NEWS + EVENTS

Insights That Inform Practice

Recent Blog Posts

Strengthening Mental Health Through Connection, Collaboration, and Competency: Reflections from NAMICon 2026

Jun 28, 2026

The National Center reflects on NAMICon 2026, highlighting adoption competent mental health, workforce development, and cross-system collaboration.

Beyond Intervention: Why Foster Care Must Be Paired with Adoption Competent Mental Health Care

Jun 28, 2026

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.

When “Just Get Therapy” Isn’t That Simple: The Access Gap in Adoption-Competent Care

Apr 10, 2026

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.

LIVE WEBINAR

In Their Backpack: The Added Weight of Loss & Grief for Students in Adoptive, Foster, Kinship, and Guardianship Families

Aug 18, 2026 | 1:00 PM EDT

This webinar will feature tools and strategies for applying trauma-informed and adoption/permanency-competent approaches applicable for school settings.

Register Today

The ACN Workforce Brief

The Adoption Competency Network is dedicated to equipping providers and systems with the knowledge and skills needed to thoughtfully respond to the clinical and relational needs of children and families impacted by child welfare. Through this quarterly newsletter, we’ll share insights, resources, and updates that reflect this mission and the meaningful work happening across our network.

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Recent Webinars

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Sustaining Ourselves While Serving Others

Q&A with Laura van Dernoot Lipsky. Designed for child-serving professionals—including social workers, clinicians, health care providers, and educators—this interactive webinar explores how to sustain compassion while navigating trauma exposure, burnout, and moral distress.

Be a Lifeline: How Caring Adults Can Help Youth Thrive

In this webinar Ashley Bendiksen equips caregivers and professionals with practical, resilience‑focused, trauma‑informed strategies they can use immediately. Viewers will gain a deeper understanding of how trauma shapes a child’s needs, behaviors, and beliefs—and leave with tools they can apply right away to strengthen their capacity to support youth on their journey toward healing and permanence.

Upcoming Events

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National Association of State Mental Health Directors Annual Meeting

Meet with National Center representatives at the NASMHPD Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., from July 26-27, 2026.

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