The National Center on Adoption and Permancy is proud to announce that NCAP's President and Founder, Adam Pertman, is being honored with a 2016 Adoption Excellence Award by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for his "extraordinary contributions ... in providing leadership to support adopion and permanency outcomes for children in foster care."

HHS established the Adoption Excellence Awards program in 1997 to recognize outstanding accomplishments in achieving permanency for America's children waiting in foster care. The awards honor states, child welfare agencies, organizations, courts, businesses, individuals and families. Adam's award is being presented to him as an individual and a professional.

Read Adam's bio on NCAP's website to learn more about him and his accomplishments. You can contact him at apertman@ncap-us.org. All of this year's award winners are on this page of the HHS website.
“Adam is an inspirational leader whose contributions to the field – and to the children and families he cares so passionately about – have been enormous," said Ruth McRoy, PhD, who serves as Program Chair on NCAP's Board of Directors. "As an adoptive father, he also brings an important perspective to research, education and advocacy that is truly valuable.”

NCAP's Executive Director and Co-Founder, Carol Biddle, added that she was "pleased that Adam has been honored by this richly deserved recognition" because "he has improved the lives of children and families through his articulate writing, his educational and advocacy efforts, his unparalleled utilization of the media, his thought leadership, and his skilled stewardship of national organizations. Few people have made as many diverse and far-reaching contributions."

Adam expressed his deep appreciation to HHS and, most of all, to his colleagues.

"I'm very grateful for this award, and am moved by it," he said. "It is NCAP and it's extraordinary team who really deserve recognition, however, so I hope this honor leads more people and organizations to take a look at what we do -- and to partner with us to improve the lives of the children and youth we serve."

The National Center on Adoption and Permanency is a unique “one-stop” nonprofit organization that provides a full range of multidisciplinary services, resources and information relating to adoption, foster care and child welfare. NCAP’s mission is to reshape permanency-related policy and practice in the U.S. so that they progress beyond their primary, traditional goal of ensuring that all children live in safe, permanent, loving homes – with their families of origin when possible, and in new families when necessary – to a new paradigm with a more-vital objective: enabling those children and their families to succeed.

Through its website (www.ncap-us.org) and its team of nearly 30 highly respected, experienced and successful trainers, educators, speakers and presenters, NCAP provides a single destination for agencies, government entities at all levels, conference organizers, family and advocacy groups, and professionals to go for expert services, consulting, reliable information and other assistance to fill their short-term and strategic needs.
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To learn more about working with NCAP and its team members, please send an email to apertman@ncap-us.org or cbiddle@ncap-us.org.
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BOSTON, April 14, 2016 – The National Center on Adoption and Permanency is very proud to announce two major partnerships designed to expand and accelerate efforts to improve child welfare systems across national borders and, most important, to enhance the lives of the children, adults and families those systems serve. NCAP’s new partners are Foster Parent College, which offers training courses for foster, adoptive and kinship families and families across the U.S., in Canada, England and Australia; and CoramBAAF Adoption & Fostering Academy, the largest nonprofit organization in Great Britain dedicated to improving outcomes for children and the professionals who serve them.

NCAP is working with each partner to shape joint programs and projects – as well as to strengthen current initiatives – in order to advance our respective missions; we will provide details about our collaborative efforts in coming months. Most pointedly, the work of both partnerships will further NCAP’s overarching objective: to move child welfare policy and practice beyond their current “child placement” model to a new paradigm explicitly focused on enabling “family success.”

“NCAP is a unique organization with a vision that we share and the right people to make it a reality,” said Rick or Lee, with their Foster College title right here. “So we see this partnership as a huge opportunity to make significant progress, both in our own work and in achieving systemic change.”

”We expect our partnership with NCAP to improve the quality and impact of both organizations’ work,” said John Simmonds, CoramBAAF’s Director of Policy and Research. “We’re very excited about the possibilities and believe they will make a genuine difference in both our countries.”

