Trainings for Adoptive Families

I know many families try and find trainings that are good when parenting their children and other resources.  Parenting kids from hard places is though.  Finding time to gleam information is even harder.  Bethany's Global team does such a good job of finding great trainings out there for families.  Here are a few they have dug up and a couple I have found over the past few months.

Trainings:

 Adoption Learning Partners (ALP) “Raising Black Girls” a Live Webinar on Thursday May 18 at 8pm CT. $18. To learn more and register for the webinar, following the link here: http://www.adoptionlearningpartners.org/catalog/webinars/raising-black-girls.cfm

FASD: Training for Parents Webinar (Bethany store) Many children adopted internationally and from foster care  are alcohol exposed in utero. This webinar will help you better understand indicators that may suggest a child has been prenatally exposed to alcohol, the range of effects that can result of prenatal exposure and resources and services to provide support to children

 Adoptive Families: “Television Shows That ‘Get’ Adoption.” Watching an engaging TV series that features a relevant storyline is a fun, low-pressure way to get your child talking about adoption. Here are five shows that mostly get it right. https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/talking-about-adoption/childrens-television-shows-that-get-adoption/?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mar17

The Adopted Life, Episode #1-3 - created& hosted by: Angela Tucker; Produced by: Angela Tucker, Bryan Tucker. This YouTube series follows perspectives of adoptees on all subject areas in cities across the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNH71bnLjxA Episode #1 Washington D.C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMm_OXmKAUY Episode #2 Los Angeles, CA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRMltlDIKck&sns=em Episode #3 New York City, NY

Adoptive Families: The How-to-Adopt and Adoption Parenting Network: “25 Children’s Books That Showcase Diversity.” Seeing characters who look like them—and the adults they’ll grow into—in the pages of a book is powerfully affirming for our children. Here are some of Adoptive Families’ favorites to add to your shelves at home and donate to your child’s school or teacher. https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/transracial-adoption/25-diverse-childrens-books/?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Oct16

Bethany Christian Services’ Adoption Education Webinar: “Same Family, Different Stories” Are you interested in learning helpful tips for parenting biological children alongside children who were adopted or are in foster care? In his 90-minute webinar, therapist and post-adoption specialist Kimberly Reist will explore: What it's like for a typically developing child when a sibling--who may have a history of early childhood trauma and/or neglect--joins your family through foster care or adoption. How parents can help children navigate the changes in your family. Specific ways parents can help provide the safe space and care children need to thrive in an adoptive family. https://www.bethany.org/resources/adoption-resources/adoption-education?utm_source=exact-target&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2016-national-webinar-series

The Liturgists Podcast EPISODE 34 - BLACK AND WHITE: RACISM IN AMERICA Michael Gungor and Science Mike talk with Propaganda and William Matthews about race, racism, white privilege in America.  http://www.podcasts.com/the-liturgists-podcast-67/episode/episode-34-black-and-white-racism-in-america)           

Treehouse Educational Advocacy Training: A guide to working with Schools: http://www.treehouseforkids.org/our-services/academic-resource-center/educational-advocacy-training/     

Treehouse Educational Advocacy Training:  Guide to Special Education Services: http://www.treehouseforkids.org/our-services/academic-resource-center/educational-advocacy-training/

I know it has been a while sense I have posted. The life of a director is VERY busy.  I am hoping in the next few months Bethany can announce we have re-opened our foster care only program in King County.  It will be so exciting. 

Paulette Caswell, LICSW
Bethany Christian Services, Director

ReFresh: FINDING A THERAPIST WHO GETS IT

First you need to know when….

Some reasons you may need to seek professional support:

•Helping your child unpack their adoption story, no matter the age.

•Nurturing a positive relationship with your child’s birthparent(s), birth family or former foster families.

•Advocate for any special needs for your child within an academic setting.

•Addressing reoccurring trauma triggers (such as monthly caseworker visits) in your child.

•Meet any special medical, learning, behavioral, emotional, or mental health needs of your child, especially if early childhood trauma was experienced.

•You especially want to consider intervention if these are impacting more than one domain of their live (school, home, church, peer relationships).

•Providing you (as parents) the tools to provide your child a safe and open environment where they can express some of the painful emotions or questions that can come with adoption.

