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Supporting Healing and Permanency Through Partnership in Navajo Nation 

Supporting Healing and Permanency Through Partnership in Navajo Nation 

by | Mar 31, 2026 | Adoption Competent Services, Child Welfare Competent MH>Adoption Competent Services, Cultural Competency, Indigenous Communities, Mental Health, Tribal Nations

Supporting Healing and Permanency Through Partnership in Navajo Nation 

Expanding access to adoption/permanency competent mental health services requires strong partnerships across multiple systems. On February 24 and 25, 2026, our Navajo Nation technical assistance (TA) team at the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services had the opportunity to meet with leadership and staff from multiple partners serving Navajo Nation children and families, including the Navajo Division for Children and Family Services (NDCFS), the Navajo Division of Behavioral and Mental Health Services (DBMHS), and the Navajo Area Indian Health Services. Our discussions focused on ways to continue strengthening behavioral health support for children and families across the Navajo Nation.  

During our time together, we explored opportunities to increase workforce capacity to provide trauma-informed services, incorporate culturally responsive practices, and ensure access to mental health services that are prepared to meet the unique needs of Navajo children, families, and communities. Our discussions focused on how we can work together to build systems that respond more effectively to the complex experiences of children and families impacted by foster care, customary adoption, and kinship care.  

For the children and families we serve, access to adoption competent/permanency competent mental health services is critical. Through our partnership with Navajo Nation, we are working to strengthen services that support healing, permanency, and long-term well-being for Navajo children, youth, and families.  

As we move forward, sustaining this work will remain a priority for both the Navajo Nation and the National Center. Through continued collaboration, workforce development, and integration of adoption/permanency competent and culturally responsive practices, we are building a foundation that supports long-term system change. Together, we remain committed to ensuring that Navajo children, youth, and families have ongoing access to mental health services that understand and respond to their unique experiences.  

Strengthening mental health services is a collective effort. Our collaboration with Navajo Nation reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to responsive, culturally grounded behavioral health support across the Navajo Nation.  

Read more about the Navajo Nation and National Center partnership and its impact:   https://www.nhonews.com/news/ndcfs-partnerships-expand-mental-health-services/article_9dd2bda4-6db7-455a-84e9-165852fd54f6.html  

  

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Centering Lived Experience: Oklahoma Launches Lived Experience Competent Care Advisory Council

Centering Lived Experience: Oklahoma Launches Lived Experience Competent Care Advisory Council

by | Jan 20, 2026 | Adoption Competent Trainings, Child Welfare Competent MH>Adoption Competent Services, for Caregivers and Families, Lived Experience, Mental Health, Parenting, Special Event, Support Groups

Centering Lived Experience:

Oklahoma Launches Lived Experience Competent Care Advisory Council

 

The National Center, in partnership with our co-sponsor, the OU Center for Adoption and Family Well-Being, was proud to celebrate the successful launch events for the Oklahoma Lived Experience Competent Care Advisory Council. These gatherings marked a significant milestone in Oklahoma’s commitment to elevating lived experience as a driving force in bridging the gap between mental health services and child welfare, strengthening adoption competency, and advancing family well-being. 

This council is the first statewide body of its kind in Oklahoma to be fully led by Lived Experience Champions. Each council member brings direct experience connected to foster care—whether as a current youth or alumni of foster care, an adult adopted from foster care, a biological parent, a foster parent, an adoptive parent, or a kinship caregiver. This intentional structure ensures that the voices shaping policy, practice, and support systems are those who they most impact. 

To kick off this work, we hosted two launch events—one in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa—on January 12 and 13, 2026. Across both events, 33 individuals with lived experience participated, representing a powerful group of people directly impacted by the foster care system. Their presence, insights, and leadership set the tone for what this council is designed to be: a space where lived expertise is centered, respected, and used to drive meaningful change. 

The events were moderated by Bonni Goodwin, Ph.D., a mental health expert whose leadership created a welcoming, reflective, and energizing environment. The heart of both gatherings, however, came from our three Lived Experience Champions, who guided conversations, facilitated activities, and modeled what it means to lead with authenticity and courage. Their leadership helped participants explore how lived experience can inform policy, strengthen practice, and shape support systems across the state. 

