During the pandemic, adults who work with children and families have risen to the challenge of finding new ways to connect, offering practical strategies for coping and thriving, and providing comfort and consistency – all while trying to care for themselves and their own families. Dr. Rappaport will share practical concepts and tools that participants can use to continue this work: maintaining connections, finding contributory activities, communicating in age-appropriate ways, validating questions and worries, balancing structure and rigidity, and supporting those with a history of trauma and challenging home lives. Her suggestions will be based on her many years of clinical experience and experience translating psychiatric concepts into easy actionable steps for educators and families. She will also discuss how taking care of ourselves and building our own resilience allows us to better continue to support children and families and allows us to boost our, and their, capacity to endure and perhaps even thrive during uncertain and challenging times.

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe strategies for connecting with and supporting students, including those with trauma histories and those who are neurodiverse, during the pandemic
2. List strategies for building long-term resilience
3. Describe techniques for addressing children’s worries and anxieties and communicating in age-appropriate ways

Part of the “Thriving After Cancer: Strategies and State of Mind” new survivor webinar series from the Mass General Cancer Center at Newton Wellesley.

Drawing upon my struggles and experiences battling cancer, I’ll explore how connection, community, and nurturing — myself and others — ultimately helped me tap into a creative healing. I’ll also speak to the ways that these lessons helped me navigate the COVID pandemic, acknowledging how unsettling cancer diagnoses can be while celebrating the strength and resilience of those affected by this disease.

Dr. Nancy Rappaport, Child Psychiatrist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School

Dr. Rappaport will give two talks for the Lincoln-Sudbury schools – one for parents on 5/26 and one for educators on 6/9.

During the pandemic, parents and adults who work with children and families have risen to the challenge of finding new ways to connect, offering practical strategies for coping and thriving, and providing comfort and consistency – all while trying to care for themselves and others. Dr. Rappaport will share practical concepts and tools that participants can use to continue this work: maintaining connections, finding contributory activities, communicating in age-appropriate ways, validating questions and worries, balancing structure and rigidity, and supporting those with a history of trauma and challenging home lives. Her suggestions will be based on her many years of clinical experience and experience translating psychiatric concepts into easy actionable steps for educators and families. She will also discuss how taking care of ourselves and building our own resilience allows us to better continue to support children and families and allows us to boost our, and their, capacity to endure and perhaps even thrive during uncertain and challenging times.

Participants will be able to:

• Describe strategies for connecting with and supporting children, including those with trauma histories and those who are neurodiverse, during the pandemic
• List strategies for building long-term resilience
• Describe techniques for addressing children’s worries and anxieties and communicating in age-appropriate ways

During the pandemic, adults who work with children and families have risen to the challenge of finding new ways to connect, cope, and provide comfort and consistency – all while trying to care for themselves and their own families. Dr. Rappaport will discuss how we can nurture resilience in ourselves and in the children in our lives, boosting our, and their, capacity to endure and perhaps even thrive in uncertain and challenging situations. Based on her many years of clinical experience, she will share practical ways to build resilience: maintaining connections, building a meaningful narrative, finding contributory activities, communicating in age-appropriate ways, validating questions and worries, balancing structure and rigidity, and supporting others, particularly those with a history of trauma.

The events of the past year have had varying effects on the physical, emotional, social, and mental health of all family members and those who interact with them. Too many families are feeling the strain of toxic stress which has compounded their daily struggles.

This program is designed to inform the community-at-large, especially parents, families, caregivers and teachers, about the impact the pandemic has had on all of us.

On April 7th our expert panelists will discuss the ongoing disruptions, stressors, and anxieties that kids, parents, and teachers are experiencing during this pandemic. Each speaker will offer answers to pressing questions, suggest tools and techniques to mitigate dysfunction and teach positive responses to stress in the home and academic settings.

Panelists include: Dr. Nancy Rappaport, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Harvard Medical School, speaking on toxic stress; District Attorney Marian Ryan, Middlesex County, reporting on the effects of the pandemic from her justice enforcement perspective and providing support resources; Tammy Bernardi, Prevention Training Specialist at the Children’s Trust, Boston, focusing on child sexual abuse prevention; Koa Goode, LSW Supervisor with Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, addressing effective tools for parenting during stressful times; and Fiona Jensen, Executive Director of Calmer Choice, providing easy meditation tools to promote well-being.

Presented by:
Olivia Moorehead-Slaughter, PhD
Nancy Rappaport, MD
Martha Vibbert, PhD

An interactive panel drawing on the backgrounds and expertise of a clinical psychologist, a pediatric psychologist, and a child psychiatrist, bringing their extensive experience to address the hardships children face while also accentuating practical steps towards building strong partnerships with parents, addressing power differentials, promoting equity, and cultivating empathy.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the complex multifactorial stressors confronting children
2. Identify ways to build strength and capacity in systems of care, in order to foster resilience and address power differentials.
3. Discuss how to increase empathy in parents, children, and providers.

Registration now open!

Given the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, schools are forced to adapt the ways in which they meet the educational needs as well as to support the emotional wellbeing of students. The course is designed to provide the learner with the evolving understanding of how to recognize the gaps in learning and design appropriate educational interventions. The emphasis is on practical and timely clinical information and skills based on research, including evidence-based practices, and innovative learning strategies. We will use live streaming, electronic Q & A, and other remote learning technologies.

Presented by Nancy Rappaport and John Sargent.

As participants discuss the challenges they face when working with families, they gain the ability to address clinical problems as “tasks” for the family to resolve in the clinical setting and develop skills that enable this family-therapist collaboration. There is a focus on encouraging interactions within and with families that promote effective family function, build hope, enhance flexibility, and leverage the family’s capacity to heal. Participants become familiar with common themes for families that are “stuck” and learn both approaches and interventions that enhance closeness, encourage effective limits, and build understanding and support in the family.

Trainees interact with prominent child and adolescent psychiatrists, Drs. Rebecca Klisz-Hulbert, Nancy Rappaport, and Andres S. Martin, as they share their journeys and career paths to leadership in the field.