ND Children and Family Services Conference July 25-28 in Bismarck

The Children and Family Services Division of the N.D. Department of Human Services is sponsoring the N.D. Children and Family Services Conference July 25–28, at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck.

The N.D. Children and Family Services Conference provides training, knowledge, and skill development in the areas of child safety, permanency, and well-being. Anyone working in the child welfare system including social workers, counselors, foster and adoptive parents, therapists, team members, and others are encouraged to attend.

“This conference is about learning how to connect with families to work together towards positive outcomes for children and parents,” said Tara Muhlhauser, director of the Children and Family Services Division.

Pre-conference workshops on July 25 will feature training on the federal instrument used for child welfare quality assurance case measures, and parent education courses on sign language, child abuse prevention strategies and child development.

The three-day conference starting July 26 will have numerous workshops lead by regional and local speakers on topics including building resilience in families, assisting youth in transitioning to independence, advanced wraparound training, family team decision making, equine and canine therapy, non-accidental head trauma in children, children health and wellness in school and more.

There will also be numerous educational displays at the conference including the North Dakota Heart Gallery, which features portraits of North Dakota children ages 4 to 16 in foster care who are seeking adoption. For more information on the gallery, log on to http://www.ndheartgallery.org/.

People can register and obtain a conference schedule and other details online at http://www.cfstc.und.edu./.

Continuing education credits are available for social workers and counselors. Preregistration is encouraged, but registrations will be accepted at the door for the pre-conference or for one or all three days of the conference.

Muhlhauser said about 230 people have already registered for the conference which is held every other year.

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