Understanding, Accepting and Supporting Families with Complex Needs

EVENT REGISTRATION AND WAITLIST ARE FULL.

A dynamic and highly engaging advanced level workshop Presented by Deb Sunderland LCSW.

Home visitors see first-hand the challenges families in our community are facing. Day in and day out they show up in family’s homes to hear of these challenges, struggles and needs. In recent years, seasoned workers have seen the changing landscape of the families they serve. Multiple factors make it difficult to access which need, or needs, a home visitor is to address first. They struggle with the boundaries of their role, the scope of the family's challenges, as well as limited resources of the families and our community in addressing the multiple needs.

Added to this is the growing body of research and the impact factors such as trauma, epigenetics, generational poverty and the changes to family structures have on brain development. It is sometimes a daunting task to show up for families with complex needs and to know how what to do and how to do it.

In this advanced level workshop, Deb will present a framework for understanding families with complex needs. Using Complexity Theory, with participant’s expertise, she will facilitate a conversation that will explore the complexity of the family, the system home visitors work in, and the complexity of the role they engage in.

Once a framework for understanding has been established, participants will explore why acceptance of the situation is important and how radical acceptance and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be useful tools for the work of the home visitor.

In the second half of the day attendees will engage in interactive small group discussions using case examples sent by local home visitors (all PHI redacted to ensure confidentiality). Discussions will be framed by recommended questions based on concepts presented by Deb Sunderland’s presentation.

Participants will learn:

• A framework for understanding the complexity of the families being served.
• How to embrace and accept the limitations of the families, the system, and the role of the home visitor.
• How to support families by building on their strengths and prioritizing their needs.
• Home visitors will explore and discuss their needs, as well as the families within the framework of parallel process.

Lunch will be provided. A training completion certificate with ORO hours and PDUs will be awarded to attendees.

Trainer's Bio

Deb Sunderland LCSW is a native to Eugene, Oregon. Having grown up in this community she is committed to its health and vitality, particularly around children and families. She has been a social worker for the past 35 years, graduating from Portland State University. During her years of service, her career has included a private practice: which includes meeting with individuals and families and additionally providing specialized groups. Additionally, Deb has been a program manager for programs serving at risk populations. She taught at PSU for a year, served as a Hospice Bereavement counselor and provided clinical supervision to social workers pursuing licensure. Currently, she provides mental health consulting to home visitors through the Mental Health Consulting Project. She also has a small private practice and leads an “Authentic Leadership” group for women leaders in social service.