Limited Space in CPS Groups Starting April 13th!!! (In Springfield and Via Web)

If you are interested in Collaborative Problem Solving Classes at The Child Center, I would like to invite you to one of the two classes starting on Wednesday, April 13th! We are excited to offer the classes in person at The Child Center in Springfield or streamed via your computer or smartphone! (As of April 1st, both groups have some space, but are filling up quickly! No joke!)

Lunchtime Class: CPS class from 1130PM-130PM each Wednesday. Lunch will be provided. No child care. Limit of 20 adult participants on site. Limit 20 participants via web or phone.

Evening Class: CPS class from 5PM to 730PM on Wednesday evenings. Dinner and a limited number of childcare slots provided. Limitof 20 adult participants on site. Limit 20 participants via web or phone. 15 childcare slots.

Each class will meet on the following dates:

4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/4, 5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/1

Cost: Free to participants. No insurance requirements.

If you are interested:

Please get back to me ASAP via email or phone with the following information: (You can also use the sign up form at collaborativeparent.com

1. Lunch or evening class?
2. Number of adults to attend?
3. If you are signing up for the evening class and need childcare: Number of children and their ages. (We typically provide care for children 3 and up.) (No guarantee on these right now..close to full!)
4. Would you like to participate from home via web or phone?  Video conferencing requires email address, laptop/computer/phone with camera, and an internet connection. Teleconference requires phone.

Thank you so much for your interest in Collaborative Problem Solving! I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Mark

541.726.1465 x207

Mark@CollaborativeParent.org

CollaborativeParent.org

Child Center working to raise $1.6M for new facility

Responding to mental health crisis situations of youngsters : The Umpqua Post

The Child and Adolescent Crisis Response Program that has served Lane County families since 2005 is now serving families in Reedsport Oregon! The Crisis Program fields over a hundred calls from parents, guardians, school personnel, police, and other professionals who have a concern about a child or teen. The youth may be acting out, harming self or others, expressing suicidal thoughts, or breaking things.

Callers can reach a trained Crisis Worker at any time of the day or night by calling 888-989-9990. If we cannot settle the situation over the phone, we have the capacity to send a Crisis Team to the site of the crisis.

The link below goes to an article in the Umpqua Post announcing that the service is available in their community!

Responding to mental health crisis situations of youngsters : The Umpqua Post

Collaborate! Lane County, Oregon

The Child Center will be offering Collaborative Problem Solving parent groups very soon in Harrisburg, Junction City, Eugene, and Springfield!

Interested?

Call 541-726-1465 or browse to CollaborativeParent.org

The Child Center Fall Newsletter and Winter CPS Update

Want to find out what is happening at The Child Center? The Fall newsletter has just come out!!! Click below to download a pdf of it and stay up to date!

CLICK HERE for The Child Center Newsletter!!!

Unfortunately, you will not find 2014 dates for Collaborative Problem Solving groups in The Child Center's newsletter. I hope to be putting together a schedule in the coming month and will be posting it on the Group and Training Schedule tab on the site as well as sending an announcement out through the Yahoo Group. If you would like to sign up to receive notices of CPS related activities through the Yahoo Group: CLICK HERE!!!

Plan B Wednesday!!! Remember that we run a free drop-in CPS group every Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. No experience, sign up, or registration is necessary! The group will not run on December 25th or January 1st but will be on through the rest of December.  Also, look for news about calling in or video-conferencing in to the Wednesday group in 2014!!! Stop on by at The Child Center, 3995 Marcola Road, Springfield, OR. 541-726-1465  For more information on Plan B Wednesday: CLICK HERE!!!

Stay tuned!

Mark

Cover Oregon: The Child Center Can Help!

Cover Oregon is in the news along with the National reforms to healthcare. Aside from the controversy around the functioning of the various and complicated systems involved, what it can mean is more children being able to access needed mental health, physical health, and dental services.

If you are looking for local information and assistance about how to sign up and what you or your family qualify for, The Child Center in Springfield can help you if you reside in Lane County!

Help Signing Up:
Call The Child Center  at 541-726-1465 and ask for someone from the Wellness program. If you call after business hours and receive a recorded message, you can press "1" to leave a message.

Visit the website:
The Child Center

Cover Oregon Website:
http://www.coveroregon.com//?gclid=CLqNhqSo6roCFec9Qgod610Amw

Related Article:
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Cover-Oregon-Dont-let-broken-website-deter-you-from-signing-up-232021371.html?mobile=y

New Website!