To learn more about NCAP, its work, its people and its partners, go to www.ncap-us.org or contact NCAP President Adam Pertman at apertman@ncap-us.org or 617-763- 0134. NCAP’s other strategic partners, in addition to CoramBAAF and Foster Parent College, are the American Institutes for Research, the Treehouse Foundation and the Chronicle of Social Change.

The CoramBAAF Adoption &Fostering Academy was formed in 2015, when the 35-year- old British Association for Adoption and Fostering joined the Coram Group of charities, which has been advancing the welfare, education and rights of children in the UK for over 275 years. To learn more about the organization and its professional services, go to www.corambaaf.org.uk or contact Ruvani de Silva at +44 20 7520 0425 or Ruvani.desilva@coram.org.uk.

Foster Parent College offers a broad range of research-based, interactive online parenting courses for caregivers – as well as for professionals – to help them provide a healthy, safe environment for the children in their care. To learn more about how parents and agencies can benefit from the training, or to sign up for a course, please visit www.fosterparentcollege.com or contact Laurie at 800-777- 7636 or laurie@northwestmedia.com.

BOSTON, June 30, 2015 – The National Center on Adoption and Permanency is forming an important new strategic partnership with the visionary Treehouse Foundation, including its “Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America” initiative, NCAP’s leaders announced today.

They also announced that NCAP is expanding its team with five additional, pre-eminent child welfare experts – Bruce Boyer, Susan Cox, Michael Grand, Laurie Miller and Susan Livingston Smith – and said that current team member David Brodzinsky has been named to a new staff position, Director of Research.

“All of us at Treehouse are excited by this dynamic new partnership,” said Judy Cockerton, the organization’s Founder and Executive Director. “We see it as a compelling way to expand our two national social change initiatives – the award-winning intergenerational Treehouse Community model and the Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America movement – as well as to collaborate with NCAP’s stellar team members, who are among the most accomplished professionals in the field.” 

“We’re delighted by the progress we’re making, the recognition we’re receiving and, most pointedly, the important work our team members are doing around the country,” NCAP President Adam Pertman and Chief Operating Officer Carol Biddle said in a statement. “We’re particularly enthusiastic about our partnership with Treehouse – which genuinely exemplifies NCAP’s mission – and we’re delighted that Susan, Laurie, Michael, Susan and Bruce are joining us; they are extraordinary professionals, and we’re lucky to have them.”

Bios for all 29 of our team members are on NCAP’s website. Short descriptions of our new colleagues follow:

Bruce Boyer is a nationally recognized expert in child welfare law who is Director of the Civitas ChildLaw Clinic at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where his work focuses primarily on issues of child maltreatment.

Susan Soon-keum Cox is one of the most respected, experienced professionals in the field of international 
adoption and child welfare. She is VP of Policy and Advocacy for Holt International Children’s Services.

Michael Grand is a highly accomplished researcher, trainer and speaker based in Canada. He joins NCAP after a distinguished career as a professor, author and pre-eminent scholar at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

Laurie Miller is an internationally respected physician and educator. She holds several positions at Tufts 
University School of Medicine, where she did pioneering work as founder of the International Adoption Clinic. 

Susan Livingston Smith is one of our nation’s most accomplished researchers and scholars in the realms of
adoption and child welfare. She previously served as Program Director of the Donaldson Adoption Institute. 

The Treehouse Foundation was established in 2002 by Cockerton, a businesswoman/educator/child advocate
and nationally recognized social entrepreneur who has been honored as a Congressional Angel in Adoption 
and an Encore.org Purpose Prize winner for her innovative work for children and youth in care. Treehouse is 
known for its bold leadership and visionary approach to inspiring investment in foster care innovation. 

Its two major initiatives are: the Treehouse Community in Easthampton, MA, which is being replicated in 
Metro West Boston and in Northern California (working with NCAP’s Carol Biddle); and Re-Envisioning Foster 
Care in America, which is planning its 7th Annual REFCA Conference for 2016. For more information about 
this vibrant non-profit organization, contact Treehouse Foundation COO Beth Spong at beth@refca.net.

