Ohio foster care youth and alumni proposed a training track for foster parents and caseworkers who serve teens. This would entail a series of classes that add up to certification.
Below are some of the elements that we would like to include.
1.) Teen Brain Development
- Prefrontal Cortex
- Impact of Trauma on Brain Development
- Consequences of ACES and How to Mitigate Them
- Erikson Stages of Development
2.) Communicating with Teens:
- Transfer of Learning Activity: Pennies in a Jar analogy
- Tips for Avoiding Power Struggles
3.) Concept of Interdependence
- Visual: Interdependence
- Circle of Support, including Sibling Relationships
- Developmental Assets and Developmental Relationships
- Relationships First
- Permanency Pact
4.) Essential Elements of Life Skills Preparation
- State requirements as identified in Ohio Administrative Code
- Federal Requirements from the 2008 Fostering Connections to Success Act
- Youth Developed Discharge Plan created by the OHIO YAB and previously piloted by the Ohio Supreme Court
- Chafee Services By Category
- Visual: Essential Elements
5.) Sample Assessment Tools
6.) Tools for Building Interpersonal Skills
- Boundaries Diagram and Role Plays
- Conflicts and Resolutions Activity
7.) Resource Awareness and Navigation
- Post-Secondary Resources for Former Foster Youth within the state of Ohio
- Short-Term Certificate Program, Foster Youth Grant
8.) Resource Navigation
- Normalcy Barriers
- The need for autonomy in order to practice resource navigation (see visual below)
- Sample Hands-On Activities, which will be shared as Transfer of Learning Activities
