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

Using Engagement and Data to Provide Appropriate Care for Children and Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Health Challenges

Wednesdays, September 23, 30 & October 7, 2026
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern Time

Determining how to provide appropriate care to children who have intense behavioral and emotional needs can be complex and challenging. When behaviors are difficult to control or efforts to address these complex needs in home or community-based care are unsuccessful, the result is youth are admitted into congregate care. The goals of this training are to address the processes used to determine referrals for behavioral health care for children and youth by looking at the referral and decision-making processes, access processes, and briefly the infrastructure needed.

The training will also address the specific needs of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders, access opportunities for youth who might otherwise have entered Juvenile Justice programs, keeping youth close to home by developing interventions based on data in their own communities, and expanding low cost options and strategies to focus on behavioral and emotional challenges while also taking into consideration the social determinants of health.

Fostering School Success: Supporting the Educational Needs of Children

Mondays & Wednesdays, October 19, 21, 26 & 28, 2026
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern Time

Children and youth involved in the child welfare system may experience trauma and other disruptions that affect brain development, learning, attention, emotional regulation, and engagement in school. This training equips social workers, case managers, advocates, school counselors, educators, and other professionals with practical strategies for understanding these barriers, navigating educational systems, and coordinating supports that promote school success. Through a trauma-informed, collaborative approach, participants will strengthen their ability to build resilience, partner across systems, and advocate for educational experiences that recognize each child’s strengths, needs, and potential.

Participants in this training will learn to:

• Identify how trauma and child welfare involvement can affect learning, attention, behavior, emotional regulation, and school engagement, and apply trauma-informed strategies to support student success.
• Promote development of skills and conditions that foster resilience, regulation, engagement, and learning for children and youth across home, school, and community settings.
• Navigate educational systems and identify appropriate supports, services, accommodations, and processes for addressing the diverse educational needs of children and youth.
• Collaborate and advocate effectively with children, caregivers, educators, social workers, case managers, and multidisciplinary teams to address barriers and promote equitable access to high-quality educational opportunities.

Working with Traumatized Children

November 4, 5 & 13, 2026
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern Time

CWLA is pleased to present a three-part virtual training series that features our CWLA Press publication Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing, Fourth Edition, newly released in 2026. As reflected by evolving research, this edition includes new information on trauma’s impact on the brain, essential practices for providers, an expanded chapter on trauma symptoms, and practical suggestions for creating safety. The training reflects these new additions and gives an overview of the first five chapters of Working with Traumatized Children.

Participants will gain a strengthened capacity to:
1. Define what trauma is and differentiate it from stress
2. Name the three essential practices of providers necessary for healing trauma in children.
3. Give four examples of trauma symptoms in adults and children.
4. Describe two ways trauma can impact the brains of children.
5. Explain the importance of providing for safety in working with adults and children who have been traumatized.
6. Provide several examples of how systems can be traumatizing or retraumatizing to individuals.
7. Articulate how knowledge about the Vagus Nerve can be helpful in working with families and children who have been traumatized.
8. Express why self-reflective practices and supervision are important when working with adults and children who have been traumatized.