Throughout the sessions, participants engaged in thoughtful dialogue, reflected on their own experiences, and explored both current initiatives and new ideas for Oklahoma. These conversations highlighted the strengths within Oklahoma communities and the opportunities ahead to build mental health and child-serving systems that truly listen to and respond to those they serve. 

The energy across both events was powerful. Participants expressed excitement, hope, and a shared belief that this council can become a catalyst for long-term, sustainable change. The turnout and engagement demonstrated how ready Oklahoma is to build a future where lived experience is not only included but centered. 

This launch was just the beginning. The council’s official formation was on March 31, 2026, when members began setting priorities, establishing a structure, and identifying key areas where lived experience can have the greatest impact. As the council grows, it will serve as a model for how states can meaningfully integrate lived expertise into their systems—not as an afterthought, but as a core component of adoption competent, compassionate, and effective care. 

We are deeply grateful to everyone who participated in the launch events and to all who continue to champion the importance of lived experience in Oklahoma and beyond. The work ahead is significant, but the passion and leadership demonstrated at these events give us confidence that the council will make a lasting difference for children, youth, families, and communities for years to come. 

Together, we are building a future where lived experience is recognized, respected, and centered in every conversation about adoption competent and trauma-informed care, support, and community wellbeing. The momentum is strong, and we are excited for what comes next. 

 

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NTI Training: What I Learned Could Have Saved My Career in Counseling 

NTI Training: What I Learned Could Have Saved My Career in Counseling 

by | Jan 16, 2026 | Adoption Competent Trainings, Child Welfare Competent MH>Adoption Competent Services, For Professionals

NTI Training: What I Learned Could Have Saved My Career in Counseling 

I knew from a very young age that I wanted to help people, and becoming a mental health counselor felt like the perfect way to do that. After graduating from college, I stepped eagerly into the field. I was wide-eyed, hopeful, and ready to make a difference. I believed my undergraduate and graduate coursework had prepared me for anything I might encounter. But very quickly, I lea ed that wasn’t true. 

Within my combined 180 credit hours of education, I spent roughly one hour lea ing about child welfare. Even then, that hour was focused on the history of the system, not how to effectively treat children, youth, and families touched by foster care, adoption, or kinship care. As a counselor who frequently worked with clients connected to the child welfare system, that single hour left me profoundly unprepared.  

Without that foundation, I often felt like I was guessing. I cared deeply about my clients, but I didn’t understand the complex layers of trauma, attachment disruptions, identity development, and relational loss inherent in their experiences. I didn’t know how these factors shaped their behaviors, their relationships, or their healing process. Over time, the weight of feeling ineffective, despite my best efforts, took a toll. 

After five years of wrestling with burnout, frustration, and self-doubt, I made a heartbreaking decision: I left the counseling field entirely. 

Discovering NTI 

I encountered the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) after joining the National Center. As I began working through the modules, I felt a mix of excitement and grief. The material was everything I had been missing as a counselor. It was comprehensive, practical, and deeply rooted in the lived realities of children and families with child welfare experience. I found myself thinking back to former clients. I visualized their faces, reflected on our sessions, and wondered how different things might have been if I’d had this training years earlier. For the first time, concepts that once felt confusing or out of reach became clear. 

As I moved through the training, one question kept echoing in my mind: “How much more effective could I have been if I’d known all of this?” And the honest answer is much more. 

 

What NTI Gives Professionals That Traditional Training Does Not 

NTI provides exactly what so many mental health providers never receive in school: adoption-competent, trauma-informed, child welfare-specific training. 

It covers topics such as: 

  •  Understanding trauma and attachment through a child-welfare lens 
  • Supporting identity formation and addressing grief, loss, and loyalty conflicts 
  • Strengthening caregiver capacity and therapeutic partnerships 
  • Navigating system dynamics with child welfare professionals 
  • Providing effective, culturally responsive, adoption-competent mental health care 

NTI training goes beyond just increasing knowledge; it can also build confidence, reduce bu out, and help providers show up for children and families in meaningful, practical ways. The National Center couples NTI training with coaching and lea ing communities to help professionals continue their growth and competency beyond the course.  

