Effective Communication: Engaging Parents

Engaging Parents & Effective Communication is a dynamic training module designed for peer recovery specialists, prevention professionals, and helping professionals working with families of struggling youth. This course explores the emotional landscape of parenting adolescents in crisis and equips participants with practical strategies to build trust, foster effective communication, and support family resilience.

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Participants will explore parenting styles and their impact on youth recovery, learn how to navigate challenging parent dynamics, and practice core communication skills including motivational interviewing, active listening, and the art of asking reflective questions. The course emphasizes culturally responsive, strengths-based engagement and encourages professionals to model wellness and self-care while managing emotional labor.

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By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

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1. Recognize and respond to different parenting styles (e.g., helicopter, absent, authoritative, rational) to better support parent-child relationships in recovery contexts.

2. Apply trust-building strategies that enhance communication and rapport with parents of struggling teens.

3. Use open-ended, nonjudgmental questions to facilitate parent insight, reduce defensiveness, and encourage self-reflection.

4. Describe the core principles of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and practice foundational MI skills (OARS) to promote change and autonomy.

5. Identify signs of burnout and compassion fatigue, and implement self-care strategies to maintain personal and professional wellness.