The legal program has provided trainings to a variety of systems in various states. The trainings are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the requesting system. While legal trainings can be provided independently, it is preferable that a system receive it as an integrated part of a full training on parents with disabilities. The full trainings introduce attendees to the theoretical and practical aspects of parenting with intellectual, sensory, physical and psychiatric disability. The legal program then introduces the attendees to the unique legal and practical issues that arise when custody litigation (dependency or family) involves parents with disabilities.

The legal program has provided the following trainings over the past two years:

San Mateo County Children & Family Services, Sequoia Hospital and
Prenatal to Three Initiative Collaborating Agencies Trainings
2006 (Belmont, California)
Presenter: Ella Callow
Three workshops on the unique legal and practical issues that arise when dependency litigation involves parents with disabilities.

Kansas Statewide Training of Child Protection System (CPS)
2005 (Kansas)
Presenter: Megan Kirshbaum
Provided training and consultation to the state child protective system to assist with implementation of recent legislative changes affecting parents with disabilities involved in the dependency system.

Idaho Multi-Disciplinary Team Legislative Training
2005 (Idaho)
Presenter: Megan Kirshbaum
Three workshops in which training materials were designed by the Legal Program and provided to attendees to prepare them for implementation of new legislation affecting dependency and family law litigation where an involved parent has a disability.

Voices for Independence Crisis Tele-Training
2005 (Erie, Pennsylvania)
Presenter: Ella Callow
In response to a crisis of removals of children from parent-clients, Voices for Independence requested that the Legal Program review the major concerns and problems the staff advocates and clients were confronting in these situations and provide education as to the relevant governing state and federal laws and strategies for helping clients facing litigation in the local dependency system. This crisis training was provided by tele-conference, a written transcript was then provided to the center along with helpful correspondence templates and a list of materials they should have available to their staff and clients on this subject.