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Conference Booklet

F4: National Native Children’s Trauma Center (NNCTC) – Session 4: Trauma and Staff Wellness

This session is about the impact of trauma on staff wellness. Participants will look at how to practice staff wellness in a stressful work environment. The toll that working with traumatized youth can take on staff and the organization as a whole will be addressed. Participants will learn how to reduce their own stress and cope with those situations that are the most challenging for them while promoting their overall wellness. This is the fourth module adapted from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s curriculum, Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice-Involved Youth. Any professional working with tribal youth who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system and their families will benefit from understanding trauma-informed practices are equally important for youth and staff. The goal is to teach professionals how to take care of themselves and seek support from others so that they may continue to of service to traumatized, tribal youth who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system. Participants are not required to attend all modules.

  • Presenter: Debra Hallos, Clinical Consultant, National Native Children’s Trauma Center

E4: National Native Children’s Trauma Center (NNCTC) – Session 3: Trauma in Context and Coping

Session Description: This session provides an overview of the familial and societal context that leads to Tribal youth’s coping behavior when dealing with trauma. Participants will better understand the behaviors that Tribal youth develop to survive traumatic events, and what happens when these ways of coping are no longer appropriate. There will be an introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences and the impact they have on youth’s expectations. Participants will also learn about positive coping strategies and trauma-informed safety planning. This is the third module adapted from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s curriculum, Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice-Involved Youth. Any professional working with Tribal youth who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system and their families will benefit from understanding how people and institutions around youth can make it easier or more difficult for them to recover from the impact of trauma. The goal is to provide professionals with the skills to respond appropriately to traumatized, Tribal youth who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system. Participants are not required to attend all sessions.

  • Presenter: Marilyn Zimmerman, Senior Director of Policy and Programs, National Native Children’s Trauma Center

D3: Supporting Youth Involved in the Justice System Through a Harm Reduction Model

Session Description: Harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to addressing substance use disorders through prevention, treatment, and recovery, where individuals who use substances set their own goals. Harm reduction programs incorporate a spectrum of strategies that meet people “where they are,” on their own terms, and can serve as a pathway to additional prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Harm reduction works by addressing broader health and social issues through improved policies, programs, and practices. This session will explore the intersection of substance misuse and justice involvement for Native youth and will provide participants with a youth harm reduction model that incorporates cultural classes, storytelling, restorative circles, wraparound services, as well as the use of risk and needs assessments.

  • Presenter: Janel McFeat, Re-entry Program Manager/Strategic Planner, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, WA
  • Moderator: Stephanie Autumn, Director, Tribal Youth Justice Resource Center

C4: National Native Children’s Trauma Center (NNCTC) – Session 2: Trauma’s Impact on Development

Session Description: This session focuses on the impact of trauma on how Tribal youth grow up and who they grow up to be, especially the impact that multiple traumatic experiences can have on achieving important developmental tasks and competencies. Participants will learn about complex trauma and how it may derail normal childhood and adolescent development and affect an individual’s ability to adapt to and cope with challenging situations. Particular attention will be paid to how trauma impacts attachment and relationships. This is the second module adapted from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s curriculum, Think Trauma: A Training for Working with Justice-Involved Youth. Any professional working with Tribal youth who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system and their families will benefit from understanding trauma’s impact on child development. The goal is to educate professionals about the impact of trauma so they may have the knowledge necessary to respond appropriately to traumatized, Tribal youth who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system. Participants are not required to attend all sessions.

  • Presenter: Veronica Willeto, Training and Technical Assistance Manager, National Native Children’s Trauma Center

Supporting Tribal Youth Attendance Achievement

This publication serves as a primer to assist with understanding issues of chronic absenteeism, truancy, prevention, and intervention processes. It addresses historic education policy and contemporary approaches utilized by Tribal communities to prevent and address truancy among Tribal youth and highlights helpful community-based approaches to support delinquency prevention program development. This publication will direct readers to existing resources and information that may support new or developing truancy prevention programs.

Additionally, it includes strategic planning activities to support individual consideration or team development of a truancy prevention program.

Developed by the Tribal Youth Justice Resource Center.

Navigating Ethical Rules in Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts – Part One

Session Description: An online learning event hosted by the Tribal Youth Justice Resource Center, in this session, presenters provide an overview to participants on building an understanding of ethical rules through the survey of Tribal Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court team member roles; consider various ethical rules as applied to juveniles and how those rules impact the sharing of participant private information; and learn strategies and helpful approaches to work within these rules for effective service provision. 

Talking Attendance: A Dialogue on Truancy Prevention

Session Description: In this online learning event hosted by the Tribal Youth Justice Resource Center, the presenter provides an overview to participants through an open dialogue on gaining knowledge about current issues impacting Tribal truancy prevention initiatives in community or court-based programs.