Professional Development Topic Options

Promoting the Social and Emotional Health of Infants and Toddlers Training

• [For programs that do not use the DECA Program] In this training, participants will be introduced to resilience theory and its link to the social and emotional health of infants and toddlers. Participants will learn about the importance of quality environments, and will be introduced to new strategies that will enhance the environments where young children spend their time. In addition, the training will emphasize a planning process for individual children that emphasizes children’s strengths. Lastly, the importance of adult resilience and its relationship to providing quality care to very young children will be discussed.

DECA for Infants and Toddlers (DECA-I/T) Program Overview or Implementation Training

• These trainings are designed for programs who plan to use or are currently using the DECA Program for Infants and Toddlers. Participants will learn about the importance of resilience and how to implement our strengths-based assessment and planning system in their program and with families. For programs using the web-based version of the DECA (the e-DECA), understanding reports and how to use them for planning will be highlighted.
• This training is also available to be delivered for programs who work with children birth through five years old.

DECA for Infants and Toddlers (DECA-I/T) Program Refresher Training

• Customized to meet your program’s needs, this training can offer a review of the DECA-I/T Program implementation process, or focus on a few areas that need more attention. If your program uses the e-DECA, we can address issues around understanding reports and using results for planning.
• This training is also available to be delivered for programs who work with children birth through five years old.

DECA for Infants and Toddlers (DECA-I/T) Program Advanced Planning Training

• If your program has been trained on the DECA-I/T Program, and is looking for more support on using assessment results for planning, this training is for you! This training provides a brief review and then focuses on using assessment results to plan at the group level, as well as for individual children who may need additional supports. For programs using the e-DECA, an emphasis will be made on understanding reports, strategy selection and implementation.
• This training is also available to be delivered for programs who work with children birth through five years old.

How to Coach DECA Program Implementation Webinar Series

• This unique, eight-session webinar series is designed for those in a role of providing coaching services to those implementing the DECA Program. Participants will leave this experience with new knowledge, tips, and tools to share with the DECA users they coach! A prerequisite for this training is a basic understanding of the DECA Program, which may come from attending a past training, or from thoroughly reading the DECA Program resources. We offer this series on a national level about twice per school/program year.

DECA-C (Clinical) Training

• This training provides a foundation for using the DECA-C, a behavior-rating scale that assesses both protective factors and behavioral concerns of young children, ages 2 through 5. (Designed for participants who meet Level B User Qualifications.)

Family Resilience Training

• The relationship between families and programs are essential to the well-being of children. When all goes well, the partnership can be life-changing for a child. During this training, participants will learn how to support family partnerships by (1) honoring family’s values, cultures and emotions; (2) creating a mutual goal of supporting resilience in the child; and (3) promoting the resilience of adults within the family system as a pathway to family partnerships. Sometimes, values, culture and emotions collide and create a strained relationship. With a focus on resilience and protective factors, this training will help participants better understand how to give one of the best gifts we can give children – a positive partnership between home and school.

Your Journey Together Training

• This training focuses on Your Journey Together (YJT), a strengths-based parenting curriculum designed to promote the social and emotional well-being and resilience of vulnerable children (birth through five years old) and their families. The curriculum is based on 29 stepping stones, which are 10-15 minute lessons that can be used in the context of work with families, both in home visiting and in group settings. YJT is a great resource that can complement programs using the DECA Program, but can also be used independently of the DECA.

The Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (I/ECMHC) Crisis of Confidence Training

• This training is for Infant and/or Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants (I/ECMHCs) to encourage reflection on the emotional intensity of this work and those moments when our confidence is compromised. A crisis of confidence happens in situations in which we have stopped believing that someone or something can work or is good. The work of an I/ECMHC can be as heartbreaking as it is rewarding. It is imperative that I/ECMHCs take time to pause and reflect on the emotionally intense nature of this work and the toll it takes on our confidence. This training is interactive, reflective and normalizing! You will have an opportunity to connect with other I/ECMHCs and take the time we seldom give ourselves to pause, breathe and focus.

Building Resilience and Healing from Trauma in Early Childhood Settings

• This training is designed to raise the awareness of participants around what trauma is and what the impact of trauma and toxic stress looks like in both young children and adults. Participants will learn about the impact of early childhood trauma and toxic stress on brain development and behavior, as well as explore specific trauma-sensitive approaches and strategies and gain an understanding of how resilience building practices support healing. This training will also focus on the well-being and resilience of the adults who care for young children who have experienced trauma and toxic stress.

Promoting the Social and Emotional Health of Preschoolers Training

• [For programs that do not use the DECA Program] In this training, participants will be introduced to resilience theory and its link to the social and emotional health of children three through five years old. Participants will learn about the importance of quality environments, and will be introduced to new strategies that will enhance the environments where young children spend their time. In addition, the training will emphasize a planning process for individual children that emphasizes children’s strengths. Lastly, the importance of adult resilience and its relationship to providing quality care to very young children will be discussed.

