Best Practices With Youth Who Have Sexually Harmed

February 24 and 25, 2022 1 – 4:15 p.m. ET (Session 1)
Instructor: Adam Brown, Ph.D.
Live interactive webinar
Level: Intermediate
CEs: 6 CEs are available for $15 fee
Review CE accreditation and approvals for this course.

Youth mandated for services are never the ones paying for the services they receive. As with all disenfranchised populations receiving social services and mandated clinical interventions, best practices are often defined and practiced by those who have sought very little, if any, input from those receiving the services. Youth committing sexual harm are no exception. In this virtual seminar, social work practitioner and researcher, Dr. Adam Brown, will guide participants in an exploration of what we mean when we refer to best practices with youth who have committed acts of sexual harm as well as other youth considered at-risk for harmful behavior.

Guided by research, participants will explore what tends to work and what doesn’t. Participants will learn how to evaluate research with a critical lens and reconsider what is meant by “evidence-based” practices. and how to increase cultural competence when working with clients who often experience the systems we represent as oppressive. Participants will then evaluate their own identities and, in small groups, review and practice techniques described in the Cultural Formation Model, including techniques aimed at encouraging youth to think reflexively and to develop mutually agreed upon goals.

Finally, because suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds and impulsivity is positively correlated to both the commission of sexual harm and dying by suicide, participants will learn up-to-date information on suicide, including why contracting for safety is no longer considered appropriate, which chronic and acute risk factors to be aware of, and how to write a safety plan with a youth presenting at an increased risk for suicide.