A Lifetime of Grieving and Healing Part 3: Post placement support and care for birth parents, is it just a bunch of lip service?
In two of our recent blogs, A lifetime of Grieving and Healing Parts 1 and 2, we tackled the important topic of post placement care for birth parents. We took a deeper look at why post placement care and counseling is important and what services should look like, with a focus on quality and access.
All of this is great. So important. Many adoption professionals are talking about the need for post placement care for birth families. It’s a hot topic and a buzz phrase at times. But, it got us thinking. Is it all a bunch of lip service? Are counseling and support groups truly accessible to them? Are women engaging? After taking a closer look at the numbers, for maybe the first time in ASC’s history, we feel like we can say, Yes! to these important questions. That we’re moving in the right direction.
In the last 5 years, ASC has changed a lot to improve post placement care for birth parents. ASC created a post placement team dedicated to the care and support of birth parents who placed through ASC. An in-house therapist was hired to provide quality, adoption competent therapy to birth parents. A day each week, Wednesdays, is completely dedicated to post placement care, providing support texts/calls, connecting birth mothers to ASC’s therapist, helping birth families navigate challenges in open adoption relationships, sending out text reminders for support group, helping birth fathers get and stay connected with their child and their child’s adoptive family.
The changes are working! Because many of the barriers to therapy have been removed, birth mothers are engaging, participating in counseling. ASC’s therapist has a current caseload of upwards of 20 women. One of these birth mothers has been working with her for 4 years and others started in the last few months. While some recently placed, others relinquished upwards of 15/20/25 years ago. Some of the women see ASC’s therapist weekly, others once or twice per month. They have the option to either meet her in person or virtually. Because these services are free, without expiration or limit on number of sessions, the women are showing up. They are showing up for their healing. And, because one therapist may not be the best fit for all birth mothers, ASC does refer out and pay for sessions with an outside provider when needed. There are at least a handful of women utilizing this service through ASC as well.
Almost 3 years ago, ASC enlisted the services of Ashley Mitchell, AKA Big Tough Girl, birth mother of 18 years and fierce advocate for quality post placement care. Ashley and her
team created the first support group curriculum for birth mothers created by birth mothers. ASC was the first adoption professional in Indiana to be trained by Ashley in the facilitation of these support groups and now implements the curriculum/support model in both a monthly in person and virtual support group for birth mothers navigating their post placement journey. It’s a dedicated time each month where birth mothers can connect with other women who intimately know and understand their experience and provide each other support as they navigate the grieving and healing journey. Both birth mothers who placed through ASC and those who didn’t are welcome to attend these groups.
Post placement services for birth fathers are still lacking in the adoption world, ASC included. If you are a birth father who has a child placed through ASC, please reach out to us at support@adoptionsupportcenter.com. We would love to connect with you and see what services and support we can offer.
Please note, ASC offers post placement support services to adoptive parents and adoptees as well. If you are in need of support, resources, referrals, please reach out to us at support@adoptionsupportcenter.com. We’d love to hear from you!