Home > get trained > parent trainings

parent Trainings

If you are interested in any of the trainings listed below, e-mail us

Collaboration Between Families and Providers (3 hour training) outlines the rationale, explains federal and state requirements for family involvement. Experts suggest criteria to help families and providers move to higher levels of expert-identified best practice. Participants are exposed to national research and best practice and given opportunities to apply theory to specific incidents of school, mental health planning for children with serious emotional, behavioral problems. This training is also available on CD rom and can be purchased from Master Teacher.

Cultural Competence (3 hour training) defines categories of culturally competent practice and establishes criteria to move to higher levels of expert-identified best practice. Participants are exposed to national research and best practice and given opportunities to apply theory to specific incidents of school, mental health planning for children with serious emotional, behavioral problems. This training is also available on CD rom and can be purchased from Master Teacher.

Developing behavior focused IEP's (6 hour training) focuses parents on planning and preparing strategies to assist school teams develop behaviorally focused individualized education plans for children with emotional, behavioral disabilities. The training leads parents through strategies which identify behavioral needs, establish a vision and set goals, brainstorm service options and select interventions based on strengths and resources of the team and finally establish the protocols and timelines to evaluate progress. The training helps parents understand their rights at each stage of the process: referral, identification, placement, evaluation.

Developing behavior focused Section 504 plans (6 hour training) focuses parents on planning and preparing strategies to assist school teams develop behaviorally focused Section 504 plans for children with emotional, behavioral problems. The training helps parents whose children are found ineligible for special education related services. The training leads parents through strategies which identify behavioral needs, establish a vision and set goals, brainstorm service options and select interventions based on strengths and resources of the team and finally establish the protocols and timelines to evaluate progress.

Family Involvement (3 hour training) defines the continuum of deepening family involvement principles and establishes criteria to move to higher levels of expert-identified best practice. Participants are exposed to national research and best practice and given opportunities to apply theory to specific incidents of school, mental health planning for children with serious emotional, behavioral problems. This training is also available on CD rom and can be purchased from Master Teacher.

Managing Your Child's Behavior--The techniques of raising a STAR (6 hour training) focuses on helping parents understand the rationale behind common forms of misbehavior. Using the principles of Cooperative Discipline, parents learn to select interventions based on underlying reasons as well as always reconnect their child to maintain self-esteem, social competence and self worth.

Negotiation Skills (6 hour and 3 hour sessions available). This course offers families, schools & community providers the basic concepts and techniques of Win, Win. Instructors help participants identify options and communication strategies in the context of securing children's services. Class based on "Getting to Yes."

Outcome Development (3 hour training) focuses parents on developing specific behavioral outcomes and benchmarks so they can participate with provider teams (school, mental health, court services, foster care reintegration) in defining success/failure of plans imposed on them and their children. The course teaches families to develop check points and strategies so they can determine when agency plans are working/not working, This class is offered by request.

Parent-to-parent support/advocacy (12 hour face to face or telephone group presentations available). This training is offered four times per year through a grant with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Other trainings are available by appointment. Costs are negotiable. The training includes many of the small topics listed below.

Preparing for Crisis (6 hour training) helps parents define, with their children, and provider network, the stressors which lead to crisis and study strengths and resources of the child, family and team which de-escalate stress and critical incidents. The instructors use the Keys' Building Your Own Volcano" kit to provide youth with concrete representation of the volcano eruption process and establish self-soothing, coping strategies for "cooling the lava."

Positive Reinforcement not punishment (6 hour and 3 hour sessions available). This course compares the effects of punishment vs those of positive sustained behavior supports which shape desired behaviors and sustain self esteem. Instructors offer participants opportunities to practice as well as study theory of self-discipline.

Family Strengthening: Reaching for the STARS (8 weeks, 3 hours each) training for families which emphasizes the role of the family in society and the role of culture and ethnicity in determining family values. The program emphasizes parent teaching and parent modeling. It is based on the work of Dr. Marilyn Steele. Classes start every other month in Topeka.

Supporting your child in school & Developing Parent, Teacher, Student Learning Compacts (6 hour training) offered on site to help parents establish and maintain relationships with teachers through an analysis of the child's learning strengths. Participants develop a learning compact to facilitate communication links between home and school. This training is offered by request to Kansas schools, community agencies. It is free to agencies who include parents in the training.

Understanding Test Scores (3 hour training) assists parents with the maze of tests and test scores. Parents learn to ask the right questions, to compare test scores (grade equivalents and percentiles) with their own knowledge and documents regarding their child's performance in school.