Center for Hope trains professionals,
youth-serving organizations, caregivers, community members
and others looking to improve their skills and protect the
vulnerable. Through its training efforts, Center for Hope
indirectly improves the lives of tens of thousands of people
across the world each year.
Center for Hope offers classes that
are eligible for Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
approved by the Maryland Board of Social Work. Please see
below for a list of the classes.
Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Youth
This is a training that will provide
information on understanding the LGBTQ population with a
focus on youth. The audiences for this workshop are social
workers, counselors, psychologists, case managers, medical
professionals and law enforcement.
Building a Blueprint for Child Protection
Child Protection BCAC will help explore how to engage community leaders and stakeholders to help institutions better protect children of all ages by encouraging higher standards of child protection. Our goal is to change the way that youth-serving organizations (YSOs) and their funders view child protection and crises. This session will discuss innovative ways that both funders and YSOs alike can engage their community in prevention efforts and proactively arm the YSOs in their community against risk.
Camp Training
We will provide camp staff with a comprehensive understanding of what child abuse and neglect are, the emotional and developmental impact on children and how allegations of child abuse affect camp. Sessions will include scenario evaluation, age-appropriate modules, video demonstrations and custom content designed for your camp.
Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training
Darkness to Light Stewards of Children is the leading evidence-based child sexual abuse prevention program in the country. The training program aims to empower adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence
This training will review the current research, the significance of early ACE study and why there is consensus in the field regarding the adverse effects of children witnessing violence. We will discuss neurobiological, emotional and psychological factors as well as parenting in this context and what you can do in your work with families to increase resilience.
Discipline and Abuse: Where is the Line?
The difference between child abuse and child discipline may seem obvious to most. However, to some it is unclear where to draw the line. The workshop will offer guidelines and lessons that help to clarify the difference.
Dynamics of Sexual Abuse
This training will detail the circumstances impacting sexual abuse victims and the process of disclosure. We will discuss family dynamics, the child's age and developmental level, their relationship to the suspect, grooming and responses from the nonÂoffending caregiver.
Effectively Communicating with Youth
Effective communication is a key component in engaging today's youth. You have to speak the language but more importantly, you have to know their language. This workshop will introduce you to the methods and insights necessary to not only hear from youth, but to listen.
Engaging Families in the Mental Health Process: For Providers
This workshop will share information about how service providers can engage families in services including ideas, tips, examples and programming ideas. In this training, individuals will learn what resources are most useful to certain clients and how to use these tools. Instructors will provide interactive examples of how to successfully engage families and improve outcomes for youth.
Ethical Decision-Making in Social Work Practice
This training will review the NASW Code of Ethics core principles and responsibilities and provide a framework for ethical decision making in social work.
Experiences (ACEs): Impact on Future Health & Social Outcomes
In 1995, CDC researchers discovered 10 common ACEs relating to child abuse, neglect and household dysfunction that have remarkably been proven to have costly detrimental outcomes as children become adults. Participants will gain appreciation of the ACE study and how its findings impact adult outcomes.
How Does That Make You Feel? Vicarious Trauma and Building Resiliency
Dealing with traumatic material on a daily basis can cause professionals to feel exhausted and hopeless. This workshop will address the emotional, mental and physical toll that is often imposed on those in helping professions. Professionals will learn how to strengthen themselves and their organizations against compassion fatigue and burnout.
How Human Trafficking Affects Vulnerable Populations: Persons with Disabilities
Human Trafficking is a crime that plagues the United States and preys on the vulnerabilities of youth. A group that is highly vulnerable are those individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Participants will learn how individuals with these disabilities are highly vulnerable to being trafficked and becoming prey to commercial sexual exploitation. Participants will learn how to respond to youth who they suspect might be victimized and how a forensic interview could be conducted. Information from case examples will be utilized throughout the training.
Internet Safety for Parents and the Community
As technology is constantly evolving, we must stay well-informed of all the dangers that threaten adults and children. This course will drive home a constant theme to take into consideration and to reiterate to children that everything we post on the internet is both public and permanent.
Introduction to Child Advocacy
This is a comprehensive orientation on the collaborative and trauma-informed approach of the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) model of child abuse investigations. Participants will be introduced to child welfare terminology, how child sexual abuse is investigated, what services and activities occur at CACs and the roles and responsibilities of various agencies.
Medical Aspects of Child Sexual Abuse
The medical portion of the child sexual abuse investigation can offer useful information to the investigative team. This presentation demystifies the medical portion of the child sexual abuse investigation by discussing conditions sexually abused children present; behavioral concerns, physical exam findings and STDs. Cases will also be presented in the course of the discussion.
Memory and Suggestibility in Children
This training will review early and current research regarding memory and suggestibility in children. Pivotal criminal cases will be reviewed. We will discuss how to talk to children in ways that minimize problems of suggestibility including question types and developmental considerations.
Raising of America Documentary Viewing and Discussion
Recent studies stress how a child's earliest surroundings and interactions shape the developing brain, building the foundations for life-long emotional, intellectual and even physical health and development. Exposure to a nurturing or adverse environment in the early years affects how we think, feel and relate to others as we age, our capacities for empathy, impulse control and even love. The Raising of America Series is a five-part documentary series that will explore policies and structures that help or hinder the raising of healthy, happy and compassionate children.
Understanding and Working with Victims of Human Trafficking
Understanding the mindset of human trafficking victims is important to helping them restore their lives. This workshop will discuss the specific topics that will support someone who could be a victim of human trafficking.
Understanding Your Responsibilities as a Mandated Reporter
Participants will gain an understanding of relevant state laws, requirements for reporting and the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. This workshop will provide participants with reasons to report and information on how to report. We will also explore the long-term impact of abuse on children.
Working with the Latino Community: Case Studies on Barriers to Access
This training will give insight on cultural influences that Latino populations face while living in the United States. A perspective of how Latinos view family, friends, social interactions, religion and health will be provided for professionals who administer direct services to Latino communities to increase cultural competency.