One of CCOFFA’s goals is to support best clinical practices throughout the foster care industry.  To that end, we will regularly post internet resources that we have discovered that can aid your agency in your mission of serving children.  Newer postings will be on top.  If you have any suggestions for helpful websites, please enter the web address in the comments box below.

• NATIONAL CHILD TRAUMA STRESS NETWORK: Here is a great free training resource for your resource parents!  Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) brings a singular and comprehensive focus to childhood trauma. NCTSN’s collaboration of frontline providers, researchers, and families is committed to raising the standard of care while increasing access to services. Combining knowledge of child development, expertise in the full range of child traumatic experiences, and dedication to evidence-based practices, the NCTSN changes the course of children’s lives by changing the course of their care.  You can register for free to access all of NCTSN’s trainings and rsources at: http://www.nctsn.org/

• HELP FOR GETTING EMERGENCY, LEGAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PHONE NUMBERS THAT WORK  The site, courtsystem.org seems to have a complete database of listings for all emergency, legal and law enforcement government offices in the country – with working phone numbers!

• ADOPTION AT THE MOVIES: It can be difficult to enter into important conversations with your kids. Sometimes, it’s not easy to figure out how to bring up sensitive topics. Movies can serve as an easily-accessible bridge into hard-to-access territory. Here are some guides to help you use movies to start talking.  http://www.adoptionlcsw.com/

• IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE IN FOSTER CARE RESOURCE GUIDE:  The following link gives you access to the PDF version of FFTA’s (Foster Family-based Treatment Association) resource guide from the 2008 conference.  This is an EXCELLENT resource!  http://www.ffta.org/publications/EBPguideFinalWeb.pdf

• FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME:  Children with severe FAS present behaviors that are extremely similar to children with RAD.  The greater challenge with FAS clients is that due to in-utero alcohol exposure, certain developing neural pathways were literally dissolved and cannot be brought back.  So, children with FAS lack the neural pathways necessary for them to be able to learn in certain areas, so they need “external brains”, someone who will direct them and guide them, their entire lives.  This link is for a PDF booklet that has excellent step by step guides to daily chores, beginning on page 20.  If any of your foster families are working with FAS clients, this booklet would be an excellent resource for them. http://www.fasd.ie/documents/parents_guide.pdf

• TEEN BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM: This website gives insight and advice regarding with teen’s often negative sense of value and body image. https://www.freederm.co.uk/body-image-and-self-esteem
• VAPING: Social changes to how we perceive vaping are occurring. Frankly, as our understanding of what vaping is becomes clearer, we are starting to put restrictions on who, how and where we can vape. Just like cigarettes. In fact, vaping among teens is becoming a trend, sharing a vape is now like sharing a cigarette — they just pass it around. Some have come to call this “Vape Culture.”  Find out more at: https://vapingdaily.com/health/  or https://www.migvapor.com/ecig-news/vaping-and-parenting/ or https://quitsmokingcommunity.org/ or  https://www.vaporvanity.com/teen-vaping-guide/
• DO YOU HAVE A YOUTH IN PLACEMENT TRYING TO GET THEIR DRIVERS LICENSE?  This website can help get them prepared to pass: http://www.drivingoffice.com/

HELPING AUTISTIC AND ADHD CHILDREN SLEEP: Oftentimes it is very difficult to get autistic children to go to sleep on a reasonable schedule.  The following website has helpful advice: https://www.sleepcupid.com/autism-adhd-sleep-help/  An additional website:

• AUTISM RESOURCE: Since safety is a major concern for parents of children with special needs, this guide provides studies and tips that parents and teachers of children with autism can follow to ensure safety.  https://www.safety.com/autism-safety/Here are some additional Autism resources for your page. They are a great way to increase understanding and acceptance.

