Social Skills (DLS A205)

 

Spring 2008 sections have already started, please check back for updates on future course section offerings.

Who should take this course?

• New employees working in children's services or other provider organizations.
• Foster parents.
• Group home staff.
• Supervisors.
• Students working toward the Occupational Endorsement in Children's Residential Services.
• Early interventionists and people working in family preservation.

Course description:

This course is intended to provide students with essential skills to support youth in residential care in acquiring social skills necessary for successful interactions.  Students will learn and apply effective communication skills; demonstrate an understanding of Learning Theory; identify factors that promote or inhibit behaviors; and demonstrate basic crisis prevention and intervention skills.  The course includes a 60-hour practicum project.

Course Objectives: 

Students who successfully complete this course will:

• Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication strategies for building relationships.
• Demonstrate strategies to encourage family interaction and participation in treatment.
• Adapt/apply culturally relevant therapeutic responses to reduce resistance and engage families in case planning and treatment processes.
• Apply knowledge of developmental processes to social skill development for youth.
• Identify the physical, emotional, and behavioral indicators of placement-induced stress on children.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply basic learning theory principles to promote positive youth skill development.
• Adapt the treatment environment to meet the developmental and cultural needs of youth in care.
• Demonstrate the use of Effective Praise to teach or maintain desirable behaviors of youth in care.
• Demonstrate the use of Teaching Interactions to correct undesirable behavior and teach a more desirable alternative behavior to youth in care.
• Demonstrate the ability to use individual or group conferencing to proactively teach new skills and self-determination to youth in care. 
• Demonstrate competence in use of motivation systems, establishing tolerance limits, and use of preventive teaching strategies.
• Effectively assess risk of violent or aggressive behavior and use prescribed strategies to deescalate, defuse anger, and prevent violence.