Dr. Becker-Weidman: Key note Speaker at Annual Conference

I Will be presenting at CALO in April as their keynote speaker for their annual conference. See:
http://caloteens.com/blog/post/Professional-Conference.aspx
This is their annual conference and will be held April 12 & 13 2012

Webinar: Complex Trauma

Assessing Complex Trauma

This workshop will describe a three session model for the assessment of Complex Trauma (aka Developmental Trauma Disorder). A brief description of what is Complex Trauma and its effects on child development and the importance of parenting will be followed by a presentation of the assessment protocol. This assessment protocol is multi-modal and uses data from records, caregivers, various psychometric instruments. Screening of the various domains of possible impairment is an essential element of this protocol.

This workshop will only be available through Webinar (instructions on how to access the Webinar will be provided upon registration)

Date: June 15th, 2012 10:00am – 11:30am

Workshop Leaders:

Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D., Center for Family Development

Emily Becker-Weidman, PhD, Child Study Center, New York University

To register, please complete the attached registration form and send to Maribel Cruz

(p) 212-660-1318

(f) 212-660-1319

Email: MaribelC@nyfoundling.org

Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection

27 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014
The New York State
Chapter of American
Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
Presents
The 2011/2012
Child Abuse
Workshop Series
Co-Sponsored by
The New York Foundling
Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection
Villano Conference Center
27 Christopher Street
New York, New York 10014
http://www.nyfoundling.org/fontana-center
Workshops
1. Preventing Foster Home Disruption: A Programmatic Approach
This workshop is for mental health clinicians, case planners, supervisors and administrators working in the child welfare system. The workshop will identify the risk factors that contribute to foster home disruption and describe clinical and social service interventions designed to
stabilize the foster home and prevent disruption of the foster home.
Date/Time: October 24, 2011 10:00am to 11:30am
Workshop Leader: Mel Schneiderman, Ph.D
Director of Mental Health Services
New York Foundling
Co-founder Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection
2. Forensically Defensible Child Sexual Abuse Evaluations
This workshop, presented by a defense attorney, will focus on issues which arise in the context of child sexual abuse litigation including Parental Alienation “Syndrome,” the suggestibility of children, allegations of child sexual abuse in the context of divorce/custody proceedings, proper forensic interviewing, the professional ethics of mental health professionals maintaining proper records, and other issues.
Date/Time: December 5, 2011 10:00am to 12pm
Workshop Leader: Lawrence Jay Braunstein Esq.
Partner in the Firm of Braunstein & Zuckerman, Esq.
3. Common Myths and Clinical Realities of Child Maltreatment
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment or neglect of children. This
workshop will provide a multi-disciplinary forum to explore commonly held beliefs that can
often derail the process of obtaining the best outcomes for a child who has experienced any of these forms of child abuse. Through case-based discussion interspersed with brief didactics we will explore common myths as they relate to each of the forms of child maltreatment while
integrating findings from the literature in the field.
Date/Time: February 3, 2012 10am to 12pm
Workshop Leader: Ingrid Walker-Descartes, MD, MPH, FAAP
Maimonides Infants and Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn Child Abuse Pediatrician
Attending – Pediatric Ambulatory Division
Program Director – Pediatric Residency Training Program
4. Evidence-Based Mental Health Interventions for Child Abuse
This workshop will describe the current state of evidence-based mental health interventions for childhood abuse. Childhood models of PTSD and other sequelae will be described briefly. Em-pirically supported treatment for child sexual abuse, physical abuse and emotional/psychological abuse will be reviewed. Critical issues in treating youth will be described and finally national and state dissemination efforts will be noted, with focus on how New York State can adopt best prac-tices for the treatment of abused children.
Date/Time: April 2, 2012 10am to 11:30am
Workshop Leader: Komal Sharma-Patel, PhD
Assistant Director of Research
PARTNERS Program
St. John’s University
5. Integrating Prevention into Your Practice: American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children Prevention Guidelines