Accommodations for Students with Autism
Guide to Better Sleep for Kids with Autism
Autism Resource Center
Creating an Autism Friendly Home
Autism Support Network Resources
Planning a Move with Autism
30 Ways to Celebrate Autism Awareness Month
Autism and Travel

• TEACHING YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER TO DRIVE  https://sellmax.com/driving-with-autism/
• DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE AUTISM? Please see this article: https://parentswishlist.com/is-my-child-autistic/
• A WEBSITE REGARDING AUTISM: https://www.verywellhealth.com/autism-overview-4582004
•  How to Overcome the Difficulties of Getting a Driver’s License with Autism, contains the necessary preparations and strategies you’ll need to be aware of in order to get your driver’s license, as well as how to determine if you’re able to acquire one. I’d love to see this included on your site to help those with autism and within the community get the info they need when getting their license.
• MAGAZINE FOR PARENTS WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN: Here is a magazine designed to help parents with Autistic children and They are currently giving away a bonus issue to anyone that visits their website.  https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-resources-parents/
• UTILIZING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY FOR CHILDREN/YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: Mobile technology has a variety of benefits for children with ASD, from core issues like communication and social-emotional skills to other functional life skills. Using a tablet, laptop, or another mobile device for learning on-the-go can help connect the dots where traditional learning may lack. You will also want to ensure that your child’s mobile phone — or other mobile devices — has adequate accessibility support for their individual needs. This guide helps parents navigate all of these challenges and concerns. You can read it here: https://www.verizon.com/info/family/assistive-technology-for-autism/
• MANAGING SENSORY OVERLOAD FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: When children with sensory processing disorders encounter their triggers, they may experience sensory overload, which can cause them to lash out physically or verbally, shut down, or exhibit other signs of distress. Learning how to manage a sensory processing disorder effectively must start with understanding the biology of sensory processing disorders as well as the signs of sensory processing disorder and their comorbidities, which we hope this guide will help many people accomplish.
  https://www.topoccupationaltherapyschool.com/managing-sensory-overload-for-children-with-special-needs/
• RESOURCES REGARDING SPECIAL NEEDS AND CHILDREN/YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES  Here are some helpful websites if you are working with children/youth with special physical or developmental needs:
  • Legal Resources for Special Needs
    Keeping Disabled Persons Safe While Remodeling
    Creating a Home Where Your Disabled Child can Thrive
    Teacher Resources for Special Needs
    Disaster Preparedness for Special Needs
    Disability and Credit Scores
    Disability Resources from the Department of Labor
    Tips for Disabled Persons to Declutter and Organize their Home
    Financial Planning for Special Needs
• MODIFYING YOUR BACK YARD FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN: Here is a website with some practical ways to adjust your backyard to better meet the needs of special needs kids.  Go to: https://bbqwork.com/backyard-modification/
• COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY:  There is a website that offers a free 10 hour online course on Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  To begin the training, go to http://tfcbt.musc.edu and log on with your email address and a password of your choosing.  The 10 hours of training includes pre and post testing, some reading, as well as watching training videos.  When you complete the training, a certificate will be issued which you can print out.  Also, there is an excellent website that has a lot of tools for CBT.  The website is: www.cognitivebehavior.com
• FREE ONLINE FOSTER PARENT TRAININGS:  The state of Washington has put multiple hours of foster parent training avialable online for free.  Once a foster parent has completed a training, they can even print out a completion certificate.  The trainings are available on the following website: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/foster-parenting/parenting-resources

• LOW COST ONLINE FOSTER PARENT TRAINING: There are excellent, practical online foster parent classes online and most are $10 per person for a 2 hour training: The State has partnered with this website and sometime in 2017, it will be free to California resource parents.  http://www.fosterparentcollege.com

• FREE ONLINE COURSES:  A number of colleges and websites have now put college level course online for free or a reasonable cost  Granted, most of these are undergraduate level classes, but they are good for review.  A couple of these websites include: http://cnx.org/content/m19526/latest/, search=CAT&Category=Websites:Education:Training,  and you can do social work and psychology related searches on youtube’s educational site, http://www.youtube.com/education?b=400.

