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Training Schedules

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Entrenamientos en Español

Resource Family Approval Orientation

Address: Kern County Department of Human Services: Columbus Center-Orientation Room
3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield CA 93306

Pre-Register: Call the Registration Line to (661) 631-6204

Schedule: Orientation is offered the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (only the 2nd Thursday in November and December)
Spanish Foster Care orientation is the 3rd Thursday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For more information on becoming a Resource Parent please call (661) 631-6204 or visit the Kern County Department of Human Services website.

Resource Family Approval (RFA) Training

Resource Family Approval Training is a training series for participants interested in becoming a Resource Family (Foster Parent, Relative Caretaker or Non-Related Extended Family Members). This training fulfills the Kern County Department of Human Services training requirements. The training is a 12-hour series broken into four sessions and will be offered twice a month. For further information, please contact 661-395-4991.

Pre-Register: Call the registration line at 661-395-4991.

RFA trainings are currently being offered virtually through Zoom and In-Person.

Resource Family Approval (RFA) Training Schedule

Download or print the RFA Training Schedule (forthcoming).

Class #1
Location: Online(Zoom)
Instructors: Barbara Reifel, LCSW; Valerie Tovar, MSW; Angie Valdez (4)
Session Date Time
1 Tuesday, January 10, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
2 Thursday, January 12, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
3 Tuesday, January 17, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
4 Thursday January 19, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
Class #2
Location: In-Person, Kern County Department of Human Services (3711 Columbus St. Bakersfield CA 93306)
Instructors: Becky Colaw, M.S. (1&2); Claudia Martinez, MSW, ASW; Angie Valdez
Session Date Time
1 Saturday, January 14, 2023 9 am - 12 pm
2 Saturday, January 14, 2023 1 pm - 4 pm
3 Saturday, January 21, 2023 9 am - 12 pm
4 Saturday, January 21, 2023 1 pm - 4 pm

Class #3
Location: Online(Zoom)
Instructors: Valerie Tovar, MSW; Yolanda Covian; MSW, Angie Valdez (4)
Session Date Time
1 Tuesday, January 31, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
2 Thursday, February 2, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
3 Tuesday, February 7, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
4 Thursday, February 9, 2023 6 pm - 9 pm
Class #4
Location: In-Person, Kern County Department of Human Services (3711 Columbus St. Bakersfield CA 93306)
Instructors: Becky Colaw, M.S.; Barbara Reifel, LCSW (1 & 3); Cherilyn Haworth, MSW, LCSW (2 & 4); Angie Valdez (4)
Session Date Time
1 Saturday, February 18, 2023 9 am - 12 pm
2 Saturday, February 18, 2023 1 pm - 4 pm
3 Saturday, February 25, 2023 9 am - 12 pm
4 Saturday, February 25, 2023 1 pm - 4 pm

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In-Service Training

Trainings are recommended for Resource Families, Group Home Staff, and other professionals working with children.

Resource Families will fulfill training hours for licensing.

Child Care? No. Sorry, child care is not provided.

Pre-register: Call the registration line (661)-395-4991

Walk-ins? Yes! Walk-ins are also welcome!

Download or Print the In-Service Training Schedule (forthcoming).

In-Service Training Schedule July - December 2022

Date Time Session Location Facilitator
Monday, January 9, 2023 6-8 p.m. Connecting Through Play
Participants will learn about different methods of play and how important it is for the child's development.		 Virtual (Zoom)

Becky Colaw, M.S.
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 6-8 p.m Caregiving Together Support Group Meeting
Monthly support group for resource parents. Come learn meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.

In Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield CA 93306

*Translation

Gayla Gibson
Monday, January 16, 2023 6-8 p.m Understanding Children's Mental Health Challenges
Frequently foster children are diagnosed with a variety of mental health diagnosis, from depression and anxiety to Bipolar disorder. These diagnoses can be stigmatizing for the child and confusing for the resource family. This training will focus on increasing understanding about mental health diagnoses and what you, as the resource family, should expect and how to have effective conversations about mental health.		 Virtual (Zoom)

Claudia Martinez, MSW, ASW
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 6-8 p.m.

Establishing and Maintaining a Work/Life Balance
In this workshop, we will do self-assessments on your stress level and how well you are doing in self-care. We will discuss the impact of stress on physical health, emotional health, and relational health. We will learn many self-care strategies to help get achieve a work/life balance.

 Virtual (Zoom)

Perla Davis
Saturday, January 21, 2023 10 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Concurrent Planning
In this training you will learn about the goals of the Kern County Department of Humans (DHS) and how it comes to planning for different outcomes for children. It's going to talk about the importance of concurrent planning and how you can prepare yourself and how to prepare the children.