In addition to our exciting new relationship with the Treehouse Foundation, NCAP also recently formed 
strategic partnerships with the American Institutes for Research, a major nonprofit behavioral and social 
science research and evaluation organization that works throughout the U.S. and in other countries; and with the Chronicle for Social Change, a national online publication that produces daily news and commentaries about child welfare, juvenile justice and children’s mental health issues.

NCAP’s mission is to move child welfare policy and practice from the historical/current model focused on 
“child placement” to a new paradigm with a more vital objective: enabling families to succeed – which is 
Treehouse’s goal as well. NCAP’s unique structure is as “one-stop” organization that provides a broad range 
of multidisciplinary programs, services and resources relating to adoption, foster care and child welfare. 

The organization – through its website and its team of highly experienced and successful trainers, educators, speakers, scholars and presenters – is designed to provide a single destination where agencies, government entities at all levels, conference organizers, family and advocacy groups, and professionals can go for expert services and consulting, reliable information, and other assistance to fill their short-term and strategic needs. Our diverse services include, but are not limited to: 

• Program and project development, consultation and/or evaluation
• Board development, consultation and/or executive transition planning 
  
• Staff development and training to improve clinical and practice competence
  
• Parent/caregiver training to strengthen families with children with histories of trauma
  
• Writing, editing, media consulting, print and online/social media and related activities
  
• Consultation related to development and fundraising, as well as community relations
  
• Conference/event consulting, including provision of keynote speakers and other presenters
  
• Executive training/coaching, as well as policy development/analysis and practice protocols
  

To find out more about NCAP, to engage any of our team members or to set up an interview, please contact Adam Pertman at apertman@ncap-us.org or 617-332-8944.

BOSTON, Jan. 27, 2015 – The National Center on Adoption and Permanency (NCAP) and The Chronicle of Social Change today announced a collaboration designed to bolster both organizations’ missions, which converge in their dedication to improving the lives of children, youth and families.

As part of the new partnership, The Chronicle will regularly publish commentaries and analyses by members of the NCAP team on timely and important topics relating to adoption, foster care and child welfare. The two organizations also will work together in a variety of other ways to support and enhance each other’s efforts to promote progress in law, policy and practice relating to those fields.

“Instigating and implementing systemic reforms that tangibly improve the lives of children and families is admittedly an ambitious goal,” said Adam Pertman, the President and founder of NCAP. 

“But we’re confident that working with talented partners, notably including those at The Chronicle, will help us to achieve it more quickly and more comprehensively.”

“One of The Chronicle’s key objectives is to create a community of thinkers dedicated to children’s issues in the hopes that a unified field can have greater impact,” said Daniel Heimpel, publisher of The Chronicle of Social Change. “NCAP has some of the best thinkers – and doers – in our country, so we are thrilled to forge this new partnership.” 

The Chronicle is publishing its first commentary from NCAP, written by Pertman, today. It is headlined, “Support Should Never End with Adoption Finalization,” and you can read it HERE.

The mission of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency is to transform adoption – and other forms of permanency – from a model that primarily focuses on child placement to one that enables children and their families to succeed. To achieve its goals, NCAP provides a unique “one-stop” destination for a broad range of information, resources and multidisciplinary services relating to adoption, foster care and child welfare. 

The Chronicle of Social Change is a national online news site published by Fostering Media Connections, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, CA. The Chronicle produces daily news about child welfare, juvenile justice and children’s mental health issues, and aims to be the hub of mainstream news coverage on issues affecting vulnerable children and youth. 

To learn more about the partnership, or to arrange an interview if you are a journalist or blogger, contact Adam Pertman (at NCAP) at apertman@myriadsp.com or 617-903-0554 or Daniel Heimpel (at The Chronicle) at dheimpel@fosteringmediaconnections.org or 415-637-9959.

