School Refusal and School Avoidance

A Workshop for Professionals Serving Youth

Any mental health provider working with children and adolescents will, at some time, encounter school refusal or school avoidance as a presenting problem. Other common difficulties seen in general practice, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders or adjustment difficulties after a trauma, can be demanding but case conceptualization and intervention is often relatively straightforward. By contrast, the tools in the clinician toolbox can seem less adequate when working with school refusal/avoidance. These cases can be complex and seemingly resistant to intervention. Problems which have more than one cause can be tough to manage.

This particular behavior problem can be the result of a number of factors which either may have contributed to the onset of school refusal/avoidance or may be maintaining the pattern. These contributing factors may include problems with mood or anxiety, developmental issues, family dynamics, traumatic exposure at school, substance abuse, possible learning difficulties, oppositional-defiant patterns or peer conflicts. This three-hour presentation will provide an overview of the relevant professional literature, offer guidelines for assessment and we will discuss intervention strategies for these challenging cases.

Presenter: John Jochem, Psy.D. , Clinical Psychologist, Hawthorn Counseling Group

Date: October 3, 2025 Check-in: 8:30-9 Workshop Time: 9:00 am-12:00 pm CE House: 3 Cost: Free/$10.00 for CU Hours Location: Youth and Family Services, 100 S. Greenleaf St., Gurnee, IL 60031

Question: eW91dGhzZXJ2aWNlcyB8IHdhcnJlbnRvd25zaGlwICEgbmV0 or call 847-244-1101 Ext. *401

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