Every professional deserves access to training that prepares them for the realities of this work, and every child and family deserves a provider who understands their story, needs, and unique jou ey. 

 

Looking Back to Looking Forward 

If I had NTI earlier in my career, I might still be a counselor today. But I also know that my experience isn’t unique. Many professionals enter the field with passion and dedication, but lack the training needed to serve this population effectively. NTI fills that gap. It empowers the workforce and, most importantly, ensures children, youth, and families receive the adoption-competent mental health care they deserve. 

No counselor, social worker, or mental health provider should have to navigate this work feeling unprepared. NTI makes sure they don’t have to. 

 

Asia Huggins Content Specialist, National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services

 

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Utilizing NTI to Enhance the Adoption Competency of Parent Peer Support Specialists in Child Welfare 

Utilizing NTI to Enhance the Adoption Competency of Parent Peer Support Specialists in Child Welfare 

by | Oct 8, 2025 | Adoption Competent Services>Trauma-Informed Care, Child Welfare Competent MH>Adoption Competent Services, For Professionals, Mental Health, Peer Support

Meeting the Moment: Utilizing NTI to Enhance the Adoption Competency of Parent Peer Support Specialists in Child Welfare 

By the National Center’s Community Engagement Team (CET)

As families and caregivers face ongoing challenges within the child welfare system, one solution is quietly transforming outcomes and restoring hope—parent peer support. Facilitated by individuals with lived experience, peer support programs offer connection, guidance, and healing where traditional services often fall short. 

These programs—ranging from mentorship initiatives to support groups—are vital for families navigating child welfare. Yet access to peer support is increasingly limited due to funding constraints, staffing shortages, and time demands. Meanwhile, demand for peer support professionals continues to rise, even as direct services decline. As systems seek more sustainable, trauma-informed approaches, peer support is gaining recognition as a critical component of care. 

In both mental health and child welfare, parent peer support goes far beyond mentoring. It includes helping families navigate complex systems, attending court proceedings, assisting with insurance and service access, and advocating in school settings. To meet growing demand, parent peer support professionals need specialized training to effectively support families. The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) is the only nationally accredited training designed to enhance competencies for professionals in adoption, guardianship, and foster care—including those in peer support roles. 

NTI supports professionals working with families impacted by kinship placements, reunification, foster care, and adoption. Its core principles, understanding, connection, and healing, align closely with the foundation of peer support. Drawing from voices of lived experience, peer support professionals embody these values by fostering trust, guiding families, and promoting emotional resilience. Both NTI and peer support elevate the voices of those impacted by child welfare and emphasize compassionate, strengths-based care. 

At the heart of NTI is the recognition of the multifaceted mental health needs of children and families who have experienced child welfare. These needs are shaped by grief, loss, trauma, attachment disruptions, and struggles with identity. Peer support is uniquely positioned to address these needs by creating safe, empathetic spaces where lived experience can be shared without judgment. Mentors and group facilitators have lived experience themselves, allowing them to validate emotions and foster a sense of belonging—critical for those who may feel isolated or misunderstood. 

NTI emphasizes the importance of helping parents and guardians reframe children’s behaviors through a trauma-informed lens. In peer support groups, caregivers often explore how behaviors that may appear as defiance or dysfunction are, in fact, expressions of unmet needs, unresolved trauma, grief, or loss. Sometimes, these behaviors are misdiagnosed as mental healtlh conditions before proper assessment of the impact of earlier life experiences. Peer support professionals play a vital role in helping caregivers understand that challenging behaviors often reflect the emotional impact of a child’s involvement in the child welfare system. This shift in perspective encourages caregivers to respond with empathy and patience rather than labels in order to strengthen attachment, build trust, and foster healing. 

Adolescence is a pivotal time for identity formation, and youth peer support programs are especially impactful during this stage. These programs help young people integrate their stories, build confidence, and develop advocacy skills. Just as importantly, they help youth realize they are not alone. By connecting with peers who’ve faced similar challenges, young people find validation, community, and hope. 

Given the importance of peer support and its alignment with NTI principles, it is essential to equip peer support professionals with the training, resources, tools, and encouragement they need to sustain their work and prevent bu out. As demand continues to outpace workforce capacity, strategies to retain and uplift these professionals are more critical than ever.   

