We are excited to announce the launch of a comprehensive one-year training program in
ARC Grow for Medically Complex Families (ARC Grow MCF)!
Now Enrolling
What is ARC Grow MCF?
ARC Grow for Medically Complex Families (MCF) is a caregiver skill building intervention designed to enhance resilient outcomes for families who are caring for a minor with a chronic and/or complex medical condition (Kinniburgh et al. 2011). While many ARC Grow for MCF families are identified because of challenges that their child or children face, this intervention is designed to work with the caregiver(s) rather than with the family as a whole.
This parenting support program is delivered as a 14-session outpatient and/or home visiting intervention by a licensed clinician. The session hours include psychoeducation and skill practice in areas including but not limited to caregiver self-care, attunement to the developmental impact of trauma and medical complexity, acknowledgement of the losses related to medical complexity, caregiver and child/youth regulation, effective communication with doctors, providers, family members, and children, and strategies to promote trauma healing and resilience. Each session offers a mix of direct teaching, experiential learning, and activity-based skill practice. The program is an adaptation of the ARC framework.
What does the training program involve?
This comprehensive training program is fully remote, and will incorporate didactic training, experiential practice, and clinical case discussion. All ARC Grow MCF materials (treatment manual / facilitator guide, caregiver handouts, additional resources) will be provided electronically as part of this training program.
Participants are expected to commit to the following:
(1) Sixteen hours of training in three sessions:
- Friday April 10, 2026: 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. EST / 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. PST
- Saturday April 25, 2026: 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. EST / 7:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. PST
- Friday May 15, 2026: 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. EST / 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. PST
(2) Nine one-hour group consultation meetings:
- One time per month March – December 2026 on Mondays 1:00 – 2:00 P.M. EST / 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. PST
- March 30, May 4, June 8, July 6, August 3, September 14, October 5, November 2, December 7, 2026
Participants must attend all training sessions and a minimum of seven out of nine consultation meetings to receive a certificate of completion.
Who is eligible to participate?
Licensed outpatient clinicians, licensed intensive outpatient clinicians, and/or licensed in-home therapists (e.g., LICSW, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) who work with parents/caregivers of children/teenagers with complex medical conditions.
Successful completion of the program will fully certify participants to provide ARC Grow MCF intervention to eligible / appropriate families.
If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact us.
Continuing education:
Continuing education information will be updated as it becomes available.
Application and costs:
This program size is limited, and will be filled by eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
Total Cost:
Includes ARC Grow MCF facilitator guide and client materials; sixteen hours of training; and nine hours of small group consultation
One-year enrollment, single participant: $1,250.00
- $100.00 deposit due at enrollment
- 50% payment due by April 1, 2026 ($525.00)
- Final payment due by September 1, 2026 ($625.00)
- Alternative payment plans available by prior arrangement; $100 discount provided for payment-in-full by April 1, 2026
Discounts available for agencies wishing to enroll 3 or more participants.
To apply:
- Submit the application form
- Submit the USD $100.00 non-refundable deposit (deposit will be refunded in the event participant is not eligible or training is full; deposit will be applied to final training cost)
Program Facilitators:
Kim Hager, LICSW, has worked with youth who have experienced trauma and/or are medically complex and their families in outpatient clinics, in-home settings, at a school, at camps for children with serious illnesses, and in group homes with adolescents involved with the Department of Children and Families and/or the Department of Youth Services. She also serves as an adjunct instructor in the clinical counseling psychology graduate program at Assumption University. With Maria Martinez Calderon, LMHC, Kristine Kinniburgh, LCSW, and Dr. Margaret Blaustein, she is a co-developer of ARC Grow for Medically Complex Families.
Maria Martinez Calderon, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor with several years of experience in the mental health field. She provides psychotherapy to children, adolescents and adults in several languages. Her areas of interest are trauma, medical complexity, anxiety, and depression, among others. She is certified in several evidenced-based treatments as well as integrated medicine, neuro-linguistic programming, hypnosis and energy work. Maria approaches treatment in a holistic manner to promote healing. With Kim Hager, LICSW, Kristine Kinniburgh, LCSW, and Dr. Margaret Blaustein, she is a co-developer of ARC Grow for Medically Complex Families.
Kristine Kinniburgh, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker with a specialty in the field of traumatic stress. She is currently the Director of Trauma Services for JRI Connecticut, Project Co-Director for the Building Resilience through Residential Communities project, National Trainer and Consultant for the Center for Trauma Training. In each of these roles, her primary focus is ensuring that trauma affected individuals and their families receive quality care that emphasizes the promotion of resilient outcomes. Mrs. Kinniburgh is co-developer of the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) treatment framework (Kinniburgh & Blaustein, 2005), and co-author of the text, Treating Complex Trauma in Children and Adolescents: Fostering Resilience through Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competence (Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2018; 2010), the foster parent curriculum ARC Reflections (Annie E Casey Foundation, 2017) and the caregiver skill building curriculum, ARC Grow (Kinniburgh & Blaustein, 2016). Mrs. Kinniburgh has had the honor of learning from and collaborating with countless individuals, programs and organizations in the US and abroad that share her passion for and commitment to supporting individuals who experience and are impacted by chronic adversity.
Questions about ARC Grow MCF? Please contact the developers . Questions about registration, payment, or other administrative matters? Please contact us .
