Events

Fourth Adoption Conference: “Families Without Borders? Adoption Across Culture and Race”

October 13, 2006 - October 14, 2006
St. John’s University, Manhattan Campus, 101 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007

St. John's University presents the

Fourth Adoption Conference: “Families Without Borders? Adoption Across Culture and Race”

This conference, hosted by St. John’s University, will focus on transracial and transcultural adoption. Our continually growing conference will feature two days of speakers, workshops and presentations. There will be a screening and discussion of several films Friday evening.

Keynote Speakers

  • Dr. Ruth McRoy
  • Dr. Amanda Baden
  • Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao
  • Dr. Betty Jean Lifton
  • Dr. John Raible
  • Hollee McGinnis (MSSW)
  • Sue Harris (MSW)

Co-Sponsored by: Montclair State University (College of Education and Human Services and CHDEL), Families with Children from China Greater New York, Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, American Adoption Congress, and New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House, a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc.

Date
Friday October 13 - Saturday, October 14, 2006

Location
St. John’s University
Manhattan Campus
101 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007

Conference Program
Friday, October 13, 2006

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Registration

9:15 - 9:30 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Julia A. Upton, RSM, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Fagen, Ph.D.
Rafael A. Javier Ph.D. ABPP

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
Ruth G. McRoy, Ph.D., "Transracial and Intercountry Adoptions: Bridging Policy, Practice and Reality”

10:30 - 10:45 a.m. 
Break

10:45 - 12:15 a.m.
Breakout Sessions Workshops

  • Jane A. Brown, MSW: Room 225, "What the Children Have Taught Me: Working with Adopted Children and Their Non-adopted
    Siblings"
  • Boris Gindis, Ph.D.: Room 226, "Psycho-Educational Assessment of Internationally Adopted Post-Institutionalized Children"
    Carol Weitzman, M.D. & Ravit Avni-Singer, MSW, LCSW: Room 232,  "Building the Bonds of Adoption"
  • Kathleen Hushion, LCSW, Maribeth Rourke, LCSW, Susan B. Sherman, D.S.W., & Diana Siskind, LCSW: Room 233, "International Adoption: Clinical Work with Parents and the Children They Adopt from Africa, China, and Russia"
  • Susan O'Connor Harris, MSW: Room 231,  "An Ecological Approach to Racial Identity Development in Transracial Adoptees"
  • Beth Hall, BA, Julie Randolph, MSW, JD, & Susan Ito, MFA: Room 215, "Teen Club for Adopted and Foster Kids of Color"

Paper Presentations: Room 227

  • Hollee McGinnis, MSSW, "Policy: The Hague Convention & The Convention on the Rights of the Child"
  • Jae Ran Kim, MSW, "Considering Culture in Placement Decisions: Conflicting Best Practices for the Indian Child  Welfare Act and Multiethnic Placement Act"

12:15 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break
Boxed lunch available for purchase

12:45 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Speaker
Betty Jean Lifton, Ph.D., "What All Adoptees Share"

1:45 - 3:00 p.m.
Keynote Panel
Hollee McGinnis, MSSW, "Who Are You Also Known As?"
Susan O'Connor Harris, MSW, "Come Celebrate My First Birthday" 

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Break

3:15 - 4:45 p.m.
Break out Sessions Workshops

  • Francine Fishman, LMSW, Amanda L. Baden, Ph.D., & Nancy Kim Parsons, MFA: Room 225, "Psychotherapy with Transracial Adoptees: The Impact of the Therapist's Race in the Relationship"
  • Ruth G. McRoy, Ph.D.: Room 226, “Dynamics of Transracial Placements of Older Youth”
  • John Raible, Ph.D.: Room 231, "Sharing the Spotlight: Non-Adopted White Siblings in Transracial Families"
  • Joyce Maguire, Pavao, Ed.D., LCSW, LMFT: Room 233, The Transcultural Nature of all Adoptions (and all Marriages/Partnerships)”

Paper Presentations: Room 227

  • Pauline Park, Ph.D., "Discourses of Authenticity: The Construction of Korean Adoptee Identity"
  • John D. Palmer, Ph.D., "I want to be like 'White': Concerns Regarding the Americanization of International and Transracial Adoptees"

Paper Presentations: Room 232

  • Elizabeth Vonk, Ph.D. & Josephine Crolley-Simic, Ph.D., "White Parents' Perceptions of Their Roles in the Racial Socialization of Their Transracially   Adopted Children"
  • Kathleen Ja Sook Berquist, Ph.D., "Adoption in Asian/Asian American Families"

Poster Sessions: Room 118

  • Kevin Wickes, Ph.D. & Olivia Chante Frazier, M.S., "Struggle of Becoming Integrated"
  • Sonya Corbin Dwyer, Ph.D. & Lynn Gidluck, M.A., "Issues of Race, Racism, & Racial Identity in Families of Asian Children Adopted by White Parents"
  • Lisa E. Brown, Psy.D. & David Brodzinsky, Ph.D., "The Role of Perceived Similarity to Parents in Adopted Children's Adjustment"

5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Dinner on your Own

6:45 p.m.
Dessert and Coffee

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Film and Discussion
The Struggle for Identity
The Color of Fear

Saturday, October 14, 2006

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Registration

9:15 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Frank A. Biafora, Ph.D.
Raymond DiGuiseppe,  Ph.D.

