Vol. 18, No. 2 • May 2014

Training Opportunities for Caregivers to Help Teens Transition

Independent Living Resources, Inc. has two opportunities for foster parents to learn more about how to help teens in foster care make smoother transitions.

Volunteer Advocate Academy
The first is an online training program called "Volunteer Advocate Academy" and includes ten modules on how to engage and help teens prepare to transition to adulthood. Visit www.volunteeradvocateacademy.com.

Helping Youths Reach Self-Sufficiency
The second opportunity is a weekend-long seminar called "Helping Youths Reach Self-Sufficiency." This year this course will be offered October 3 - 5, 2014 in Burlington. Caregivers who attend this event (a) learn about NC LINKS services, (b) expand their ability to give youths in foster care the tools they need to become self-sufficient, and (c) learn to support other caregivers as they do the same for foster youth in their homes. Topics covered include assessment, education, employment, decision-making, building-assets, other LINKS-related topics, and how to use youths, other caregivers, and the community as resources.

In addition to these topics, participants also learn to organize and facilitate a two-hour session to inform other caregivers in their area. Participants will have an opportunity to practice facilitation skills at the seminar. Upon returning home, participants (now called "ambassadors") are expected to facilitate a session to help support other caregivers to teach life skills in the home.

The course is taught by caregivers who walk the talk. Wanda and Tony Douglas originally attended this course in 2002 and progressed to become professional trainers. The Douglases have taught this course since 2009 and find that participants continue to contact them post-seminar to share their experiences. Those experiences run from pure excitement to fear and concern about "doing a good job."

Ambassadors find that caregivers need information and tools specifically to engage teens in their homes and better understand what they can do to become more self-sufficient. In addition, the Douglases continue to offer ambassadors tips and suggestions to improve their efforts to share the "life-skills" message with others.

Who can attend? Foster parents who currently foster (or want to foster) teens in their home are encouraged to register.

Cost and Conditions. "Helping Youths Reach Self-Sufficiency" is sponsored by the NC LINKS program and is offered FREE to foster parents. The LINKS program will pay lodging and meals for participants. Prior to registering for the course, attendees must ask their licensing and LINKS worker (or agency worker identified to work with teens) for support to conduct a session for caregivers after the course.

Registration. The seminar begins at 3 p.m. on Fri., October 3 and ends at 1 p.m. on Sun., October 5, 2014. Visit http://bit.ly/1fKo3c1 for a downloadable registration form. For more information, contact Debbie Cornell ([email protected]).

Registration Deadline: September 5, 2014

~ Family and Children's Resource Program, UNC-CH School of Social Work ~