BOSTON, Oct. 29, 2014 – On the eve of National Adoption Month, the National Center on Adoption and Permanency today announced the launch of its new website, designed as a one-stop destination for information, resources and services in the realms of adoption, foster care and child welfare. The unfortunately long URL for our site is www.nationalcenteronadoptionandpermanency.net; please cut/paste it into your phone book, bookmark it and/or use this hyperlink shortcut: http://bit.ly/1zqkq8s

“Our website, like NCAP itself, is intended to serve the full range of professionals, families and individuals who have an interest – in their personal or work lives – in the areas in which we specialize,” said NCAP’s leaders, President Adam Pertman and Managing Director Carol Biddle. “It’s an admittedly ambitious goal, and we know this first iteration of the site is a work in progress, so we invite any and all input on additional topics or links that our audiences want us to include.”

NCAP’s site does not seek to recreate any wheels; that is, we know there are lots of good places on the internet that deal with adoption and child welfare, but we also know it’s sometimes tricky to know where to go for what. So we are providing a “one-stop portal” designed to steer you, our users, to the information, research, data, resources and services you want or need. That can be done in one of two ways (or both): by clicking on a specific topic from the provided list – which will grow over time – or by clicking on a category; these currently are Family Members (anyone in an expectant family, pre-adoptive family, family of origin or adoptive family), Journalists & Bloggers, Professionals & Practitioners, Legislators & Policymakers, Researchers & Scholars, and Advocates & Activists.

NCAP’s principal offering is its extraordinary people, a team of 20 of the most accomplished and experienced trainers, presenters, practitioners, clinicians, researchers and educators in our country in their respective fields. The team is headed by two highly respected thought and practice leaders: Adam, formerly President of the Donaldson Adoption Institute, and Carol, founder and former CEO of Kinship Center. NCAP is the child welfare division of Myriad Strategic Partners, a consultancy that provides a broad range of organizational, strategic and communications services.

Our personnel can be retained individually or in specialized teams with one or more NCAP colleagues. To read their bios and learn more about the services we offer, please go to our new website. To retain one or more of our team members, to ask questions and get additional information, or to set up an interview (for journalists, bloggers, newsletter writers, etc.), please contact Adam at 617-903-0554 or apertman@myriadsp.com. Finally, read more about NCAP in this announcement.

The information and resources provided by the National Center on Adoption and Permanency are intended to address the needs of agencies, foundations, journalists, nonprofits, governments at all levels and advocates/activists whose passion – like ours – is to help children and families, whether those needs are a conference presentation, a keynote address, a professional training, information for a news story, or expert consulting to strengthen organizational or clinical performance. Our diverse services include, but are not limited to:

• Program and project development, consultation and/or evaluation
  
• Board development, consultation and/or executive transition planning 
  
• Staff development and training to improve clinical and practice competence
  
• Parent/caregiver training to strengthen families with children with histories of trauma
  
• Writing, editing, media consulting, print and online/social media and related activities
  
• Consultation related to development and fundraising, as well as community relations
  
• Conference/event consulting, including provision of keynote speakers and other presenters
  
• Executive training/coaching, as well as policy development/analysis and practice protocols 
  

A Q&A with Adam about NCAP, from the current issue of Adoptive Families magazine, is attached to the email with this announcement. NCAP is also the subject of this recent internet radio interview. 

There’s also a related story in the Chronicle of Social Change. To read a sampling of Adam’s commentaries on adoption, child welfare and family issues, go to this page on Huffington Post.

MEDIA ADVISORY – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – OCTOBER 15, 2014

NATIONAL CENTER ON ADOPTION AND PERMANENCY OPENS ITS DOORS,
PROVIDING `ONE STOP’ SOURCE FOR INFORMATION, RESOURCES, SERVICES 

NCAP Features Unique Team of Top Experts, Led by Adam Pertman and Carol Biddle

FOR MORE INFORMATION: apertman@myriadsp.com or 617-903-0554

BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2014 – The National Center on Adoption and Permanency (NCAP) today announced that it is formally beginning operations, providing a broad range of information, resources and multidisciplinary services relating to adoption, foster care and child welfare. 

