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Spring Break Programming for Teens

Adult and Child Center is leading “Be Proud, Be Responsible” – a program for teens ages 15-18. This program explores sexual relationships, teen pregnancy prevention, and STD education. It focuses on values, relationships, communication, influence, goal-setting, decision-making, and comprehensive sexuality education.

Youth will also be given incentives for their participation and provided with links to community resources.

Have your teen join us for a 3-day “Be Proud Be Responsible” group!

What: “Be Proud Be Responsible” is an evidence-based intervention that reduces the risk of HIV, STDs and teen pregnancy.
Who: Youth ages 15-18
Where: Salvation Army Fountain Square, 1337 Shelby St. 46203
When: March 30-April 1
Time: 10am-2pm (per day) Lunch and snacks provided.
How: Registration required; email or call 317-632-6140.

CAFE Indy Offers Activities for Girls, Ages 8-18

CAFE Indy, a resource for families on the Far Eastside of Indianapolis, is offering activities for girls ages 8-18, including:

  • The Talks: this group meets for 18 weekly sessions, with goals to: empower girls to live their dreams; provide girls with positive role-models; educate girls in a safe environment (Self-Image, Self-Respect, Self-Worth, Safe Date, Talks, Bullying, college readiness); build girls’ knowledge and self-esteem; have fun.
    When: Mondays, from 5-7pm /  This program follows the IPS school calendar – if school is in session, they will be meeting as well.
  • Ladies Under Construction: a mentoring program addressing self-image, bullying, manners & etiquette, educational goals, and healthy lifestyles
    When: Tuesdays, from 6-7:30pm.  This program follows the IPS school calendar – if school is in session, they will be meeting as well.

 

Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, Inc. (CAFE) is located at 8902 E. 38th St., Indianapolis, IN 46226.

Learn more at: http://www.cafeindy.org/youth-programs, or call Lisa Curran at 890-3288 ext.115 for more information.

SafeTALK Suicide Prevention Training

Mental Health America of Greater Indianapolis is offering “safeTALK”, a 3-hour training that prepares anyone over the age of 15 to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources.

Most people with thoughts of suicide invite help to stay safe. Alert helpers know how to use these opportunities to support that desire for safety.

 

safeTALK attendees will be better able to:

  • move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss or avoid suicide;
  • identify people who have thoughts of suicide;
  • apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and KeepSafe) to connect a person with suicide thoughts to suicide first aid, intervention caregivers.

 

When: January 20, 2015 / 2pm-5pm

Where: United Way of Central Indiana, Dale DePoy Conference Room, 1st floor, 3901 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Cost: $40 per person

Registration is required.  For questions, please contact: Kelly Turner (Director of Education and Public Affairs, Mental Health America of Greater Indianapolis) 317-251-0005 x1008 or

CAFE Indy offers programming for teens

CAFE Indy, a resource for families on the Far Eastside of Indianapolis, is offering after-school programming for teens, including:

  • Cooking Classes on Thursdays, 5-7 p.m. – open to boys and girls, ages 11-18
  • Basketball – open to boys ages 13-18
    Details: Boys can play basketball on Tuesdays and Thursdays this week (1/6 and 1/8). During the week of January 12th, CAFE Indy will work to secure coaches and  draft teams for another basketball tournament this semester.  After teams are selected boys will practice either Tuesdays/Thursdays or Mondays/Wednesdays and play games against each other on Saturdays until they have all played each other, ending with a tournament on a Saturday (date TBD).

Learn more at: http://www.cafeindy.org/youth-programs, or call Lisa Curran at 890-3288 ext.115 for more information.

 

NAMI offers free “Family to Family” training

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is offering a FREE course for family members of an individual living with a serious mental illness. This 11-week class is for parents, siblings, spouses, adult children, friends and significant others of persons with a serious psychiatric illness, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and PTSD. Foster parents who complete the course will receive credit towards their annual training requirement, equal to the time spent attending the sessions.

Classes fill up quickly; early registration is recommended. To register, or for more information, call NAMI Indianapolis at 317-257-7517 or email 

What: “Family to Family” education course
When: Wednesdays, March 25 through June 3 / 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: Adult and Child Center / 8320 Madison Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227
Who: Linda Williams & Sue Tarplee, Instructors
Cost: No charge, but registration is required

 

“Mental Health First Aid” training available

Just as CPR training enables you to help an individual having a heart attack – even if you have not had clinical training – Mental Health First Aid provides guidance to assist someone experiencing a mental health-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns; strategies for helping someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations; and where to turn for help.

Attendees who attend the full day will receive credit for 8 training hours and will learn about: depression and mood disorders; anxiety disorders; trauma; psychosis; and substance use disorders.

Please register for the training by contacting Susan Peterson at 893-0207 or emailing .

When: Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015/ 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: 603 E Washington St., Indianapolis (6th floor large conference room)
Please Note: You must attend the full day to receive credit (8 hours)

For a complete list of upcoming trainings, please view our training calendar. 

Weekly TLP Reporting Form Posted

As a foster parent of transition-age youth, you help teens become more independent in many ways. You advocate, teach, train, demonstrate, monitor and model skills that help teens become more self-sufficient.

Weekly documentation of your time spent with a teen to develop these skills is required. An easy checklist of qualifying activities is provided on our “Foster Care Forms“ page. You can also learn more about this tracking requirement on the “Transitional Living Skills Development -Information Sheet”.

Please note: Each youth is required to receive 3 hours of instruction per week. If you have questions about the requirement or documentation, please talk with your case manager.

 

Quick Links:

Transitional Living Skills Development – Tracking Form: download PDF; download Word document

Transitional Living Skills Development -Information Sheet: download

State Announces Per Diem Increase

We are happy to share that The Indiana Department of Child Services has announced a cost of living increase in per diem amounts for our foster families. The daily increase amounts are: Ages 0 – 4 years: increase of $0.28 per day; Ages 5 – 13 years: increase of $0.30 per day; Ages 14 – 18: increase of $0.35 per day.

This increase is effective beginning January 1, 2015, and will be reflected in your February 2015 deposit/check.

The List: Ongoing Training Opportunities for Licensed Foster Parents

Adult and Child Center provides frequent classroom-style trainings for licensed foster parents (see the schedule here). There are several other options for foster parents to complete their annual training requirements. This document provides a brief outline of several opportunities to complete the required annual training, including: alternative training (often completed on your own schedule, at the library or at home); workshops (in-person trainings offered in a group setting), and individuals instruction (one-on-one training from an Adult and Child staff member).