Managing Behavioral Health Issues in the Classroom- A Workshop for Educators

Presented By: Patrick Boyle, Psy.D.; Jeffrey M. Alpart, MA, MS CCC-SLP; Erica Eisenberg, Ph.D; Julia Vayner, M.A; Kristen Ullrich, Psy.D.; Jerry Kosmin, MS, MHA, LPC and Uriel Lewis, MBA  

Breakout Session I A: 

The System of a Child: Understanding the Family, School and Societal Systems that Impact Children

Presenters: Patrick Boyle, Psy.D. and Jeffrey M. Alpart, MA, MS CCC-SLP

Summary:

We will explore the various systems that impact children, the ways that those systemic impacts may likely present in the classroom, and steps/referrals that teachers can make to positively impact the student.  We will also explore the system of the classroom, particularly exploring opportunities to make systemic changes that can lead to impactful behavioral outcomes.

Course objectives:

• Summarize systems theory as it applies to school-aged children
• Discuss the ecological model to describe various levels of systems and their pattern of interaction
• Describe and identify signs and symptoms that indicate the need for referral to educational and/or mental health professions for assessment.
• Compile strategies, interventions and tools that can be used to shift the system of the classroom to change problematic/undesired behaviors

Breakout Session I B:

Wellness and Self-Care

Presenters: Erica Eisenberg, Ph.D.; Julia Vayner, M.A.

Summary: 

Participants will learn about various elements that factor into overall wellness as it relates to mental health and functioning. Participants will be taught several skills that are useful in promoting stress management and overall self-care.

Course objectives:

• Identify aspects of wellness that are working well as well as areas that require improvement.
• Demonstrate understanding of the consequences of imbalanced wellness and self-care.
• Apply multiple skills to help minimize stress and promote self-care.

Breakout Session 2 A:

Play Therapy: Children at Work

Presenter: Kristen Ullrich, Psy.D.

Summary:

"Men should learn to live with the same seriousness with which children play."-Friedrich Nietzsche

It is easy to mistake a student’s irritability, isolation, or lethargy for willful defiance when these behaviors may actually be fueled by anxiety, depression, or traumatic stress. Children often have difficulty expressing their emotional needs and can be resistive to traditional talk therapy. Play is children’s language, their refuge and their work. Play Therapy allows children to examine how they feel, process what they do not understand, and express what they may not have words for within the bounds of a validating relationship. Problem solving and emotion regulation can be strengthened through imaginary play, meaning is found in metaphor, and children find mastery in safe repetition of any number of skills. This presentation attempts to orient the learner to common symptoms of psychological distress in children and provide an overview of the application and benefits of Play Therapy in mental health treatment.

Course objectives:

• Recognize common behavioral symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in children and adolescents
• Describe the impact of trauma on a child’s social and emotional functioning
• Summarize basic Play Therapy principles.

                                 Breakout Session 2 B:                                           Verbal De-Escalation for Counselors and School Staff

 Presenters:  Uriel Lewis, MBA;  Jerry Kosmin, MS, MHA, LPC; 

Summary:

In today’s schools and communities we are surrounded by children and adolescents who come to us tired, hungry and at times in need of psychiatric support.  We as teachers, social workers, therapists are expected to “manage” these children, teach them life skills and social skills while they are in our care.  The “success” of our trade is often measured by the outcome of our clients, patients, and students.  Often times these children are frustrated prior to ever entering our doorways.  We are then expected to teach, support and therapeutically intervene with children who are angry and resistant to the very expectations that are essential for them to be successful.  The combination of unhappy, angry children coupled with the resistance to an expectation often leads to a power struggle.  This training is not to assume that in a short educational training we will provide elimination strategies for ongoing psycho social stressors, but rather an ability to make a choice in how we respond with our children in that moment. Participants in this training will learn important skills for effective work with children and adolescents struggling to express their needs in a healthy way. Participants will increase their skills to recognize the development of a crisis situation and more effectively de-escalate the situation 

Course Objectives

• Describe the learning opportunities crisis may present
• Demonstrate the use of active listening to enhance rapport and diffuse the anxious client
• Demonstrate the ability to identify power struggles and specific methods used to diminish and or avoid them

CEU INFORMATION

This program is co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists and Fairmount Behavioral Health System. The Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor Continuing Education for psychologists. The Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists maintains responsibility for the program and its content. Three and half (3.0) Hours of CE credits for Psychologists and PA Social Work/LPC/LMTF Board licensees and Act 48 credits are pending approval.