The following two news releases provide details regarding two prestigious awards received by C.A.S.E. and by one of C.A.S.E.’s senior leaders during National Adoption Month.
November 11, 2019
BURTONSVILLE, Md.— The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) was nominated by Uma Ahluwalia, Health Management Associates, to receive the 2019 Adoption Excellence Award for Business Contributions and Initiatives for its National Adoption Competency, Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) program. NTI, standardized, web-based trainings for child welfare and mental health professionals, is funded through a cooperative agreement between the Children’s Bureau and C.A.S.E. Visit www.adoptionsupport.org/nti to learn more. C.A.S.E. will be recognized for its extraordinary contributions made supporting positive permanency outcomes for children in foster care through development and implementation of the NTI program on Tuesday, November 12 at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services award ceremony at the Huber H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC, 20201 from 10am – 12pm. Added 11/13/19: Read award ceremony remarks from Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex M. Azar II.
The Adoption Excellence Awards will be presented to 12 recipients during the Children’s Bureau celebration of National Adoption Month. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services established the Adoption Excellence Awards program in 1997 to recognize outstanding accomplishments in achieving permanency for America’s children waiting in foster care. States, child welfare agencies, organizations, courts, businesses, individuals and families are honored each year through this prestigious award program. To learn more about the program visit http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/resource/adoption-excellence-awards.
“This award recognizes C.A.S.E.’s incredible contributions to the field of adoption, but more importantly, their impact on the lives of children and families touched by adoption,” said Uma Ahluwalia. “I am proud to be a part of the C.A.S.E family and to have played a small part in their nomination that has led to the recognition and achievement today.”
“Congratulations to all those that worked so hard to make the NTI such an invaluable training tool for mental health and child welfare professionals, said Edye Swidler, NTI Pilot Site Coach. “By providing on-line access to adoption competent training, more members of the adoption kinship network will now have access to a community of professionals who understand their unique needs and know how to support them. It has been an honor being a part of this very important project.”
“NTI has played a significant role in breathing life back into our state’s child welfare adoption practice. This is the most comprehensive, relevant and interactive adoption competency training I have experienced in my 24 years as a child welfare professional! I highly recommend it for all child welfare and mental health practitioners working with children and families in foster or adoptive care,” said Kristi Poole, Adoption Program Manager, Maine Office of Child and Family Services.
November 11, 2019
BURTONSVILLE, Md – The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.)’s National Training Director, Dawn Wilson, MSW was nominated by Senator Richard Burr to receive a 2019 Congressional Coalition Institute (CCAI) Angels in Adoption® Award. Senator Burr will present the award in his office on Thursday, November 14, 2019.
The Angels in Adoption program honors individuals, couples, families, and organizations nationwide that have made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children in need of permanency. Since the program’s inception in 1999, more than 2,600 awardees from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have been recognized for their commitment to the adoption and foster care community. Learn more about the Angels in Adoption program at www.ccainstitute.org/programs/view/angels-in-adoption-gala.
Dawn Wilson, MSW, has dedicated more than 30 years to serving the most vulnerable children and families through her work with the child welfare and mental health fields. As Director of the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) through C.A.S.E., Dawn led her team in developing, implementing, piloting and evaluating the NTI, funded through a cooperative agreement between the Children’s Bureau and C.A.S.E., working alongside the University of Maryland School of Social Work Institute for Innovation and Implementation. Through Dawn’s leadership, the NTI program has impacted over 10,000 child welfare and mental health professionals within eight pilot sites and one tribal nation to have access to web-based adoption-competency training. Please visit www.adoptionsupport.org/nti to learn more about this program.
“On behalf of the C.A.S.E. Board of Directors, staff members and partners, I applaud Dawn for her unwavering commitment to and support of the adoption and foster care community,” said Debbie Riley, CEO, C.A.S.E. “Through her leadership with C.A.S.E., child welfare and mental health professionals nationwide receive the adoption-competent training skills needed to impact children and families and help them thrive. Her recognition as an Angel in Adoption is well deserved.”
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