EXTENDED PLAY-BASED DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Program Goals

This workshop is designed to provide participants with a structured and manualized assessment process that uses play therapy principles and techniques as the theoretical framework. This assessment tool has been developed over the last twenty years of working with children who have histories of trauma. Characteristically, these children do not volunteer information, may not be emotionally or cognitively capable of formulating accurate perceptions and communicating those perceptions, and may feel hesitant to repeat their stories after multiple interviews or evaluations. The aim of this assessment process is to give children the time they need to become familiar with clinicians and therapy environments as well as find their own ways of processing difficult emotions at their own pace. Deeply reliant on the expressive arts, this assessment approach invites children to use play, art, and sand therapy techniques in order to externalize whatever is on their mind. Clinicians are encouraged to document thematic material in children's play, listen to, and invite metaphors, and craft comments and questions.

Program Schedule

The schedule will consist of didactic presentations, experiential work, and processing clinical case material.

09:00 – 09:15	Introductions and needs assessment: Participant’s “wish list”
09:15 – 10:15	Brief Experiential Exercise and Discussion of Whole-Brain Activities
10:15 - 10:30	BREAK
10:30 - 12:00	Didactic presentation of rationale for extended assessments, play-based approaches, and developmental focus when working with children and adolescents exposed to trauma
12:00 - 01:30	LUNCH
01:30 - 02:45	Understand Children’s Unique Functioning: Assessment strategies and utilization of play- based activities
02:45 - 03:00	BREAK
03:00 - 04:30	Group Exercise: Making meaning of the use of symbols to convey thoughts and feelings. Clinical cases Integration of learned material. Development of recommendation guidelines and report writing. Closure Exercise

Course Objectives

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

Provide at least two reasons that support the utilization of extended play-based assessments for children and adolescents exposed to trauma
Discuss a rationale for utilizing child-centered play therapy
List two play therapy ways in which children may feel comfortable showing their feelings
Name at least two play-based assessment strategies that might facilitate children’s expression of thoughts and feelings about family interactions
Discuss clinical observations and thematic material derived from the creation of sand world scenarios and directive and nondirective drawings/art projects
Name at least two domains of impairment observed in children exposed to trauma

References:

Gil,Eliana (2006). Helping Abused and Traumatized Children: Integrating Directive and Nondirective Approaches. The Guilford Press.

Kranzler, J. H. , Benson, N., & Floyd, R. G. (2016). Intellectual Assessment of Children & Youth in the United States of America: Past, Present, and Future. International J. of School and Educational Psychology. https://doi/org/10.1080/21683603.2016.1166759

Van Lith, T. Beerse, M. (2019). Examination of Contemporary & Promising Research Strategies in Art Therapy. Journal of Art Therapy, 36 (3): 141-148.

Roesler, C. (2019). Sandplay Therapy: An Overview of Theory, Applications, and Evidence base. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 63: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2019.04.001

Helfon, S. (2017). Play Profile Constructions: An Empirical Assessment of Children’s Play in Psychodynamic Play Therapy. J. of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy, 16:3, 219-233.

Ray, D. (Ed.), (2015). A therapist’s guide to child development, NY: Routledge.

This event is co-sponsored by Starbright Training Institute. Starbright Training Institute is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy (APT Provider No. 96-029).

This course is limited to 20 participants and is designed to facilitate group discussion, processing of clinical material, as well as to provide some opportunities for experiential work. Participants will have ample opportunity to discuss their specific needs and clinical questions.

Clinical case discussions will respect client confidentiality.

Target audience is Mental Health Professionals: Social Workers, Psychologists, Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed marriage and Family Therapists.

The program is Beginning Level

This event is sponsored by Starbright Training Institute. Starbright Training Institute is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy (APT Provider No. 96-029).

Continuing Education Credit is pending through Commonwealth Educational Seminars for the following professions:

It is the participant's responsibility to check with their individual state boards to verify CE requirements for their state.

Psychologists:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for these programs and their content.

Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Mental Health Counselors:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Mental Health Counselors. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LPCs/LMHCs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Social Workers:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Social Workers. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for Social Workers. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

If applicable: Social Workers – New York State

Commonwealth Educational Seminars is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers. #SW-0444.

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists:

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is entitled to award continuing education credit for Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LMFTs. CES maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Grievance Policy

Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) seeks to ensure equitable treatment of every person and to make every attempt to resolve grievances in a fair manner. Please submit a written grievance to:

Myriam Goldin, LCSW; RPT-S, Director of Starbright Training Institute.

Phone: 703-980-2886.

Email: starbright.inst@outlook.com

Web Page: starbrighttraininginstitute.com

Grievances would receive, to the best of our ability, corrective action in order to prevent further problems.

Accommodations for the Differently Abled

Starbright Training Institute’s training facilities are handicap accessible. Individuals needing special accommodations please contact the Director of Starbright Training Institute. See contact information above.

For information about continuing education credit, fees, and deadlines for cancellations/refunds, please see https://starbrighttraininginstitute.com/. It is the participant's responsibility to check with their individual state boards to verify CE requirements for their state.

Myriam Goldin, LCSW; RPT-S, is Director of Starbright Training Institute.

Phone: 703-679-7054.

Email: starbright.inst@outlook.com

Web Page: starbrighttraininginstitute.com