Although parents care about their children and wish to have positive relationships, lack of time, 
easily accessible information, consumer friendly material or unwilling partners can make it difficult to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship between a parent and the child. The Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) is offering youth workers in Northwest Indiana an opportunity to learn how to engage disconnected parents who are often non-responsive and apathetic.
Family service providers, parent educators, case managers, social workers, teachers, counselors, outreach coordinators, juvenile justice professionals and law enforcement, as well as others, are encouraged to register and attend the workshop “Reaching Disconnected Parents.” The workshop will be presented May 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (local time) at the Geminus Head Start, 8400 Louisiana St., Merrillville, 46241.
The session will be taught by LaMarr Darnell Shields and David Miller, co-founders of the Urban Leadership Institute. Both have written several books and articles and are nationally recognized speakers who bring experience and passion to their presentations. Shields and Miller will engage participants in exploring the factors that lead to developing effective relationships between parents and children, as well as discuss lessons learned from Urban Leadership Institute’s direct work with parents.
On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Cost of the training is $45, but individuals can save $5 per session by registering online with a credit card for this or other IYI trainings at www.iyi.org/training_registration. Continuing Education Hours for the workshop are available through the National Association of Social Workers, the Indiana Association of Prevention Professionals, and the National Council on Family Relations for Certified Family Life Educators. Continuing Renewal Units (CRUs) are available for teachers, school counselors and other licensed school professionals.
This workshop also will be presented in Indianapolis (supported in part by the W.C. Griffith Foundation), South Bend, Fort Wayne, New Albany (supported in part by the Horseshoe Foundation) and Evansville. For more information about the workshops in those cities, go to www.iyi.org.
This training is supported in part by the Clowes Fund and the Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation.
The Indiana Youth Institute promotes the healthy development of children and youth by serving the institutions and people of Indiana who work on their behalf.