• PREVENTING PLACEMENT DISRUPTIONS: The following link is for the PATH Wisconsin Study on Preventing Placement Disruptions, with the focus being evidence based practice: http://www.cehd.umn.edu/SSW/g-s/media/Final_report.pdf

• ADDICTION SUPPORT RESOURCES: AddictionResource raises
  awareness on the dangers of addiction and helps local communities stay drug-free: https://addictionresource.com/.  The American Society of Addiction Medicine promotes drug abuse prevention and treatment: http://www.asam.org/  Also, Drugabuse.com and Treatment4addiction.com specifically http://drugabuse.com/usa/drug-abuse/california/and http://www.treatment4addiction.com/rehab/california/  AddictionCenter.com is a professional webguide that can connect addicts and families with recovery and treatment options.  As you may know, over 20 million people in the United States have some sort of addiction, and over one hundred people die from drug overdoses every day. Our goal is to help these individuals and their families by providing them with information and support on substance abuse, addiction, and recovery options. http://www.rehabcenter.net/inpatient-rehab-centers/california-inpatient-rehab-centers. is a site filled with informative facts and guidance regarding addiction treatment and mental health issues. They recently published an extensive list of treatment centers in CA that may be beneficial to those who visit the CCOFFA website.                                                                      https://detoxtorehab.com/ has information and resources relating to substance abuse and recovery. We feature a find a meeting app that allows people to find fellowships in their area, videos highlighting people’s recovery stories, and much more.

•  A Better Today Recovery Services.  ABT is committed to saving lives and healing families by providing evidence based treatment in a safe, comfortable, and nurturing environment. Our staff encourages individuals to reach their full potential by providing life coaches and skill building sessions that will benefit our clients during their future of sobriety. By providing a lifetime guarantee and alumni events, ABT continues to care for our clients long after their period of substance abuse treatment.While rehab isn’t a day at the spa, ABT wants our patients to be comfortable and safe. Some of the residences have pools, full sized beds, beautiful desert views, and many other features to help them feel at home during their period of recovery. We understand how addiction can rob you of the basic necessities of life. Our facilities are designed to create an atmosphere of care, respect and promote the journey into recovery. 

• http://www.drugtreatmentcenterfinder.com/  Drug Treatment Center Finder is not a specific treatment center, instead, we are a free web-based resource hub that strives to provide the most up-to-date information and available treatment services across the nation. As I’m sure you’ve heard about the prescription painkiller epidemic America has been facing, 1,700 young adults died from prescription drug overdoses in 2014 – a four-fold increase from 1999. Our goal is to provide resources to addicts and their loved ones in order to guide them to the help they need in order to rebuild their lives. We currently offer the following resources, with more to come:
  • Health Screenings
  • Collection of Informational/Educational Resources & Data
  • Extensive Drug and Alcohol Addiction & Treatment Guides
  • Nationwide Directory of Addiction Treatment & Mental Health Services

  All of the statistical information found on our website is pulled from studies conducted and published by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and their divisions: National Insititute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

• Quit Alcohol “is an initiative with the Alcohol Abuse Counsel and a trained group of volunteers. Alcoholism is a widely spread disease and we feel that it is our public duty to educate folks around the world about the problem.  We offer free guidance, and support. We do not support any particular center, and are not funded by any particular center.”  – See more at: http://www.quitalcohol.com/about-us.html #sthash.CNbn1cR3.dpuf

• http://https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/resources/underage-drinking/helps individuals struggling with alcoholism learn about the disease and find treatment options that best fit their needs. It also provides valuable information for the family members and friends who are looking for ways to support their loved one. Recent studies show than an estimated 16.3 million adults in the U.S. struggle with an alcohol use disorder; however, only roughly 8.9 percent receive treatment. Our goal is to provide families and communities with helpful information on alcohol abuse, addiction and recovery options.

• StartYourRecovery.org is a free, confidential tool that helps individuals take steps toward a healthy relationship with drugs and alcohol. It was developed with the input of leading clinicians, experts from leading organizations like SAMHSA, and people in recovery themselves. Here, individuals can hear stories from people with similar life experiences, discover the answers they need for recognizing and dealing with substance use issues, and locate support. Family and friends can learn about addiction and how to encourage treatment and support sober living on the website.

• For excellent information and support on therapeutic foster care go to the Foster Family-based Treatment Association (FFTA) at www.ffta.org.

• Here  are additional resource websites:

Help Loved Ones with Sensory Overload Enjoy Shopping  https://householdquotes.co.uk/sensory-overload/ Learning Resources
Estate Planning for Special Needs Kids
Sesame Street Resources for Parents