Overview:
The first place we learn about relationships is in the home, but too often kids, teens and adults with disabilities are not given opportunities to say “no”, set boundaries, or practice healthy relationship skills. By modeling consent and respecting boundaries at home, kids and teens will come to expect this in their other relationships too, increasing safety and assertiveness skills. Caregivers will learn about what consent truly looks like, how to respond when someone sets a boundary, how to model asking for consent, and concrete strategies for teaching assertiveness skills and consent at home and in the community.
Register Here $30
Cancellations made within 24 hours prior to the start of the training will be charged the full registration fee.
About the Presenter:
Ellen Merker, M.S. LPC, founding director of Heart Consulting LLC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in trauma therapy for kids, teens, and adults with developmental disabilities. She received her Master’s in Rehabilitation Psychology from UW-Madison, and has been working with neurodivergent kids, teens, and adults in various roles for 15 years. Ellen uses neurodivergent affirmative, sex-positive, and trauma-informed approaches in all work. In addition to trauma therapy, Heart Consulting also works to reduce gendered violence against people with developmental disabilities through education and training. Ellen also has extensive speaking experience, and has presented at conferences including Wisconsin Human Trafficking Conference, WI Planned Parenthood, National Project Search Conference, Wisconsin Reproductive Health
Conference, and the Circles of Life Conference.
FFI: Please contact Michael Truman at 608-516-8410 or by email at mltruman@wisc.edu