NCAP is headed by two pre-eminent leaders in the field, former Donaldson Adoption Institute President Adam Pertman and former Kinship Center CEO Carol Biddle, and it features a consulting team of highly regarded and successful trainers, educators, speakers and clinicians.

“We have created this unique organization so that anyone – from practitioners, journalists and governments to conference planners, families and advocates – can go to just one place to find the information, resources and services they need,” Pertman, who is the Founder and President of NCAP, and Biddle, who serves as its Managing Director, said in a joint statement.

“The primary resource we offer is the extraordinarily talented team we’ve assembled,” they added. “We are both excited and honored to have so many accomplished colleagues with us, and we’re very hopeful that with their help, we can make a significant contribution.”

Our newest team members include Madelyn Freundlich, whose professional experience includes leadership roles at the Donaldson Adoption Institute, Children’s Rights, Inc. and the CWLA; Joseph Crumbley, one of the leading authorities and trainers in the field of child welfare; and Pat O’Brien, founder of the widely praised organization You Gotta Believe!

NCAP’s website, www.nationalcenteronadoptionandpermanency.net, will be completed within a few weeks. Like the organization itself, it is designed to be a “one-stop” destination – a portal through which anyone can easily access reliable information, resources and services relating to adoption, foster care and more. NCAP is the child welfare division of Myriad Strategic Partners, a national consultancy that provides a broad range of organizational, strategic and communications services.

Journalists who want to learn more or want to contact Adam for an interview (about the organization or on a specific story), write apertman@myriadsp.com or call 617-903-0554.

A Q&A with Adam about NCAP, from the current issue of Adoptive Families magazine, is attached to the email with this announcement. NCAP is also the subject of this recent internet radio interview. There’s also a related story in the Chronicle of Social Change. To read a sampling of Adam’s commentaries on adoption, child welfare and family issues, go to this page on Huffington Post.

NCAP’s trainers, educators, speakers and presenters are among the most-respected, experienced and accomplished professionals in the country. They can be retained individually or as partners in specialized teams with one or more NCAP colleagues. Brief descriptions oftheir backgrounds and fields of expertise are listed below; their full bios will be on the upcoming NCAP website and are available on request now. 

Adam Pertman – Adam is one of the most highly regarded experts, authors and keynoters in the field of adoption and foster care; he speaks, writes and presents internationally, appears regularly in the media, and has received numerous honors for his work. He served as the chief executive of the Donaldson Adoption Institute for over a decade and, previously, was a longtime senior journalist at the Boston Globe. His expertise includes media and communications; program, project and policy development/execution; organizational development; strategic planning; fundraising; and advocacy.

Carol Biddle, MSW – Carol’s broad expertise is rooted in decades of organizational leadership and program development in child welfare. She was founder and CEO of Kinship Center, a highly respected nonprofit that achieved a national reputation in adoption, fostering-to-permanency, permanency-competent mental health, wraparound, relative caregiver services, and permanency-focused parent and professional training. Carol is skilled in program and board development, executive coaching, executive search strategies, fundraising and staff/client training.

Kathryn England Aytes, MS, Ed.D. – Kathryn, a Board member and trainer for the Native American Children's Alliance, presents internationally on child forensic interviewing and cultural awareness within multidisciplinary team settings. She was a founding director of a Children’s Advocacy Center in Oregon, and served many years as a child advocate for a program in that state’s Judicial Department, which provided case planning and placement recommendations to the juvenile court. She currently teaches psychology at California State University, Monterey Bay.

Carol Bishop, LMFT – Carol is a nationally recognized expert in program leadership, adoption policy and practice, permanency-competent training, post-adoption and mental health services. As Vice President of Kinship Center, she led the development and administration of numerous programs, as well as children’s mental health clinics and Kinship’s Education Institute. Carol has served as President of the California Association of Adoption Agencies and is on the board of Voice for Adoption. She is a skilled trainer, facilitator, program development expert, and 
permanency policy specialist.