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Visit the Knowledge Hub to access models of intervention, training resources, and practical tools to strengthen cross-system collaboration and improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. 

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Rhode Island Deepens Commitment to Children’s Mental Health Through Partnership with National Center 

Rhode Island Deepens Commitment to Children’s Mental Health Through Partnership with National Center 

by | Aug 4, 2025 | Access to Mental Health Services, Adoption Competent Services>Trauma-Informed Care, Child Welfare Competent MH>Adoption Competent Services, Mental Health

 

 

 

Rhode Island Deepens Commitment to Children’s Mental Health Through Partnership with National Center

  Rhode Island has taken an important step toward strengthening mental health outcomes for children and families by partnering with the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services. This collaboration reflects Rhode Island’s ongoing work building trauma-informed, family-centered systems of care that meet the mental health needs of children and youth impacted by child welfare and juvenile justice involvement.    “Engaging with the National Center, Rhode Island aims to strengthen its systems and workforce to enhance the state’s ability to deliver trauma-informed care, foster cross-system collaboration, and strengthen general understanding of adoption competence,” said Ellie Robinson, Director of the Children’s Behavioral Health System of Care at Rhode Island’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services. “The interagency Rhode Island team looks forward to embarking on this work in collaboration with families, youth, and key community partners.”    The partnership launched in May with an in-person event at the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center in Providence. The gathering brought together 24 community, gove ment, and family leaders to build shared understanding around adoption competence and strategize ways to improve mental health outcomes for youth involved in child welfare. Participants in the event have since become members of Rhode Island’s new TA Steering Team, which began meeting in June to develop a statewide action plan.    Early listening sessions with families revealed clear priorities: equip providers and educators with tools to address trauma and adoption-related needs, simplify access to services before crises arise, and strengthen coordination across systems. Families also emphasized the value of parent-to-parent networks, resources responsive to family needs, and father engagement.    In the coming months, the National Center will support Rhode Island in delivering targeted workforce training, building easier service navigation tools, and expanding youth and family voice in systems change. The collaboration will also focus on public awareness efforts, workforce development, and cross-system alignment to ensure children and families receive the right support at the right time.    For more information about the National Center’s TA work, visit our website. 

 

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Navajo Nation Begins Intensive TA Partnership to Advance Mental Health Services for Children and Families 

Navajo Nation Begins Intensive TA Partnership to Advance Mental Health Services for Children and Families 

by | Aug 4, 2025 | Access to Mental Health Services, Adoption Competent Services>Trauma-Informed Care, Child Welfare Competent MH>Adoption Competent Services, Indigenous Communities, Mental Health

 

 

 

 

Window Rock, AZ — The National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services is proud to announce its formal partnership with the Navajo Nation to deliver Intensive Technical Assistance (TA) aimed at improving mental health outcomes for children, youth, and families impacted by the child welfare system.    This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the National Center’s mission to build responsive, adoption competent mental health services across the country.  The National Center was delighted to welcome Navajo Nation as its first tribal site to walk alongside leadership in child serving agencies to positively impact youth and families in New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona.     This partnership was officially launched in February 2025 with a signed commitment letter followed by a two-day onsite meeting held May 28–29 in Window Rock, Arizona. This first in person meeting was attended by Navajo Nation Division of Children and Families (DCFS), The Navajo Nation Treatment Center, and The National Center Team.    Noteworthy themes from the meeting included cultural preservation with emphasis on maintaining Navajo language, traditions, and identity for youth in custody; workforce development; and systemic change including joint planning, cross-sector collaboration and community-driven feedback loops.    During the May onsite meeting, a clinical family therapist from Crown Point, NM, shared, “We did a lot of referrals out for counseling for children and families, and all they had to produce was one appointment – then we closed the case. I wonder where these kids are going? So, I decided to get my schooling and obtained my master’s and license in counseling. I really enjoy what I do, working with children out in the remote and isolated areas of the Easte agency.”    Her words underscore the urgent need for sustained culturally grounded support in rural and underserved areas of the Navajo Nation.    For more information about the National Center’s TA work, visit our website. 

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