Georgia Center for Resources and Support

Webinar: IEP/504 plan meetings
2025-08-05 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-iep-504-plan-meetings/
Description: Join us in discussing who should be at the table for IEP/ 504 plans and why.
Presented by: Joan Jackson, Ph.D.

Virtual Regional Training: Building Bonds: Understanding Attachment in Foster and adopted Children
2025-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/virtual-regional-training-building-bonds-understanding-attachment-in-foster-and-adopted-children/
Participants will gain an understanding of the different types of attachment, recognize common behaviors related to insecure attachment, and learn practical strategies to support healthy bonding in foster care settings.
Presenter: Natasha Hope-Moriarty, LMSW

REAL TALK on the basics of ADHD
2025-08-18 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/real-talk-the-basics-of-adhd/
Join us in a discussion about ADHD and how it impacts your child
Presented by: Chena Blanchard

Region 6 In-Person Training: Weathering the Storm of Parenting
2025-08-19 18:00 - 19:00
This training is an IN PERSON training
Location: 5915 Zebulon Rd, Macon, GA 31210
Time: 6pm-7pm
Contact: RSVP
Mickala Stewart, M.S.
Region 6 – CRRU Case Manager
Georgia Division of Family & Children Services
478-538-6205 (M)
mickala.wright@dhs.ga.gov

This training will show how parenting and the job of a meteorologist are similar because of the unpredictability of both.
Presented by:
Debra Suzette Brown, BA,CPSP
Resource Advisor Region 4,6,13,14

Webinar: Hats off To You!
2025-08-19 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-hats-off-to-you/
Do you wear a lot of hats?
Sometimes those hats are stacked so high that trying to balance them all on our competent-but-anxious-and-exhausted heads sends us toppling over.
Join us for a Conversation and Insights on navigating the hats we wear.
Presented by: Hope Darden

Parenting Time: Guardianship- Supporting Identity and Belonging in Foster and Kinship Care
2025-08-20 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/parenting-time-guardianship-supporting-identity-and-belonging-in-foster-and-kinship-care/
Focus on helping children feel seen, valued, and connected—especially important for those separated from their biological families or cultural roots.
Presented by: Janae Combs, MA

Cafe Chats: A Virtual Parent to Parent Support Group: August 2025
2025-08-21 12:00 - 13:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/cafe-chats-a-virtual-parent-to-parent-support-group-august-2025/
Join GACRS for a monthly virtual adoption support group- Café Chats. This event is for adoptive families who share one thing, the journey of adoption. And while adoption is rewarding it also has challenges. GACRS wants to provide a virtual platform for you to exchange information and learn from one another. It’s also your opportunity to share your experiences, what’s in your heart, the challenges, and the success of parenting an adopted child or children. Please see the event calendar for specific dates of each Café Chat- An Adoption Support Event.
Lead by: Suzette Brown

Common Ground: A Resiliency Group for Parents and Teens- "The Power of Active Listening"
2025-08-21 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/common-ground-a-support-group-for-teens-and-thier-caregivers-2/
This is a space where teens and caregivers come together to listen, learn, and grow. Here, every voice matters. We believe in sharing without judgment, respecting different perspectives, and finding connection through conversation. Let’s make this a place of empathy, honesty, and mutual support.
Please Note: Both parent and Teen will need to have a way to join the meeting as we will do a breakout group
This month’s topic is: “The Power of Listening”
Discussion: Practice active listening techniques with paired activities to highlight how being heard builds trust.

Teen Breakout Group: 💬 “How do you know when someone’s really listening?” 💬 “What makes it hard to talk openly with adults?”
Caregiver Breakout Group: 💬 “What helps you stay present when listening?” 💬 “When is listening harder than giving advice—and why?”

Facilitated by: Stacey Foney

Webinar: Healing Hearts: Parenting a Child who has Experienced Trauma
2025-09-10 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-healing-hearts-parenting-a-child-who-has-experienced-trauma/
Participants will explore how trauma impacts brain development, attachment, and behavior, and gain trauma-informed strategies to support healing, build trust, and create a stable, nurturing home environment. This session emphasizes connection, patience, and resilience in the parenting journey.
Presented by: Theresa Nash,

REAL TALK: The Basics of Transcultural Families and Transracial Adoptions
2025-09-15 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/real-talk-the-basics-of-transcultural-families-and-transracial-adoptions/
Join us in a discussion aboutTranscultural Families and Transracial Adoptions

Presented by: Chena Blanchard

Webinar: Accountability
2025-09-17 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-accountability/
Accountability is more than just accepting responsibility—it takes having an understanding of your behaviors. Children with (and without) mental health conditions often struggle with accountability and for various reasons. During this webinar, gain a better understanding of how mental health disorders, and the subsequent symptoms & behaviors associated with them, impact your child’s understanding and level of accountability.
Presented by: Natasha Hope-Moriarty

