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Adoptive and Foster Care Therapist Network (AFCTN)2023-07-14T10:19:44-04:00
Adoption & Foster Care Therapist Network (AFCTN)

 Adoption & Foster Care Therapist Network (AFCTN)

The mission of the Adoption & Foster Care Therapist Network (AFCTN) is to enhance the ability of individuals impacted by adoption and foster care to have access to mental health professionals who have a clinical expertise in adoption, foster care, trauma, and/or attachment issues. It seeks to achieve its mission by promoting clinical training opportunities for mental health professionals and to have an accessible list of adoption competent mental health professionals to facilitate access to mental health professionals for individuals seeking mental health services.

The Adoption & Foster Care Therapist Network is a program of the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York.

Due to traumatic life experiences and compromised beginnings, many children who are adopted or experiencing foster care have higher risks for developmental, health, emotional, behavioral and academic challenges. In addition, there are often complex racial, ethnic and cultural issues inherent in families who adopt transracially/transculturally. Understanding and addressing the impact of these experiences is vital to positive outcomes. Yet, most professionals who work with these youth have not been trained in adoption competent mental health therapy.”  

Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE)

 

 

HELP FOR FAMILIES

 

HELP FOR THERAPISTS

 

SERVICES DIRECTORY

The Adoption & Foster Care Therapist Network program currently addresses this health challenge for New York children and their families through these primary strategies:

  • Providing free adoption competent therapy for youth and their families.
  • Develop and grow a public directory and referral database of adoption competent and trauma information therapists practicing in New York State.
  • Provide training opportunities and support for New York therapists so they become adoption competent.
  • Develop and disperse information and training of various alternative therapies such as neurofeedback, EMDR, to the network of NYS therapists.

 

MORE Information for Families

Information for Families

The AFCTN provides NYS families:

AFCTN Services Directory: database of adoption competent mental health professionals.

The Family Adoption Competent Therapy (FACT) Funding Program: our new initiative launched as a pilot program in 2022, allows the Coalition to provide New York youth and families five free therapy sessions with a vetted AFCTN member competent in adoption, attachment, and trauma issues. Therapists bill the Coalition directly and families eligible for services pay nothing out of pocket.

Adoptive families, kinship families and foster families are eligible dependent on specific criteria. Click the button above to find out more, eligible requirements and how to apply.

MORE Information for Families
MORE Information for Therapists

Information for Therapists

The AFCTN provides NYS therapists:

  • National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training
  • Participation in the AFFCNY-NTI Coaching Consortium
  • Specialized training opportunities: upcoming neurofeedback informational webinar and training! 
  • Support, Resources, and Information Network a private AFCTN Space in the AFFCNY.Network.
  • Listing the AFCTN Services Directory
  • Referral partnership through the Family Adoption Competent Therapy (FACT) Funding Program.

Looking to help clients facing issues related to adoption and foster care?

Click the button above to learn more about partnering as a therapist.

MORE Information for Therapists

 

New York Adoption and Foster Care Therapist Network Services Directory

Knowing that many of the issues facing adoptive and foster families, adult adopted persons, and birth family members are complex and frequently challenging, the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York has vetted many of the mental health professionals in the Adoptive and Foster Care Therapist Network.  AFCTN members self-identify themselves as having adoption/foster care competent clinical training and experience working with adoption and foster families.  A therapist may be adoption competent but not attachment or trauma competent.

The AFCTN is limited to mental health professionals in New York state.

 

 

 

 

Search the AFCTN Services Directory

 

ADD or EDIT YOUR PRACTICE

Increasing the Adoption Competence of All

The AFCTN encourages both parents and professional to educate themselves on the issues of adoption competency. The following resources and links should be helpful to all. Also recommenced are Books about Mental Health and Trauma,  Adoption and Foster Care Conferences and Trainings and Other Related Events.  Additional supports and resources on a wide variety of topics relevant to foster, kinship of adoptive families can instantly be accessed in the Family Resources and Support section. 

The Adoption & Foster Care Therapist Network is a program of the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York.

The Coalition is so very grateful to our generous partners for hearing the needs of families in NYS and helping us provide the solutions our families need.

The Adoption and Foster Care Therapist Network Program is funded in part by the following:  

 

The Dyson Foundation's Mid-Hudson Valley Program focuses on the New York State counties of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, and Ulster.

The Dyson Foundation

underwriting support for Hudson Valley families.

The Long Island Community Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life for all Long Islanders

Long Island Community Foundation

underwriting support for Long Island families.

BlackRock, Inc. is an American multi-national investment company based in New York City.

BlackRock

underwriting support for families in New York City.

You can help support the Coalition to support families, too.

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