Training Day

Well, after an intensive day of training, we have one more to go!  From 9-5:30 we listened to "best practices" and "evidence based" strategies for coaching parents through the chaos of having a child abusing substances. The Partnership For Drug Free Kids and an organization called Center For Motivation and Change are sponsoring this training session.  They are doing it free of charge and with all their heart.  The presenters are psychologists with many years of experience in substance abuse treatment and research in the field, they're fathers and people who are trying to find a better way.  It's going to be uncomfortable for me for the first parents I'll be coaching and I hope that after all this training and with a little more work on my part, I won't mess it up too much.  Basically, the role is to allow them to talk, to relate to a parent who has been in their place and try to get them to use some different techniques that will help their child.  Each family will get 5-6 hour long phone calls free of charge with a Parent Coach in hopes that they will learn some techniques to approach their situation with a little more knowledge and confidence.

Another day of training tomorrow and then we'll see how soon we get out there and talk to parents.  We'll be supervised in the beginning I think and then some feedback.  Send good thoughts and lots of luck that I can remember everything!!