Cafe Chats: A Virtual Parent to Parent Support Group: September 2025
2025-09-18 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/cafe-chats-a-virtual-parent-to-parent-support-group-summer-2025/
Join GACRS for a monthly virtual adoption support group- Café Chats. This event is for adoptive families who share one thing, the journey of adoption. And while adoption is rewarding it also has challenges. GACRS wants to provide a virtual platform for you to exchange information and learn from one another. It’s also your opportunity to share your experiences, what’s in your heart, the challenges, and the success of parenting an adopted child or children. Please see the event calendar for specific dates of each Café Chat- An Adoption Support Event.
Lead by: Cathy Burks

Parenting Time: Guardianship- Ethics & Boundaries
2025-09-23 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/parenting-time-guardianship-ethics-boundaries/
Navigating dual roles (caregiver vs. advocate)
Confidentiality and consent in group settings
Trauma-informed discipline vs. punishment
Cultural humility and inclusive caregiving

Presented by: Janae Combs, MA

Common Ground: A Resiliency Group for Parents and Teens- The Social Media Gap
2025-09-24 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/common-ground-a-resiliency-group-for-parents-and-teens-the-social-media-gap/
This is a space where teens and caregivers come together to listen, learn, and grow. Here, every voice matters. We believe in sharing without judgment, respecting different perspectives, and finding connection through conversation. Let’s make this a place of empathy, honesty, and mutual support.
Please Note: Both parent and Teen will need to have a way to join the meeting as we will do a breakout group
This month’s topic is: “The Social Media Gap”
Discussion:
Contrast how teens and caregivers experience social media, and open dialogue on boundaries, safety, and identity.

Teens Group: 💬 “How does social media help or hurt your mental health?” 💬 “What do you wish adults understood about your online world?”
Caregivers Group: 💬 “What concerns do you have about teens and social media?” 💬 “What was your version of social media growing up?”

Facilitated by: Janae Roberts, MPH, CHES

Virtual Regional Training: From Parent/Protector to Friend/Advisor: The stages of Parenting
2025-09-25 19:00 - 20:30 | https://gacrs.org/courses/virtual-regional-training-from-parentprotector-to-friendadvisor/
Children aren’t the only ones who go through stages. Parents also have their own stages to navigate as they move from parent/protector to friend/advisor. Each stage has challenges and opportunities. Learn the important characteristics necessary for parents to model as you nurture and encourage children to become young adults of character and resilience.
Presented by Lynne Watts, Ed.S.

Webinar: Art in Education
2025-10-07 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-art-in-education/
Art integration is the process of using the arts (dance, music, art, and writing) to increase student learning. The Art Integration at Home workshop offers parents strategies to expand and enhance their child’s learning at home through providing learning strategies and examples for all of the four core content areas.

REAL TALK on "Is it Holiday Blues?"
2025-10-15 12:00 - 13:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/real-talk-is-it-holiday-blues/
Join us in a discussion aboutIs It Holiday Blues?

Presented by: Chena Blanchard

Parenting Time: Guardianship- Caregiver Wellness & Support
2025-10-15 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/parenting-time-guardianship-caregiver-wellness-support/
Managing compassion fatigue and burnout
Building a support network and accessing resources
Reflective practice and self-regulation tools
Finding joy and meaning in the caregiving journey

Presented by: Janae Combs, MA

Common Ground: A Resiliency Group for Parents and Teens- Celebrating Our Differences
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/common-ground-a-resiliency-group-for-parents-and-teens-celebrating-our-differences/
This is a space where teens and caregivers come together to listen, learn, and grow. Here, every voice matters. We believe in sharing without judgment, respecting different perspectives, and finding connection through conversation. Let’s make this a place of empathy, honesty, and mutual support.
Please Note: Both parent and Teen will need to have a way to join the meeting as we will do a breakout group
This month’s topic is: “Celebrating Our Differences”
Discussion:
Affirm what makes each person unique, and how honoring individuality strengthens the group.
Teens: 💬 “What’s something about you that’s often misunderstood—but you love about yourself?” 💬 “How do you wish adults responded to parts of you that are different from them?”
Caregivers: 💬 “How do you embrace differences in your teen—even when they challenge your own experiences or beliefs?” 💬 “What personal experiences have helped you appreciate diversity within family or community?
Presented by: Stacey Foney

Virtual Regional Training: Understanding Teen Emotions
2025-10-21 12:00 - 13:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/virtual-regional-training-understanding-teen-emotions/
This training is designed to help foster and adoptive parents better understand the emotional world of teenagers. Participants will explore the unique challenges teens face, especially those with trauma histories and gain practical tools to support emotional regulation, build trust, and strengthen connections.

