Post Adoption Education Workshops/Speakers/Seminars

2010 – Upcoming Meetings	Date	Meeting Time
Reactive Attachment Disorder: How to Survive & Thrive Beyond the Diagnoses -- A Four-Part LABS Series	Wednesday Evening Series June 2, 9, 16 & 23	6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Is it Grief or is it Depression?	Tuesday – July 13	6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Drug-Exposed Infants and Toddlers--A Two Part Series	Thursday Evening Series July 15 & 22	9:00 am – 12 noon
Diffusing Crisis Situations Safely and Sanely	Saturday – July 24	9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Life in Balance: Address Your Stress	Wednesday – Sept. 22	6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

We Would Love to Hear From You

Let us know your thoughts! We want to be responsive to your post adoption needs. Please let us know of topics of interest to you and your family by emailing us at postadoption@lssmn.org and indicate “post adoption topics of interest” in the subject line.

Click here to see a list of the workshops held over the past year.

Post Adoption Education Workshops/Speakers/Seminars The following workshops are co-Sponsored by Lutheran Social Service, Hennepin County Foster Care and MN ADOPT.

Reactive Attachment Disorder: How to Survive & Thrive Beyond the Diagnoses -- A Four-Part LABS Series

Wednesday Evenings in June 2010: June 2, June 9, June 16 & June 23; 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Presenters: Krista Nelson, LICSW, LMFT and Deena McMahon, MSW, LICSW This four-session LABS Series is specially designed to address support and education needs of those parenting a child(ren) with significant attachment impairment and/or trauma issues, with an emphasis on good self-care and humor! Session One: Wednesday, June 2 From Horrendous to Not So Bad Session Two: Wednesday, June 9 The Mosaic: Attachment Plus Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder/Trauma and More Session Three: Wednesday, June 16 The Behavior: Understanding and Response Session Four: Wednesday, June 23 Effective Discipline: How Do We Do This on a Daily Basis? Pulling It All Together and Moving Forward Location: Eddy’s Café – Loring Park Office Building; 430 Oak Grove Street, Level One, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Fee: $100 per person or $180 per parenting couple, CEUs are available Register/Information: On line registration at www.mnadopt.org. Click on the "Trainings" tab, then on the “Trainings Calendar”. Click on June 2 and follow the link to register and pay online.

Is it Grief or is it Depression?

Tuesday – July 13, 2010; 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Instructor: Mark Markell, former foster parent, grief educator and St Cloud State professor Some of our children have reason to grieve, but some of them can become depressed. Come learn to recognize the differences and learn some strategies for helping children deal with difficult life experiences. You will also be able to identify when you need to call a crisis line or a mental health professional. Location: St. Joseph’s Home for Children; 1121 E. 46th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55407 Fee: $10 per person or $15 per parenting couple Register/Information: Contact Jackie Brovold @ 612-879-5248 to register by July 12th

Drug-Exposed Infants and Toddlers

Thursdays – July 15 and 22, 2010; 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Trainer: Michelle Fallon, Early Childhood Specialist What should you expect if your infant or toddler has been drug exposed? What are the long- and short-term consequences for in-utero drug exposure? What can you do to make these babies and toddlers happier, healthier children? Location: Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota – The Center for Changing Lives; 2400 Park Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55404. Fee: $20 per person or $30 per parenting couple (includes both sessions) Register/Information: Contact Jackie Brovold @ 612-879-5248 to register by July 13th

Diffusing Crisis Situations Safely and Sanely

Saturday – July 24, 2010; 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Trainer: Duane Dutrieuille, DHS Trainer This workshop helps participants understand anger as an unmet need, identify the stages of a developing crisis and build corresponding de-escalation skills. They will build their confidence about dealing with angry individuals. Participants will learn to recognize the role of body language and personal space in diffusing tense situations. They will assess how their values, expectations, responses to anger and personal temperament can diffuse a situation or contribute to even greater escalation. Location: Ridgedale Library, 12601 Ridgedale Road, just south of Ridgedale Center Fee: $10 per person or $15 per parenting couple Register/Information: Contact Jackie Brovold @ 612-879-5248 to register by July 22nd

Life in Balance: Address Your Stress

Wednesday – September 22, 2010; 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Presenter: Jean Fraser, Trainer - Specializing in Wellness and Personal Development Stress is an inevitable part of life, and as adoptive, foster, or kinship parents, we experience stress that is beyond the norm. Most stressors are out of our control; however we can learn to manage our reactions to them. This seminar will provide valuable tools to lessen the impact of stress in your life. Participants will learn: To identify and understand the main forms of stress reactions: Anxiety, impaired concentration, fatigue, physical tension and pain. To determine which stressors and reactions are the most relevant for them right now. Coping strategies to address these reactions, and guidelines on how to integrate these strategies into daily life. Location: Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota – The Center for Changing Lives; 2400 Park Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55404. Fee: $10 per person or $15 per parenting couple Register/Information: Register online or call 612-879-5248 by September 20th.

Past Post Adoption Workshops

Sponsored by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

Strengthening Family Relationships "Orientation to Searching" workshops (multiple) "Looking Ahead: Adopted Pre-Teens and Teens" Is it Adoption Related or Just the Age? Parents Get Ready – A New School Year For Our Adopted Kids Transforming the Challenging Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach

Family Education Series:

Co-Sponsored by Lutheran Social Service, MN ASAP, and Hennepin County Foster Care

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD in Children Fostering Changes: Behavior Management Approaches for Foster & Adoptive Parents Anxiety in Children – What it Looks Like/What it Means in Your Family When Someone in the Family Has Mental Health Issues Creating Sexual Safety for Adopted and Foster Children and Their Families Aggression in Children Parenting Style and Mental Health Depression in Children: What It Is/What It Isn't Bipolar Disorder: What It Means to Your Family Regulation – Help Your Child Learn This Skill The Autism Spectrum – What Parents Need to Know Behavior Lab: Ask a Psychologist Impact of Parental Alcohol and Drug Use on Children's Mental Health When Children Drive Us Crazy Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Building Self Esteem Plays Well With Others Dr. Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D., Internationally Renowned Expert - Identifying and Addressing Childhood Trauma Across the Age Range –Infancy thru Age 12 MN ASAP Spring Conference Strengthening Families: A conference for adoptive, foster, and kinship parents The Power of Our Relationships With Our Children When Your Child Has ADHD: Tools For Parents Compassion Fatigue Encouraging Positive Behavior in Spirited Children Raising African American Children Sexual Abuse – Recognizing the Signs Emotional Regulation Holiday Survival An Adoption Story – “Tips From the Trenches” Self Care Essentials Seminar – “Achieving Life Balance”