Click here to sign up for Continuing Education presentations.

WestCoast sponsors lectures, seminars and discussions on theory, technique, issues and research relevant to child and adolescent treatment. These workshops are open to all and are free or offered for Continuing Education units. WestCoast Children's Clinic is approved as a BBS provider for MFTs and LCSWs. WestCoast Children's Clinic is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. WestCoast Children's Clinic maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Continuing Education Series 2010-2011
 All presentations are to be held at the Fruitvale Clinic unless otherwise noted.


Implications of Recent Research in Neurobiology for Personality Assessment
Stephen E. Finn, PhD

February 17, 2012
10:00-12:00 PM
2 CEUs for MFTs, LCSWs, and Psychologists

Location: WestCoast Children's Clinic

In recent years, an exciting consensus has emerged between research in the areas of neurobiology, psychopathology, psychotherapy, and attachment. These new understandings are leading to a revolution in our ability to understand and help those clients who seek our help. In this lecture, Dr. Finn will describe these major findings and talk about their implications for psychological assessment. He will show 2 videotapes of him working with assessment clients that illustrate his points - one will involve an adult client and one a child/family client.

Objectives

At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

1) Describe Schore's theory of how early trauma affects the brain

2) Summarize findings of fMRI studies of projective tests

3) Explain why the Rorschach is sensitive to split-off affect states in clients

4) Discuss how projective tests can be used to reintegrate split-off affect states


There will be a $15 processing fee for CE certificates for non-WestCoast Children's Clinic or Alameda County employees. You must attend the entire training to receive CE credits. Complete information about this program, including course schedule, objectives and information about CE credits, can be obtained by emailing erosenblatt@westcoastcc.org.

Please RSVP using the link at the top of the page.


Placement Instability in Foster Care - Causes, Cures and Challenges
 Sigrid James, PhD

October 7, 2011
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (3 CEUs)

This 3-hour course will introduce participants to updated information about placement instability among children in foster care. It will describe the scope of the problem, highlight definitional and conceptual challenges, and discuss risk and protective factors. It will further present current data on what is known about the effects of placement instability and evidence-based interventions to reduce instability. This course is being offered for 3 CE units and there will be a $25 processing fee for CE certificates for non WCC or Alameda County employees. Please bring a check with you if you are planning on purchasing CE credits after the training. You must attend the entire training to receive CE credit. Space is limited for this workshop and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in attending this training, you must RSVP through our website. You can do so by going to the link above and filling out the required fields.




Principles and Strategies in Motivational Interviewing
Brian Mundy, LMSW
Matt Wofsy, LCSW

September 30, 2011
9.00 AM-1.00 PM (4 CEUs)

Description of Session: This course will introduce participants to the key Motivational Interviewing principles and interventions. Upon completion of the course, participants will have an understanding of how the principles of Motivational Interviewing can be applied to recovery, transformation, resistance, and ambivalence when working with out of home youth. They will also have learned and practiced core Motivational Interviewing strategies. Opportunities will be provided for participants to briefly relate principles and strategies to their work with foster youth and their caregivers.

Please RSVP using the link above.




Privacy and the Treatment of Children: Family, Courtroom and Social Media
Michael Donner, PhD

12 August 2011
9:00 am - 4:00pm (6 hours)
EVENT FULL

Psychologists, MFT's and LCSW's are required to have periodic updates on law and ethics. This course will provide a review of new legislation, ethical standards and legal cases that effect professional work. In addition, this course will emphasize the complex clinical and professional dilemmas face by psychotherapist's who work with children. Responsible not just to the treatment of the child, they are also expected to work ethically and appropriately with parents, teachers, foster parents and social workers. This course will review the ethical use of social media and technology such as Facebook, texting and email in clinical practice. This course is being offered for 6 CE units and there will be a $15 processing fee for CE certificates. Please bring a check with you if you are planning on purchasing CE credits after the training. You must attend the entire training to receive CE credit. Space is limited for this workshop and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in attending this training, you must RSVP through our website. You can do so by going to the link above and filling out the required fields.


When Systems Fail, What is the Place for Individual Psychotherapy With Children?
 Neil Altman, PhD

Friday, June 10, 2011
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
3 CE Credits



This course will focus on the value and limitations of individual psychotherapy with foster youth in the context of the failure of family and institutional systems in their lives. These failures are often so devastating in the lives of children, adolescents, and young adults that clinicians understandably are drawn to interventions at the systemic level. Work with foster and biological families, and with the agencies that support them, is often essential and valuable. Nonetheless, there remains an important place for individual psychotherapy with foster youth. This course will review the unique benefits of individual psychotherapy, as well as how to develop a treatment plan that includes individual psychotherapy without ignoring systemic forces and interventions.

This course will be held at WestCoast Children's Clinic, Suite 90. Please RSVP using the link above.


Children, Families, and Trauma: A Relational Approach
Kenneth V. Hardy, Ph.D.
April 22, 2011, 9:00-1:00 PM, 3.5 CE Credits

Participants in this workshop will learn how to involve the trauma sufferers partner and other family members as resources in the healing process. Participants will learn how to better educate clients about the typical symptoms of trauma, the stages of trauma recovery, how to help family members both soothe and set limits with the traumatized person, and the typical pitfalls families encounter including the depleting response of enough already as a family member tries to heal from a trauma. Special attention will be devoted to examining the critical intersection that often exists between trauma and the dynamics of socio-cultural oppression.

*Please note- This workshop will be held at 5020 Franklin Drive, PleasantonA
Link to directions here


Children, Families, and Trauma: A Relational Approach
Presenter: Kenneth V. Hardy, Ph.D.
April 22, 2011, 9:00-1:00 PM, 3.5 CE Credits

Participants in this workshop will learn how to involve the trauma sufferers partner and other family members as resources in the healing process. Participants will learn how to better educate clients about the typical symptoms of trauma, the stages of trauma recovery, how to help family members both soothe and set limits with the traumatized person, and the typical pitfalls families encounter including the depleting response of enough already as a family member tries to heal from a trauma. Special attention will be devoted to examining the critical intersection that often exists between trauma and the dynamics of socio-cultural oppression.

*Please note- This workshop will be held at 5020 Franklin Drive, PleasantonA
Link to directions here


Brining in the Village: Assessment in a Community Psychology Clinic
Chair: Barbara L. Mercer, PhD
Friday April 8, 2011, 9:00-11:00 AM, 2 CE Credits

This symposium looks at the components of assessment in a child community psychology context. Through case discussions we explore the impact of social and cultural issues on the assessment process, we highlight the use of therapeutic assessment with clients in a community clinic as a method of keeping the assessment results alive, increasing client involvement and understanding even when stress and turmoil interrupt the evaluation. Systemic issues of professional collaboration and transmission of client trauma to therapist and supervisor are also examined. We focus on how an urban community psychology setting can use traditional diagnostic measures in non-traditional ways to facilitate positive results for children and families and create an effective working alliance of professionals and clients in order to help understand and treat children in an inner-city community, many of whom are in the foster care system and/or experiencing social injustices due to racism and poverty.

Please see attached Flyer for more information.