While much of professional practice has the objective of preventing further maltreatment, it is often difficult to understand how to best incorporate prevention activities into our work. This workshop will be hosted by a member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children Board Prevention Task Force who will review current evidence and best practices in the child maltreatment field and discuss guidelines to assist professionals in integrating preven-tion into their work.
Date/Time: May 1, 2012 10am to 11:30am
Workshop Leader: Vincent J. Palusci, MD MS
Professor of Pediatrics at NYU School of Medicine
Child Abuse Pediatrician at the Frances L. Loeb Child
Protection and Developmental Center at Bellevue Hospital
6. Assessing Complex Trauma
This workshop will describe a three session model for the assessment of Complex Trauma (aka Developmental Trauma Disorder). A brief description of what is Complex Trauma and its effects on child development and the importance of parenting will be followed by a presentation of the assessment protocol. This assessment protocol is multi-modal and uses data from records, care-givers, various psychometric instruments. Screening of the various domains of possible impair-ment is an essential element of this protocol.
This workshop will only be available through Webinar
Date and Time to be announced
Workshop Leaders: Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D.
Center for Family Development
Emily Becker-Weidman, PhD
Child Study Center, New York University
The New York State Chapter of
American Professional Society on the
Abuse of Children
The New York State Chapter of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children provides an opportunity for professionals in New York State to meet, share ideas and experiences, develop strategies for improving
professional services to clients, influence public policy and educate the public, other professionals, and policy makers about child maltreatment.
The New York Foundling
Vincent J. Fontana Center
for Child Protection
The Fontana Center supports the mission and values of The New York Foundling by serving as the advocacy,
public policy, research, professional and community
education arm of the agency.
The Center’s mission is to eliminate child maltreatment through the identification and promotion of evidence based primary prevention and treatment strategies. To achieve this objective, The Fontana Center engages in
research, professional training, community education and advocacy.
Registration Form
Please, indicate which workshop you would like to register for below.
1._____Preventing Foster Home Disruption: A Programmatic Approach
(October 24, 2011 10:00am to 11:30am)
2. Forensically Defensible Child Sexual Abuse Evaluations
(December 5, 2011 10:00am to 12pm)
3._____Common Myths and Clinical Realities of Child Maltreatment
(February 3, 2012 10am to 12pm)
4._____Evidence-Based Mental Health Interventions for Child Abuse
(April 2, 2012 10am to 11:30am)
5. Integrating Prevention into Your Practice: APSAC Prevention Guidelines (May 1, 2012 10am to 11:30am)
6._____Assessing Complex Trauma: Webinar Only
(Date: TBA)
There is no fee for New York State APSAC members or for NY Foundling staff.
There is a $10.00 fee for all non NYS APSAC members.
Please make check payable to:
Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection
All workshops will be held at the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection
at 27 Christopher Street in Manhattan.
Subway stops: West 4th (A,C, E, F, B, D, M trains) or Christopher Street (1 train)
Send check and registration form to Maribel Cruz at:
maribelc@nyfoundling.org
Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection
27 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014
Phone: 212-660-1318

Working with Culturally diverse groups

I’ve been reading and thinking, recently, about work with culturally diverse groups and wonder if any of you do and what your experience has been.

In thinking about treatment it seems that family and DDP therapists (who are primarily European-American) may tend to:
* Allow and encourage expressing emotions freely and openly
* View each member as having a right to the member’s own unique self: to individuate from the family as a primary unit of identity
* Strive for equal division of labor among members of the family
* Consider egalitarian role relationships between spouses as preferred
* Focus on the nuclear family as the standard.
* Value a present-future time perspective

A variety of other cultures have differing values and orientations (Asian, South-Asian, Black American, First Nations/Native American, Hispanic, to name a few).

It might be interesting to have a discussion about working with culturally diverse groups…if any of us do work with such groups (I do, so that’s what prompted my readings and thinking).

Spanking’s negative outcomes

A comprehensive study of the literature in the Canadian Medical Journal finds that spanking children results in poor outcomes: lower IQ scores.

The arguments against spanking and corporal punishment are even stronger when considering its re-traumatizing effects on children who have experienced complex trauma.

