About one-third of families who adopt internationally have smooth transitions; another third or so have some difficulties, but manage to work through these issues; and another third have serious and more pervasive problems. In these more difficult circumstances, even the best parents are often not prepared. Those families who are struggling need support, like every family—sometimes from friends and families and sometimes from experts.
To get some good advice from professionals and to hear the challenges other parents face, you may want to join Beyond Consequences live 10-session parenting course right in your own home. The first class is complimentary—so take a test drive.
This Free Test Drive will be on Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 9:15 p.m. EST.
Each of the 10 sessions following be on Thursday evenings and run for 90 minutes through November 3, 2011.
You and other parents can ask questions and discuss the specifics of your family situation with the professionals.
Click here to sign-up at no charge for this first class and see how it works on the Internet.
If you feel that your family may need more help, you can get direct care and support. This support is based on years of research that has been
shown to be effective with children who have been adopted from difficult circumstances. This research has grown out of the work of Dr. Karyn Purvis, who wrote the Connected Child and developed the Trust Based Relational Intervention® with Dr. David Cross at Texas Christian University. The intervention is powerful, and now families can access professional help that uses TBRI ® through an organization called PACT—Parenting Adoptees Can Trust.
Debra Delulio Jones, M Ed, the founder and director of PACT, and a special education teacher by profession and a mother of a child who was adopted internationally, provides the needed support and interventions to actually bring TBRI® to your family.
PACT Services
Parent Consulting and hands-on parent coaching
Parents receive in-depth training in their home on the philosophy and practical application of TBRI® principles through video clips, examples, and discussion. Parents are taught while the child is not present and will later observe Debra apply the strategies with their child. She will demonstrate as well as coach them as they learn to practice the TBRI® model of parenting.
In-home evaluations
Debra will review any diagnostic and educational information from the child's doctors, therapists and/or school professionals. She will interview the parents privately, and then observe the child interacting with the parents in their home.
In-home individualized behavior plans
Based on the in-home evaluation, individualized behavioral goals will be written and prioritized with the parents and the child. Strategies for reaching the goals will be discussed and the child will be given many opportunities to practice and role-play appropriate behaviors. TBRI® principles will be continually demonstrated and rehearsed. The child will receive much encouragement and praise for practicing the new skills.
Phone consultations
Once they have learned and gained experience using TBRI® strategies, parents may schedule a phone consultation regarding any questions they encounter about using the TBRI® model and specific situations or behaviors with which they need additional help.
Email Consultations
Simple concerns or questions may be handled by email consultation.
Parent Training Workshops
Debra is available for half-day or full-day workshops for parents and/or professionals who deal with children who've experienced relationship-based trauma. These trainings are based on her professional and personal experience and provide strategies and first-hand examples for practical application of the Empowering, Connecting, and Correcting Principles created and taught by Drs. Purvis and Cross. For more information, please contact PACT at (817) 683-9140.
Through the TCU Institute of Child Development, Debra also facilitates introductory level presentations on the Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) parenting model. She conducts presentations on key child development issues and shares insight from her personal experience. These presentations create a better understanding of the unique challenges facing at-risk children and how to help them overcome behavioral problems, learning difficulties, and mental illness resulting from early trauma and/or deprivation. For further details, please contact the TCU Institute of Child Development at (817) 257-7415 or email child@tcu.edu.
Respite Training for Groups with Adoption or Foster Care Ministries
One of the overwhelming needs of parents raising children from backgrounds of trauma is finding appropriate child care so parents can rest and regroup or just enjoy a night out. Debra is available for respite training for groups of individuals interested in helping these families by providing a "Parents' Night Out" in their church or organization
For more information contact:
Debra Jones.
817.683.9140
debrajones@parentingadopteescantrust.com
OMG! These are the cutest piterucs I've seen in all my life! Madison is adorable and the way you have her posed is just too cute. You have done a great job on these!