Diane Wagenhals, MEd

Institute for Family Professionals, Lakeside Educational Network

In her 30 years of experience in the field of family education, Diane Wagenhals has pursued a mission: to promote emotional health in families. She has written extensively and trained others in critical concepts to achieve this mission for families and those who serve them. Educators, family service professionals, parents and caregivers have participated and been transformed by experiencing the journey of in-depth, clear, empowering curriculum of her programs.

Ms. Wagenhals is a Program Director for Lakeside Educational Network. Current responsibilities include overseeing programming and curriculum design for the Institute for Professional Education and Development (IPED) program and Institute for Family Professionals (IFP) program.

The IPED program provides continuing professional development for licensed professionals and educators through training and consulting.

Begun in April 2003, IFP provides training that has impacted over 600 family service professionals from contracted agencies within the Department of Human Services of the City of Philadelphia. Ms. Wagenhals has authored 6- and 12-session courses on the following subjects:
Foundational Course - Group Facilitation
Emotional Health - Understanding Teens
Communication Skills - One-on-One Facilitation
Relational Health - Workshop Certification
Advanced Leadership, Parts I & II - Enhancing Trauma Awareness
Understanding Anger, Part I - Deepening Trauma Awareness
Preventing Violence Through Anger - 40 Developmental Assets
Management, Part II - Nurture the Leaders, Parts I & II
Preventing Violence through Effective - Effective Discipline for Early
Discipline - Childhood Practitioners

Ms. Wagenhals received certification as a Pennsylvania PQAS instructor in 2007. She also is designing curriculum for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education projects, and a course for St. Joseph’s University: “Social, Emotional and Motor Development of Young Children.” In January 2010, the Lakeside’s Education for Transition program (LET) began for which she is designing curriculum and a home visitation component for the Philadelphia’s Prison System. In this program, both adjudicated adults and juveniles participate in training and ongoing support to promote greater emotional stability and preparation for re-entry into families and communities.

Ms. Wagenhals has been an elementary school teacher, a childbirth educator, a family therapist and founder of a parenting education company. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from West Chester University and performed graduate work at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Maryland in Rehabilitation Counseling. She received a Masters of Education Degree in Psycho-Educational Processes, specializing in Family Therapy, from Temple University. She is also a Certified Family Life Educator.

Ms. Wagenhals is a published author, trainer, and guest speaker. She has written many published articles and is the author of PREN's Parents Reference Guide: 25 Essential Tools and Tips You Need for Emotionally Healthy Parenting. In 2006, she won the Please Touch Museum’s “Great Friend to Kids Award” for Education and most recently accepted the “Educating Communities for Parenting” award on IFP’s behalf. Her work includes collaboration through Philadelphia’s KidZone Program with Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., an internationally recognized authority on children in crisis and Senior Fellow of the ChildTrauma Academy, a Houston-based organization dedicated to research and education on child maltreatment. In 2007, she co-authored and presented curriculum used by Multiplying Connections to present basic trauma information to systems throughout Philadelphia.

Throughout her career, Ms. Wagenhals has had the opportunity to interact and learn from recognized professionals such as Jean Illsley Clarke, Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy, Matti Gershenfeld and Mel Silberman. Her writing shows influence and insights gained from these and other seminal leaders. Her passion is to bring complex research, principles and approaches that embrace best practices for promoting emotional and relational health into the mainstream for those who work directly and indirectly with families in systems in the tri-state area.

Contact Information
Lakeside Educational Network
PO Box 127
Fort Washington PA
19034 215-654-9414
dwagenhals@lakesidelink.com
www.lakesidelink.com
www.ifpros.net