VOICES - Perspectives of Former Foster Youth on Mental Health & Therapy

Amber Twitchell

Odelia Bueno

Jessica Fonseca

Speakers: Amber Twitchell, VOICES Director; Odelia Bueno, Youth Engagement Coordinator; Jessica Fonseca, VOICES Site Coordinator.

This workshop will be presented by VOICES as a panel discussion among former foster youth and their perspectives on mental health services, psychotherapy and what is helpful and what is not. The panelists will describe the reasons why it is important for former and current foster youth to have access to mental health services and share personal accounts for how they got connected to the mental health system of care. The presenters will also provide tips for how mental health providers can connect with current and former foster youth. Finally, they will provide a list of dos and don’ts for mental health providers.

Learning Objectives:

Describe three reasons why it is important for current and former foster youth to have access to quality mental health services.
Name two behaviors of mental health providers that are not helpful for current and former foster youth clients.
Identify three tips for engaging current and former foster youth in therapy.

Panelists' Bios:

Amber Twitchell, VOICES Director

Amber has been working in the youth development field for over 20 years. She currently serves as the Associate Director of On The Move and oversees VOICES, a youth-developed, youth-led community center that provides services to former and current foster youth, homeless youth and other disconnected youth. Amber views her primary role as the support to these youth as they learn how to manage, administer and report on the various programs and services offered through VOICES. She is a champion of intergenerational learning and works to ensure all youth have an authentic and rich experience while leaning essential work and leadership skills.

Amber received her Graduate Degree from CSU Sacramento in the field of Public Policy and Administration. She uses the knowledge gained in this graduate program to develop and lead youth-engagement processes designed at creating systemic policy change within local government structures. Amber has been certified by the International Trauma Center as a Specialist in designing and implementing trauma-informed programming focusing on the needs of vulnerable youth.

Odelia Bueno, Youth Engagement Coordinator

Odelia began participating at VOICES in the Independent Living Program when she was a foster youth in Napa County. Since this time Odelia has worked to join the staff at VOICES, lending her lived experience to supporting hundreds of youth as they navigate the Child Welfare system. Odelia is passionate about ensuring that the youth’s voice is represented at every step in their journey through the system; she has worked to facilitate LIFE Conferences for youth that puts their goals and their dreams at the center of their case planning. Odelia believes in the power of surrounding youth with supportive adults and works to connect youth with adult partners from all sectors of their life. Odelia currently works inside Juvenile Hall supporting incarcerated foster youth as well as acts as the primary youth liaison to Napa County Child Welfare where she ensures that they take youth voice into consideration as they develop policies and practices that directly impact foster youth.

Jessica Fonseca, VOICES Site Coordinator

Jessica has been utilizing VOICES services since she was 16 and in the foster care system in Sonoma County. Today, Jessica leads the VOICES Sonoma Center, ensuring that the Center offers a safe and welcoming space for all youth to come and be connected to support services. Jessica specializes in supporting youth with substance abuse issues and in a proponent for connecting youth with appropriate mental health supports as they move through their recovery process. Jessica believes that all youth deseve the chance to be heard and understood and acts as a tireless advocate for youth who are struggling to remain in placements and/or are at risk of homelessness. Jessica has been involved with several advocacy groups focused on improving the foster care system and improving outcomes for youth; she believes firmly that youth themselves are the experts in what they need and that it is the system’s responsibility to change and adapt in order to ensure the youth’s needs are being met.

We're sorry, but A Home Within cannot currently offer CE credits to Psychologists for homestudy/asynchronous learning (i.e. watching our recordings at home). Psychologists can earn CE credits for attendance at live AHW CE events. We are working with APA to secure the necessary approval to again offer homestudy CEs to Psychologists beginning spring 2022.

LCSWs and MFTs can earn CE credits either by attending live events or watching the recordings at home.

Please email Reed with any questions.

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Course Evaluation

These events are free, and registration is available up until 24 hours prior to the start of the event. There is no penalty for cancellations. Content level is suitable for working mental health professionals with advanced degrees. There will be no breaks during the programs.

Live courses are interactive and recorded courses are non-interactive. In order to complete and receive credit for live courses, attendees must remain for the duration of each event and complete the course evaluation directly following each event. A link to the evaluation will be shared in the Zoom chat box during the live webinar. To earn home-study credits for recorded webinars, viewers must watch each course and complete the evaluation and posttest for each course. Viewers have 3 chances to pass the posttest with a score of 75% or higher. Once the evaluations or the evaluations and postttests are completed, we will generate and issue certificates via email within one week of completion.

Credit is calculated by the hours of the event (1 hour = 1 credit, 2 hours = 2 credits, etc.). The time it takes to complete the course evaluation and/or the posttest does not count toward CE credits.

To participate in a live webinar, a system that runs Zoom is required. To watch a recorded event for home-study, a system that plays recorded videos is required.

Please send an email to chrissy@ahomewithin.org to request disability accommodations, address grievances, or ask questions.

ASWB: A Home Within, 1381 is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. A Home Within maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/21/2019 - 3/21/2022. Social workers completing each of the above listed courses may receive 2 continuing education credits per course.

APA: A Home Within is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. A Home Within maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

NBCC: A Home Within has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6701. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. A Home Within is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.