Hot Topic: Juvenile Fire Starters:
What to look for, What to do

May 3, 2007

About Our Speaker
Training Objectives
Schedule
Public Information Session
About the Task Force
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About Our Speaker

Dr. David Kolko has been involved in the study and treatment of child/juvenile firesetters for more than 25 years. He has directed the SAFETY programs (Services Aimed at Fire Education and Treatment of Youth) for nearly two decades. He is a member of the Allegheny County Task Force on Juvenile Firesetting and the Pennsylvania Coalition on Juvenile Firesetting.

His research publications have described the characteristics, assessment, course, treatment, and follow-up of firesetting children and their families. He is editor of the Handbook on Firesetting in Children and Youth (2002, Academic Press.) Dr. Kolko’s federal and state grant funding has been directed towards the study and treatment of children’s disruptive disorders, childhood firesetting, juvenile sexual offending, child physical abuse and adolescent depression. A sample of Dr. Kolko’s clinical-research activities and articles may be found online at www.pitt.edu/~kolko.

Dr. Kolko received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati, M.A. in General Academic Psychology from the New School for Social Research and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Sub-specialty in Behavior Therapy from Georgia State University. Dr. Kolko completed a Pre doctoral internship in Clinical Psychology at the Brown University Program in Medicine and research fellowship in Behavioral Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and John F. Kennedy Institute.

Training Objectives

Attendees of the Juvenile Firesetting Conference will be able to:
• Identify problem behaviors that increase risk of juvenile firesetting
• Identify physical and emotional symptoms of juvenile firesetting behavior
• Identify current trends in firesetting behavior
• Understand the ethical responsibilities of reporting maladaptive behavior
• Identify the major “types” of firesetters and risk levels
• Understand effective treatment strategies for dealing with juvenile firesetters
• Know the referral and follow-up process for a firesetting client/patient
• Walk through a case study of a juvenile firesetter, correctly identifying problems statements, symptoms and appropriate referral sources

Schedule

8:15-8:45am: Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:45-9:00am: Welcoming Remarks

9:00-10:30am: Dr. David Kolko: Problem behaviors and symptoms of juvenile firesetting

10:30-10:45am: Break

10:45-12:00pm Current Trends, Legal Responsibilities

12:00-1:00pm lunch

1:00pm-2:30pm Identification of Firesetters, Treatment Strategies

2:30-2:45pm Break

2:45- 3:30pm Case Study, Referral and Follow-up

3:30-4:00pm Question and Answer, Book signing

This training meets requirements for 5.5 CEU’s for RN, LMFT, LMHC and LCSW licenses.

Public Information Session

Target Audiences: parents, grandparents, teachers, foster parents

By attending this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify symptoms of juvenile firesetting
• Understand the serious nature of juvenile firesetting, and its connection to other problem behaviors
• The need for evaluation and treatment options for juvenile firesetters
• Ways to keep families protected from juvenile firesetting

Two hours of foster parent in-service credit available

6:00-6:15pm – Welcome, Introduction/Explanation of Task Force, Intro of Dr. Kolko

6:15-7:15pm – What is juvenile Firesetting? Why is it a problem? What are the symptoms?

7:15pm-7:45pm – Evaluation and Treatment of Juvenile Firesetters

7:45-8:00pm – Question and Answer

RSVP’s appreciated: contact 260-427-1278

About The Task Force

The Allen Court Juvenile Firesetters Task Force is a coalition of area professionals designed to reduce juvenile arsons, intervene and recommend treatment for juvenile firesetters and promote the awareness of juvenile firesetting as a community health issue.

The Juvenile Firesetters Conference is sponsored in part by a grant from the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation.