Important Information
Child Welfare Law Specialist Certification - Child Welfare Law Specialist (CWLS) certification is a professional achievement that signifies an attorney’s specialized knowledge, skill, and verified expertise in the field of child welfare law. The specialization area is defined as “the practice of law representing children, parents … Read More
Louisiana CINC Benchbook - The Court Improvement Program of the Louisiana Supreme Court, Louisiana Judicial College, and Pelican Center for Children and Families is delighted to announce the publication of the Louisiana Child in Need of Care Benchbook for Juvenile Judges. The Benchbook project is a … Read More
Upcoming Events
CWLA is pleased to present the three-part virtual training series that features the publication Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing. Now in its third edition, Working with Traumatized Children has been updated to include new strategies and approaches for caregivers and others responsible for meeting the needs of children who are vulnerable.
Participants will gain a strengthened capacity to:
- Define what trauma is and differentiate it from stress
- Provide examples of trauma symptoms in children and adults
- Describe how trauma can impact children’s brains
- Advocate for the provision of safe environments when working with children and adults who have been affected by trauma
- Provide examples of how systems can be traumatizing or retraumatize people
- Explain the importance of understanding the vagus nerve when working with families and children who have been affected by trauma
- Express why self-reflective practices and supervision are important when working with this population
Training registrants will receive an electronic copy of Working with Traumatized Children, Companion Workbook which supplements the virtual training sessions. Training registrants are also eligible to receive a 30% discount on the purchase of hard copies of Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing, Third Edition and Working with Traumatized Children, Companion Workbook. Use promo code WWTC-30 in CWLA’s Bookstore.
CWLA is pleased to present the three-part virtual training series that features the publication Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing. Now in its third edition, Working with Traumatized Children has been updated to include new strategies and approaches for caregivers and others responsible for meeting the needs of children who are vulnerable.
Participants will gain a strengthened capacity to:
- Define what trauma is and differentiate it from stress
- Provide examples of trauma symptoms in children and adults
- Describe how trauma can impact children’s brains
- Advocate for the provision of safe environments when working with children and adults who have been affected by trauma
- Provide examples of how systems can be traumatizing or retraumatize people
- Explain the importance of understanding the vagus nerve when working with families and children who have been affected by trauma
- Express why self-reflective practices and supervision are important when working with this population
Training registrants will receive an electronic copy of Working with Traumatized Children, Companion Workbook which supplements the virtual training sessions. Training registrants are also eligible to receive a 30% discount on the purchase of hard copies of Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing, Third Edition and Working with Traumatized Children, Companion Workbook. Use promo code WWTC-30 in CWLA’s Bookstore.
This session will provide an in-depth look at the role of legal advocacy in child protection, presented by an experienced attorney. Participants will gain valuable insights into how the legal system can be leveraged to protect children from abuse and neglect. The session will cover the legal rights of children, the responsibilities of child welfare agencies, and how attorneys advocate for the best interests of children in court. Attendees will also explore the legal challenges and opportunities in child protection cases, including the importance of collaboration between legal professionals, social workers, and other advocates. This session aims to equip participants with knowledge of the legal tools and processes available to safeguard vulnerable children.
This two-part training session offers participants an opportunity to examine the issue of implicit bias to recognize individual implicit biases and their impact on professional practice in child welfare. Discussion will occur on the issue of privilege and its impact on professional and personal relationships with people of color.
The session will invite courageous dialogue on the highly sensitive issues related to racial disparity and disproportionality of children in the child welfare system. Through the topics of white privilege and implicit bias, the trainers will help participants contextualize how these are some of the root causes of these disparities. This discussion will encourage participants to recognize and develop a deeper understanding of their role as professionals to work as effectively as possible with families and children of color.
Participants will be able to:
- Define antisocial behavior
- Identify antisocial behavior indicators
- Learn how to proactively reduce antisocial behavior
Civil legal services can be a powerful tool in preventing family separation and children from entering foster care. Since 2023, the Louisiana Bar Foundation (LBF) has funded the My Community Cares (MCC) Civil Legal Network in five locations to accomplish this very goal. The types of cases handled by the MCC civil legal attorneys include domestic violence, family law, public benefits, housing, and consumer health and protection.
MCC is a community-driven, neighborhood-based approach to reducing the number of children who experience abuse or neglect, keeping children and parents together, and connecting families to available resources and support. The aim is to ensure that every neighborhood in Louisiana has access to the services and supports they need to be healthy and safe. Beginning as a pilot in four parishes in 2019 as part of the Child and Family Services Review Program Improvement Plan, MCC now exists in every Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) region in Louisiana. The Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) provides state oversight for MCC and partners with the DCFS who funds the program.
Our speakers will provide information about MCC generally, the MCC civil legal network, and how civil legal aid can stabilize families and help keep them together.
Speakers:
- Emily Aucoin, Staff Attorney, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
- Claire Edwards, MCC Attorney, The Extra Mile
Objectives:
- Learn about the My Community Cares civil legal attorney network
- Understand how the provision of civil legal services can help keep families together and prevent children from entering foster care.
Join SCAN and our partners at the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children during Early Ed Month for a virtual Parent Advocacy Training on February 20th at 6pm CST.
This training will empower parents to become effective advocates for high-quality early education programs in their communities. Participants will learn about the importance of early learning, strategies to influence local, state, and federal policies, and how to collaborate with educators and policymakers.
Hear from two of SCAN’s Volunteer Leaders, Dafnee Chatman and Tia Fields, on their journey, organizing and creating impactful change to ensure every child has access to a strong educational foundation.
What is race? What is racism? How do these concepts influence people’s perceptions of themselves and others? How has racism impacted the implementation of policies and procedures across our socio-economic systems?
This three-part training session explores these and other questions to understand the ways racism impacts socio-economic systems. Participants will learn about the origins of racism and engage in discussions about its four levels: internalized (within individuals), interpersonal (between individuals), institutional (within institutions), and structural (across institutions and society). They will review examples of each and evaluate how the practices of specific institutions – child welfare, education and criminal justice, to name a few – perpetuate disparate outcomes for impacted populations. Participants will also go on a historical journey from slavery and segregation to the violence, mass incarceration and voter suppression, to understand how internalized, interpersonal and institutional racism combine to create power structures that advantage some, while disadvantaging all others.
Through this historical perspective, participants will be challenged to evaluate the racist policies and practices that persist in their fields of work, and to start discussions about dismantling systems of oppression so that equity, inclusion and justice can prevail.
Join us for an in-depth training that will walk you through each of the systems that someone with a Co-Occurring I/DD and Behavioral Health will need to access to receive the supports and services that they need.
Parenting is challenging, particularly when you are parenting a child from a hard place. TBRI ® Empowering Principles will provide an in-depth look at ways to empower your children by meeting their unique physical needs and creating an environment in which they can succeed. This session includes information on sensory processing and practical tools and skills to help children regulate their emotions and behaviors. This multi-disciplinary training is designed to give caregivers, volunteers, and professionals who serve children and families the knowledge and practical skills they need to bring hope and healing.