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Course Information

National Foster Care Month: Implementing Parent Partner Programs and Supporting Reunification Webinar

This webinar provides child welfare professionals with an overview of the benefits of designing and implementing parent partner programs and how these programs support reunification.

When parents lose custody of their children, the court-mandated services they must comply with in order to reunify may seem daunting. Currently, there is little data to determine why parents do or do not enter into social service programs in order to regain custody of their children. However, the factors of class, education, parenting status, and lack of knowledge about the child welfare system seems to hinder parental engagement with social workers.

The Parent Partner Program provides mentors with whom parents can consult in order to understand how to navigate and comply with the services and processes necessary for court-supported reunification with their children. The mentors within the Parent Partner Program are not child welfare professionals but parents who previously lost and eventually regained custody of their children. Mentors within the Parent Partner Program can advise, coach, and guide parents through the services and processes necessary to demonstrate positive changes of social behavior in order to provide evidence of appropriate parental behavior.

This webinar discusses the components of the Parent Partner Program that facilitate positive change and how parent partner mentors guide and motivate parents in utilizing services in order to have constructive interactions with the child welfare system and courts and supports reunification.

A total of 1.5 CEUs are available for those who have attended this webinar. To register, click the “Purchase” box. Following payment of $10, you will fill out your information to receive a digital copy of your CEU Certificate.
 

Presenters

Jennifer Marcelli, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
Jennifer Marcelli serves as the Program Area Manager for foster care, family empowerment, and the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (P.L. 113–183) for the Capacity Building Center for States. In her role, Ms. Marcelli works closely with the Children’s Bureau and other experts to shape and implement the priority agenda for her program areas. One of Ms. Marcelli’s primary responsibilities is helping build capacity in Foster Care and Permanency, Family Empowerment, and P.L. 113–183 by developing and managing projects, products, learning experiences, and constituency groups. With over 12 years of experience as a line worker, supervisor, and senior administrator in a child welfare organization, Ms. Marcelli has extensive experience in many child welfare program areas, including program development and implementation of youth, foster care, and adoption programs, and has extensive project management experience.
Taffy Compain
Taffy Compain is the National Foster Care Specialist at the Capacity Building Division of the Children’s Bureau (CB). She has more than 20 years of experience in child welfare practice and administration.

Ms. Compain began her career in child welfare at the Florida Department of Children and Families as a Foster Care Counselor and later served as the State of Florida Licensing Specialist, Out-of-Home Care Program Manager, Compact Administrator of the Florida Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children and the Interstate Compact on Adoptions and Medical Assistance, Administrator of the Florida Adoption Reunion Registry, and as Child Welfare Professionals Training Administrator.

Ms. Compain has presented nationally on interstate child welfare issues and disaster preparedness and planning. She relocated to Washington, D.C., to manage the Training and Technical Assistance Center at the Child Welfare Reviews Project of JBS International, providing support to CB in training Federal consultant reviewers and State agency staff in preparation for Child and Family Services Reviews. Ms. Compain also participated in numerous reviews and subsequent program improvement efforts. As the National Foster Care Specialist, Ms. Compain provides leadership on national foster care initiatives and agendas, serves as liaison to the National Association of State Foster Care Managers, and is Federal Project Officer for numerous grants and cooperative agreements. A bilingual native of Puerto Rico, she has supported numerous efforts to engage and service the Latino community throughout her career.
Cory Best
Corey B. Best is the Family Engagement Manager with the Healthy Start Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties, Inc., in partnership with the Community Partnership for Children. Corey established himself as a volunteer in his community and now trains child welfare staff on the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework and effective ways to build healthy relationships with parents and caregivers.

Mr. Best is commonly known as a leader who brings a combination of lived and professional experience as he organizes for child welfare improvements. His innovative style and approach has earned him the 2016 Casey Family Programs Excellence for Children’s Award. Most recently, he has spearheaded the Parent Partner Approach in his community. This work has allowed Corey to take leadership the next level: understanding that in order to lead, we must have a set a values and behaviors that embrace diversity and shared power.
Denise Moore
Denise Moore is the Des Moines Service Area Parent Partner Coordinator. Her experience with substance abuse and the child welfare system led her to a moment in time that inspired her to seek services and make the changes she needed to become clean so that she could return to her children. What she learned through that experience has motivated her through a variety of programs to assist and provide hope to parents who have been involved with the child welfare system.

Ms. Moore is employed with Children & Families of Iowa and provides coordination of the Parent Partner Program for 15 counties in central Iowa. She has been an integral piece of the development and implementation of a statewide program. She is a certified facilitator for Casey Family Programs Strategic Sharing Curriculum, a Master Trainer for Building a Better Future Curriculum, a Trainer for Breaking Barriers: Working More Effectively with Birth Parents (foster parent curriculum), a Family Team Facilitator, and a Youth Transition Decision-Making Team Facilitator for the State of Iowa. Ms. Moore has a B.S. degree in Human Services.

Ms. Moore is a member of the Iowa Child Welfare Advisory Committee, Iowa Children's Justice Advisory Committee, Iowa Cultural Equity Alliance, Iowa Statewide Parent Partner Steering Committee, a founding member of the Birth Parent National Network, Community Partnerships for Protecting Children Executive Committee, and the Des Moines Area Community College Human Services Advisory Committee.

On January 20, 2011, she was awarded the Ruth Massinga/Casey Excellence for Children Birth Parent of the Year Award from Casey Family Programs for her exceptional service and commitment to birth parents. Ms. Moore has gained the admiration of parents, frontline workers, and administrators as she helps to guide the child welfare system toward improved outcomes for children and families.

 

Accreditations:

This event is co-sponsored by R. Cassidy Seminars

Satisfactory Completion
Participants must have paid tuition fee, signed in, attended the entire seminar, completed an evaluation, and signed out in order to receive a certificate. Failure to sign in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available.

Psychologists
R. Cassidy Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to offer continuing education for psychologists. R. Cassidy Seminars maintains responsibility for this program. 1.5 CE hours.

Social Workers
R. Cassidy Seminars, ACE provider #1082, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) Program. R. Cassidy Seminars maintains responsibility for the program. Approval Period: April 15, 2015 - April 15, 2018. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval. Social workers participating in this course will receive 1.5 continuing education clock hours.
CA: The Board of Behavioral Sciences has deferred CE course approvals to APA and ASWB for its licensees. See those approvals under Psychologists and Social Workers
NY: R. Cassidy Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider (#0006) of continuing education for licensed social workers. This program is approved for 1.5 contact hours.
OH: Provider approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for (1.5) clock hours, #RCST110701

Counselors/Marriage and Family Therapists
CA: The Board of Behavioral Sciences has deferred CE course approvals to APA and ASWB for its licensees. See those approvals under Psychologists and Social Workers.
Other States: If your State is not listed, nearly all State Counselor and MFT boards accept either APA or ASWB approval or are reciprocal with other State licensing board approvals, such as those listed below. Check with your board to be sure. The Ohio Board includes counselors.
IL: Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, Approved Continuing Education Sponsor, #168-000141. 1.5 hours.
OH: Provider approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for 1.5 clock hours, #RCST110701
TX: Approved CE Sponsor through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists. Provider #151. 1.5 credit hours.

Disability Access: If you require ADA accommodations please contact our office 10 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification.

Please Note: Licensing boards change regulations often. We attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, however, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.