Joseph Crumbley, PhD, MSW – Joe is among the most highly regarded professionals in the field of child welfare. His clinical experience includes adoption, foster care, and physical and sexual abuse, and he is a specialist in kinship care and transracial adoptions. He is also an author and speaker who has won numerous awards and has provided training and consultation throughout this country and in many others. Joe is available as an expert trainer and consultant for professionals, parents and caregivers on many topics relating to kinship care and adoption.

Kim Felder – Kim is an expert trainer on adoption issues for both professionals and youth on the need to create permanency through youth engagement and family finding, with a focus on child-specific recruitment. She also is a senior recruiter with the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program in Los Angeles. Kim and her husband have eight children, two biological and six adopted from foster care. Her honors include an Angel in Adoption award and a commendation from the L.A. County Board of Supervisors for her dedication to children in the child welfare system.

Madelyn Freundlich MSW, MPH, JD, LL.M – Madelyn has used her social work and legal skills to provide consulting on adoption practice and policy development/implementation to agencies nationwide for 30 years. She is a master trainer and curriculum developer, including CASE’s 
training for Adoption Competency and Dave Thomas Foundation’s training for Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters. Her broad range of services include strong writing and editing (including for reports and grants) and consulting/training on legal issues and strategic planning.

Lynn Gabbard, MS – Lynn provides leadership and practice skills in all aspects of pre- and post-adoption work. For over three decades, she has developed curricula and conducted trainings for domestic and international adoptive families. Lynn, who founded Lutheran Social Services of New England’s Post-Adoption Center, is particularly knowledgeable about the impact of race and culture across the adoptive family lifecycle, having developed the landmark curriculum "The Multiracial/Multicultural Family Grows Up." She also works extensively with youth and schools.

Valerie Golden, LCSW, CCHP – Valerie brings her clients 25 years of professional experience in child welfare services, juvenile and adult corrections, probation and women’s recovery services. She has been an adoption and foster care social work specialist, a clinical trainer, and a therapist in the adoption and permanency specialty children’s mental health clinic at Kinship Center. She has worked in child welfare internationally and is passionate about achieving cultural competency in mental health services. She is a minister who currently works as a prison therapist in California. 

Catie Hargrove, MS – Catie brings experience in leadership, coaching, innovation and culture change, working with executives and teams to improve personal and organizational effectiveness. As a consultant and executive coach – currently with the Partnership for Public Service – she focuses on helping leaders develop and execute leadership and management strategies. Individually or with NCAP’s executives, she is available to train or consult on issues relating to organizational effectiveness, leadership and employee engagement, and to provide individual or group coaching.

Liz Heidler, PhD – Liz is a licensed clinical psychologist whose experience includes work in residential treatment facilities, in a center serving traumatized youth in foster care, and managing a team of mental health professionals in a joint behavioral health and social services clinic. In her current work in a corrections/rehabilitation setting, she sees the negative lifelong impact of untreated attachment, trauma and loss. Liz is available to train and consult on permanency-competent psychology services and interdisciplinary models for post-adoption/permanency care.

Jeanne Howard, PhD – Jeanne has conducted research and training on adoption and foster care issues for 30 years, with an emphasis on children adopted from care. She is a Professor Emeritus at Illinois State University, where she headed the Center for Adoption Studies. She also served as the Research and Policy Director for the Donaldson Adoption Institute, researching and authoring numerous reports that have had a positive impact on adoption-related law, policy and practice. Her passion is Lifebook work, on which she will focus her consulting and training.

Gregory Manning, PsyD – Greg is a licensed clinical psychologist who has extensive experience with government, non-profits and mental health agencies, providing intensive case management services on behalf of youth in care and serving as a mental health liaison. He has helped develop and implement innovative programs, and provides training, speaking and consulting on a broad range of topics. He is available to train or consult on child welfare and child mental health issues, community mental health program development and analysis, and case management issues.

Lisa Maynard, LMSW, ACSW, RYT – Lisa brings 25 years of experience working with first/birth and adoptive parents, those experiencing infertility, and adopted individuals connecting with their origins. She works from a holistic frame, trauma-sensitive and steeped in yogic philosophy. Lisa is an adoptive parent who co-founded Adoption Resource Network, Inc. and, in addition to her work with NCAP, is Director of Adoption Services at Hillside Children’s Center in NY State. She is available to train and consult on adoption, foster care, trauma, recruitment and placement.

