OCCY Invites Oklahoma Mental Health Professionals to Child Psychological Maltreatment Training
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Oklahoma mental health professionals can strengthen their ability to recognize and assess child psychological maltreatment through an upcoming virtual training.
The four-day training, sanctioned by the Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children, will provide foundational and intermediate education in the forensic evaluation of child psychological maltreatment. The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth’s Freestanding Multidisciplinary Team program will facilitate the training.
“Child psychological maltreatment is often underreported because of the complexity and nature of this type of abuse,” said Brittany Gassner, OCCY FSMDT program manager. “Training like this helps ensure the professionals serving Oklahoma’s children and youth are well-informed and equipped to recognize these cases, assess them appropriately and respond effectively.”
Mental health professionals, behavioral health professionals and social workers serving Oklahoma children and families are encouraged to apply. Psychology continuing education units will be provided by the University of Oklahoma Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Marla R. Brassard, Ph.D., and Stuart N. Hart, Ph.D., will lead the training. They are internationally recognized experts and principal contributors to APSAC’s standards for child psychological maltreatment.
Participants will learn to recognize psychological maltreatment, identify psychologically harmful caregiver behaviors, assess harm and risk, and distinguish psychological maltreatment from poor parenting and other forms of maltreatment. The training will also address structured decision-making and the use of interviews, records, observations and other sources to inform assessments in clinical, child welfare, multidisciplinary and legal settings.
Level 1 provides foundational instruction in definitions, forms and harm thresholds. Participants who successfully complete the level can earn the Certified CPM Foundations Professional credential.
Level 2 focuses on applying structured assessment and decision-making methods to real-world cases. Participants who successfully complete the level can earn the Certified CPM Assessor credential.
The virtual Level 1 training will be held from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18 and 21. Level 2 will be held from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25 and 28. A $50 registration fee and completion of a pretest are required for registration and acceptance.
Those who complete both levels may be eligible for future advanced training in forensic case development, expert testimony, trainer development and related topics.
Click here to visit the registration page.
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About Dr. Stuart N. Hart – Stuart N. Hart, Ph.D., is principal of strategic initiatives for the International Institute for Child Rights and Development, professor emeritus at Indiana University Indianapolis and co-founder and executive board member of the Psychological Maltreatment Alliance. A licensed psychologist and fellow of the American Psychological Association, Hart has conducted extensive research and published widely on the psychological maltreatment of children and children’s rights. He has contributed to international efforts to strengthen protections for children from psychological maltreatment and other forms of violence, including work related to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
About Dr. Marla R. Brassard, Ph.D. – Dr. Brassard is a professor emerita in the School Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, and a licensed psychologist with more than 40 years of research experience in the psychological maltreatment of children. She has co-authored four books and numerous articles and chapters on psychological maltreatment and helped develop APSAC guidelines for evaluating suspected psychological maltreatment. She continues to conduct research and provide professional training through the Psychological Maltreatment Alliance.