NCJ Number
132411
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 70 Issue: 5 Dated: (September/October 1991) Pages: 581-589
Date Published
1991
Length
9 pages
Annotation
PARTNERS (Post Adoption Resources for Training, Networking and Evaluation Services) is designed to serve families who have adopted children with special needs.
Abstract
An estimated 18,000 special-needs children are adopted annually. These adoptions entail particular demands and stress. As a result, some one-fifth to one-fourth of the adoptive adjustments are reported to be unsatisfactory. The PARTNERS program is a continuum of therapeutic and support services, flexible in intensity and method, in order to provide the most appropriate service. It consists of five phases: a screening phase; an assessment phase; a treatment planning phase; treatment phase; and a termination phase. The PARTNERS team includes professionals and agencies representing the department of human services, education, mental health, child psychiatry, and social work. Members participate in advanced training in special needs adoption theory, practice, and programming sessions before delivering services. The team meets monthly to review case evaluations. Quarterly, the team provides an oversight function for the program's operations and purposes. Individual members provide routine technical assistance and consultation to staff members and families. Figure and 29 references (Publisher abstract modified)