Attachment Therapy Companion

The book I wrote with 2 colleagues, Attachment Therapy Companion, will be out in July an is now listed on the Norton website:

http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Attachment-focused-Therapy/

The book is meant to be a statement of best practice in the provision of attachment focused therapy. It described the theory base for this approach, appropriate and evidence-based principles for evaluation and treatment, and ethical principles of practice.

It is a must read for anyone practicing treatment grounded in attachment theory.

Presentation on Complex Trauma for Value Behavioral Health

I’m in Pittsburgh now, November 17, 2011. I’ll be doing a presentation for Value Behavioral Health about evaluating and treatment Complex Trauma tomorrow. VBH manages the Medicaid contract for the State of PA for Western PA, so there will be about 350 providers at the training.

Attachment Therapy Book

I’ve just heard that a book I wrote with two colleagues,
The Attachment Therapy Companion: Key Practices for Treating Children
& Families
is now in production and should be out in early 2012. The book
describes what are the standards of care for this treatment.
From the Introduction:

This book is an important contribution to the field of trauma
treatment and attachment-focused the therapy. It provides the
clinician with a framework to assess, develop treatment plans, and
provide treatment in a comprehensive and integrated manner. College
professors are afforded a guide for classroom instruction. The book
will provide consumers with the necessary tools and information to
make better informed decisions regarding the adequacy of care they are
getting. College professors will find this book a useful adjunct for
family therapy, treatment, and ethics classes and the study guide will
assist in classroom instruction. Finally the book will provide judges,
child welfare professionals, insurance companies, and others with a
framework for evaluating proposed plans of care. It is my belief that
this book will mark a new stage in the development of attachment-
focused therapy by delineating what are the standards of care for the
treatment of attachment and trauma disorders.

for parents on Halloween

For parents, this link has some helpful information.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-l-pulido-phd/protecting-kids-first-a-s_b_991354.html

Professional Practice Manual on Attachment-Focused Treatment

Dr. Becker-Weidman is one of the editors of a new book to be published early in 2012 on the professional practice of attachment-focused therapy. The two other editors are Lois Ehrmann and Denise LeBow. The book will serve as a practice manual defining standards of care. The book will be a valuable resource for social workers, psychologists, mental health practitioners, departments of social services, child welfare organizations, judges, and attorneys. The book’s table of contents will be:
Chapter 1: Terminology and Diagnosis
Chapter 2: Purposes and Scope of Guide
Chapter 3: Overview of Attachment Theory: Synopsis of Key Concepts
CHAPTER 4: Overview of Attachment-Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 5: Core Concepts of Trauma and Trauma Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 6: Intake, Screening, & Referral
CHAPTER 7: Assessment of Children With Attachment Issues
CHAPTER 8: Treatment Planning
CHAPTER 9: Considerations in Behavior Management
CHAPTER 10: Training, Consultation, and Competency
CHAPTER 11: Ethical Considerations in Attachment Focused Therapy
CHAPTER 12: Vicarious Trauma and the Clinician’s Responsibility for Self Care
References
Glossary
Appendix A: Paper on Coercion in Treatment
Appendix B: Screening and Assessment Tools
Appendix C: Out-of Home Placements
Appendix D: Study Guide

Dr. Becker-Weidman in Chico California

Dr. Becker-Weidman will be presenting a workshop, “Healing Trauma and Attachment Disorders” at two locations in Northern California Oct 14 & 15.

These learning objectives will be addressed:
 Participants will be able to describe how parent-child attachment normally develops
 Participants will identify the seven domains of impairment caused by Complex Trauma
 Participants will be able to identify three general principles of parenting & treatment grounded in attachment-theory & Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
 Participants will be able to use two new interventions to help parents with children with trauma and attachment disorders,
 Participants will be able to describe one key element of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and be able to use it in their practice.

Please RSVP to (530) 879-3861 or ldamschroder@sierraff.org
This FREE training is made available through the collaborative efforts of Sierra Forever Families & California Department of Social Services