Lived experience is more than a powerful story. It is essential expertise for building effective mental health systems. Highlights from the National Center’s webinar, Voices That Shape Care, demonstrate how youth, families, caregivers, and adoptees are helping shape permanency and adoption competent services, strengthen workforce development, and drive lasting systems change across states and communities.
Youth voice is more than being heard. Through personal experience and national research, this article explores how meaningful engagement and lived experience strengthen systems of care, improve outcomes, and help create pathways to permanency, belonging, and lifelong well-being for children and families.
Partners across the Navajo Nation are coming together to strengthen services for children, youth, and families. Learn how community collaboration is improving access to support and building stronger pathways to well-being.
Leadership Perspective: The Power of Connection Meaningful change happens when people come together to learn, listen, and act. In this Leadership Perspective, Jessica Brandon, Conferences and Events Coordinator, shares insights on the power of connection, community,...
Why Adoption Competency Matters Across Healthcare Here’s an article from New England Children’s Behavioral Health Network that explores why adoption competency is essential across healthcare settings and how a deeper understanding of adoption-related experiences can...
Leadership Perspective: Moving From Collaboration to Connection Strong outcomes for children and families depend on more than collaboration in name. They require meaningful connections across child welfare, behavioral health, education, and other family-serving...
For families involved with child welfare, maternal mental health support may also need to address trauma, separation, loss, changing caregiving relationships, and permanency. An adoption competent lens helps professionals respond to these interconnected experiences.
The Value of Adoption Competent Therapy Isabel S., Lived Experience Advocate I was eight the first time I sat across from a therapist. I don't remember the room, only what was outside it: my family living in an old camper with no heat, no water, no electricity, and...
The National Center reflects on NAMICon 2026, highlighting adoption competent mental health, workforce development, and cross-system collaboration.
Finding adoption competent mental health care isn’t easy. Explore why access gaps exist, why specialized training matters, and how stronger systems can better support adoptive, foster, and kinship families.
Ashley Garcia-Rivera, Policy Advisor (C.A.S.E.), explores how mental health support helps sustain permanency and that recognizing the need for counseling is only the first step. For many families, the harder challenge is finding adoption-competent care in the first place.
Learn how cross-system partnerships in Navajo Nation are expanding adoption-competent, culturally responsive mental health services to support healing, permanency, and long-term well-being for children and families.
Interested in contributing to our blog? We welcome perspectives from professionals, systems leaders, policymakers, advocates, and youth and families working to advance adoption competent mental health. If you’d like to contribute to a future blog, please reach out to us at bader@adoptionsupport.org
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