DECA Preschool Program (DECA-P2) Overview or Implementation Training

• These trainings are designed for programs who plan to use or are currently using the DECA Preschool Program, Second Edition (DECA-P2). Participants will learn about the importance of resilience and how to implement our strengths-based assessment and planning system in their program and with families. For programs using the web-based version of the DECA (the e-DECA), understanding reports and how to use them for planning will be highlighted.
• This training is also available to be delivered for programs who work with children birth through five years old.

DECA Preschool Program (DECA-P2) Refresher Training

• Customized to meet your program’s needs, this training can offer a review of the DECA Preschool Program implementation process or focus on a few areas that need more attention. If your program uses the e-DECA, we can address issues around understanding reports and using results for planning.

DECA Preschool Program (DECA-P2) Advanced Planning Training

• If your program has been trained on the DECA Preschool Program, and is looking for more support on using assessment results for planning, this training is for you! This training provides a brief review and then focuses on using assessment results to plan at the group level as well as for individual children who may need additional supports. For programs using the e-DECA, an emphasis will be made on understanding reports, strategy selection and implementation.
• This training is also available to be delivered for programs who work with children birth through five years old.

How to Coach DECA Program Implementation Webinar Series

• This unique, eight-session webinar series is designed for those in a role of providing coaching services to those implementing the DECA Program. Participants will leave this experience with new knowledge, tips, and tools to share with the DECA users they coach! A prerequisite for this training is a basic understanding of the DECA Program, which may come from attending a past training, or from thoroughly reading the DECA Program resources. We offer this series on a national level about twice per school/program year.

DECA-C (Clinical) Training

• This training provides a foundation for using the DECA-C, a behavior rating scale that assesses both protective factors and behavioral concerns of young children, ages 2 through 5. (Designed for participants who meet Level B User Qualifications.)

Family Resilience Training

• The relationship between families and programs are essential to the well-being of children. When all goes well, the partnership can be life-changing for a child. During this training, participants will learn how to support family partnerships by (1) honoring family’s values, cultures and emotions; (2) creating a mutual goal of supporting resilience in the child; and (3) promoting the resilience of adults within the family system as a pathway to family partnerships. Sometimes, values, culture and emotions collide and create a strained relationship. With a focus on resilience and protective factors, this training will help participants better understand how to give one of the best gifts we can give children – a positive partnership between home and school.

Your Journey Together Training

• This training focuses on Your Journey Together (YJT), a strengths-based parenting curriculum designed to promote the social and emotional well-being and resilience of vulnerable children (birth through five years old) and their families. The curriculum is based on 29 stepping stones, which are 10-15 minute lessons that can be used in the context of work with families, both in home visiting and in group settings. Your Journey Together is a great resource that can complement programs using the DECA Program, but can also be used independently of the DECA.

FLIP IT Training (virtual)

• This three-hour live virtual training is designed to offer an engaging and interactive experience in learning the knowledge and skills to use FLIP IT. This content can be delivered in two, 1.5-hour sessions on different dates, or offered on the same day with a break at the 1.5-hour mark.

FLIP IT Training (in person)

• This in-person training offers another modality to engage your team in learning about FLIP IT. The one-day training includes 6-6.5 hours of content. Maximum group size for this training is 50 participants. Should your program need to accommodate professional development for a larger group, we can offer a morning session for half of your team and an afternoon session for the other half, with a maximum of 75 participants in each group.

FLIP IT Training (via self-paced online course and virtual interaction with the author of FLIP IT)

• This learning approach starts with a 45-minute live webinar “kick-off” session with FLIP IT author Rachel Wagner. Then we will work with your program to determine a timeframe for each participant to complete the 2.5-hour self-paced online course. Finally, Rachel will facilitate a one-hour live webinar “send-off session, which will delve deeper into the content learned in the self-paced course, along with time for questions and comments.

FLIP IT x3 – Three Ways to Use FLIP IT during Challenging Moments with Kids, Adults, and You!

• The FLIP IT strategy is an effective four-step process for addressing challenging moments with young children, and it can now be used to address additional challenges you experience with yourself and with other adults. The four steps are embodied in the FLIP mnemonic, which stands for F-Feelings, L-Limits, I-Inquiries, and P-Prompts. No matter what kind of challenge you are facing, these four supportive steps can help you identify underlying feelings, establish healthy limits, explore alternate solutions, and gain healthy coping skills. FLIP IT can be become your go-to strategy that will create healthy habits for coping with young children, yourself, and with other adults during challenging moments. Join the author of FLIP IT, Rachel Wagner, for a three-part virtual training to learn how to use FLIP IT three ways! See our Virtual Trainings Schedule to find out when this training is being offered.

