Online Continuing
Education
In
early 2006, The UMaine Center on Aging introduced a
new online continuing education programs on Aging Issues.
Participants register and participate via the web and
e-mail. Each E-Workshop is taught by an expert on the
topic, and students participate via emails and the website
AT ANY TIME DURING EACH DAY THAT IS CONVENIENT.
Past
online workshops have been a great success with participants
from all over the globe joining in the discussion!
Please
check this page regularly for new course information.
In response to the positive feedback received by participants of previous e-seminars, the Center on Aging is planning another online workshop for relative caregivers. The topic will address permanency in grandfamilies and planning for the future. It is scheduled to take place in late spring.
Recent
Workshops
Developing
and Sustaining Support Groups for Grandfamilies:
An E-Workshop for Professionals
This
program focused on starting and maintaining support
groups for grandfamilies. Grandfamilies are relative
caregivers stepping in to raise the children, often
grandparents raising grandchildren. We discussed solutions
for some of the challenges for support groups. The first
morning was a discussion of the use of collaboration
to help groups in the beginning and strengthen continuing
groups. The first afternoon focused on special issues
for rural communities. The second day was spent discussing
clinical issues that come up in support groups where
grandfamilies raise some difficult and emotional family
and personal experiences.
How do we best support them as they help each other?
Presenters:
Carol
Moore is self employed
as a consultant providing training to nonprofits, schools,
and universities. She is a storyteller and mixed
media artist. She previously directed the KinCare
Program for Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc, in
Big Stone Gap, VA, where she was responsible for development
and implementation of services and supports for kinship
care families. She has provided training for Brookdale
Foundation's Relatives as Parents Program and for Generations
United. Carol also served as a participant in Generations
United's second national symposium on grandparents and
other relatives raising children.
Sandy
Bailey , Ph.D., CFLE
is an Associate Professor
& Extension Specialist at the Department
of Health & Human Development at Montana State University
in Bozeman . Her areas of research and expertise include
parenting in non-traditional family contexts and caregiver
stress. Dr. Bailey is the director of the Montana Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren project.
Barbara
Kates works at Families and Children Together. For
over 20 years, she has been a program developer and
trainer for child welfare organizations. For the last
7 years, she has been director of Maine Kids-Kin, serving
people who are raising their grandchildren, nieces,
nephews, and other extended family.
Virginia
Holmes has
been a mental health therapist working with children
and
families for nearly 20 years. She has a long history
with Families and
Children Together, providing trainings, being a guest
at grandfamily support
groups, and working on the Advisory Board for the Kids-kin
program.
Raising
the Children and Managing Everyone Else: An E-Conversation
for Grandfamilies
When
people are raising relatives’ children, it is
often more complicated than it may first appear. Parenting
is never easy and all of us need help especially when
the child has had a tough time. This e-conversation
focused on mental health issues. How do we take care
of the child and ourselves, and also manage to get help
from the rest of the family, mental health providers,
DHHS workers, doctors, teachers, guardians-ad-litems
and other potential helpers? Over the two days we looked
at issues related to mental illness, substance abuse,
and family relationships. We learned from each other
about available services and how to get the most from
them.
Presenters:
Barbara
Kates works at Families and Children Together. For
over 20 years, she has been a program developer and
trainer for child welfare organizations. For the last
7 years, she has been director of Maine Kids-Kin, serving
people who are raising their grandchildren, nieces,
nephews, and other extended family.
Bonny
Dodson, LCSW, is the
Clinical Coordinator of Community Health and Counseling
Services Children's Services. She has over 20
years of experience working with children and families
in various programs, including treatment foster care,
outpatient therapy, home-based treatment, targeted case
management, and residential care. For eight years,
Ms. Dodson oversaw a collaborative project with CHCS
and The Bangor Department of Human Services providing
Home Studies, Relative Searches, and Family Group Conferencing
for children and their families
please
contact Melissa Adle at the UMaine Center on Aging at
melissa.adle@umit.maine.edu or Barbara Kates at FACT
at (866) 298-0899.
Attendence
and Participation Requirements
For
Continuing Education Credits (for Professionals)
Requirements
for CE credit and Certificate of Attendance: *Participants
are welcome to join who do not require credit.*
In
order to earn CE credits, a participant needs to 'speak'
online via emails
a
specified number of times during the course, at any
times convenient for them
to
read and reply to discussions and materials. A reply
can be a question,comment, sharing of work experience,
or a resource related to the topic. This program uses
a highly interactive format, encouraging knowledge building
and application via discussions among the experts and
students. Each 'participation' uses 30 minutes of time,
to read and reply to materials and discussions. A minimum
number of such participations required for the contact
hours (no partial credits) will be set by your Course
Coordinator or Instructor. All participants complete
an evaluation form at the end of the workshop. Speakers
also interact throughout the workshop via emails and
the CoA website with all participants.
Using
Moodle
Questions
about using our online learning system? Read our Moodle
Manual.
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