November Program Agenda

Colleen Friend, PhD., LCSW, teaches at CSULA and for the USC School of Social Work. At CSULA, she is the Director of the Child Abuse and Family Violence Institute, where students can obtain a certificate that prepares them for working in child protection, victim services and multidisciplinary teamwork.  She teaches the required coursework on family violence, change and communicating with violent families.  Prior to this, she managed the California Social Work Education Program (CalSWEC) at the UCLA School of Public Affairs for eleven years.  Her background and experience is in multidisciplinary teams and child sexual abuse interviewing. She was the director of both The Los Angeles County Child Crisis Center and Stuart House.  She has been (and continues as) the interviewing trainer for the LA County Department of Children and Family Services' new worker academy for over 15 years. Dr. Friend is on the state wide board of the California Professional Society on the Abuse of Children(CAPSAC) and serves on the editorial review board for a number of professional journals, including The Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma and the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse.  She frequently presents at conferences and continuing education venues.  This year she has become the Chair of the California Social Work Hall of Distinction, and encourages everyone to visit its website:  www.SocialWorkHallOfDistinction.org

Overview
For many years we did little to acknowledge the range of traumatic experiences endured by children who entered and remained in the child welfare system.  Although this range includes children for whom the overall gains far outweigh the immediate losses; there are many children who experienced multiple traumas, in their families of origin and in their interaction with the system. This presentation will cover some of the developments and products advanced by: 1) The National Child Traumatic Stress Network 2) The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Family Programs and 3) The Los Angeles County Department of Children Family Services (DCFS).  DCFS is in process of complying with two state-wide law suits related to children’s mental health needs; one seeks to improve access to Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS). The other seeks to ensure mental health services to foster children. The presentation will identify those additional recommendations, plans and resources that will hopefully make your interaction with the child welfare system more productive.  Because the members and guests of End Abuse Long Beach are both providers and consumers of services, the presenter will show how this information is immediately relevant to your professional practice and everyday lives.

Click here for her Handout

Dr. Friend covered the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study.  Click here to reference it.