Professional Learning Series
The Cook Children's Center for Community Health professional learning series offers structured, expert-led presentations and trainings designed to deepen knowledge and strengthen practice across key health and community topics. Each session features certified or licensed professionals sharing evidence-based insights, emerging best practices, and practical applications to advance professional excellence and community impact.
Available options
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) 101: LIVE
60 mins. (Virtual - Live)
This live training hosted via zoom will define what Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are and identify key terms related to ACEs. Viewers will understand the long term impact of ACEs on individuals and the community as well as consider strategies to prevent the impact of ACEs. Additionally, the trainer will illustrate the difference between ACEs and Positive Childhood Experiences while also having the opportunity to interact and ask questions.
The Asthma in-service consists of a formal training with expert presenters and may offer live and/or enduring CEUs. Participants from various backgrounds are encouraged to attend; most participants are from schools, child care centers, social services agencies, or other health care organizations. The in-service is typically held in-person and may also offer a virtual option for attending. For more information on the asthma in-service, contact Marquietta Jones.
This session will introduce the trauma-informed approach to your work in addressing youth and mental wellness. This can be offered in person or virtual by request. Please reach out to Jammie Josephson to schedule.
This one hour presentation will focus on introducing a trauma-informed approach to your work with families experiencing food insecurity. This can be offered in person or virtual by request. Please reach out to Dora Garcia to schedule.
Parent Cafes are small, intimate settings where caregivers have the opportunity to share parenting successes and challenges. This program is implemented through our community partners that serve children and families. Partners are trained by a licensed professional. If interested, you can reach out to Aaron Oliveras.
QPR gat keeping training is an evidence based training for individual intervention and prevention of suicide. If interested, you can reach out to Jammie Josephson.
Designed to teach individuals how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. If interested, you can reach out to Jammie Josephson.
Our safe baby sleep symposium consists of a formal training with expert presenters and may offer live and/or enduring CEUs. Participants from various backgrounds are encouraged to attend; most participants are from schools, child care centers, social services agencies, or other health care organizations. The symposium is typically held in-person and may also offer a virtual option for attending. For more information on the safe baby sleep symposium, contact Samantha St.John.
Wellness Workshops facilitate educational opportunities for mental health providers and other professionals to increase their knowledge about mental health issues and available services across our eight-county service area. Workshop topics are evidence-based and aim to improve services provided to children and families through interprofessional collaboration.To learn more about Wellness Workshops, email Mandy Ebner.
ADHD: A deep dive into supportive interventions and dispelling myths
3.25 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Summarize common myths associated with an ADHD diagnosis, recognize symptoms of ADHD, identify medications used to treat ADHD symptoms, discuss the PCP’s role in treatment and medication management of ADHD, and describe at least 4 intervention strategies to support children with ADHD symptoms at home and school.
Anxiety: Diagnostic critera and treatment in children | Wellness Workshop | Mental Health
3.25 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Define the diagnostic criteria for the following anxiety disorders: Generalized anxiety disorder, OCD/phobias, separation anxiety, and social anxiety, describe case studies with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, OCD/phobias, separation anxiety, and social anxiety, and identify at least 2 interventions to use with the following anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder, OCD/phobias, separation anxiety, and social anxiety.
Download PDF Watch Video Continuing education
Media use and access for youth: Navigating the good, bad, and ugly sides of internet, social media and gaming
3 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Describe current trends for children’s use of apps, games, social media, and/or internet use, explain 1-2 research based guidelines for internet safety, identify 1-2 strategies to provide limits and/or support around developmentally appropriate media exposure, identify 1-2 risks associated to children having early pornography exposure and describe signs and symptoms of adolescent pornography addiction
Download PDF Watch Video Continuing Education
Disordered Eating in Youth: signs, symptoms, and support
3.5 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Describe characteristics of disorded eating behaviors, describe current trends occuring in youth displaying disordered eating, summarize differences between disordered eating and eating disorders, identify at least (2) evidence based interventions to use with children/teens displaying disordered eating behaviors.
Download PDF Watch Video Continuing Education
Dysregulated Youth: Supporting and understanding challenging emotions and behaviors
3.5 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Describe behavioral and emotional characteristics of dysregulation, summarize understanding of diagnosis associated with high levels of dysregulation, identify at least (2) evidence based interventions to use with children/teens displaying dysregulation, describe at least (2) parenting strategies to support parents who have a highly dysregulated child/adolescent, and identify when higher levels of care may be appropriate.
Download PDF Watch Video Continuing Education
Anxiety: Cultivating supportive strategies for children and youth
3.5 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Describe current research on anxiety in youth, identify at least 3 supportive strategies to reduce anxious symptoms in the home and/or school setting, summarize understanding of differential diagnoses and co-occurring issues and challenges in youth presenting with anxiety symptoms and describe at least 1-2 self-care strategies to aid in reducing burn-out for caregivers and professionals.
