Opportunities
Watch our social media posts for links to these opportunities for Foster, Adoptive and Kinship parents to get involved with supporting organizations. We'll leave past opportunities on the page for reference.
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Current Opportunities
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VIRTUAL TRAINING Crisis Assessment and Intervention When Trauma Strikes: Tuesday, October 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2022 The soaring pressure and lofty expectations confronting educational and human services professionals are having an impact on all levels of the workforce. As such, it is increasingly apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic, racial unrest, political strife, and economic disparities leave many well-meaning professionals feeling overwhelmed, under-supervised, and highly susceptible to symptoms of primary and secondary traumatic stress. Facilitated conversations using a five-step approach is one way to foster the hope, collaboration, and change needed to assess and intervene when trauma and tragedy strike. These facilitated conversations seek to cultivate environments of safety and trust, significant supervisory support, increased tolerance for ambiguity and stress, and a well-formulated team orientation. This skills-based training is appropriate for clinicians, educators, healthcare professionals, and graduate students representing various disciplines. Please note: Due to the nature of this training, sessions will not be recorded so live participation is needed from registrants. The training will be facilitated by Michael J. Schultz, Ed.D., a licensed psychologist, family therapist, systems consultant, and CWLA Senior Fellow. His recently published book in collaboration with CWLA is titled, Systems Consultation When Trauma Strikes: Stories of Hope, Collaboration, and Change. For full details and online registration, please visit Crisis Assessment and Intervention When Trauma Strikes Training. | VIRTUAL TRAINING Dear Black Male Wednesday, October 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2022 CWLA has partnered with Welcome2Reality, LLC to present the engaging four-part training series, Dear Black Male. We invite you to join us for a training that will provide an overview of the history and culture of African Americans with a focus on recognizing cultural mistrust, issues faced, and perceptions of Black males. Through lecture and discussion, participants will identity how efforts to adequately provide for Back males can be linked to the fight for larger social justice goals for themselves and their communities. Participants in this training will:
This training is open and welcome to everyone. The training format will incorporate lecture, discussion, video, and group activities. Visit Online Registration to learn more and register for the training. |
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April 19, 2022 INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH “Foster Parents Supporting Identity Development” My name is Christian Gorchow. I am a doctoral candidate in the College of Social Work at the University of South Carolina. I am conducting a research study as part of the requirements of my doctorate degree in Social Work, and I would like to invite you to participate. This study is funded by University of South Carolina Office of the Vice President for Research. I am studying how licensed foster parents in the United States support the racial-ethnic identity development of the Black foster children whom they foster. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete an online survey. The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. There is no compensation for completing the survey. In the survey, you will be asked questions about cultural competence, cultural receptivity, and racial socialization practices. At the end of the survey, please indicate your interest in completing a follow-up interview at the end of the survey. If you are randomly selected to participate in a follow-up interview, we will discuss your experiences fostering Black/African American children between the ages of 12 and 17. If you complete a follow-up interview, you will receive a $20 Visa gift card. The follow-up interview will be conducted over the telephone, during a mutually agreed upon time, and should last about 60 minutes. The interview will be audio recorded so that I can accurately transcribe what is discussed. The audio tapes will only be reviewed by members of the research team and destroyed upon completion of the study. During the survey and interview, you may feel uncomfortable answering some of the questions. You do not have to answer any questions that you do not wish to answer. Participation is confidential. Study information will be kept in a secure location at the University of South Carolina. The results of the study may be published or presented at professional meetings, but your identity will not be revealed. If you would like to participate in this research study, the online survey is accessible via the following web- link: https://uofsc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NUUEmvG7OKS6yy We will be happy to answer any questions you have about the study. You may contact me at (803) 250- 1095 and chgorchow@sc.edu. Alternatively, you can contact my faculty advisor, Dr. Kristen Seay, at (803) 777-4221 and kdseay@mailbox.sc.edu. Thank you for your interest in this research! Sincerely, Christian Gorchow, MSW, LMSW, Ph.D. Candidate University of South Carolina College of Social Work 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29208 (803) 250-1095 920 Sumter Street • Columbia, South Carolina 29208 • 803-777-7777 • sc.edu An Equal Opportunity Institution DIGITAL DOCUMENT |
Link to Take the Surveyhttps://uofsc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NUUEmvG7OKS6yy |
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Past Opportunities |
New York University, Silver School of Social Work and New York Foundling research project is calling all caregivers! Are you interested in providing feedback about your experience with the child welfare system as a parent? You are invited to participate in a confidential, one-hour phone or video interview. Interviews will be scheduled at your convenience and you will be compensated $50 in the form of an Amazon gift card. If interested, please kindly contact Dr. Darcey Merritt at NYU, Silver School of Social Work at: darceym@gmail.com or 212-998-9186. Please leave your full name and contact information and someone will return your message within 48 hours. | Parents Wanted! Help the New York University, Silver School of Social Work co-design a survey. Are you a parent who has experience with child protective services? We want your feedback on a survey that we're creating. We want to make sure we're asking the right questions. If you: are a Black mother; have experience with child protective services; and have access to a smart phone or computer for an interview, we want to talk to you! Our goal is to find ways to make surveys easy to understand and complete. During the call, we will share some examples with you to get your feedback and ideas to help us design a good survey. The call will be held over video chat for about 90 minutes. You will be compensated $50 for your time. If interested, sign up at bit.ly/3tIuCYw or text 'survey' to 786-309-4766. | The Rutgers University School of Social Work and the New York Foundling research project is calling all caregivers! Are you interested in providing feedback about your experience with the child welfare system and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your lives? You are invited to participate in a one-hour phone or video interview. Interviews will be scheduled at your convenience and you will be compensated $50 in the form of an Amazon gift card. If interested, please kindly contact: nyfproject@ssw.rutgers.edu or 848-932-8264. Please be sure to leave your full name, and the best phone number and email address to reach you. Please share your interest in participating in these opportunities by October 31. |
