Training Calendar

Foster and adoptive care can often isolate families. Stress, challenging behaviors, multiple therapy appointments, and perceptions of foster care have a way of shrinking a parent’s community when they need it the most. In this webinar hosted by seasoned adoptive parents, learn how to create and nurture the social web for you and your children.

There are different de-escalation strategies that can be used at the different levels of a crisis. This webinar will focus on when to use different strategies at different times, how to present yourself as an ally to a child and not be another obstacle within the crisis, what to say, and what not to say.

Although Autism takes many forms in the school environment, there are strategies that schools can use to support the autistic child. Whether behavior challenges, cognitive delays, academic deficits, or adaptive skills, supports are available. Join Harmony’s Education Consultant, Franny Alexander, to learn more about accommodations and modifications for the autistic child at school.

Talking about suicide is hard, and it’s even harder to think about having to do this with your own child. Research and practice show that opening up lines of communication between parents and children can help reduce the likelihood that a child will attempt suicide. Offering concrete, real-life supports – especially nurturing relationships – reduce that likelihood even more.

Sadly, suicide is on the rise across all age groups and races in our country. A therapist and a parent will discuss why some children may be more at risk to attempt suicide than others and the signs to look for. They will also offer practical tips for how to plan your conversation, what to say and not say, and how to build in supports for your child. They will also discuss what to do in a crisis situation and what to expect when professionals are called upon to help.

There are different de-escalation strategies that can used at the different levels of a crisis situation. This webinar will focus on when to use different strategies at different times, how to present yourself as an ally to a child and not be another obstacle within the crisis, and what to say and what not to say.

In this workshop we will explore attachment and how it impacts foster/adoptive families. Join Allison Cooke Douglas, adoptive mother of four and Director of Harmony Family Center’s Resource Center in examining the role of relational health in the life span, how foster care and adoption can impact a child’s healthy relationships and how parents can build or strengthen a child’s capacity to connect and create healthier relationships.

Any divorce can be tremendously stressful and difficult for children. For parents who have adopted children, divorce can further complicate already complex parenting. In this webinar, families will learn how to effectively communicate and co-parent to reduce stress and increase feelings of stability for their children during and after divorce.

We want to prevent crises, and better yet, help children to learn how to appropriately handle crisis situations. However, getting the timing right for learning and these important conversations is crucial. This webinar will focus on when and how to move from crisis to learning by using The Life Space Interview.

Reflective Parenting helps families discover what it might be like to evaluate their parenting decisions based on multiple factors and contexts rather than on absolutes, to focus more on how you are than what you do as a parent and to better understand children as well as ourselves. Based in the work of Peter Fonagy, Regina Pally and Arietta Slade as well as the self-compassion research of Dr. Kristen Neff, this workshop helps families to remember that there’s no one way to be a good adoptive parent.

Children who have been abused, neglected or substance-exposed don’t always respond
to typical forms of discipline, challenging and frustrating many foster and adoptive
parents. Join Allison Cooke Douglas, adoptive parent and Resource Center Program
Director at Harmony Family Center, in an hour-long discussion of why old standbys like
timeout, spanking and lectures don't work for our kids and how parents can shift to
mindful, connected discipline techniques for difficult behaviors.

As technology becomes an increasingly integral part of our children’s lives, it is crucial
for parents to understand how to manage their child's technology use and ensure their
safety online. Join us for an informative and practical webinar designed to provide you
with the tools and strategies to create a safe and balanced digital environment for your
family. We will discuss Understanding Technology's Impact on Children, Creating
Healthy Technology Boundaries, Online Safety Basics, Tools and Resources, and
Handling Challenges and Concerns.

ADHD can present many unique challenges at school for students and parents. In this
series, Harmony Family Center’s Education Consultant Franny Alexander will guide
parents through accessing educational support for their child with ADHD at school. The
series will include webinars addressing ADHD, Anxiety, and Autism.

The best tool for de-escalating a child in crisis is a regulated adult, and a regulated adult
with a plan is even better. This webinar will focus on the caregiver’s approach and how
to be in a supportive role to the child. We will also discuss how to develop plans for
averting crises and supporting children at different levels of an evolving crisis when it
occurs.

Adolescence is a challenging time for any teen, but it can present unique hurdles for
adopted teens as they navigate adoption-related identity issues and their origins. Join
us for an insightful webinar tailored for adoptive parents, offering guidance and support
on how to help your teen through these critical years. We will discuss Understanding
Identity Issues in Adoptive Teens, Navigating Questions About Birth Families, Practical
Parenting Strategies, and Harnessing Resources and Professional Support.

This workshop examines the relationship between trauma and feeding issues in foster
and adopted children, introducing healthy and connected interventions designed to
create felt safety and resilience. Participants will explore the need for regulated parental
responses, learn how to create structure and routine around meals and build
attachment though nurturing a healthy relationship with food.

Anxiety can affect students in a variety of ways at school, including social/ emotional
growth, academics, and behaviors. It can be challenging to manage at school for
students and parents. In this series, Harmony Family Center’s Education Consultant
Franny Alexander will guide parents through accessing educational support for their
child with anxiety at school. The series will include webinars addressing ADHD, Anxiety,
and Autism.

Children who have experienced neglect, abuse, chaos, and broken attachments have
bodies and brains that have adapted to survive what happened to them in the past …
and what they worry about what will happen to them in the future. Their behavior is not
consciously willful nor malicious, it is just what has worked for them to survive in body,
mind, and spirit; this is why punishments don’t work to redirect this behavior. We will
explore how the brain and body functions in this survival mode and how to help them
rewire for resilience through relationships.

Join us for an engaging and insightful webinar designed for adoptive parents, where we
will delve into Lisa Qualls’ transformative book, Reclaim Compassion. This webinar will
review the book's key themes, practical takeaways, and actionable strategies to help
adoptive parents overcome blocked care and nurture a compassionate and
understanding relationship with their children.

Although Autism takes many forms in the school environment, there are strategies that
schools can use to support the autistic child. Whether behavior challenges, cognitive
delays, academic deficits, or adaptive skills, supports are available. Join Harmony’s
Education Consultant, Franny Alexander, to learn more about accommodations and
modifications for the autistic child at school.

This workshop equips adoptive/foster parents with reflective practices to navigate
seemingly no-win situations. Through exploring state-dependent functioning, radical
acceptance, and mindful decision-making, participants will gain strategies to better
understand their emotions and biases, enabling them to make informed decisions that
prioritize their child's well-being, strengthen family connections, and honor their own
humanity.

Time out was the parental discipline trend that grew out of Behaviorism in the 1960’s.
Now, our brain science and trauma-informed practices explain why is not helpful and
may even create more negative behavior and ongoing problems for foster and adopted
children. We will explore alternatives to time-outs … when both children and adults
need a break and some redirection.