ABSTRACT
Most children adopted from foster care and institutional settings have experienced trauma, attachment disruptions, and grief and loss that impact their development, psychological adjustment, and well-being. Quality adoption competent mental health services are essential for them and their adoptive and guardianship families for their healing, permanence, and family stability. The Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE) has pioneered the provision of adoption competent clinical services through a clinical practice model based on research and delineated practice principles. CASE has expanded its impact through the development of two adoption competent training programs designed to provide mental health professionals with core knowledge, skills, and values competencies that enable them to effectively meet the needs of children and youth and their adoptive and guardianship families. This chapter describes the TAC (Training for Adoption Competency) program, an in-person training, and the NTI (National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative) web-based trainings for child welfare professionals and mental health professionals. Evaluation data are presented for these programs. Implications for research, practice, and policy are provided.
