Drugs, Alcohol, Pregnancy & Children Who Are Vulnerable
Monthly, February 2026 – November 2026
CWLA is pleased to partner with Dr. Ira J. Chasnoff, the Founder & President of NTI Upstream, to bring you the essential training series Drugs, Alcohol, Pregnancy & Children Who Are Vulnerable.
This monthly training series will be held from February to November. It will explore the biological and environmental factors for children and families that impact the ultimate development of children affected by prenatal substance exposure and will provide strategies for family- and school-based interventions that can promote long-term growth and development for this high-risk population of children. Each of the monthly training sessions is a stand-alone learning opportunity. Participants are welcome to register for one or multiple sessions.
Training Topics Include:
• The Neurobiology of Attachment in Pregnancies Affected by Substance Use
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): Understanding the Diagnosis
• Marijuana, Mother, and Father: A Public Health Perspective
• Behavior Belongs in the Brain: Moving Away from Blame
• Sensory Processing: A Continuum of Challenges for Children with Prenatal Substance Exposure
• Risk is Not Destiny: Behavioral and Educational Interventions for Children and Teens Affected by Prenatal Substance Exposure
• How Adults Can Interact with Children to Promote Emotional and Behavioral Regulation
• Sensory Diets and DIY Sensory Rooms for Home
• Building Stronger Bonds: Enhancing Parent-Child Attunement
• Unseen Beginnings: Adoptive Parents’ Lived Experiences Raising a Child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Working with Traumatized Children
Mondays, March 2, 9 & 23, 2026
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern Time
CWLA is pleased to present the three-part virtual training series that features our CWLA Press publication Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing, Third Edition. The latest edition of Working with Traumatized Children features new strategies and approaches for caregivers and others responsible for meeting the needs of children who are vulnerable.
Participants will gain a strengthened capacity to:
- Define what trauma is and differentiate it from stress
- Provide examples of trauma symptoms in children and adults
- Describe how trauma can impact children’s brains
- Advocate for the provision of safe environments when working with children and adults who have been affected by trauma
- Provide examples of how systems can be traumatizing or retraumatize people
- Explain the importance of understanding the vagus nerve when working with families and children who have been affected by trauma
- Express why self-reflective practices and supervision are important when working with this population
Training registrants will receive an electronic copy of Working with Traumatized Children, Companion Workbook which supplements the virtual training sessions. Training registrants are also eligible to receive a 30% discount on the purchase of hard copies of Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing, Third Edition and Working with Traumatized Children, Companion Workbook.
Crisis Assessment and Intervention When Gun Violence and Trauma Strike: A Five-Step Approach to Foster Hope, Collaboration, and Change
Tuesdays, March 3, 17 & 24, 2026
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern Time
The Child Welfare League of America and Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence are partnering with associated professionals to provide safe and structured forums for interdisciplinary educators and human services workers about effective and respectful methods that reduce and minimize the harmful impact of gun violence and workforce stress, increase morale and productivity, and enhance professional alliances.
The facilitated forums propose a resilience and wellness framework for educators, interdisciplinary professionals, and key community partners, and are supplemented by Dr. Michael Schultz’ latest book published in collaboration with CWLA, Systems Consultation When Trauma Strikes: Stories of Hope, Collaboration, and Change, Second Edition. The systemic approach is designed to assess and intervene in the immediate aftermath of school shootings and gun violence, and promotes hope, collaboration, and change during moments of escalating burnout, increasing social and political tension, plunging budgets, growing media scrutiny, and exceedingly high expectations. Underlying the principles and practices of the facilitated forums is our belief that when helping organizations, schools, and professional staff enhance their capacity to rebound from immediate crisis and weather persistent stress, they also gain vital resources to deal more effectively with future challenges. Thus, in building organizational resilience among professional teams, every learning moment is a preventive measure.
Supervising for Excellence and Success
Hybrid Training
Virtual: Monday, March 9, 2026
In Person: Thursday & Friday, March 12 & 13, 2026 in Wilmington, DE
CWLA is pleased to host a hybrid version of the training course Supervising for Excellence and Success, which focuses on the essential practice elements and functions that are foundational to successful supervision. The quality of supervision is recognized as a significant factor in an organization’s overall capacity and ability to provide services that achieve operational goals and desired outcomes for children, youth, and families. Quality supervision is also an important factor associated with a positive work environment, staff retention, and professional development.
Supervising for Excellence and Success focuses in-depth on the essential practice elements and functions of supervision – Leading, Planning, Organizing, Teaching, Supporting, and Evaluating – framed through discussion, self-reflection, and group exercises. Practice elements critical to supporting professional engagement, partnership, and team building in supervision are highlighted to align with research and best practices. The training course also touches on supporting theoretical concepts related to the supervisory role and related skills and competencies.
Training registrants will receive a copy of Supervising for Excellence & Success: Participant Resources, which supplements the training course. The publication will be distributed at the in-person training. Special thanks to Children & Families First for hosting the in person portion of this training at their facility in Wilmington, Delaware.
Building Reflective Practice: Strengthening Child Welfare Through Self-Awareness
March 18 & 20, 2026
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern Time
CWLA is pleased to present a virtual training opportunity for social work and human service professionals that invites participants to explore the evolution from traditional competence frameworks toward approaches emphasizing continuous reflection and respect for self-defined identities. Participants will analyze how overlapping identity dimensions—such as age, ability, and socioeconomic position—shape lived experiences and influence outcomes within child welfare systems. Drawing on theoretical constructs, the discussion will examine how long-standing structures and prevailing norms—such as appearance-based decisions—affect both practitioners and the families they support. Through guided inquiry, attendees will develop strategies to engage with authenticity, interrogate assumptions, and advance fairness and consistency in professional practice.
Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Trauma, Identity and Structural Influences in Child Welfare
Thursday, March 26, 2026
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern Time
CWLA is pleased to present a virtual training opportunity for social work and human service professionals that provides participants with a research-informed, reflective look at how identity and adverse life experiences interact to shape families within child welfare systems. Although identity categories are socially constructed, their influence on laws, policies, and relationships has enduring effects that contribute to uneven outcomes across service settings. Participants will examine how life circumstances linked to structurally based experiences can persist across generations and institutions, and how historical and structural factors affect children and families. A framework grounded in trauma awareness and responsive practice will guide discussion and practical strategies for fostering healing and resilience.