Independent Living: Foundations for Independence
Youth who age out of foster care (and other out-of-home placements) tend to experience poorer outcomes than their peers who do not age out of care. In addition to “normal” growing pains, youth in care face the impacts of previous trauma as well as the upheaval that occurs from being in the Child Welfare and/or Youth Justice systems. As a result, these young people need our compassion, patience and trauma-informed support, so they can develop the skills to transition successfully from teenagers to adults.
This training will provide:
- A trauma informed approach to working with youth and teens
- An overview of Wisconsin’s Independent Living program for youth in out-of-home care
- A variety of skill-building opportunities for youth of all ages
- Related resources for foster parents, youth and other team members
This will be an interactive session for foster parents and professionals working with youth in out-of-home care. Our hope is that you leave this training with a fresh perspective as well as new tools and resources to help youth in your home and on your caseload take the lead in their own lives.
Meet the Presenters
Katie Kirmse-Fuhrer holds Bachelor’s Degree in Broadfield Social Science (2012) and Human Services (2018) with a Social Work Certificate. Katie has been an Independent Living (IL) Coordinator with the NorthCentral Transition Resource Agency-Independent Living Program (TRA-IL), since the emergence of Region 1 in 2017. As a Regional IL Coordinator, Katie partners with several counties throughout Central Wisconsin to provide ongoing support to youth who exit care from a court-ordered placement.
Aidyn Laurynz has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (2009) and a Master’s degree in Communication (2012). Aidyn began working for Marathon County Department of Social Services as the Independent Living / Kinship Care Coordinator in 2016. Prior to joining Social Services, Aidyn gained experience working with trauma-impacted populations through her service as an advocate for sexual assault survivors, as well as for individuals and groups experiencing marginalization.
Cost
Professionals: $20 - 3 CEUs
The Northern Alliance of Foster Care Coordinators is sponsoring registration for foster parents licensed by Marathon, Wood, Portage, Lincoln, Langlade, Vilas, Taylor, Oneida, and Price Counties.
Cancellation Policy
If for any reason you are unable to attend your scheduled course, please contact us prior to the start date of the course. This will ensure that we can provide a full refund of your course fees. If there are extenuating circumstances that prevented you from attending a course, please contact our office as soon as possible. If we do not receive any correspondence from you, you will be responsible for full payment of course fees.