When: April 22-25, 2024 and May 20-23, 2024
Attendance for all 8 days of training is required.
Limited to Community Action Staff - Maximum 25 Participants
Agencies will be responsible for all travel costs.

Family Development Specialist Training will offer the ideal next step in this series of case management trainings; an opportunity for meaningful professional development that will ultimately have a positive impact on the people being served by the Community Action Network. Additionally, the training will help support the successful implementation of the newly implemented statewide Whole Family Program which is designed to help families with attaining social and economic mobility. Whole Family coaches walking alongside their clients to help them achieve their goals and help connect them to resources when appropriate.

This course teaches the use of the Family Development Model of Family Centered Practice to facilitate improved family functioning and economic independence. It includes relationship building, systems theory, family centered case management, conflict management, and empowerment strategies. The National Resource Center has developed this 8-day training and certification program with the Iowa Association of Community Action Directors. The training develops the ability of many groups, i.e., Community Action, Head Start, county extension, teachers, community health nurses, and family support workers to provide family centered programs. Areas covered will be the use of relationship building and maintaining skills and how they are used in the helping relationship (from joining to termination). Participants also review systems theory, family centered case management, solution-focused intervention, conflict management and strategies for family and community empowerment. This course will teach basic skills needed to assist low-income families and families experiencing stress who want to improve family functioning and achieve economic independence. Additionally, this course will help training participants explore personal ethical and philosophical issues concerning family centered work including, but not limited to, poverty, culture, and gender.