Trauma-Informed Youth Engagement™
Series of skills-based workshops!
Trauma-Informed Youth Engagement™
teaches you how to be the best possible adult ally to
youth and young adults (16-26yrs).
Youth workers & Adults allies get ready to amp up the way you engage and prepare youth and young adults to participate in care plans and advocacy events…
safely and effectively!!
This is a very interactive class, so to ensure you get the best experience, seats are limited.
Not sure if this is for you? Continue to read on for more information.
In this Youth Engagement Series, you’ll learn how to:
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Engage youth/young adults (Y/YAs) by transforming into the best ally
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Empower Y/YAs to reach their full potential by applying social learning
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Increase youth success in achieving their goals by using trauma-informed principles
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Identify hidden tokenism and build effective youth participation
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Create safe/brave spaces for youth to learn and grow
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Prepare and support youth to become highly effective advocates
Why enroll in Trauma-Informed Youth Engagement™ Workshop Series?
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Youth/family coordinators
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Independent living coordinators
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Supervisors
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Mental health clinicians
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Direct care staff and youth practitioners
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Peer specialists
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Family and young adult advocates
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Program managers
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Adult Allies who recruit and prepare Y/YA advocates
Any staff who are responsible for engaging, preparing, and supporting youth and young adults to actively participate in their care planning, advocacy events, youth speaking panels, groups, activities… and supervisors of those staff members.
Who is this training for?
Who am I and what are my qualifications?
Hi, I’m Debra Cady, creator of the Trauma-Informed Youth Engagement workshop series, co-author of the Trauma-informed Method of Engagement (TIME) for Youth Advocacy Model, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am a Certified Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator and national expert in the area of policy/programming for youth and young adults transitioning into adulthood with mental health challenges.
I’ve trained on the TIME model for the last 12 years locally, nationally and internationally. Now I’ve taken it to the next level, a deeper dive into how to implement the TIME model. Learn more about the TIME Model.
Why should you participate in Trauma-Informed Youth Engagement™ Workshops?
Over the last 30 years, I've talked to Y/YAs and Supportive adults from across the country who shared stories from the field about both successful and traumatic experiences of doing system change advocacy work.
From the novice to the most trained and supported advocate, the practice of sharing lived experience publicly resulted in unintended negative consequences like re-experiencing feelings of fear, hopelessness, defeat, as well as flashbacks and in some cases, relapse.
You may have difficulty encouraging YAs to be advocates or to be leaders in their own care planning. You may have trouble with consistent attendance or interest in Y/YAs leading their care plan team or staying motivated to reach their goals. But you still want to support their success in any way you can.
This is why I created this training… to address your need as supportive adults (SAs) effectively engage, prepare, and support TAYs to safely sit on or lead meetings, committees, boards, panels, etc. through a trauma-informed lens.
We all know that having youth voices represented in care planning and at advocacy events is one of the most important ingredients for changing the way systems respond to the needs and desires of the youth and young adults.
It is critical to apply trauma-informed principles, given the effects that trauma can have on Y/YAs when sharing their lived experience in a public setting or in care plans.
Trauma-Informed Youth Engagement™ participants who completed the training highly recommended their colleagues attend. Several communities have continued the learning through group consultation following the training.
Many participants reported decreased negative experiences, less tokenism, and higher levels of youth/young adult participation.
They experienced less stress, and devoted time and energy to strategies that work… not hurt. And I’d like to share some other positive takeaways from past students. Here are just a few of their takeaways from our Trauma-Informed Youth Engagement™...
What are other professionals saying?
“The training is a great way to expand your knowledge and skills on how to be an advocate not only for Y/YA but, for yourself and the world around you. The training challenges you to think about how certain words and phrases may come across to others.”
“The training is a must for direct service and leadership staff who work with transition-age youth!!! Better engagement=improved outcomes!”
“This is great for veteran and new workers.”
You will leave the training with new tools, new perspectives, and new strategies to minimize the negative impact of re-experiencing trauma.
More importantly, you will now know how to create the conditions necessary to scaffold learning for TAYs that will improve self-efficacy to help them continue to grow personally and professionally, whether they are advocating for themselves or systems change.
