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Current Events
This section offers information for our current clients to find out what's happening at HOPE, and information for those who may be interested in our services or looking for opportunities to get involved!
Information/Orientation Meetings
PPAI (Waiting Child) Orientation Meetings
For those considering adopting through the Minnesota Waiting Child (Public Private Adoption Initiative) Program. Please call HOPE to register: 651.439.2446.
6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at HOPE - free!
6-8 p.m. Monday, August 10, 2009 at HOPE - free!
6-8 p.m. Thursday, October 1, 2009 at HOPE - free!
6-8 p.m. Monday, November 2, 2009 at HOPE - free!
General Informational Meetings
Please call HOPE to register: 651.439.2446.
8-9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11, 2009 at HOPE -free!
7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at HOPE -free!
8-9:30 a.m. Saturday, September 12, 2009 at HOPE -free!
FREE Individual Information Meetings
Am I too old to adopt? Do I have to be married? What if I have an old arrest record, can I still adopt a child? If you have personal questions like these, now is the time to schedule a FREE INDIVIDUAL INFORMATION MEETING with a social worker at HOPE. For the time being, HOPE is offering FREE individual meetings (a $50 value). Call MaryJo Melander at HOPE, 651-439-2446.
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Pre-Adoption Workshops
Pre-Adopt, Pre-Foster Parent Training
For those planning to adopt older children and Minnesota Waiting Children.
1 pm-9 pm Thursday, July 30 & 9 am-5 pm Friday, July 31, 2009 at HOPE
1 pm-9 pm Thursday, October 22 & 9 am-5 pm Friday, Friday, October 23, 2009 at HOPE
Cost: $100/person - free to clients of Minnesota Public Private Adoption Initiative and HOPE clients of any adoption program.
Call HOPE for more information: 651.439.2446
Download the PDF
Multicultural Parenting in a Racist Society
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, July 25, 2009 at HOPE - $50 per person; HOPE clients & extended family members free, clients of any county adopting Minnesota Waiting kids free
Download the PDF
Infant Adoption Panel
Come hear a panel of birth parents & adoptive parents share their stories
6:30-8:30 pm Thursday, September 24, 2009 at HOPE
FREE! Please call to register: 651-439-2446
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Post-Adoption Workshops
Harambee Village Evenings
Have you adopted African American children through the Minnesota Waiting Child Program? Your family can receive a scholarship to attend these evenings, the 1st Sunday of each month. Harambee Village Evenings include dinner, support groups for parents & caregivers, and programs for kids. For information, contact The Harambee Village at NACAC, 651-917-7462 or email HarambeeVillage@nacac.org.
Download the PDF
Building Happy & Healthy Families
This series consists of Saturday Workshops and Family Support & Consult Evenings.
Saturday Workshops
9 am-12:30 pm at HOPE
Open to all families, regardless of adoption type, stage of the process, or agency, the workshops will provide a basic understanding of attachment as it relates to child development.
~Check back for future dates!
Family Support & Consult Evenings
7-9 pm 3rd Tuesdays at HOPE
An opportunity for each family to seek consultation on how to understand and respond to challenging behaviors, and to receive feedback on specific intervention methods and approaches. Therapists will address specific topics of interest to participants, but if you have a need, just come - don't worry too much about the topic.
7-9 pm Tuesday, April 21, 2009: My Child is Lovely to Everyone Else and Rotten to Me
7-9 pm Tuesday, May 19, 2009: How to Survive Summer Vacation
7-9 pm Tuesday, June 16, 2009: Lying & Stealing
7-9 pm Tuesday, July 21, 2009: Having Fun in Your Family-Enjoying Free Time
Cost is $20/person for Family Support & Consult Evenings and $40/person for Saturday workshops. May be free for families with a child placed through the Minnesota Waiting Child Program (PPAI).
Download the PDF
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Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
Opportunities to help yourself, children, birth parents and other adoptive families while you gain tremendous personal satisfaction:
* Speak at a general adoption informational meeting. You don't need to know all the answers. Meetings are held on pre-scheduled week nights and some Saturday mornings. If you can share your story with people thinking about adopting, call Julie Kink, 651-439-2446 or jkink@hopeadoptionservices.org.
* Talk with someone you know about making a major gift to HOPE. We are seeking contributors for our ongoing operating expenses & special projects. If you can meet with a business or community leader that you know personally, to explain why HOPE is worthy of their support, call Coleen Gregor, 651-439-2446 or cgregor@hopeadoptionservices.org.
