This course is a highly interactive review of the current state of some of the biggest challenges adolescents face today. While many of the more common challenges (drug use, criminal involvement, depression, suicide, eating disorders and stress) are not new to adolescents in care, they are increasingly exacerbated by social and environmental underpinnings, including modes of communication, social media, societal change including redistribution of wealth, and interpersonal dynamics. Twenty years ago, suicide was only rarely tied to an email or social media post; today suicides are regularly connected to cyber media and cyber bullying.
After attending this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand how recent societal and cyber changes have impacted each topic
- Apply skills that help youth service providers better help adolescents with each of the major challenges they face
The course is organized into topics covering the basics, the latest research findings (in very easy to understand digests), and how each issue is connected to current social phenomena such as social media. Application to youth in foster care is also a large component of each topic.