Training & Professional Development
Thom Child and Family Services is committed to providing high quality early intervention services to infants, toddlers, and families across the state. We also work closely with child care professionals and provide training and consultation services to others in the early childhood community.
We feel passionately about the importance of supporting the professional development of our staff. Early Intervention is an intricate blend of disciplines and fields – early childhood development, allied health and nursing, social work, education, home visiting, service coordination, and community-based programming all come together in this family-centered system. To encourage employees to advance their professional development, Thom Child and Family Services has established two specific programs to support staff seeking training opportunities:
- The Phyllis A. Fazzio Scholarship program – an initiative supported by the Thom Child and Family Services Board of Directors which allows for advanced clinical training, or leadership and management training for experienced employees. Click here to learn more about this exciting opportunity.
- Thom Academy – a time-limited, tuition reimbursement initiative created by the agency to support ongoing professional development for all employees. Click here to learn more about this exciting opportunity.
Thom Child and Family Services takes great pride in being able to offer high quality professional development opportunities covering a wide range of topics. Training topics vary annually and are grounded in current research, supporting evidence-based practice.
For more information about professional development opportunities through Thom Child and Family Services please contact James Young, Coordinator of Continuing Education and Professional Development (508-655-5222 x139).
- This event has passed.
Battelle Developmental Inventory Basics
December 18, 2019 @ 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Cost
DUE TO WINTER WEATHER, THIS TRAINING WAS RESCHEDULED FROM DECEMBER 3rd TO DECEMBER 18th.
Thom Child and Family Services employees only with a maximum of 18 participants. Thom programs will be charged $10 per employee sent. Please contact James Young (508-655-5222 x139) to register or for more training information.
Credits
CEIS 2012 Competencies: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6
Description
The Battelle Developmental Inventory™, Second Edition (BDI-2™) is an early childhood instrument which helps measure a child’s progress along the developmental continuum by both global domains and discrete skill sets. This workshop will provide Early Intervention clinicians with basic knowledge on how to use the BDI-2™ to determine eligibility in Massachusetts Early Intervention. Topics to be discussed will include an overview of the tool, a review of administration, understanding the fidelity of administration, scoring instruction, how to interpret the results, and how to share results with families.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Utilize the BDI-2™ testing manuals and materials.
- Demonstrate an understanding of eligibility determination for EI services in MA.
- Use the BDI-2™ in the EI setting.
- Demonstrate the ability to accurately score the BDI-2™.
Presenter Biographies
Katrina Veidins, MPH, CEIS, is a Developmental Specialist (DS) and a Certified Early Intervention Specialist, with a Masters Degree in Public Health. She has been involved in early intervention for over 5 years; first as a Northeastern Co-op Student, then as an intern completing the Early Intervention Certification program, and finally moving into a career as a Developmental Specialist in 2008. Katrina has a great interest in both the clinical aspects of one-on-one Early Intervention care as well as Programming Planning and Development. She has been using the Battelle Developmental Inventory™, 2nd Edition for the past 3 years, and looks forward to helping her fellow clinicians master the tool.
Melanie LaFavre, OT, CEIS, is an Occupational Therapist, Certified Early Intervention Specialist, and Team Leader for Thom Boston Metro Early Intervention (BMEI). Melanie graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Child Development in 2004. She started at Thom BMEI in 2009 as a Developmental Specialist. In 2015 Melanie graduated from Tufts Boston School of Occupational Therapy and returned to full-time work at Thom BMEI as a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist. She is also certified as a Lactation Counselor and is certified to provide the Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO). In February 2019, Melanie joined the BMEI leadership as a Team Leader and currently supervises a team of 15 clinicians. In her role as Team Leader she is responsible for organizing Battelle teams and overseeing training of new staff, as well as supporting efforts for increased fidelity. In her free time, Melanie enjoys playing softball, flag football, and cross-stitching.
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In-Person Services
Click here for a PDF guide to our In-Person Services Playbook (last updated on 5/2/2022).
Recently Updated Documents:
- 2.1_Home Visiting Guidelines–edited
- 2.2a_Intro to EI Services Letter–edited
- 1.3_Clinical Considerations for In-Person Visiting–archived
- 1.5_In-Person Visit “Daily Dilemma” Scenarios–archived
- 2.1a_Letter to Families–archived