* Help in the office for two to three hours. If you can commit to coming regularly, or on-call, to assist with special projects (weekday hours), call Sheryl Boumeester, 651-439-2446 or sboumeester@hopeadoptionservices.org
* Talk on a panel about your infant adoption. Tell your story and maybe bring along your child's birth parents. Call MaryJo Melander, 651-439-2446, mmelander@hopeadoptionservices.org.
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Our Latest Newsletter
HOPE News April 2009
Click to open up a printable copy of our latest newsletter for info on events, educational opportunities, and other news of interest.
Download the PDF
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Resources
Resources for Adoptive Families
There are many community resources available to assist you in your preparation for adoption. A large part of the adoption study process is gathering information and preparing for the life long nature and commitment of adoption. As part of your adoption study we ask that you choose to use at least three of the following resources. Choose according to your interests, needs and social worker’s recommendations. Then keep this list for future reference. Please click below to download the document.
Download the PDF
HOPE's book and video library
HOPE has a book and video library. HOPE clients can check out any book or video. Below, you can download the titles that are available for check out. If you have any questions regarding the library please call HOPE 651-439-2446.
Download the PDF
Birthparent Forum
The Birthparent Forum is a support group developed by Adoption Services, Inc., Waukesha, Wisconsin for men and women who have voluntarily placed a child for adoption. The Birthparent Forum presents healthy avenues for birth parents to express themselves, as well as many great opportunities for growth and enrichment. Go to www.birthparentforum.org.
National Foster Care Adoption Attitudes Survey
A call to action from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. There is HOPE for children waiting in foster care, if we can take some important steps. Download the executive summary of the survey below.
Download the PDF
Employment Opportunities @ HOPE
SOCIAL SERVICES MANAGER
MSW with program management, supervision and/or child welfare experience to work with US special needs, international, and infant adoption. 30-40 hours/wk. Flexibility in schedule and competitive compensation. Some travel and direct service work. Submit application (below pdf) with resume, cover letter & license by July 14 to HOPE Adoption & Family Services, 5850 Omaha Ave. N., Oak Park Heights, MN 55082.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Position: Social Services Program Manager
Minimum Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Social Work
Reports to: Executive Director
Position Purpose: To assure that children and youth, birth parents and adoptive parents receive high quality social service.
Schedule: 30-40 hours per week mostly 8:30-4:30 M-F with approx. one evening per week and occasional weekends
Responsibilities
1. Helps staff understand HOPE’s philosophy and culture. Builds a framework of support, shared beliefs, practices and values.
• Oversee social services meetings and office meetings
• Evaluate quality and quantity of social services provided
• Orient and train new staff
• Establish climate of support for high quality and timely social service to clients
• Contributes to the agency’s overall well-being and effectiveness by participating fully as a team member in day to day tasks as well as special activities. Includes teaming cases, taking on-call rotations etc.
2. Work flow monitoring
• Program intake and referral
• Field difficult inquiries
• Write up Special Services Agreements
• Reviews cases to meet all adoption and foster care regulations
• Monitors social service in relation to state, federal contract and program requirements
• Reviews adoption studies and reports to meet all standards
• Responds to client concerns, mediates between workers and clients and documents in agency complaint log
• Reviews coding on time sheets
• Monitors quarterly contacts and timelines of service provision
• Reviews special services time logs before billing
• Monitors guardianship cases
• Chairs Social Service Committee meetings
• Covers cases when worker is not available
• Reviews PPAI Agreements and billing
• Oversees post placement and finalization process
4 Assures requirements of INS, the Department of State, MN and WI Statutes, Central Authorities, and liaison agencies are met.
• Review, explains and implements DHS, DCFS and DOS bulletins and regulations
• Monitor social workers’ personnel files for licensing requirements
• With Executive Director, monitor and complete agency licensing and accreditation
• Suggest, write and monitor agency services policies and reviews client requests for exceptions under “policy exceptions” policy
• Monitor Hague Convention requirements
• Monitor need for update of agency forms used with clients
• Monitor Supervised Agencies, Exempt Providers, and Foreign Providers
• Monitor Interagency Agreements
5 Program Development and Coordination
• Oversee and provide staff training. Oversee client education
• Supervise contracts including quality and quantity of social services provided, resolving any conflicts related to the contract work, and monitoring compliance with rules specific to each contract and evaluation.