Pat O’Brien MS, LMSW, LTMN – Pat was the Founder and Executive Director of You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement, Inc., a nationally acclaimed advocacy and placement organization. In addition to working with NCAP, he is now a recruiter for Wendy’s Wonderful Kids with Connecticut-based Klingberg Family Centers. Pat is available as a consultant or trainer in areas including advocating for permanent parents for all teens and young adults, utilizing laughter to alleviate stresses, and the power of unconditional commitment.

Laura Ornelas, LCSW – Laura specializes in services for young children and diverse families, with a focus on relative caregivers and Latino family systems. She has educated professionals nationwide on best practices and is a contributing curriculum developer and author on the work of her mental health clinics. Laura specializes in permanency-competent mental health services, directs a family service agency at Vista del Mar and, at Kinship Center, developed clinics on attachment-based, experiential techniques that encourage healing through relationships. 

Cynthia Roe, LCSW – Cindy, a graduate of the Colorado child welfare system, has worked for 25 years as a social worker and clinician, focusing on children and families impacted by abuse, neglect, foster care and adoption. She and her partner adopted two sons from care, and she was found by her biological brother, who had been placed for adoption. Cindy, a psychiatric social worker for Kaiser Permanente, trains and speaks nationally. Previously, she was a therapist and assistant clinical director for Kinship Center and served as a Director of Camp to Belong.

Debbie Schugg – Debbie has worked for 30 years with families of at-risk youth and with special needs. She serves as a consultant for families, schools, agencies and treatment facilities to identify trauma-based behaviors, shift culture and language, and provide strategies for helping children heal and families thrive. Seven of her eight children, from culturally diverse backgrounds, were adopted in sibling groups from foster care. She is available to provide training or consulting on a wide variety of topics relating to adoption, permanency, parenting and family challenges. 

Paul Steele, PhD – Paul is a pre-eminent researcher and speaker on numerous child welfare issues. His extensive experience includes work as a Fellow of the Oxford University Roundtable, Director of Morehead University’s Center for Justice Studies, developer of Children’s Advocacy Centers across the U.S., and member of the Native American/Alaska Native Advisory Committee. He is available to train or consult on research and program evaluation, social policy analysis, local and community influences on child welfare, social networks and interagency collaboration.

Graham Wright, MSW – Graham offers extensive clinical and program experience. He founded California’s first therapeutic foster and adoption agency, and designed and implemented the state’s wraparound program for families with at-risk children. A past legislative chair and president of the California Assn. of Adoption Agencies, he also designed and maintains the state’s internet matching database system. Graham is available for training and consulting in areas including specialized family recruitment, preparing families for placement, and adoption wraparound.

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The information and resources provided by the National Center on Adoption and Permanency are intended to address the needs of agencies, foundations, journalists, nonprofits, governments at all levels and advocates/activists whose passion – like ours – is to help children and families, whether those needs are a conference presentation, a keynote address, a professional training, information for a news story, or expert consulting to strengthen organizational or clinical performance. Our diverse services include, but are not limited to: 

• Program and project development, consultation and/or evaluation
• Board development, consultation and/or executive transition planning 
• Staff development and training to improve clinical and practice competence
• Parent/caregiver training to strengthen families with children with histories of trauma
• Writing, editing, media consulting, print and online/social media and related activities
• Consultation related to development and fundraising, as well as community relations
• Conference/event consulting, including provision of keynote speakers and other presenters
• Executive training/coaching, as well as policy development/analysis and practice protocols 

If you want to engage one or more members of our team, want to learn more about our work – or are a journalist seeking an interview with Adam Pertman (or others on our team) – please contact him at apertman@myriadsp.com or 617-903-0554.
 


Myriad Strategic Partners | www.myriadsp.com | 617-903-0554 | apertman@myriadsp.com