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Keynote Panel
Amanda L. Baden, Ph.D., "Navigating Identity: Contextualizing Race and Culture for Transracial and International Adoptees"
John Raible, Ph.D, " The Lifelong Impact of Transracial Adoption: Learning from Adoptees and Their Non-adopted Siblings”

10:30 - 10:45 a.m.
Break

10:45 - 12:15 p.m.
Breakout Sessions Workshop

  • Susan Ito, MFA, Beth Hall, BA, & Julie Randolph, MSW, JD: Room 225, "Families Like Us: Camp for Adoptive Families of Color"
  • Barbara A. Rall, LCSW & Jaclyn Aronson: Room 232 , "East Meets West: An Adoptive Mother and Daughter Tell Their Story of  Search and Reunion"
  • Deborah Jill Chitester, MS., C.C.C/SLP: Room 226, "Second Language Acquisition and the Internationally Adopted Child"
  • Kim Park Nelson, Ph.D. & Jae Ran Kim, MSW: Room 231, "Adoption Research from the Inside Out: Making Space for Adoptee Researchers and Professionals"

Paper Presentations: Room 227

  • Boris Gindis, Ph.D., "Facing A New Frontier? School Personnel Working with Internationally Adopted Post Institutionalized Children"  
  • Nancy Eng, Ph.D., "First Language Attrition in Chinese Adoptees"
  • Patrick P. McGuire, Ed.D., "The Role of Religion in the Adoption Process of a Child/Children"

Paper Presentations: Room 233

  • Katherine Jae Naftzger, LICSW, "Speaking to the Unspoken: Adoptive Parent in Relation to Birth Parent Inside the Therapy Room"
  • Lisa Langer, Ph.D., "Issues in Adoption Disclosure: Anxiety Related to Telling"
  • Wei Cao, Ed.D. & Mary Anne Pitman, Ph.D., "Navigation in the Land of Unknown: How Children Adopted from China Construct Their Identities"

12:15 -1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break
Boxed lunch available for purchase

12:45 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Speaker
Joyce Maguire Pavao, Ed.D., LCSW, LMFT, "Borders and Margins in Adoption and the Peacekeeping Role of the Adopted One"

1:45 - 3:00 p.m.
Transracial Adoptive Triad Panel
Rafael A. Javier, Ph.D., ABPP (Moderator)
Martha Satz, Ph.D., John D. Palmer, Ph.D., Krista McCoy, MSW, LSW, Jeremy Robbi, MA

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Break

3:15 - 4:45 p.m.
Breakout Sessions Workshops

  • Deborah Haynor, MSW & Lorie A. Miller, MBA: Room 226, "Transracial Families: The Racial Identity Development of White Parents"
  • Jane A. Brown, MSW: Room 225,  "The Impact of Adoption on Siblings"
  • Elliotte Harrington: Room 231, "Preparing Prospective Parents for International Adoption"
  • Jane Platt, Ph.D.: Room 233, Parent Panel- "Identity: Parenting Across Race and Culture"
  • Rita Taddonio, LCSW: Room 230, "Institutionalization: What Are Its Effects and How Do We Address Them?”

Panel

  • Hollee McGinnis, MSSW (Moderator): Room 232, International Transracial Adoptees

Paper Presentations: Room 227

  • Amanda L. Baden, Ph.D., "Psychotherapy with the Adoption Triad: Adoption Sensitive and Competent Counseling"
  • Julie Randolph MSW, JD & Beth Hall, MSW, "Building Connections"
  • Elizabeth Vonk, Ph.D., Richard R. Masatti, MSW, & Tom Gregoire, Ph.D. “The Role Of Post-Adoption Support In Transracial Adoptive Parents’ Cultural Competence.”

4:45 - 5:00 p.m.
Break

5:00  p.m.
Final Remarks
Frank Biafora, Ph.D.

5:30 p.m.
Book Signing and Cocktail Party

More Information
Office of Postgraduate Professional Development Programs
St. John’s University
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
Phone: (718) 990-5460
Fax: (718) 990-5485