This four-part webinar series is designed for school-based mental health professionals to broaden their knowledge and enhance their services for children and youth with disabilities involved in the child welfare system. Child welfare professionals, educators, students, social workers, and caregivers will also benefit from participation in the webinar series and are highly encouraged to attend.

Approximately 20-30% of children in the nation’s child welfare system have a disability, and approximately 4000 children and youth ages 3-21 are youth-in-care with disabilities receiving special education services by Illinois public school districts. Research shows that children with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to experience abuse and neglect than their peers without disabilities. Navigating unfamiliar systems can be a daunting task and this webinar series will equip participants with skills for cross-system collaboration, supporting the mental health needs of this population, assisting youth-in-care with complex medical needs, and helping youth-in-care with disabilities effectively transition from care into competitive employment, post-secondary employment, and independent living.

This webinar series is free due to the generous funding by West 40 Intermediate Service Center #2 as part of its School-Based Mental Health Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Part 2: Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Youth-in-Care with Disabilities

Part 2 of the webinar series builds upon the foundational knowledge set forth in Part 1. While Part 1 provided the foundation for understanding the systems that youth-in-care with disabilities are involved with and offered practical strategies to effectively collaborate across systems, Part 2 focuses on supporting youth-in-care with disabilities to improve their mental health and well-being. University of Illinois Department of Special Education Professor, Dr. Catherine Corr will engage participants in understanding how trauma associated with maltreatment impacts the mental well-being of young early childhood age children with disabilities. Laura Adams, Founder and Director of the iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families, will delve into the vulnerabilities of foster youth with disabilities and barriers to permanency and offer strategies for school and family partnerships. Dr. Jenna Mahoney, Teaching Professor at the School of Social Work, will share insightful strategies from her perspective as a former school social worker. Additional presenters include Richard Brown from UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago. This session has been approved as a Professional Development activity for educators in Illinois.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding the Interconnection of Disability, Child Welfare Involvement, and Mental Health: Participants will gain foundational knowledge of links between children and youth involved in the child welfare system and mental well-being. 
• Enhancing Mental Health Support: Learners will be equipped with information on resources available to support youth-in-care with disabilities experiencing mental health challenges. 
• Applying Effective Strategies to Support Mental Health Needs: Participants will learn how to apply strategies and adapt therapeutic approaches to support the mental health needs of youth-in-care with disabilities. 

Registration:

Register Here

Speakers:

Part 3: Supporting Youth-in-Care with Complex Medical Needs

Part 3 of the webinar series focuses on a subset of the youth-in-care with disabilities population – children with complex medical needs. Young people in foster care face compounded difficulties due to their experiences of trauma and resulting health and social challenges. Health challenges in turn can significantly impact educational outcomes. Representatives of UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago, a provider of specialized foster care for children with severe medical conditions, will share their expertise on the topic and offer strategies for support in the educational setting, and a representative from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services will explain the roles of foster parents and case workers in addressing medical needs and provide information on agency resources. This session has been approved as a Professional Development activity for educators in Illinois.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding Youth-in-Care with Complex Medical Needs: Participants will gain foundational knowledge of the medical needs of youth-in-care.
• Enhancing Systems of Support: Learners will be equipped with information on resources available to support youth-in-care with complex medical needs.
• Applying Effective Strategies: Participants will learn how to apply strategies and make appropriate accommodations for youth-in-care with complex medical needs.

Registration:

Register Here

Speakers:

• Peggy Childs, Vice President of Infinitec | UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago
• Jenn Skalitzky, Director of Infinitec | UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago
• Richard Brown, Chief Strategy and Infinitec Officer | UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago
• Cassidy Chambers, Senior Public Service Administrator | Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

Part 4: Supporting Transition-Age Youth-in-Care with Disabilities

Part 4 of the webinar series focuses on transition services for youth-in-care with disabilities.   The child welfare and education systems are charged with helping youth transition to adulthood, and this is especially true for youth with disabilities.  Youth-in-care with disabilities, faced with compounded difficulties with transition due to aging out of the child welfare system, may experience significant anxiety and stress.  School-based mental health professionals can help to alleviate this stress with effective transition planning.  Barbara Moore, former director of special education and current director of the Center for Excellence in Child Welfare, will highlight effective transition planning and support for post-secondary education.  Dr. David Strauser, University of Illinois researcher in the area of vocational rehabilitation services for youth-in-care with disabilities, will share insights on effective transition planning for pre-employment services.  Representatives from UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago, experts in advancing independence through the use of technology, will address services and support for independent living. This session has been approved as a Professional Development activity for educators in Illinois.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding Post-Secondary Transition Planning for Employment, Education, and Independent Living: Participants will gain foundational knowledge on how to effectively plan for the transition from the child welfare and education systems to post-secondary employment, education, and independent living.
• Enhancing Systems of Support for Transition: Learners will be equipped with information on resources available to support youth-in-care with disabilities during their transition.
• Applying Effective Transition Strategies: Participants will learn how to apply effective transition planning strategies to lessen the anxiety faced by youth-in-care with disabilities.

Registration:

Register Here

Speakers:

• Barbara Moore, Director, Center for Excellence in Child Welfare | Illinois School of Social Work
• Dr. David Strauser, Director | Illinois Institute of Rehabilitation and Employment Research
• Peggy Childs, Vice President of Infinitec | UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago
• Jenn Skalitzky, Director of Infinitec | UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago
• Richard Brown, Chief Strategy and Infinitec Officer | UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago

Previous Sessions:

Part 1: Understanding Systems and Effective System Collaboration

The Youth-in-Care with Disabilities Webinar Series begins by setting the foundation for understanding the systems that youth-in-care with disabilities are involved with and offering practical strategies to effectively collaborate across systems. Having worked at both the state and local level in special education for over 30 years and now serving as director of the Center for Excellence in Child Welfare, Ms. Barbara Moore’s presentation will exude her passion and experiences in supporting youth-in-care with disabilities. Ms. Moore will be joined by Megan Mutti, MA, Executive Director of Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center and Dr. David Strauser, Director of the Illinois Institute of Rehabilitation and Employment Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Additional presenters include Peggy Childs, Richard Brown, and Jenn Skalitzky from United Cerebral Palsy.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding Systems Involving Youth-in-Care with Disabilities: Participants will gain foundational knowledge of the different systems involving youth-in-care with disabilities, with specific focus on child welfare and special education systems.’
• Enhancing Cross-System Services: Learners will be equipped with information on resources available within different systems to support youth-in-care with disabilities.
• Applying Effective Cross-System Collaboration Strategies: Participants will learn how to apply strategies for effectively collaborating across systems.