•Processing your own feelings of loss, grief or rejection. It is important to find a way to work through these and still be available and engaged to help your child.

There are so many……

Where do you begin the search?

Finding a good therapist can be challenging, but utilizing other resources you know can be really helpful:

oPost adoption Service Agencies

oSupport Group Participants

oOrphan Care Leaders/Ministries

oPediatric Adoption Medicine Clinics

oState/County Case Workers

oPrivate Agency Case Workers

oProfessional Organizations (listed in Resources)

oPediatricians

oSchool Special Education Dept.

oOccupational Therapist

oOther adoptive/foster Families

oReFresh Resource List

oPost Graduate Cert Programs in Adoption Therapy*

o*Portland State University, University of Denver, City University of New York, Rutgers University

Effective Evidence Based Treatments for Trauma:

oTrauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

oAddressing Post Traumatic Stress in Adopted Children (ADOPTs)

oParent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

oFunctional Family Therapy (FFT)

Other Evidence Based and Promising Practices are Listed on the Traumatic Stress Network Website (see resources for links).

Do your homework-  your time has value so take the time to research

•Find a licensed mental health therapist in your area—be sure they are fully licensed (not in training/associate). Psychologist, Social Worker, LMFT, LMHC

•Research their web page.  What does it say?

•Do they specialize in children? Do they appear to have certification in what your child needs?

•What is their treatment approach or training in?  Does it say?

•Are they convenient enough that you will be able to get their in your busy life and make it work for your family?

•Do they take your insurance?

Contact Therapists who have promise-ASK

•What type of therapeutic intervention do they offer and where were they trained? In what evidence-based treatments have they been trained?

•What is your experience with complex trauma in children (or what ever it is your child’s needs are).

•Who do you do clinical supervision or consultation with?

•What will be expected of me for the treatment to work the best?

•How long should we plan the treatment to take?

•How do you decide when the treatment has worked or has been successful or when it may need to be changed because there is not enough progress?

•What are your fees and how to you take payment?

•How long is your waitlist?

Intervention

According to Dr. Judith Cohen, MD Medical Director, Center for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Any form of child intervention related to anxiety/trauma need to involve parent—the best interventions include the following: PRACTICE

·         Psycho-education of parents-increase parents knowledge/awareness

·         Relaxation Skills-for child and family.

·         Affect Modulation-Identification of feeling using words to describe emotions

·         Cognitive Coping Skills-understanding the thoughts behind the behavior

·         Trauma Narrative-having the child share their story

·         Invio-Mastery of Trauma Reminders

·         Conjoint Sessions with Parents

·         Enhancing Safety

Resources

Adoption Medicine Clinics Search Tool:

http://www2.aap.org/sections/adoption/directory/map-adoption.cfm

Selecting and Working with a Therapist who is Skilled in Adoption  

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_therapist.cfm             

Choosing Therapy for Adopted Children and Youth 

https://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adopt_parenting/services/therapy.cfm 

Finding and Using Post Adoption Services  

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_postadoption.cfm    

  

Professional Organizations:

•Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP)

•American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)

•Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)

•Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapist Search (TF-CBT)

•Empowered to Connect

•Addressing Post Traumatic Stress in Adopted Children (ADOPTs)

•PCIT International

•Functional Family Therapy Site Locations

•Good Therapy Find a Therapist Search Engine

•District branches of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) : Click here to find your APA district branch online.

•The psychiatry or psychology department at a teaching hospital or medical school in your community.

•National Association of Social Workers' Register of Clinical Social Workers.

•American Psychological Association (APA) for a list of psychologists in your area: Call 1-800-964-2000 or access APA's list online.

•Mental Health America (MHA) resources for finding treatment

•American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network Evidence Based and Promise Practice Treatment Models

Effective Treatments for Child Traumatic History

License Search

Washington State:    Provider Credential Search

Oregon State:    Social Worker License Verification

    Other Counselors and Therapists

Paulette Caswell, LICSW

Director, Bethany Christian Services 
Serving children and families throughout the Pacific Northwest
1501 N. 200^th St. Ste. 103 Shoreline, WA 98133 
O – (206) 367-4604 x7972  F – (206) 367-1860
www.bethany.org/washington
pcaswell@bethany.org