I am happy to announce Collaborative Parent 

has a new website! 

Check it out at collaborativeparent.org! 

This site will remain active and the content from this blog and the Collaborative Therapist blog will be easily accessible through the new site!

Thanks for visiting!

Mark

2013 and CPS News!

Well, 2012 is behind us and we are all moving on to a new year full of promise, possibilities, and, likely, a   problem or two here and there! 

In 2012,we wound up running 6 level 1 groups, 6 level 2 groups, starting Plan B Thursday, and finalizing a working draft of a Kid's Curriculum for the kids who accompany parents to our Tuesday night groups! 

What is happening this year? We will continue with the Tuesday night and Thursday afternoon groups thanks to grant money from Trillium Behavioral Health and The Great Rotary Duck Race! We will also be refining our kid's curriculum this year, creating workbooks for the kids, and utilizing past participant feedback to refine the Level 1 and Level 2 curriculum! 2013 will be busy!

What's coming up?

Got a pernicious problem that needs some CPS? 
New to CPS and want an introduction to the approach? 
Plan B Thursday is starting again this week! 
This ongoing drop-in group is starting again this Thursday the 17th. 
The group will run from Noon to 1:30PM. 

2013 NWPBIS 11th Annual Conference
The Child Center's CPS Team will be presenting at this years' at the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support conference here in Eugene on Friday, March 1st! The conference runs a full 3 days and we are very excited to participate! If you are signed up, come and visit! For more information about the conference, check out the website at www.­nwpbisnetwork.­org

The 2013 CPS schedule for The Child Center is posted! 
Check it out by going over to the "Training Schedule" page! The link is in yellow at the top of the page!

Levels 1 and 2 Started Tonight!

Thanks to the Level 1 and Level 2 participants who started in the Collaborative Problem Solving Classes which started tonight! Both groups promise to be lively and engaged!

See you all next week!

The Child Center and CPS Classes in the News!

Thanks very much to KEZI for featuring The Child Center and Collaborative Problem Solving Parent Classes in their stories related to the Rotary Duck Race! Also, a very special thank you to Mike and Debbie for participating in the interview! And one more thank you to everyone who has bought a duck!

http://www.kezi.com/2012-duck-race-helping-parents-succeed/

2012 Duck Race: The Child Center | KEZI:

Go Duck Race Ducks!

CPS Open-Membership Plan B Wednesday!

Build a Better Plan B Drop-In Group!!

Plan B Monday is an ongoing open-membership group from Noon to 1:00 PM for parents wanting to fine-tune and troubleshoot their Collaborative Problem Solving skills!

Parents can attend for an introduction to Collaborative Problem Solving, to fine-tune the Plan B process, as a refresher or reminder of CPS principles, or as a helpful addition to families receiving ongoing therapeutic services.

Who can attend?

• Parents or professionals who want to practice CPS.

Link to the calendar at Collaborative Parent: CLICK HERE!


What is the cost? There is no cost to participants. The group is grant-funded or, alternately, billed to Medicaid.

How do I sign up? No need to sign up! Stop by The Child Center at noon and check in at the front desk. If you would like to contact us in advance, call 541-726-1465 and ask to speak with Emily Mosteller. 
3995 Marcola Rd • Springfield, OR 97477 • 541-726-1465 

What if I cannot make it in person? Anyone can attend remotely with an internet connection to a computer, tablet or phone. On the calendar at CollaborativeParent.org, click on "Web: Drop-in Group" and follow the instructions to connect to the group. 


What should I bring? Bring a brown-bag lunch if you would like. Any materials for the group will be provided.

Is there childcare for this group? We will not be staffed to provide childcare. If you have childcare needs, we may be able to accommodate if arrangements are made 1 week in advance.

What is Collaborative Problem Solving? CLICK HERE! for a brief summary.

Are there other groups Scheduled? CLICK HERE! for a schedule of upcoming groups.

What is The Child Center? CLICK HERE! to go to The Child Center’s site.

Take Me Back to Collaborative Parent

Welcome to Fall!

Group Starting the 25th is Full!

Wow!

Just got back from vacation to find our signup list for the group starting on the 25th is full, full, full! We have 15 families signed up with 10 on the waiting list... and 2 families signed up for the next session! I am amazed over and over again at the number of people in our community who are interested, sign up, and come back for level 2.

Again: Wow!

I think Rick, Corey and I need to get another group scheduled! Watch this blog for information about the next session or sign up for updates here, or, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/collaborativeproblemsolving/  We will also be forming an ongoing group during the daytime for both novice and experienced CPSers... Stay tuned for more information!

