violence. These gender stereotypes interconnect with race, class, and circumstance, creating a maze of identity issues boys and young men must navigate to become “real” men. Participants will join in a discussion about societal issues presented.

Virtual (Zoom)

Rocio Garcia

Emotional Intelligence

Most people understand intelligence as “how smart a person is,” but there are actually several types of intelligence. Emotional intelligence is one of those types and is defined as “the ability to understand the emotions of yourself and others, show empathy, understand social relationships and cues, and regulate your own emotions and respond in culturally appropriate ways” (Parker, Saklofske, & Stough, 2009). In this class we will talk about emotional intelligence and how to develop it in for ourselves and children.

Gayla Gibson

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Caregiving Together

Monthly support group for resource parents. Come meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Rocio Garcia

Film Screening & Discussion: Wonder

Based on the New York Times bestseller, this movie tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters the fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Bullying

Participants will learn about the different bullying techniques children and youth use against other children and youth. They will also learn the red flags associated with children and youth that are being bullied and learn some types in dealing with bullying.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Becky Colaw, M.S.

Talking To Your Children About Adoption

"An important task for resource/adoptive parents is to help a child understand their life story. Because the children in our lives have had difficult experiences, resource/adoptive parents have a responsibility to share that history in a compassionate manner that helps a child come to understand and heal from their history. Many parents struggle with how to share a child’s story with them and this training will help prepare parents for this conversation. This training is also appropriate for professionals working with resource/adoptive families, to learn how to support parents with these conversations."

Virtual (Zoom)

Aspiranet, REACH program 

TBD

Virtual (Zoom)

Valerie Tovar, MSW

Betrayal Trauma and effects on TEEN Relationship

"Betrayal trauma occurs when the people on which a person depends for survival significantly violate that person' s trust or well-being: Childhood physical, emotional, or sexual abuse perpetrated by a caregiver are examples of betrayal trauma.
Learn how this can effect a youth’s future relationship foundations."

Virtual (Zoom)

Dr. Judy Sullivan Osterhage

No Drama Discipline

This training will be based on the book “No Drama Discipline” by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. & Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. The whole brain way to calm the chaos & nurture your child’s developing mind.

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Caregiving Together

Monthly support group for resource parents. Come meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Rocio Garcia

Book Review: “Reclaim Compassion: Overcoming Blocked Care" by Lisa Qualls & Melissa Corkum

Oftentimes, new resource parents have well meaning intentions of what it will be like when they first bring a foster youth into their home, but then realize how quickly their fostering journey turns out differently then they imagined. Many times, resource parents feel ashamed and worried about their lack of compassion
when in reality they are experiencing “Blocked Care”. Blocked Care is a self-protective mechanism in our nervous system that makes it difficult to connect with a child and maintain compassion due to various factors. In this course, we will discuss what causes Blocked Care, and how to heal accordingly with compassion again, utilizing a holistic brain, body, and spirit approach.

Virtual (Zoom)

Valerie Tovar, MSW

Monthly Book Club for Resource Parents: "It Didn't Start With You" by Mark Wolynn

For our next book club we’re exploring It Didn't Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle" by Mark Wolynn. This book is a powerful resource for understanding how trauma can be passed down through generations and how it affects our relationships, emotional health, and parenting. Mark Wolynn, an expert in inherited family trauma, explains how unresolved wounds from the past—often unknowingly inherited from previous generations—can impact us and our children today.

Virtual (Zoom)

Perla Davis, MFT

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk

Based on a classic parenting book that addresses the parent child communication as an effective parenting strategy.

Virtual (Zoom)

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Film Screening & Discussion: The Sound of Freedom

The incredible true story of a former government agent turned vigilante who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from traffickers.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Yolanda Covian, MSW

California Car Seat Laws & Regulation's

Attention Parents: 90% of child safety seats are used incorrectly! Attend this training to get information about safe transportation for children and how to properly install your child’s safety seat in your vehicle.

In-Person

Kern County Department of Human Services

3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield, CA 93306

Yolanda Covian, MSW

Intentional Parenting - Planning for Success

Being present, purposeful, and conscious in our interactions, Setting Clear Explanation with family meetings and intentional planning, Establish clear, plans, goals and values

Virtual (Zoom)

Dr. Judy Sullivan Osterhagea