NASW-NYS Virtual Series: Social Workers and Adoption

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

This four-part series of workshops will address how relinquishment and adoption impact adopted individuals, birth parents, and adoptive parents from both the social work and parental perspective. Webinars will include information on theory, assessment, clinical information & interventions to build competence in working with adoption triad members as well as practical information for parents.

Registration is available per workshop, or you can choose to register for the full series for a discounted rate. Please follow the appropriate registration link below. Each workshop will take place on a Monday from 12:00PM - 1:30PM.

Monday, October 30: Core Issues of Adoption (90 min)
Webinar will present the paradigm core issues of adoption which is the most taught adoption paradigm in adoption training programs. The core issues acknowledges the impact of loss on birth/first parents, adopted individuals, and adoptive parents, and how the losses often cause issues with grief, guilt/shame, identity, intimacy, rejection, control, abandonment, loyalty, fitting-in, entitlement and claiming. Information on how to use the core issues as an assessment tool for working with adoption triad members will be presented. This workshop has completed.

Monday, November 6: Identity Development for Birth/First Parents, Adopted Persons, and Adoptive Parents (90 min)
The webinar will discuss how identity formation is more complex for adoption triad members due to relinquishment, lack of information, the merging of family backgrounds and society's negative portrayal of adoption and triad members. Information on transracial adoption issues and interventions for working with adoption triad members will also be presented. This workshop has completed.  

Monday, November 13: Group Work with Adoption Triad Members (90 min)
Webinar will discuss the powerful ways support and therapy groups can help adopted individuals, adoptive parents and birth/first parents with feelings around relinquishment, loss, and fitting-in which will often leads to improved self-esteem and identity. Program will review different types of groups (support, discussion, task centered & process), the role of the group leader, and interventions to use in group work. Information on starting a group, marketing groups, and locating existing groups will be shared. This workshop has concluded. 

Monday, November 20: Adoption & The Schools (90 min)
Webinar will review how school as a microcosm of society is often a stress factor for adoptive students as they are confronted with assignments that are not adoption/foster care sensitive, misconceptions about adoptive & birth families, and adoption microaggressions. Information on how school personnel and adoptive families can work together to make school a supportive environment will be discussed. This workshop has concluded.

Full Series: October 30 - November 20: Social Workers and Adoption 
Discounted rate! This series of workshops will address topics in adoption from both the social work and parental perspective, as well as build competence in working with adopted clients and their families. Registration for the entire series is closed, but you can still register for each individual workshop.