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ONLINE SEMINAR OPPORTUNITYResources for Caregivers of Children on the Autism SpectrumThis year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has hosted two free webinars with national experts to raise awareness about how law enforcement can search for and support children on the autism spectrum. On October 27, 2021, at 10am EDT, we are facilitating a conversation about Resources for Caregivers of Children on the Autism Spectrum. Our presenters will provide tools and resources for a proactive approach to help ensure the safety, security, and well-being of these children. Joy Paluska will share NCMEC’s data and free resources specific to children on the autism spectrum. Lauren Coffren from NCMEC’s Exploited Children Division will discuss online enticement and NCMEC’s resources to combat these issues. Travis Akins, founder of Growth Through Opportunity (GTO) Cadets will discuss his organization’s training for first responders and how these programs teach job, life, and social skills for youth with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder while also providing first responders firsthand exposure on how to enhance positive encounters. Deputy Sheriff Greg Jones from San Bernardino County will discuss his law enforcement organization’s Safe Return program which is designed to assist Law Enforcement agencies during contacts with community members who have children on the autism spectrum to ensure their safe return if they wander or bolt from their environment. The goal is for parents and caregivers to have as much information as possible to advocate for these children and youth. This online seminar is free and open to the public. If you would like to attend, please Register here by Monday, October 25. If you are not able to join us live the recording will be hosted on NCMEC CONNECT. If you have any questions, please reach out to Joy Paluska in NCMEC’s Missing Children Division by emailing her at jepaluska@ncmec.org.
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Join the NFPA & CHAMPS In Calling on Congress to Strengthen Family-Based Foster Care
The National Foster Parent Association is excited to partner with CHAMPS, a policy campaign to promote better outcomes and opportunities for children in foster care by strengthening family-based foster care.
The CHAMPS campaign has released a set of new federal policy recommendations that are grounded in child development research and were developed in close collaboration with CHAMPS’s broad-based coalition partners, including foster and adoptive families, kinship caregivers, birth families, and young people with lived experience in foster care.
The recommendations include:
- Requiring a core set of support services;
- Funding innovations to prevent unnecessary congregate care placements;
- Enhancing diligent recruitment of families;
- Gathering and sharing data on foster care.
We're excited to share the recommendations with Congress and hope you will join this advocacy effort. By signing this letter, you demonstrate your organization's support and join in the movement to create better outcomes for children and youth in foster care by supporting families and family-based care.
Get Involved
- See the letter to Congress here.
- Sign on to the letter via Google form here.
- Find more details on the federal recommendations here.
The deadline for signing the letter is Friday, October 29th. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the federal recommendations, please contact Lynn Tiede at lynn@fosteringchamps.org.
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Join Us for a One-Day Virtual Conference on FASD
December 8, 2021
On December 8, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm central time, NACAC will present a virtual conference on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Presenters include knowledgeable, solution-focused experts who have lived experience with FASD.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are some of the most common—yet underdiagnosed—challenges facing children and families in adoption and foster care. NACAC's conference will highlight solutions for parents and professionals related to these disorders that are 10 times more common in foster care than they are in the general population. Even if you don’t know you are working with or parenting a child with an FASD, you may well be.
The conference features the following sessions:
Welcome and Introduction with Phyllis Stevens, foster and adoptive parent — In this session, Phyllis will share her experience of realizing belatedly that her daughter had FASD and how understanding FASD changed their relationship.
Making the Connection Between the Brain and Behavior in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders with Dan Dubovsky, MSW, therapist, experienced FASD trainer, and parent — Because the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing brain often lead to challenging behaviors, it is essential that solutions begin with understanding the brain basis of FASD. Dan connects the dots between brain functioning and behaviors and stresses the importance of implementing a positive focused system of care.
Living and Thriving with FASD with Hope & Tyler Martindale-Davis and Mark Martindale; facilitated by Phyllis Stevens — In this session, a young adult who has an FASD, her husband, and her father will share their story of living with FASD and loving someone with an FASD. The panelists will share strategies and approaches that have helped them learn to thrive as individuals and in their relationships.
Strategies and Solutions for Children with an FASD with Barb Clark and Ed Morales, MPP, MSW, LICSW, parents/professionals — Understanding what FASD is and how it affects a child are the first steps to becoming FASD competent, but we can’t stop there. This session will give supporters—both professionals and families—an understanding of why typical approaches often don’t work with FASD. Learn to think outside the box, using approaches that promote relationship and emotional well-being.
Registration is $50 per person (or couple viewing sessions together) for NACAC members or $60 for non-members. Attendees can participate live or listen to a recorded version of workshops.
Save the date for the 2022 NACAC annual conference — we'll be online July 19–22!
Learn more about the conference and check out other training opportunities from NACAC at https://www.nacac.org/get-training/