“Anxiety Monster” is focus of April 17 parent program
District 202 families can learn strategies for addressing childhood and adolescent anxiety at a special program at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 at Plainfield High School – Central Campus, 24120 W. Fort Beggs Drive, Plainfield.
“Anxiety Monster – How to Turn Godzilla into Pete’s Dragon” is being presented by the District 202 Plainfield Parent Community Network (PPCN).
This free program will be held in the PHSCC auditorium. Please park on the north side of the school near the Freshman Center, and enter at Door G.
“Anxiety is not a bad word, it’s a normal human emotion. However it becomes a problem when it starts interfering with our lives,” said Tim Albores, District 202 director of high school student services. Albores helped create the PPCN.
“Anxiety can cause major emotional and behavioral issues for today’s children given the increasing number of stressors that our children face today,” Albores said. “Dr. Koehler will offer some proven methods to help parents help their children in times of extreme stress.”
Dr. Laura Koehler, a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical supervisor of anxiety services at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health will discuss:
- Strategies to help your child manage overwhelming emotions in a healthy way
- The biggest mistakes parents make in reacting to strong emotions in their children and the risks associated with over-accommodation in response to anxiety and stress
- Surprisingly simple ideas to promote resilience and self-soothing
- What to do in response to school anxiety, school avoidance and school refusal behaviors
- How to decrease anxiety and increase rational thinking using Distress Tolerance
Survival Strategies
- Ways to identify and manage risk when anxiety and overwhelming emotions are out of control
- Ideas to create a skills “tool box” stocked with concrete items to facilitate coping
- Practical tips to empower children to improve overall functioning in response to anxiety, stress and other strong emotions
The program will be available in both English and Spanish.
District 202 social workers, special education administrators and counselors formed the PPCN last fall to support parents with common parenting needs. “This group is intended to be a community resource for everyone,” said District 202 High School Student Services Director Tim Albores.
Please visit please visit www.plainfieldparentcommunitynetwork.org for more information about the PPCN including podcasts of this year’s first two programs on “Internet Safety” and “Drug Use and Addiction.”
Final “Next Steps” training focuses on life services coordination April 17
Jireh Garnett, an Individual Service Coordinator with Service, Inc. will discuss life services coordination at the final District 202 “Next Steps Transition Program” meeting for this school year, on Tuesday, April 17.
The meeting is 6:30 p.m. at the District 202 Administrative Center, 15732 Howard Street, Plainfield. The “Next Steps” program helps parents and caregivers plan, transition and advocate for their children with disabilities.
According to its website, Service, Inc. of Will, Grundy, and Kankakee Counties was founded in 1989 by over 30 health care, social service agencies and advocacy organizations to help people with developmental delays and disabilities find the services and supports they need to live a better life.
Garnett will address the need for individuals with disabilities to register for the Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) and other resources available for people with disabilities.
This is the fourth year that District 202 is offering the Next Steps Transition training for community members interested in helping parents and caregivers plan, transition and advocate for their children with disabilities.
The Next Steps team comprises District 202 Vocational Education staff focused on improving delivery of services to families of students with disabilities; increasing family awareness of disability options and resources; and linking families in need to agencies that can support them with issues related to transition, said Dee Graves, District 202’s assistant director of private placement and transition.
“Next Steps” team members include Kathy Thomason, who coordinates the Work Training Program at Joliet Junior College; Plainfield Academy Vocational Coordinator Colleen Goldenberg; Project SEARCH teacher Colleen Kelly; and Work Training Program and Plainfield Academy teacher Sarah Bell.
For more information, please contact Dee Graves at (815) 577-4023 or dgraves@psd202.org