Youth-in-Care with Disabilities Webinar Series: Part 2 - Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Youth-in-Care with Disabilities (1.5 CEs & Non-CE)

Overview

Part 2 of the webinar series builds upon the foundational knowledge set forth in Part 1. While Part 1 provided the foundation for understanding the systems that youth-in-care with disabilities are involved with and offered practical strategies to effectively collaborate across systems, Part 2 focuses on supporting youth-in-care with disabilities to improve their mental health and well-being. University of Illinois Department of Special Education Professor, Dr. Catherine Corr will engage participants in understanding how trauma associated with maltreatment impacts the mental well-being of young early childhood age children with disabilities. Laura Adams, Founder and Director of the iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families, will delve into the vulnerabilities of foster youth with disabilities and barriers to permanency and offer strategies for school and family partnerships. Dr. Jenna Mahoney, Teaching Professor at the School of Social Work, will share insightful strategies from her perspective as a former school social worker.

Objectives

1. Understanding the Interconnection of Disability, Child Welfare Involvement, and Mental Health: Participants will gain foundational knowledge of links between children and youth involved in the child welfare system and mental well-being.
2. Enhancing Mental Health Support: Learners will be equipped with information on resources available to support youth-in-care with disabilities experiencing mental health challenges.
3. Applying Effective Strategies to Support Mental Health Needs: Participants will learn how to apply strategies and adapt therapeutic approaches to support the mental health needs of youth-in-care with disabilities.

Registration and CE Information

• Register here for both the CE and Non-CE version. To earn 1.5 CEs, you will need complete the post-webinar quiz. The post-webinar quiz is optional for those not wanting CEs.
• The live webinar will be held November 10, 2025, from 12:00pm - 1:30pm
• Once registered, you will be able to access the course site to complete the Zoom registration to receive the link for the webinar.

Presenter: Dr. Catherine Corr

Dr. Catherine Corr’s research focuses on young children with disabilities who have experienced or are at risk for trauma (abuse, neglect, and or maltreatment etc.) and the formal and informal service delivery systems in which they participate. The long term goal of her research is to make high quality early childhood special education (ECSE) services accessible for all young children with disabilities and their families. Her primary line of research examines ECSE experiences for young children who have experienced trauma. Her work addresses the critical questions of: what types of support do young children/families who have experienced trauma need?; what types of support do ECSE professionals working with children/families who have experienced trauma need?; and how can service systems can meet the needs of children/families who have experienced trauma and ECSE professionals? The overarching purpose of this research is to facilitate service delivery to young children and their families that is both effective and efficient.

Presenter: David R. Strauser

David R. Strauser, Ph.D., serves as director of the Illinois Institute of Rehabilitation and Employment Research and is a researcher and faculty member at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His work focuses on vocational development and employment outcomes among individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions. He earned his doctorate in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995.

Presenter: Dr. Jenna Mahoney

Dr. Jenna Mahoney earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento, and her MSW from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has been a school social worker in Champaign County for the past eight years. Jenna received her Professional Educators License with an endorsement in School Social Work in 2015 and her LCSW in 2019. Jenna earned her PhD at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2025.

Presenter: Laura Adams

Laura Adams is a visionary educator, speaker, and systems-change advocate focused on strengthening how schools and communities support children in adoptive, foster, and kinship families.

As the Founder and President of iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families, Laura leads statewide and national eff orts to deliver healing-centered training and tools to educators, mental health professionals, and child welfare leaders. Her work helps teams build emotionally safe, regulation-ready environments where all children can grow and thrive.

She is the creator of the iCARE4 Schools Connection Kits™, bilingual, tiered tools used in more than 1,500 Illinois schools to support identity development, emotional regulation, and school success for students with complex life stories.

Presenter: Richard Brown

Richard Brown is a dedicated leader in the not-for-profit sector, currently serving as the Chief Program Officer at Infinitec and Professional Learning at UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago. With a strong background in community outreach and management, he excels in developing innovative programs and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Richard's expertise in knowledge graphs and technology enhances his approach to problem-solving and program development.