Mental Health Association Events

New Parenting Classes

February 1^st -

Parenting Solutions

A class for parents, providers and others…
 

Starting: Wed. February 1, 2012 @ Mental Health Association (check in at front desk)
(Spanish version of classes will not start until Wed. February 15, 2012.
(all are ongoing classes- participants can attend at any time, English version classes will start over April 11th and Spanish version classes will start over  April 25th)

Location: 555 N. Woodlawn Suite 3150, Wichita, KS 67208
Contact: 316-685-1821 Ashley Washington x 490 / Stephanie Cline x 294 / Shalan Field x 239
For Spanish Contact: Maggie Ortega x 323
Cost: $10/class or free if receiving parent/family support @MHA *payment due at each session
Day: Wednesday 12:00pm (all classes are 1 hr. unless otherwise indicated)
Classes with guest presenters are subject to time change of 1.0 hr if speaker unexpectedly cancels 
 

Exploring ADHD – This class will provide the basic diagnostic information about Attention Deficit Disorder and the effects that it may have on a child. Class will help parents learn to understand how deficit problems affect a child and the challenge it creates for learning such as processing information, information recall, impulse control, and behavior management. Class will explore the correlation between attention problems and behavior problems and will provide useful tips for parents to help their child succeed and manage impulsivity. This class would be beneficial for parents of a child diagnosed with ADHD, impulse control disorders, or that struggles with concentration.
 

Affective Communication & Family Resiliency – This class will explore basic communication patterns/styles and the role each family member plays that contributes to the overall family functioning level. Class will explore correlation between communication styles and behavioral responses and will provide suggestions on how to keep critical communication doors open between parent and child.
 

Stress Reduction & Management (2 hrs) – This class will explore the effects of stress on the body and how stress can negatively impact behavioral responses and affect relationships with others. Class will examine how adults and children internalize and handle stress and will provide techniques on how to manage stress through relaxation techniques, time management, and coping strategies. The first hour of the class will be provided by a representative from EMPAC focused on how adults can set priorities to help manage stress.  Last hour of this class will focus on coping strategies for children and will teach parents things they can do with their child to help them deal with stressful feelings and anxiety through hands on activities. This class would be beneficial for parents of a child diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
(Spanish version will be a condensed class which will be focused on both adult and child stress management techniques with hands on activities, but no presentation by EMPAC will be provided)
 

Bully Awareness – This class will teach how to recognize signs of abuse/bullying in a child. Parents will learn how to teach children to learn to defend themselves verbally and mentally, feels safer and more confident and less likely to be targeted by a bully. Class will also discuss different forms of bully/harassment.
 

Behavior Management Techniques for Parents – This class will focus on helping parents recognize their child’s behavioral triggers and learn ways to provide early intervention such as the use of rewards systems, setting boundaries, and positive discipline to prevent meltdowns and rages in a child. Class will teach parents basic de-escalation techniques to avoid an unnecessary crisis and will provide tips on how parents can teach acceptable behaviors to their child such as the technique of “arguing respectfully”. This group would be beneficial for parents of a child diagnosed with conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, mood disorder, or simply struggles with behavior control..
 

Raising A Healthy Family – This class will look at family roles and family interactional patterns. Participants will explore and define family roles, their family circle, boundaries, core family issues, and external stressors. Participants will examine core issues such as commitment, empowerment, control of self, credibility and consistency, and will be introduced to the Family-Directed Structural Assessment Tool.
 

Understanding Special Education (2 hrs) – Class will be conducted by Families Together. This class will focus on teaching parents the laws and regulations of special education and how to best navigate the educational system to meet your child’s’ individualized needs. Facilitator will provide information on IEP, 504 and educational/school behavioral plans. (This class would be beneficial for anyone interested in becoming an educational advocate)
 

Anger Management for Everyone – Class will help participants learn to identify, understand, express, and cope with angry feelings. Facilitator will teach specific anger control techniques that can be used on self as well as techniques that can be used with a child to help reduce anger.  Class will share various problems solving strategies that are both child and adult friendly to help manage conflict and avoid hostile interactions.
 

Exploring Community Resources & Supplemental Benefits – This class will be conducted in two parts. The first part of the class will be conducted by a benefits counselor/payee specialist providing information on obtaining benefits, maintaining benefits, and will address the myths and facts about how receiving benefits can and cannot be impacted by such things as working, receiving another income source, etc. Class will also discuss services offered for children through community based mental health services, and will address the roles of various services provisions and what each providers roles are as part of the treatment team and how it is designed to meet the child’s needs. 
 

Recognizing Risk Taking Behaviors (2 hrs) – This class will be broken down into 2 different sections. One hour will be provided by WASAC on how to talk to your child about risk taking behaviors, setting healthy boundaries with peers and being proactive about sexual health/education as parents.  One hour will be provided by a police officer who will address signs of risk taking behaviors in youths, such as signs of drug use and will educate parents on current drug awareness facts, and other laws and safety issues that pertain to juveniles and how parents can be held accountable for their child’s illegal actions.

Brown Bag Learning

February 8^th - Wichita State University

 Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.

State Office Building, 230 E. William. SRS Room 3080 (parking caddy-corner South East from SRS)

Offering 1.8 CEU’s from the WSU School of Social Work
$10.00 tax-deductible donation suggested (cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, Am Express, Discover)
Bring your own lunch. Beverage vending machines are available in the building.
Pre-registration not required, doors open at 11:45 am

Presenter: Dr. Natalie Grant

Summary:  Social workers and helping professionals are drawn to the stories of our people. Stories help us understand issues, entertain us, stimulate us, educate us, and connect us to individuals and groups. Digital storytelling in the process of creating multimedia representations of diversity or any topic using video, music, photos and narration.  It is a powerful tool for raising awareness, promoting self and concept understanding, building information and communication literacy, and listening to and empathizing with individuals and groups. The Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkeley, CA is an international nonprofit that promotes the use of Digital Storytelling for social services, healthcare, education, historic and cultural preservation, community development, human rights, and environmental justice. They explain that youth and adults can use digital tools to record meaningful stories of their lives and share these stories in ways that enable learning, build community and inspire justice. This brownbag session will introduce these tools and provide ideas about bridging art and technology into our social work practice.

Learning objectives:

Speed Monopoly Fundraiser

April 28^th - Midian Shrine Center