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The Therapy with Adoptive and Foster Families program provides an online adoption therapy training. Designed for maximum accessibility, this human service distance ed program is for professionals working with foster parents, counseling adopted children and their families, and child welfare and adoption professionals working with individuals adopted from county and state systems.
Advanced opportunities
Whether you are looking for counselor professional development, social work training, or adoption counselor resources, or CEUs, the Therapy with Adoptive and Foster Families program provides an in-depth series that can be taken individually or compiled into an adoption counseling certificate. The courses focus on the specialized theories and practices for treating children who have histories of abuse, trauma, and neglect; for strengthening their family systems; and for enhancing resiliencies.
Professional recognition
Portland State University awards CEUs for this postgraduate training certificate and publishes a directory of individuals who have successfully completed the certificate. The program has been expanded to include a focus on foster children and families. For mental health therapists, a full postgraduate certificate can be earned by completing all courses and program components.
Flexible format – on campus or online
This training is now even easier to access! Each course is offered face to face on campus or online for both mental health and child welfare professionals. We video stream the face-to-face workshops and case consultations. See the Technical Requirements for more information.
A postgraduate, evidence-based program
The objectives for this program are to:
- Increase accessible and affordable mental health support for adopted/foster children and their families, with mental health professionals competent in utilizing evidence-based treatment strategies for the emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues of children with histories of child abuse, trauma, and neglect
- Increase the mental health proficiency of child welfare workers to better support the children and families in their caseloads
- Reduce the risk of adoptive, foster, kinship, and guardianship family dissolution
Mental health therapists
As part of the program, mental health therapists have an exciting opportunity to participate in case consultation immediately following several of the workshops. Consultation is a unique clinical skill-building opportunity for therapists to integrate learning with the course instructor. While CEU hours are given, the consultation is not recognized by licensing boards as supervision hours.
The series provides mental health professionals with the therapeutic skills necessary to:
- Identify and enhance adoptive and foster care families’ strengths and resiliencies to support their children
- Treat the mental health issues of children with histories of child abuse, trauma, and neglect
- Guide adoptive and foster families in developing alternate approaches, expectations, and interactive strategies for helping their children develop and thrive
- Provide accessible mental health services to adoptive and foster families throughout Oregon
Child welfare professionals
The significant role of the child welfare professional in supporting the success of the child and the family is well recognized. This training series provides child welfare professionals with the advanced training necessary to:
- Recognize and encourage adoptive and foster care families’ strengths and resiliencies to support their children
- Recognize the emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues of children with histories of child abuse, trauma, and neglect
- Support adoptive and foster families in developing alternate approaches, realistic expectations, and strategies for helping their children develop and thrive
- Improve skills to prepare and select families for parenting children recovering from abuse, trauma, and neglect
Adoption Training Certificate Directory
Oregon directory: Mental health professionals who earn the certificate are part of a core group of clinicians who are available to serve adoptive and foster families throughout Oregon. In December 2008, adoptive families were receiving adoption assistance on behalf of 10,737 Oregon children. In addition, there are 9,500-9,800 children in foster care on any given day. A directory of mental health professionals who have completed this training is available from Oregon’s Department of Human Services, the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC), Oregon licensed private adoption agencies, and this website. See the Directory of Therapists for more information.