Andrea Chatwin Registration is open! - See her on October 9th and 10th in Kamloops.

Posted Sep 27, 2019

​Registration is open for the Andrea Chatwin Workshops in Kamloops on Wednesday, October 9 and Thursday October 10, 2019. 

When you follow the link below to register please note the following 4 “registrant type” options:

1. MCFD-sponsored tickets: These tickets are designated for/distributed by the Kamloops MCFD Resource Team. You must be invited by an MCFD staff to register for this ticket. (authentication code required)

2. Secwepemc-sponsored tickets: These tickets are designated for/distributed by the Secwepemc Child and Family Services Resource Team. You must be invited by a Secwepemc staff to register for this ticket. (authentication code required)

3. Kamloops Community Funds (for Foster Parents)-sponsored tickets: These tickets are for Kamloops Foster Parents who are fostering with the following agencies: Kamloops MCFD, Secwepemc Child and Family Services, and Lii Michif Otepemisiwak. (contact STFC for an authentication code)

4. General Admission: For all other Foster Parents and community Professionals.

If you are unsure which “registrant type” applies to you and/or you experience any difficulty with the registration process, please contact the STFC team at 236-421-0031 or toll-free at 1-877-376-3660.

To register please follow this link and click the “Register Today!” button on the bottom right hand side of the page. Click here for the poster.

Workshop Outlines:

Transition Workshops: Wednesday October 9th, 2019 - 9:00am - 3:00pm

Transitioning Children from Foster Care to Adoption: Best Practices

• Transitioning a child from foster care to adoption is a complex process with significant implications for the future development of the new parent-child relationships. Planning transitions based on current “best practice” can be slow, confusing and at times discouraging for those involved. Participants will receive new information that will assist them in understanding the needs of children and caregivers in the transition process and a set of guiding principles to inform their decision making.

Transitioning Babies Toddlers in Foster Care and Adoption (0-3)

• Given what we know about how babies and toddlers experience big losses, particularly the loss of a primary caregiver, our transition practices need to reflect this understanding. Practical information about best practices for this age group will be discussed. The Guiding Principles of Transitioning will be applied specifically to planning transitions for babies and toddlers from a trauma informed perspective. (Note: this workshop is best taken together with ‘Grief and Loss for Babies and Toddlers.’

Preparing Older Children for Adoption (4-11)

• This workshop will explore the uneven development of children who have experienced early loss and trauma and how this impacts preparation for adoption. Talking to children about adoption requires a level of attunement to their complex experiences. Participants will learn how to offer clear, direct and compassionate explanations the help children to form connections between experiences from the past, present and future. How to assess readiness will also be discussed.

Trauma & Loss Workshops: Thursday October 10th, 2019 - 9:00am - 3:00pm

Understanding Trauma and the Brain with the Experiential Brain Architecture Game

• This workshop is an experiential activity that builds understanding of the powerful role of experiences on early brain development—what promotes it, what derails it, with what consequences for society. The goal is to build a brain that is as tall as possible, which represents functionality, and as sturdy as possible, which represents the ability to withstand stresses. Weights must be hung from the structure of the brain when life hands out stressors. Will the foundation withstand these weights, or will it collapse? Applications of this information to the development of trauma informed interventions will be discussed.

‘When Kids Don’t Have the Words’: Responding to Preverbal Trauma in Older Children

• Children who experienced preverbal trauma and loss (ages of 0-3) carry these memories with them long after they find safety and security in permanent homes. Preverbal trauma is stored in the body and is easily triggered through senses like vision, touch, taste, smell as well as the auditory and motor systems. This workshop will provide a deeper understanding of how and why children’s preverbal trauma continues to impact important areas of their functioning. Participants will leave with a greater confidence in their ability to recognize and respond effectively when children are triggered. Current therapeutic interventions will also be explained.

Big Feelings, Little Bodies: Understanding Grief and Loss for Infants and Toddlers

• Grief and loss for infants and toddlers is a lot like big feelings in little bodies that have limited options for expression. Children who experience loss during preverbal stages of development grieve deeply even though they are unable to talk about their experiences. We see this grief in the way they behave, the way they sleep and eat as well as how they relate to others. Our understanding of the impact of grief and loss on a child’s development informs how we need to respond. This workshop focuses on effective response from caregivers that help infants and toddlers regulate and process their experiences.