Mark

Resource: Child and Adolescent Crisis Program

Hello CPS fans!

Do you know about the Child and Adolescent Crisis Response Program here in Lane County? If not, I would like to share information about the program with you. The program can be a vital lifeline for children and families during those times of severe crisis when nothing is working, a child is out of control, or the situation has become aggressive or dangerous. Information about the program is listed below.

Have you already used the Child and Adolescent Crisis Response Program? If so, we would love to hear from you! The Child Center and I (Mark Beach) are highly involved in providing the Crisis Program services and we'd like your feedback. You can do an online survey in about 5 minutes by clicking on the link below!

Crisis Program Feedback:    http://goo.gl/5f9ta

Child and Adolescent Crisis Response Program

1-888-989-9990

The Crisis Response Program provides support and help to teens, children, parents, and families during times of crisis. We provide crisis intervention services 24 hours a day, 365 days per year throughout Lane County.

A call to the crisis response program will connect you to crisis worker. Within minutes, you will be speaking to someone who will listen to your situation and suggest ways to help. Most crisis situations can be resolved over the phone.

Our crisis workers provide assistance and referrals to help you stabilize the situation, restore safety in your home, and create a short-term plan. Calls may last between 10 and 90 minutes or more as we discuss the specifics of your situation. Crisis workers can, if you would like, follow-up by phone within the next day or two.

If your child is currently in counseling or foster care, the crisis worker will encourage and help you to access crisis services provided through your child's counselor or DHS.

If talking on the phone is not enough:

Sometimes a crisis might need a more intensive intervention than a plan developed over the phone. If the crisis worker handling your call assesses that an on-site intervention is warranted and the situation is safe, we may, with your permission, send a crisis response team to your home. Crisis response teams of two or more crisis workers provide crisis intervention services on-site at home/placement, in a public place such as a hospital, or in conjunction with police or emergency services.

Crisis response teams generally arrive within an hour. The team will contact you by phone and let you know approximately when they will arrive. In outlying communities, the travel time will increase the response time. Crisis response team clothing and ID cards easily identify team members.

In situations where crisis can't be safely resolved after other avenues of crisis intervention have been exhausted, the crisis response team may obtain authorization for a voluntary crisis care placement. All placements must be requested and approved by the parent or legal guardian. A crisis care placement lasts from 24 to 72 hours.

Fees/Eligibility: There are no fees charged for services to families in Lane County.

Ages served: Issues related to children and teens up to age 18

Crisis Response Program

1-888-989-9990

Week 5 Review

                                                                Week 5 of 5

Week five of the Living Better with Challenging Children Collaborative Problem Solving Parent Group offers parents practice with Plan B.

If you are reading this as a therapist, teacher, or other professional working with a child or family, background knowledge of the model is recommended.

Week 5 Practice:

The group practices Plan B by participating in role plays. Each participant role-played as a child, an adult and a Plan B Coach. 

Week 5 Information:

No new information presented.

Plan B in a Nutshell (again...)

Step 1.  Empathy/ Reassurance

             Drilling down to find the concerns.

“What's Up” + Empathy Statements

Step 2.  Define the Problem

 Putting both concerns on the table

“I hear you are upset about____ and I am concerned that______.”

Step 3.  Invitation

 Child generates solutions, becomes part of process.

“Let's work on this.” / “Do you have any ideas?”

 “That's an idea.”

 Is it doable? Does it meet both our concerns?

 ”Let's give this a try!”

Week 5 Homework:

Go forth and use Plan B!

Week 5 Handouts:

Week 4 Review

         Week 4 of 8

Week four of the Living Better with Challenging Children Collaborative Problem Solving Parent Group offers parents practice with Plan B.

If you are reading this as a therapist, teacher, or other professional working with a child or family, background knowledge of the model is recommended.

Week 4 Practice:

The group identified missing Plan B ingredients in several vignettes and practiced Plan B by participating in 3 role plays. Each participant role-played as a child and an adult. 

Week 4 Information:

No new information presented.

Plan B in a Nutshell

Step 1.  Empathy/ Reassurance

             Drilling down to find the concerns.

“What's Up” + Empathy Statements

Step 2.  Define the Problem

 Putting both concerns on the table

“I hear you are upset about____ and I am concerned that______.”

Step 3.  Invitation

 Child generates solutions, becomes part of process.

“Let's work on this.” / “Do you have any ideas?”

