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Workshop Period 4
8:30-9:50 a.m.
16. “I’m at My Wit’s End”: Discipline and Special Needs Adoption
Therapeutic parenting skills to survive the daily challenges and help children change their way of being in the world.
Holly van Gulden, Adoptive Family Counseling Center
17. NYS’s New Permanency Procedures
Important changes in permanency hearing laws, the foster parent’s roles and responsibilities, and benefits to children. Margaret Burt
18. Lifebooks: Preserving Your Child’s Story
The importance of a Lifebook to document a foster or adopted child’s history, build attachment, work through old hurts, and develop positive self identity. Diane DiGiorgio, SUNY Albany
19. “Let’s All Play Nice”: Teamwork Benefits Children!
Developing trust, clarifying roles, and sharing a vision to best meet the needs of children and families. Maris Blechner, Family Focus Adoption Services; Barry Chaffkin, CT Wocat (Changing the World One Child at a Time)
20. Retaining Prospective Adoptive and Foster Parents
Hundreds of NYS families have been recruited through the national AdoptUsKids campaign. How have they fared? What we’ve learned from their experiences. Judith Ashton, NYS Citizens’ Coalition for Children, Inc.
Workshop Period 5
10:05-11:25 a.m.
21. Understanding Adolescence
Fundamental issues for all adolescents and the added baggage for adopted adolescents. Strategies to support and guide young adults through the challenges. Holly van Gulden, Adoptive Family Counseling Center
22. The ABCs of TPRs
Understanding termination of parental rights proceedings, and the new legal procedures to advance permanent outcomes for foster children.
Margaret Burt
23. When Your Child Has Significant Mental Health Issues
What adoptive parents need, how to support them, and how they can access services. Ways to help avoid out of home placements. Suzanne d’Aversa, Parsons Child and Family Center; Lisa Trudeau, adoptive parent
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24. Sharing the Spotlight:
Non-Adopted White Siblings
in
Transracial Families
Research findings and compelling testimonies on racism and their parents’ decisions to adopt from white adults who grew up with brothers and sisters of color. John Raible, University of Massachusetts
25. When Adoption and Learning/Attention Difficulties Overlap
The interaction between LD/ADHD and adoption. How families can best manage the issues involved. Sue Badeau, Badeau Consulting
Workshop Period 6
11:40-1:00 p.m.
26. Learning the Dance of Attachment
A guide to building and maintaining healthy attachments, and techniques for responding to difficult behaviors. Holly van Gulden, Adoptive Family Counseling Center
27. Conditional Surrenders
A discussion of the new enforceability standards and other recent changes in NYS law that affect conditional surrenders and open adoptions. Margaret Burt
28. You’re a What? Issues of Gay and Lesbian Identity
What are the strengths of LGBTQ youth? How to deal with issues of disclosure and build supports and programs to meet their needs. Miriam Yeung, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center
29. When Foster Children Go Home: Preparation Tools
How foster parents and others can help assure a smooth transition for children who go home to birth parents, relatives, adoptive parents, or others. Madhu Kapoor, Family Support Systems Unlimited
30. Effects of Abuse/Neglect on Early Brain Development
What areas of the brain are most affected? What are the effects in later life? A discussion in layman’s terms to understand why some behavior patterns can be hard to change.
Suzanne d’Aversa, Parsons Child and Family Center
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