FLIP IT Virtual Train-the-Trainer Course

• Looking to build internal capacity to provide training and coaching on FLIP IT? This six-session virtual course with Rachel offers times to experience and practice FLIP IT, as participants work to become competent in teaching FLIP IT to others. Participants will leave this train-the-trainer experience with: the FLIP IT Training PowerPoint Presentations and a binder with detailed trainer notes; a variety of resources to help support the use of FLIP IT in the classroom and by families; the FLIP IT book; and the confidence to provide virtual workshops, in-person workshops, and technical assistance on the information. We offer several deliveries throughout the year. See our Virtual Trainings Schedule to find out when the next one takes place!

FLIP IT Self-Paced Online Course

• This course will teach participants the four supportive steps of FLIP IT in an online learning format. With a running time of 2.5 hours, the course can either be completed in one sitting, or in pieces over time. Upon completion of the course, credits can be granted, factoring in time for the interactive pieces, reflection, application of skills, and learning assessment. The cost of the course is $30. Learn more.

The Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (I/ECMHC) Crisis of Confidence Training

• This training is for Infant and/or Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants (I/ECMHCs) to encourage reflection on the emotional intensity of this work and those moments when our confidence is compromised. A crisis of confidence happens in situations in which we have stopped believing that someone or something can work or is good. The work of an I/ECMHC can be as heartbreaking as it is rewarding. It is imperative that I/ECMHCs take time to pause and reflect on the emotionally intense nature of this work and the toll it takes on our confidence. This training is interactive, reflective and normalizing! You will have an opportunity to connect with other I/ECMHCs and take the time we seldom give ourselves to pause, breathe and focus.

Building Resilience and Healing from Trauma in Early Childhood Settings

• This training is designed to raise the awareness of participants around what trauma is and what the impact of trauma and toxic stress looks like in both young children and adults. Participants will learn about the impact of early childhood trauma and toxic stress on brain development and behavior, as well as explore specific trauma-sensitive approaches and strategies and gain an understanding of how resilience building practices support healing. This training will also focus on the well-being and resilience of the adults who care for young children who have experienced trauma and toxic stress.

Take Care of YOU, Take ON Challenging Behaviors Training

• Working with children who use challenging behavior can be stressful for the adults who care for and about them. Children often act out because they are having difficulty working through an inner conflict. Ironically, their inner conflict can often mirror our own! How can we help children cope with their feelings when we struggle to work through stress in our adult lives? The good news is, what works for children often works for grown-ups, too! In this training, you will learn how the four steps of the successful child strategy called FLIP IT (Feelings, Limits, Inquiries, Prompts) can work for YOU! By exploring your own Feelings, Limits, Inquiries and Prompts, you can build your own resilience and be better prepared to FLIP the script on challenging behavior with children.

Building Your Bounce: Promoting Adult Resilience Training

• This training provides an educational and inspirational message for professionals working with children. Using the Devereux Adult Resilience Survey (DARS) published by the Devereux Center for Resilient Children, this training offers a fun way for caregivers to recognize the importance of their own resilience and how it relates to their ability to provide quality care to children. Get ready to reflect, laugh, and have fun!

Building Your Bounce: Promoting Adult Resilience Virtual Train-the-Trainer Course

• This six-week virtual course, delivered by a Building Your Bounce: Simple Strategies for a Resilient You co-author, is for individuals in the role of providing training and technical assistance to others on the topic of adult resilience/staff wellness. Participants will leave this professional development experience with standard one-day training and content that can be delivered in shorter sessions. Participants will also leave with the skills and resources to deliver the content to ALL of the adults in the lives of young children. We offer multiple deliveries of this course on a national level throughout the year.

Resilient Leadership: Building Staff Bounce Training

• In this training, leaders will have an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a resilient leader and how to build the bounce (resilience) of staff. Leaders will use the Devereux Resilient Leadership Survey (DERLS) to reflect on ways to support their staff resilience. This training provides many opportunities to learn and develop meaningful and resilience-building strategies for staff based on the DERLS’ research-informed items. Finally, leaders will have an opportunity to reflect on their own resilience and explore strategies to build their personal bounce.

Resilient Leadership Training Series

• This unique, six-session webinar series offers individuals as well as leadership teams an opportunity to focus on resilient leadership. During this series, participants will develop resilient leadership abilities using a process of self-assessment and intentional reflective practices. The training will foster skills and competencies in leaders who in turn can foster a culture of resilience amongst those they serve. We offer this series on a national level, typically starting every January.

Take Care of YOU, Take ON Challenging Behaviors Training

• Working with children who use challenging behavior can be stressful for the adults who care for and about them. Children often act out because they are having difficulty working through an inner conflict. Ironically, their inner conflict can often mirror our own! How can we help children cope with their feelings when we struggle to work through stress in our adult lives? The good news is, what works for children often works for grown-ups, too! In this training, you will learn how the four steps of the successful child strategy called FLIP IT (Feelings, Limits, Inquiries, Prompts) can work for YOU! By exploring your own Feelings, Limits, Inquiries and Prompts, you can build your own resilience and be better prepared to FLIP the script on challenging behavior with children.