Gundersen Boscobel brings 'eye opening' parenting program to area professionals
Course participants and GBAHC employees Dr. Colleen McCurry and Dr. Joni Downs
Representatives from area school districts and Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics clinicians and staff recently came together for two days of interactive training lead by Jeff Reiland, MS, a parent and family therapist from Gundersen Health System Behavioral Health.
"This training was so eye opening. Parenting can be difficult and all parents want to be the best they can be for their children. Life's stresses can make things even more difficult, and having effective tools to help guide children makes parenting easier," says Brenda Bunn, a Fennimore Elementary teacher who attended the training.
Funded by the Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics Foundation, the highly regarded ACT Facilitator Training Program was made available in Boscobel July 17 and 18 to equip those who work with parents and caregivers of early childhood and school-age children, and child maltreatment prevention agencies with effective tools and strategies to raise healthy and resilient children.
I can't wait to recommend this course to my patients. I'm sure parents in Boscobel will also learn things from the program," says Colleen McCurry, MD, Family Medicine, Gundersen Boscobel.
ACT has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Head Start, the World Health Organization, Crime Solutions and the California Evidence-Based Clearing House as an effective parenting program. Participants attend group sessions designed to prevent child maltreatment; build positive, nonviolent parenting skills; and prevent or reduce children's aggression and related behavior problems.
"We were beyond excited to bring Jeff and the Raising Resilient Children coursework to Gundersen Boscobel," said David Hartberg, CEO at Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics. "Piloting this highly-regarded curriculum with our area schools and providers at no cost was important to both the Foundation, as well as to Gundersen Boscobel. Anything we can do as an organization to help support the ongoing effort to raise healthy and resilient children within our surrounding communities is a win."