Presenter: Natasha Hope-Moriarty

Webinar: Raising Kids with OCD
2025-10-21 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-raising-kids-with-ocd/
Raising Kids with OCD: A Workshop for Foster & Adoptive Families
This workshop is designed to equip foster and adoptive parents with the tools to support a child struggling with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). We’ll explore the common signs of OCD, the unique challenges it presents in a family setting, and practical strategies to help your child manage their symptoms and find relief.
Presenter: Tina Neese, Ed.D., LPC

Cafe Chats: A Virtual Parent to Parent Support Group: October 2025
2025-10-23 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/cafe-chats-a-virtual-parent-to-parent-support-group-october-2025/

Resource Fair
2025-10-30 12:00 - 13:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/resource-fair/
Come learn about local programs, services, and opportunities available to you and your family. Meet representatives from community organizations offering support with housing, healthcare, education, and more.

Cancelled-- Region 14 In Person Training: Harvest the Understanding of Well-Being through Education & Support
2025-11-01 09:00 - 12:00
Fulton County DFCS and GACRS presents a 3-hour training
“Harvest the Understanding of Well-Being through Education & Support”
Saturday, November 1, 2025, 9:00am-12 Noon
Three-hour Training Certificate
IN PERSON ONLY
5710 South Stonewall Tell Road, College, Park, Georgia 30349
Title: THE RESILIENCE FACTOR: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength
Ways to Learn Your ABCs, To Avoid Thinking Traps, Detecting Icebergs, Challenging Beliefs, Putting It in Perspective, Calming and Focusing and Real-time Resilience and
Presented by: Brenda Gillespie, LCSW
Title : IN OUR OWN VOICE
Talking openly about living with mental health condition.
Presented by: NAMI: Sonja Felton & Sadeja Divine
Title: GACRS OVERVIEW
Debra Suzette Brown, presenter for GACRS Resource Advisor Regions 4,6,13 & 14
GACRS Resource Services for Foster, Adoptive & Guardianship Families

Real Talk on Supporting Children as they age out of Foster Care
2025-11-05 12:00 - 13:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-raising-kids-with-ocd-a-workshop-for-foster-adoptive-families/
Join us for a group discussion on aging out of Foster Care.
Presented by Laura Cochling, M.Ed., LPC

Common Ground: A Resiliency Group for Parents and Teens- When Worlds Collide: School, Friends, and Family Expectations
2025-11-05 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/common-ground-when-worlds-collide/
This is a space where teens and caregivers come together to listen, learn, and grow. Here, every voice matters. We believe in sharing without judgment, respecting different perspectives, and finding connection through conversation. Let’s make this a place of empathy, honesty, and mutual support.
Please Note: Both parent and Teen will need to have a way to join the meeting as we will do a breakout group
This month’s topic is: ” When Worlds Collide: School, Friends, and Family Expectations“
Discussion:
Map out the pressures teens face and how caregivers can offer support without adding stress.

Teens: 💬 “What pressures from school or friends feel hardest to explain at home?” 💬 “What helps you feel understood when your priorities clash with family expectations?”
Caregivers: 💬 “How do you balance encouraging independence while staying involved?” 💬 “What fears or hopes come up when your teen’s choices don’t align with yours?”

Facilitated by: Stacey Foney

Virtual Regional Training: How Trauma Effects Kids During the Holidays
2025-11-06 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/virtual-regional-training-how-trauma-effects-kids-during-the-holidays/
The holidays can be stressful, especially considering trauma your kids have experienced. Come learn how to navigate trauma for kids during the holidays.
Presented by: Ashley Willcott, JD

Webinar: Depressive Disorders in Children
2025-11-12 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-navigating-pre-teenteenage-emotions/
1 in 5 children are diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Depression is one of the most common childhood mental health disorders, affecting around 4% of children ages 3-17. In this webinar, learn more about depressive disorders in childhood, symptoms, and how we as caretakers can help.
Presented by: Natasha Hope Moriarty, LMSW

Webinar: Understanding Diabetes
2025-11-13 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/webinar-understanding-diabetes/
Learn the different types of diabetes, possible causes, common symptoms, and treatment options.
Presented by: Molly Abrokwah, Amerigroup

Parenting Time for Guardianship Families Raising Kids in the Digital Age
2025-11-18 19:00 - 20:00 | https://gacrs.org/courses/parenting-time-raising-kids-in-teh-digital-age/
Technology & Social Media Safety – practical tools and monitoring apps

Goals

Help caregivers understand the risks and benefits of technology use.
Provide tools to set healthy boundaries with devices and apps.
Empower parents to protect children without isolating them from peers.

Presented by: Janae Combs,