Watch video Download PDF Continuing Education
Suicidal Ideation: Cultivating supportive strategies for children and youth
3 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Describe the current research on suicidality, recognize the signs and symptoms of depression and risk factors for suicidality, define the steps to assess risk of harm and identify appropriate levels of treatment, describe at least 3 interventions for children/adolescents with suicidal ideation and summarize trauma informed strategies to build a culture of support.
Watch video Download PDF Continuing Education
Substance Use: Cultivating supportive strategies for children and youth
3.5 hours (Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives: Identify at least 3 reasons children and youth might use substances, describe at least 3 interventions for children / adolescents experiencing substance use and explore the various perspectives to build a supportive culture for students and families experiencing substance use.
Watch video Download PDF Continuing Education
Autism: A spectrum of support
4 hours
Learning objectives include: Gaining an understanding of what autism is and who the diagnosis impacts; identify and describe definitions and terminology associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder; gain understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnostic criteria; identify characteristics associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder; identify presentation of symptoms across settings and to define Neurodiversity and understand the Neuro-affirming lens.
Axles of Anxiety: Who, What, Why
5 hours
Learning objectives: identifying the different types of anxiety experienced and how it presents in children and teens; identify at least 3 ways media contributes to anxiety; and describe at least 3 coping strategies parents and professionals can use to help reduce anxiety in children and teens. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Building resiliency against adverse childhood experiences
3 hours
Learning objectives: gaining knowledge about ACES and how it affects people in diverse populations; identify two ways to practice resiliency in everyday life. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth, Recognizing and Responding: Denton county strategy
4 hours (Virtual - Zoom)
Learning objectives include: identify at least 3 stakeholders involved in the Denton County Protocol for Care Coordination of CSEY victims; gain understanding of the CSE-IT tool and training and how it is used to identify victims and refer for services; recognize signs of complex traumas and appropriate interventions; identify risk factors for male victims of sex trafficking; recognize the impact of victimization on CSEY victims. Target audience: professionals
Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth, Recognizing and Responding: Empowering youth & families
5 hours
Learning objectives: recognizing how developments in social media are affecting youth; identify ways to support and build resiliency in the LGBTQ+ population; identify the importance of how effective communication between adults and youth help prevent early childhood abuse; and describe ways to identify and respond to youth at risk of sexual exploitation. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth, Recognizing and Responding: Texas’ holistic strategy
5 hours
Learning objectives: being able to identify specific risk behaviors of Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth (CSEY); learners will review the State’s comprehensive holistic public health approach to address CSEY; learners will identify specific stakeholders involved in a multi-disciplinary approach to coordinated care for victims of CSEY in Denton County; learners will describe the specialized role of CSEY Advocates; learners will be identify specific further opportunities for training and engagement as well as reporting mechanisms for suspected CSEY. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Compassion and Empathy: A response to bullying
3.5 hours
Learning objectives: recognizing the different types of bullying experienced by children and teens; explore the perspectives of schools and community organizations as they work to address bullying; describe at least 3 strategies parents and professionals can use to promote empathy and compassion in youth; and improve services for children and families through collaboration and resource sharing amongst professionals, families, and the community. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Encapsulated: The link between substance use disorders & mental health
3 hours( Virtual-Zoom)
Learning objectives include: recognize at least 3 ways a co-occurrence of mental health illness and a substance use disorder can impact the type of interventions provided to children and families; and describe at least 3 strategies parents & professionals can use to help children who have parents with a substance use disorder. Target audience: professionals
Flipping our lens on youth challenges: Real problems, real solutions
3.5 hours
Learning objectives: exploring the intersectionality of technology and pop culture influences on depression, self-harm, and suicide in youth; describe the effects of technology and social media on children and teens' brain, social, and emotional development based on current research; discuss the stressors and challenges today's youth experience from the perspectives of local teens; and describe three strategies to develop positive coping skills to build social and emotional capacity in youth. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Recovery after the Chaos: Empowering the community to take Bback what COVID stole
3 hours
Learning objectives: recognizing how the power of relationship building can help families with traumatic experiences; describe at least 3 strategies parents and professionals can use to improve self-regulation and promote resiliency; recognize the impact of COVID-19 within the family system. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Responding to COVID-19 as a community
3 hours
Learning objectives include: explain the benefits, pitfalls, and dangers of the increased utilization of the internet; describe at least three coping skills community members can use to respond to the stresses of COVID-19; and describe how mindfulness can be utilized practically to reduce stress. Target audience: professionals
Together for youth mental health & wellness in Denton County, part I
4 hours
Learning objectives: summarizing the value of collaboration when addressing children’s mental health needs as a community; identify behavioral health needs at Juvenile Probation and programs available to Denton County youth; explain at least two wellness strategies mental health providers can employ to practice self-care. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
Together for youth mental health & wellness in Denton County, part II
3 hours
Learning objectives: identifying what is meant when the term neurodivergence is used; describe how to use de-escalation tools with neurodivergent populations; recognize the connection between mental health and physical health. The target audience for this presentation is mental health professionals.
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