Course

Bright Beginnings and Personal Best Summer Intensive: Early Child Development and Parenting Processes

Description

This intensive workshop prepares participants to implement two parenting curricula: Bright Beginnings and Personal Best, which can be implemented separately or as an integrated intervention. Bright Beginnings is a manualized intervention that helps parents support their children’s social, emotional and cognitive development and develop school readiness. The manual includes detailed session guides for conducting groups for pregnant women (six sessions) and groups for parents and their infants and toddlers from 2 to 36 months (36 sessions – 12 per year). Personal Best is a manualized intervention for parents (without their children) that promotes parental mental health, social support, effective coping and sense of self-efficacy through group experience and personal goal setting. The manual includes detailed guidelines for conducting parent groups.

In the workshop, through a combination of lecture, discussion, videotape, role play and experiential exercises, participants will: (1) conceptualize parenting within a Developmental-Ecological context, focusing on child, adult and family development; (2) understand the micro-processes of parent-child interactions and child outcomes; (3) hone skills in observing parent-child interaction, (4) develop skills to facilitate groups; and (5) enhance their knowledge of child development, parenting practices and healthy coping and communication skills. The integration of Bright Beginnings and Personal Best provides a comprehensive prevention program for families at risk who are attending early childhood, social service or family support programs.

Faculty: Martha E. Edwards, PhD, Founder and Director of the Center for the Developing Child and Family.  As a psychologist, family therapist, and researcher, she has focused on integrating theory and practice from the areas of family systems, developmental neurobiology, and psychoanalysis.  She also develops clinical and preventive interventions for children and their families and is the creator of the Bright Beginnings Parent-Child Program. Judy Grossman, DrPH, OTR, associate Director; Family therapist, occupational therapy and public health educator and policy analyst; Creator of the Personal Best prevention program for parents.

Judy Grossman, DrPH,OTR, Associate Director of the Center for the Developing Child and Family.  In addition to being a family therapist, she is Director of the Ackerman’s Special Needs Project; adjunct faculty at NYU’s Department of Occupational Therapy; public health and special education consultant and policy analyst; and creator of the Personal Best prevention program for parents.

Date: July 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 2012
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.                    
Tuition: $1,185. Tuition is due upon acceptance into program.            
Continuing Education Credits: 27