Shelter to hold education seminar

The manifestation and treatment of reactive attachment disorder is the topic of Shelter Inc.'s next community education seminar, scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. April 11 in the adult classroom of the Schaumburg Township District Library, 130 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg.

Three continuing education hours are available to licensed social workers. Admission is $45. Leading the discussion will be Dr. Gary R. Hill, director of clinical services at The Family Institute at Northwestern University.

Hill will discuss attachment theory and define secure and insecure attachment and normal vs. pathological behavior in children. Attendees will learn about the causes of RAD, and how it manifests itself in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Also presented will be treatment strategies for parents and professionals.

Hill is a clinical lecturer in Northwestern University's master of science in Marital and Family Therapy Program. He has post-doctoral training in systems therapy, and extensive experience treating children, families and couples.

As an expert in trauma and the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, Hill assisted with the relief efforts at ground zero in New York four times after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The protection of children and adolescents has been Shelter's mission for more than 30 years. Shelter has led responses to the problems of child mistreatment, and is the only nonprofit, licensed and accredited child welfare agency in the Northwest suburbs providing community-based emergency and longer-term care and housing for children and adolescents, ages birth through 17.

Shelter's programs are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and are accredited by the Council on Accreditation, an international, independent accrediting agency.

Children and adolescents who are abused, neglected, dependent or in need of supervision are cared for in emergency, traditional and home-of-relative foster care; the emergency Boys Group Home in Palatine and Jennings Group Home for Girls in Schaumburg; or the longer-term Older Adolescent Group Home for boys in Arlington Heights.

Shelter also provides Healthy Families services, a home visitation and parenting education program for first-time parents.

For more information, visit shelter-inc.org, or call Shelter's community education coordinator at (847) 590-6190, ext. 40.