Services for Professionals

Children and Family Programs partners with educators, mental health professionals, healthcare providers, community organizations, and caregivers to strengthen child and family well-being through evidence-based training and consultation. 

  • Trauma-informed care and resilience
  • Positive behavior support and classroom management
  • Positive parenting and family engagement
  • Child development and social-emotional learning
  • Community mential health and prevention strategies
  • Evidence-based behavioral interventions

When eligible, continuing education (CE) opportunities are available for mental health professionals, and professional learning opportunities are offered for educators, school personnel, and community partners. 

Programs and Resources

  • Social Skills Building and Relational Success
    During Skill Building: Academic & Relational Success, children participate in STEAM themed games, art projects, life skills, and recreational sport activities while learning academic and relational success skills through evidence-based curricula.  It is open to 5 to 12-year‐olds who struggle academically, socially, and/or behaviorally, including those diagnosed with Attention Deficit /Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), anxiety, and High Function Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD). The program focuses on developing skills to promote positive relationships using communication, participation, cooperation, and validation.

  • Skill Building: Parenting Strategies for Developmental Success 
    Parents meet individually or in groups to learn behavior management techniques and solve problems with an expert in the field, Dr. Allison Garefino, who has been training parents since 2002. With over 15 years of on the ground implementation, she has the qualifications and experience to impart skills and strategies needed to deal with challenging situations that arise during parenting. These skills and strategies help parents deepen relationships and promote positive developmental changes in their children’s lives.

  • Skill Building: Foundational Framework for a Healthy Community 
    The Skill Building: Foundational Framework for a Healthy Community is dedicated to building a positive community by strengthening the framework on which to build positive behavioral interventions. The goal of this skillset is to facilitate a growth mindset in teachers and health care professionals. Workshops and in-services are held in schools and include topics such as peer mediation, bullying prevention, and PBIS training.

  • Online Workshop: Adult Programming for Teachers and Parents 
    The Online Workshop: Adult Programming offers ongoing workshops such as Skill Building: Parenting Strategies for Developmental Success and Skill Building: Foundational Framework for a Positive Community. It also offers “Ask An Expert” sessions. The Online Programming allows parents, teachers, and other professionals to receive workshops and sessions in a safe and secure online environment.

  • The Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Microcredential is an interdisciplinary, self-paced professional development program designed for students and professionals in education, healthcare, social work, public health, counseling, and human services. Developed in collaboration with KSU faculty and leading community experts, the program equips participants with evidence-based strategies to recognize the impact of trauma, foster resilience, and implement trauma-informed practices across diverse settings. The microcredential prepares participants to:
    • Understand the effects of trauma across the lifespan
    • Apply trauma-informed principles in professional practice
    • Promote resilience and healing in individuals and communities
    • Build culturally responsive and supportive environments
    • Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration to imporve outcomes for children and families
  • Online Resources for the KSU Community

Cobb County Teachers and Staff

In addition to our educational workshops, we offer on-site support in implementing positive behavioral interventions. One of our current programs is helping to establish the PBIS rewards system into after-school programs in Cobb county elementary schools. This system, paired with our behavioral strategies, is effective in improving behavior and motivating children to excel. After the initial training sessions, interns observe and provide ongoing assistance to teachers to support positive outcomes. Please contact us if you are interested in this program as we work to expand this effort into schools throughout the county.

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Testimonials by Professionals

What an astounding group of professionals! If ever I had to select a 'go-to' group or 'go-to' individuals to entrust my families and/or students, I certainly have quite the dream team now! Your relatability, insights, breadth and wealth of knowledge, holistic conceptualizations, authentic passion(s) for mental and behavioral health, diverse perspective and availability to address the needs of our children are noteworthy. The one message that continues to stay with me is that we need to make sure that your services are made known to all that we can. You have my solemn commitment to that purpose.

Dr. Sharon M. Thompson-Barbour

Lead School Psychologist, Psychological Services 

Thank you! Dr. Garefino. I employed the method of giving three praise to one correction; and have seen positive response from one person on my team. Honestly, I was skeptical, but I believe I am now having a paradigm shift. I just need to keep the information fresh in my mind.

Anonymous  

Workshop Participant