A1 - Establishing Effectiveness in Existing Pre- and Post-Adoption Counseling Services
Developing effective pre- and post-adoption counseling (PAC) services has been a defining factor of New Jersey’s plan for adoption support. Recently, the state Department of Children and Families joined with adoption service providers and academic researchers to evaluate PAC services for effectiveness and to gain insight on generating empirical evidence from existing programs. This session will describe, and share early results of, an evaluation of the programs and their ability to adapt to the evolving landscape of adoption services. Presenters will also make recommendations for applying the model of evaluation and clinical practice to other states or service contexts.
Presenters: Lori Jalkiewicz, Robins' Nest, Inc., Glassboro, NJ; Kerrie Ocasio, West Chester University, West Chester, PA; Nicole Coburger & Lisa Duff, The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ; Brett Greenfield, Rutgers University School of Social Work (PhD Student), New Brunswick, NJ; and Maria Lagattuta, Family Intervention Services, Inc., East Orange, NJ