| LSCI Counseling Skills Training |
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Troubled children and youth often have histories of abandonment, neglect, abuse, and criminal involvement. As a result, many have learned that the world is a dangerous place and that adults are ultimately untrustworthy. During crisis, these youth lash out at the very people who try to help them. They force their caretakers away, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of rejection and failure.
LSCI provides advanced therapeutic skills for dealing with troubled and vulnerable children in times of crisis. Traditional conflict management relies on de-escalation, restraint, and exclusion to manage volatile behavior. Such methods may establish order, but do not correct chronic patterns of self-defeating behavior.
Professionals who work in the "life space" of children need effective ways to communicate in times of conflict and the ability to use crisis as an opportunity for learning and growth. LSCI provides fresh alternatives to narrow dependence on punishment and exclusion.
Participants learn specific counseling competencies for dealing with youth in conflict as documented by Nicholas Long, Frank Fecser, and Mary Wood. This experiential training leads to professional certification by the Life Space Crisis Intervention Institute.
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Which kids benefit most from LSCI?
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Troubled children and youth often engage in one or more patterns of self defeating behavior, such as jumping to erroneous conclusions, blaming others, or allowing themselves to be misled by friends. Skilled professionals are adept at drawing out their stories, then identifying and addressing these patterns. LSCI incorporates six different strategies for talking with children:
1. Red Flag Intervention: For students who displace anger from home or other situations onto staff, property, or other students.
2. Reality Rub Intervention: For students who consistently distort reality or misremember events when under stress.
3. New Tools Intervention: For students who experience peer rejection because of poor social skills or judgment.
4. Symptom Estrangement Intervention: For students who easily justify antisocial actions without guilt or remorse.
5. Massaging Numb Values Intervention: For students who feel tremendous guilt over their failures and become self-abusive.
6. Manipulating Body Boundaries Intervention: For students who find themselves exploited by false friends or set up by manipulative peers.
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Three levels of LSCI training
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Foundation Skills (1 day for all staff)
Focuses on understanding the psychology of emotional disturbance, recognizing the lure of power struggles, and using initial listening skills to help students tell their stories. Continuing Education Units are available.
Extended Foundations Skills (2 days for classroom aides and teachers)
Begins with the Foundation Skills training above, then develops the more advanced skills needed to process with youth in crisis. A focus is placed upon fine tuning active listening skills, summarizing content, and establishing an accurate and empathetic timeline, all needed to help youth learn from their problems. Continuing Education Units are available.
Advanced LSCI Skills (5 days for special educators, administrators, and counseling staff)
Builds on Foundations skills, teaching the specific diagnostic and reclaiming skills required to process with youth who fall into any of the six self-defeating patterns listed above. The Advanced LSCI training goes on to explore adult issues in crisis, and provides professional certification in LSCI, recognized by the LSCI Institute.
This highly interactive training incorporates informative lecture and discussion, dramatic video sequences, skillful modeling of counseling interventions, and numerous small group activities. Each participant will have the opportunity to practice LSCI concepts in realistic role-playing sessions, and will receive feedback from peers and instructors in a cooperative, supportive environment.
Certification requires both a practical and a written test at the end of the seminar. Participants may earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and/or 3 transferable graduate credits in Psychology or Special Education through an agreement with Augustana University (additional fee required).
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If you are interested in receiving LSCI training, please:
1. Contact Dr. Steve Parese (SBParese@aol.com) about scheduling an onsite event for your staff (minimum 12).
2. Contact us about joining a scheduled event elsewhere in your region.
3. Visit www.LSCI.org for information about other LSCI trainings approved by the LSCI Institute.
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What People Say About LSCI:
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"A well-presented training with some powerful information (that) was both practical and insightful."
Kay Crawley, social worker
Good Shepherd Center Baltimore, MD
"A great way to learn how to make a difference in the children... I'm excited to try this at my school!"
Charla Zimmerman, special education teacher
Jefferson School Cumberland, MD
"I recommend this training for all staff that work with youth."
Celie Anazodo, social worker
MD Dept of Juvenile Justice Baltimore, MD
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| More Information About LSCI |
Want more information?
Download the article by Drs. Long, Fescer, and Brendtro (1998) from Healing Magazine.
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| Download LSCI article from "Healing Magazine" |
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| Click below to download reading |
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