 “That's an idea.”

 Is it doable? Does it meet both our concerns?

 ”Let's give this a try!”

Week 4 Homework:

Try more pro-active Plan B with your child

Read chapters 10 and 11

Week 4 Handouts:

No additional handouts

TCC Newsletter Featuring CPS Groups

Below is a link to the Spring 2011 Newsletter from The Child Center with a feature story about Collaborative Problem Solving Parent Groups! Take a peek! There is information in the article about upcoming groups as well...

Link to The Child Center Spring 2011 Newsletter

The 533 of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS Cliff Notes)

The 5-3-3 of CPS: A Summary

Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) involves looking at explosive children with a different philosophy. CPS describes explosive children as having Learning Disabilities in 5 different pathways which are needed to adaptively solve problems and make decisions in their lives. Just as a child with a Learning Disability in reading is not making a choice not to read, a child with a LD in one of the 5 Pathways described below is not choosing to misbehave, have explosions, become destructive or aggressive, and continually behave in a way that prompts adults to behave in a way that creates more misery for the child. In other words, kids do well if they can. This is different than the common wisdom that “kids do well if they want to” which prescribes interventions focused on getting the child to “want to” do better (rewards and punishments). CPS teaches that explosive children are typically living a miserable and unhappy existence and do not lack the motivation to better. Rather, these children lack the skills to do better in their environment. Punishment and reward, without the development of the necessary skills to do better, are ineffective and create further frustrations for the child.

5 Pathways:

1. Executive Functioning Skills: Problems with organization and planning, shifting activities or thoughts, Anticipating problems
2. Language Processing Skills: Receptive or Expressive language difficulties cripple problem-solving because thinking and communicating both require language.
3. Emotional Regulation Skills: Chronic irritability or other negative feelings impair the ability to control and modulate emotions even before a child is frustrated.
4. Cognitive Flexibility Skills: Black and white, rigid, all-or-nothing, rule-bound, literal/concrete thinking gets in the way of seeing the grey in problem situations or social situations.
5. Social Skills: Cognitive distortions/thinking errors, or deficits in skills needed to perceive the social environment and engage with others make relationships and social situations difficult.

3 Plans: (To work with behaviors and expectations)

1. Plan A: Ask yourself: “Is the behavior important or undesirable enough to induce and endure a meltdown?”
   1. Increases the likelihood of explosive episodes through the imposition of adult will. Does not teach lagging skills. Does address adult concern/expectation.
   2. Reserved for very undesirable behaviors or safety concerns.
   3. Plan A behaviors should be behaviors that your child is able to meet on a fairly consistent basis.
   4. Plan A behaviors are behaviors which you are able to enforce.
      
      
2. Plan C: Pick your battles! Low priority items which can be dealt with later on.
   1. Decreases the likelihood of explosive episodes by removing frustrations and modifying the environment so the child’s ability to cope is not outstripped by the demands of situations. Does not teach lagging skills. Does not address adult concern/expectation.
   2. Expectations which you have decided not to enforce or ignore for the time being. Can come back to it later.
      
      
3. Plan B: Expectations which are important to meet. Adult serves a “surrogate frontal lobe” for child.
   1. Decreases the likelihood of explosive episodes by taking the child’s concerns into consideration and involving them in the solution. Teaches skills which will help the child deal with inflexibility and frustration in the future. Addresses adult concern/expectation as well as the child’s concern.
   2. Proactive Plan B is a planned conversation during a calm time. Emergency Plan B happens at the beginning stages of a meltdown and may help to avert the crisis. Proactive Plan B is easier and more effective because nobody is on the verge of crisis.

3 Steps of Plan B

Prethinking Plan B: Remember that you do not know where the plane is going to land when it takes off…

1. Empathy plus Reassurance: Reflective listening or “I hear you” followed by reassurance that your are not using Plan A.
2. Define the Problem: A problem is two concerns that have yet to be reconciled. Get the child’s concern first, then put yours on the table. Keep working until you have concerns rather than solutions.
3. Invitation: Invite the child to solve the problem with you. “How could we work this out? Do you have any ideas?”
   -A solution should: Be doable by both parties, realistic, and mutually satisfactory.

This summary is based on: The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene and training by J. Stuart Ablon. It is written for the Living Better with Challenging Children presentation series by it’s presenters, Mark Beach, Corey Jackson, and Rick Chamberlain who can be reached at 541.726.1465 or through http://groups.yahoo.com/group/collaborativeproblemsolving/