The Good+ Training Academy

The Good+ Training Academy provides guidance using a Two-Generation (2Gen) approach that strengthens a family’s well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with service providers, as well as children and the adults in their lives, all together. 

The Academy increases the capacity of social service providers who want to utilize a trauma-informed lens to successfully support fathers, mothers, and families. We’ve found these particular areas to be blind spots in the broader social sector, and we believe that providing evidence-informed training opportunities is essential to breaking down the systemic barriers that prevent the marginalization of many low-income families.

The Good+ Training Academy provides training, technical assistance, and resource linkages to transform social service systems that have been identified as obstacles to a father-inclusive approach to helping families thrive.

Training Staff

Alan-Michael Graves, Ed.D. - Senior Director of Learning & Capacity Building

Dr. Alan-Michael Graves serves as the Senior Director of Learning & Capacity Building with Good+Foundation where he focuses on research, program development, training, and advocacy. He is currently leading a national initiative on policy change that trains social workers on Fatherhood Engagement via the Good+ Training Academy. Dr. Graves has worked in the human services field, with experience as a facilitator and administrator at both public and private agencies, for the past 18 years. He has brought these diverse perspectives to his work helping agencies develop, implement, and evaluate inter-agency systems of care, family partnerships, and community programming. As a parent himself, he utilizes both his personal and professional experience to strategically and positively impact the lives of children, families, and communities. 

Laurel Parker West, Ph.D. - Chief Program & Operations Officer

Dr. Laurel Parker West, Chief Program & Operations Officer, works to ensure that all Good+ programming supports our mission of providing an upward trajectory for under-resourced parents. Dr. West received her Doctorate and Master’s degrees in Political Science from Emory University in and her Bachelor’s degree in Government & Psychology from Wesleyan University. Prior to joining Good+ in December of 2012, she was the Executive Director of the Women’s Fund of Long Island and before that, the Wyoming Women’s Foundation, where she focused on grantmaking and programming to support the long-term economic security of women and their families. Dr. West has also held several research positions and has conducted numerous studies on and taught courses on childcare policy, policymaking and community development, and welfare reform at Emory University.

Caleb Beyah - Good+ Trainer

Caleb Beyah serves as a Trainer with the Good+ Training Academy where he focuses on learning, capacity building, and program development for community-based organizations and child welfare agencies across the county. In 2023, he retired from the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services as an Assistant Regional Administrator with 23 years of service to his community. Mr. Beyah managed social workers in Continued Services and Dependency investigations and co-managed Father Strong Parenting programs. While at LADCFS he supported several other teams, workgroups, and collaboratives focused on policy, practice, research, data collection, and systems change. He is a retired Military Officer of more than 24 years and holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor's in Psychology from California State University, Northridge.

Training Academy Topics

Father Engagement

Father Engagement 101
Including Dad in Early Childhood Education
Three-Day Fatherhood Facilitators Training

Working Within Child Welfare

New Social Workers
Regional Office General Staff
Dependency Investigators
Supervisors & Administrators
Paternal Relative & Kinship Engagement
Navigating the Court System During the Crisis

Parenting Curricula

No Trauma Discipline
Fatherhood Men in Relationships
24/7 Dads
Nurturing Fathers
Paternal Beyond Conflict
Within My Reach (Healthy Relationship)

Diversity & Cultural Awareness

Working with Diverse Populations
Father/Male Bias
Implicit & Explicit Bias
Microaggressions

Mental Health & Trauma

Trauma Informed Care Practices
Impact of Trauma on Childhood Development  
Mental Health First Aid
Motivational Interviewing