CASA for Children of Mercer and Burlington Counties is making plans to introduce new training courses available to its 248 trained adult volunteers by sponsoring Laura Fitzgerald, Ph.D., Director of Training and Evaluation to complete The Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA). More than a parenting or educator behavior management strategy, NHA consists of a set of strategies that assists children in further developing their self-regulation and has been effective with children of all ages, especially those with behavioral challenges. It focuses on transforming the way children perceive themselves, their caregivers and the world around them. The method increases the child’s self-esteem, methodically, consistently and effectively, and is seen as an important resource for children coping with a range of addiction, abuse and abandonment issues.
The NHA training is part of a large multi-year $12 million Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMH) grant program awarded to the New Jersey Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) that is transforming the practice of over 4,500 out-of-home treatment staff, 700 care management staff and at least 9,000 parents and caregivers. Howard Glasser is the creator of the Nurtured Heart Approach, as well as the Founder and Board Chairman of the Children’s Success Foundation. Training is underway across the 21 counties in New Jersey and CASA for Children in Mercer and Burlington Counties is exploring how best to incorporate the NHA strategies to increase the well-being of the 400+ children we serve in our counties.
To view videos about the successful implementation of the Nurtured Heart Approach please visit: https://childrenssuccessfoundation.com/greatness-profiles/