An important part of MPSI's mission is to engage the community through professional development that aims to translate research into policy and practice that improves the lives of children, families, and professionals living and working within the urban community.

MPSI can deliver training to professionals and parents/caregivers at your agency, either in person or via a virtual platform. We also offer online, self-paced training. All our trainings provide professionals with certificates of attendance and many provide state-approved continuing education clock hours.

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ONLINE TRAINING

We Offer pre-recorded webinars and interactive courses. All participants will receive a certificate of completion with clock hours after passing a post-test. All trainings meet the criteria for approval by the State of Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative. 

Baby Court Training | 8 CEs: Cost: $50

This course includes five self-paced modules and prepares jurists, attorneys, child welfare professionals, and infant mental health clinicians to work as part of a Baby Court team. Participants will learn about the laws guiding child welfare practice, infant mental health practice, how to collaborate in and out of court, inequities in the child welfare system, why Baby Courts were developed, and the effectiveness of Baby Court. Thank you to the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, whose support allows for a reduced-cost training.

Ethics and In-Home Service Delivery

This 90-minute self-paced course defines the role of values and boundaries in determining ethical workplace behavior and practices. Special emphasis is placed on how in-home delivery of services impacts experiences and expectations and can lead to ethical dilemmas. This training is beneficial to professionals who offer in-home clinical and medical support.

Child Trafficking: The Grooming Process

This 90-minute training addresses myths surrounding child trafficking and explores the dynamics of the grooming process, or that set of dynamics that allows traffickers to establish a relationship with a child that allows victimization to occur and be sustained. This training provides valuable information to those working with youth including but not limited to educators and clinicians.

Understanding and Addressing Implicit Bias

This 90-minute training examines implicit bias including what it does and does not mean and why there is a recent interest in bias awareness. The training will provide information on the impact that bias has on both our personal and professional relationships and how to address it both within ourselves and our interactions with others. Implicit bias training is now required of social workers in the State of Michigan and is especially beneficial to relationship-based professions.

Healthier Urban Families

Interdisciplinary continuing education seminars are offered on topics of concern to professionals working with children and families. Information is evidence-based and reflects best practices in child development. Seminars can take place on-site at the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, at individual work sites, and remotely using a virtual platform. Continuing education credits are provided for many of the programs. Recent seminars include:

• Talking to Children about Race and Racism
• Ethical Considerations in Home-Based Service Delivery
• Understanding and Addressing Implicit Bias
• Working with Families with Challenging Situations
• Ethics and Pediatric Home Care
• Understanding Substance Use in Adolescents
• Self Care for Professionals
• Beyond Cultural Competence

For more information or to request a seminar contact Beverly Weathington at ac8787@wayne.edu 

Infant Mental Health Faculty

Infant Mental Health faculty regularly provide on-site and virtual training to staff at community-based human services agencies, early care and education programs, child welfare agencies, the court, and early intervention agencies. IMH faculty speak at local, state, national, and international professional development conferences and trainings. Contact Ann Stacks (amstacks@wayne.edu) to discuss your training needs.

Explorations In Development

Since 2010, our Healthier Urban Families and Infant Mental Health programs have collaborated with the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health to offer Explorations in Development, a continuing education conference for professionals of various disciplines working within the human service field. The conference highlights nationally recognized speakers who address contemporary issues that impact infants, children, and families, and who are of particular interest to social workers and health care providers. Contact Carla Barron (carlacbarron@wayne.edu) for more information.

Woodward Corridor Early Childhood Consortium

The Consortium was created in 2011 as a collaboration among the directors of Early Childhood Centers in the Midtown, Downtown, North End Detroit and WSU Early Childcare Center to enhance the quality of early education through professional development and other supportive resources.

• Early Childhood Consortium Playbook A step-by-step guide to creating a neighborhood-based consortium of early childhood centers and community partners. The Playbook is informed by the experiences and lessons learned during the creation of the Woodward Corridor Consortium. Complete with sample evaluation forms, session agendas, coaching report, brochures and website. 

MPSI SPEAKERS BUREAU

MPSI faculty and staff are skilled at translating scientific innovations related to children, youth and families and provide customized professional development trainings for your organization. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Infant Inconsolable Crying: Causes, Consequences and Coping
• Social-Emotional Development and School Readiness
• Adolescent Development
• A Primer on Infant and Toddler Development
• Meaning Making in the Face of Trauma
• An Introduction to Infant Mental Health
• Fatherhood
• Positive Discipline for Preschoolers
• Understanding Challenging Behaviors in Preschoolers