 In Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield CA 93306

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Yolanda Covian, MSW
Saturday, January 21, 2023 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Self-Care for Kids
As a society, we have finally realized that adults function significantly better when they take the time to decompress and relax.  It allows us to be better versions of ourselves, which benefits everyone around us!!  What we fail to realize is that self-care for kids is just as important.  Kids have a multitude of responsibilities each day and kids deal with a lot of demands and stress each day. It is up to us as parents and caregivers to teach them how to find a proper balance.

 In Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield CA 93306

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Yolanda Covian, MSW
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 6-8 p.m. In the Trenches: Managing Your Secondary Traumatic Stress
The condition has numerous names: secondary traumatic stress (STS), vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue. Many foster caregivers recognize the cumulative stressors that they faced in raising traumatized children, but often do not realize that the symptoms they may experience are a common reaction to working with traumatized children — and that these symptoms have a name. This training will focus on recognizing how STS affects you and your family, ways to mitigate the effects of STS, and developing a plan to deal with burnout.		 Virtual (Zoom) Becky Colaw, M.S.
Friday, January 27, 2023 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. Film Screening & Discussion: Christmas Princess
Against the backdrop of Christmas in Southern California comes Christmas Princess, a heart-warming story inspired by true events about one brave high school girl who overcomes her difficult past to become one of the elite princesses in the world-renowned royal court of the Tournament of Rose Parade.		 In Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St.
Bakersfield CA 93306

Gayla Gibson

Rocio Garcia
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 6-8 p.m. Internet Safety
Resource parents will learn Internet/social media safety while maintaining foster youth personal rights. Learn tips, tricks, and dangers of the Internet and your responsibilities as resource parents.		 Virtual (Zoom) valerie Tovar, MSW

Date Time Session Location Facilitator
Thursday, February 2, 2023 6-8 p.m. Suicide Prevention
In this training we will discuss the taboos of suicide, look at the various reasons why teens attempt to commit suicide and or succeed in committing suicide. We will discuss various issues surrounding this delicate and scary subject as well as looking into the various organizations that are available to help prevent suicide or help us go through the grieving process.

Virtual (Zoom)

 Claudia Martinez, MSW. ASW
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 6-8 p.m. Caregiving Together Support Group Meeting
Monthly support group for resource parents. Come learn and meet other caregivers while also sharing resources amongst each other. Guest speakers in the community will be invited.		 In-Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St
Bakersfield CA 93306

Gayla Gibson
Friday, February 10, 2023 10 a.m.-12 p.m. QPI - Quality Parenting Initiative and its Role in Kern County
 		 In-Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St
Bakersfield CA 93306

Gayla Gibson
Monday, February 13, 2023 6-8 p.m. Drug Awareness & Prevention Virtual (Zoom)

Valerie Tovar, MSW
Wednesday, February, 15, 2023 6-8 p.m. Reducing Family Stress Virtual (Zoom)

Perla Davis
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 6-8 p.m. Psychotropic Medications Virtual (Zoom)

Valerie Tovar, MSW

Claudia Martinez, MSW, ASW
Thursday, February 23, 2023 6-8 p.m. Discover Natural Highs - Find Your Child's Spark Virtual (Zoom)  
Saturday, February 25, 2023 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Film Screening & Discussion: Disney's Inside Out In-Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St
Bakersfield CA 93306

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Claudia Martinez, MSW, ASW
Saturday, February 25, 2023 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Emotional Intelligence
Most people understand intelligence as “how smart a person is,” but there are actually several types of intelligence. Emotional intelligence is one of those types and is defined as “the ability to understand the emotions of yourself and others, show empathy, understand social relationships and cues, and regulate your own emotions and respond in culturally appropriate ways” (Parker, Saklofske, & Stough, 2009). In this class we will talk about emotional intelligence and how to develop it in for ourselves and children.		 In-Person:
Kern County Department of Human Services
3711 Columbus St
Bakersfield CA 93306

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Claudia Martinez, MSW, ASW
Monday, February 27, 2023 6-8 p.m.
Practicing Mindfulness in Parenting
This training will educate on the importance being mindful as a parent and helping children to be mindful.  The busyness in our lives often takes our attention away from the present, even in our parenting.  Many are multi-tasking even when we are trying to redirect children's behavior or trying to help them when they are experiencing emotional dysregulation.  Being present is such an important part of parenting, and it is important to model to our young people.  We will look at mindfulness exercises that you can engage in and mindfulness exercises you can teach children.		 Virtual (Zoom)

Barbara Reifel, LCSW

Contact Us

We are located on the Panorama Campus of Bakersfield College.

Araceli Navarro
Program Manager

araceli.navarro@bakersfieldcollege.edu

Phone: (661) 395-4991

Para ayuda en español llame 661-395-3592