• Oversee agency programs
• Participate in development of new programs
• Participate in goal setting and evaluation
6 Community Involvement
• Attend meetings with other agencies to maintain a sense of “currently accepted adoption practices,” network and build agency collaborations.
• Participate on adoption relevant committees
7. Provide direct service to clients as outlined in the adoption social worker job description. (approximately 1/3 to 1/2 time).
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LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER
Part-time or full-time position to work with US special needs, international, andinfant adoption. Flexibility in schedule and competitive compensation. Some travel. Submit application (below pdf), resume, cover letter & license by July 14 to HOPE Adoption & Family Services, 5850 Omaha Ave. N., Oak Park Heights, MN 55082.
GUIDELINES FOR POSITION
Position: Social Worker – Adoption Services
Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Social Work License
Reports to: Social Services Supervisor
Position Purpose: Recruit, assess and prepare families for adoption, prepare youth for adoption and facilitate the connection of children with families, assist the adjustment of child and family after arrival. Provide services to birth parents who are planning an adoption, supervises voluntary foster care placements.
Schedule: Mostly 8:30-4:30 M-F with approximately 1 evening per week and occasional weekends.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Work with adoptive parents
1. Preadoptive Counseling
a) Answer prospective client inquiry calls and conduct individual information sessions.
b) Three to six interviews which focus equally on information gathering, assessment, education, support and counseling.
• Gather information from family and other sources in all areas outlined in the autobiography format and study template.
• Assist family in determining type of child most appropriate for them and establish the Service Plan.
• Assess the areas in which more preparation is necessary prior to completion of the study and direct the family to available resources.
• Provide information on adoption as a lifelong issue, cultural issues, realities of international and US adoption, needs of older adopted children, ways infertility can impact parenting, ways others have found to deal with stresses of adopting, and all applicable adoption laws.
• With Supervisor, provide supportive, honest counseling to clients when an adoption study cannot be written or approved.
2. Adoption Study and written reports.
• Summarize the information gathered during counseling in a narrative home study in accordance with all program requirements.
• Complete updates, letters of support, post placement reports, evaluations for court reports and case records.
3. On-going support and counseling to families.
• Provide information and support for families during the wait for their child’s arrival.
• Review child referral information with family.
• Complete post placement visits and reports as required by agency standards and each program.
• Provide consultation, counseling, assessment and referral for families and children throughout the family’s lifespan.
4. Group work and Training
• Facilitate support and education groups on adoption and conduct adoption trainings as required by PPAI, Wisconsin, IAA and Holt.
Work with birthparents
1. Adoption information and planning counseling
• Provide information regarding alternatives including parenting, types of adoption, bridge care, legal risk placement, etc.
• Assess general psychological and social status and provide referral and counseling to birth parents. Assessment includes such areas as: social relationships, other birth parent, emotional status, educational and vocational status and goals, health and medical care, preparations for childbirth, housing, financial status, chemical usage or dependency.
• Provide individual and group grief and loss counseling as needed during and after the adoption.
2. Coordination
• Maintain communication with adoptive families’ social worker/agency/attorney as needed.
• Facilitate initial meeting between birth and adoptive family.
• Coordinate bridge care placement
• Work with hospital social worker and medical records
3. Legal Issues
• Prepare required documents including medical/genetic information, Openness Agreements, court reports, etc.
• Testify at termination of parental rights hearings and facilitate Consent for Adoption meetings.
4. Community Education
• Assist with information meetings on open adoption.
• License, train and supervise foster families who provide care for birth parents’ children.
• Provide outreach to the community.
Work with Youth
Provide child specific recruitment services to teens and school age children
• Work with youth to prepare them for adoption
• Involve youth in their adoption plan and outreach
• Collaborate with child’s other service providers
Professional Responsibilities
• Participate in staff meetings, in-service training, consultation meetings and workshops
• Complete work according to established time lines. Keep regular in-office hours as scheduled.
• Inform supervisor of client caseload, potential problem situations, studies that need to proceed faster or slower than usual, and suggestions for improvements in agency functioning.
• Maintain continuing education, ethical and professional standards as required by MN and WI social work licensing act, IAA and agency policies.
• Contribute to the agency’s overall well-being and effectiveness by participating fully as a team member in day to day tasks as well as special activities.
Download the PDF
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