Adoption Competency Certificate
The 100% online Adoption Competency Certificate will provide you with an exciting opportunity to expand your knowledge and expertise in working with children and families touched by adoption. This certificate is beneficial to anyone working in the field across the United States. You will receive foundational information regarding adoption, a review of the unique journey of this ever-growing population, and a specific focus on attachment, trauma, and brain development. There also will be discussion regarding core issues associated with adoption, and the approaches that are most effective when working with adoptive families.
Sample Courses
- Adoption History and Process
- Psychology of Adoption and Clinical Practice
- Grief and Loss in Adoption
- Trauma and Neurobiology
- Family Systems
- Adoptive Families Stories
- Trauma and Attachment
- Identity and Adoption
- Multidisciplinary Approaches
- Advocacy and Support
Structure of the Program:
The program format includes a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Live classes will be held via Zoom and include lectures, group discussions, breakout rooms, videos, case studies and role-play/skills practice. The course utilizes multiple instructors who are leading experts in their fields. The program also includes panel discussions featuring birth parents, adoptive parents, relative caregivers, and adoptees.
This program includes 18 live classes held twice per month on Saturdays, 10 a.m. EST – 2 p.m. EST (with a half an hour break for lunch), as well as two hours of required pre-recorded content per month. In addition, there will be approximately two hours of pre-work per month in preparation for each class.
Earning the Certificate
Upon completing the program, you will earn the certificate in adoption competence. You must complete the entire program to earn the certificate.
Faculty
Sessions are led by experts in the topic presented for each session.
Tuition: $1,195*
How to Apply:
Prerequisites
This 9-month certificate program, which begins in September 2023, is geared toward professionals who have earned a bachelor's or master’s degree in counseling, social work, or related fields (anywhere in the United States); for degrees not in these focus areas, applicants with a minimum of three years working in the social work or mental health field will be considered.
Application Requirements
If you are interested in applying, please submit:
- The completed application form due by August 18, 2023
- A brief professional statement within the application on the applicant’s current position and how the certificate program will strengthen their work with children, adolescents, and families
2023-2024 Schedule
Session Dates
All sessions run from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- September 9, 2023
- September 23, 2023
- October 7, 2023
- October 21, 2023
- November 4, 2023
- November 18, 2023
- December 2, 2023
- December 16, 2023
- January 6, 2024
- January 20, 2024
- February 3, 2024
- February 17, 2024
- March 9, 2024
- March 23, 2024
- April 13, 2024
- April 27, 2024
- May 4, 2024
- May 18, 2024
Faculty
Faculty Spotlight
Eshele Williams, PsyD, has conducted extensive research, has written and trains on the impact of fostering on birth children; previously adopted children; and kinship children of foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Her personal history, research, and studies have informed the body of information. Williams brings a unique perspective as the birth child of kinship, foster, and adoptive parents for almost 30 years.
Jonathan Baylin, PhD, a veteran clinical psychologist, has been working in the mental health field for 35 years. For the past 15 years, while continuing his clinical practice, he has immersed himself in the study of neurobiology and in teaching mental health practitioners about the brain. Baylin has delivered keynote sessions at international conferences and has also given numerous workshops both internationally and within the U.S.
Eileen Mayers Pasztor, DSW, has served as a public agency child welfare caseworker and supervisor, curriculum developer and trainer, and foster and adoptive parent. She is professor emerita in the School of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach. She previously worked for the Child Welfare League of America, directing its national programs for family foster care, kinship care, and adoption.
Jessica Sinarski, LPCMH, is a licensed mental health counselor and supervisor, bilingual author, and the creator of BraveBrains, a resource and training platform for home, school, and community. She has created a framework based on the concepts introduced in her award-winning picture book, Riley the Brave, that is empowering children and their “safe big critters.” She has extensive post-graduate training and 15-plus years as a clinician, consultant, and parent educator.
Daniel Dubovsky, MSW, LSW, FASD Specialist, has worked for more than 35 years in the fields of mental health and developmental disabilities. He presents regionally, nationally, and internationally on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, focusing especially on interventions for children, adolescents, and adults. Dubovsky has provided training for people working in mental health and substance abuse treatment on issues such as loss and grieving, psychopharmacology, and violence in youth.
