Jockey Being Family 2014

Jockey Being Family® Conference

Jockey Being Family - Pieces of Me: The Puzzle of Identity

A day-long conference that will provide both parents and youth an opportunity to explore adoption identity.

Conference Schedule
Saturday, September 27, 2014
8:00-9:00am Registration
Breakfast will be provided
9:00-9:45am Morning Gathering
9:50am-1:45pm Child/Youth & Adult Sessions

(LUNCH PROVIDED)

For Adults
In her parent and worker session, Jaclyn will address common thoughts, questions, and struggles children who were adopted experience through sharing stories, experiential exercises, and role playing. She will provide:
• recommendations of tangible ways for parents to connect/stay connected to their children through realistic discussions
• tips on how families can establish a community of networking to support their children in ways beyond their own parenting abilities
• suggestions on how to help their children feel healthy, strong, and deserving
Parents and workers will also have workshops on self-care, an adult adoptee panel, and a wrap-up of their children’s experience.

For Youth
Adoptees of all backgrounds, ages 6-17, come together and are provided with an opportunity to discuss their feelings exclusively with fellow adoptees.
Based on information provided by families, children and/or youth will be split into a school-age, tweens, or teens group. We will use age, ability, and needs to make the determination for the best group assignment. Within these groups, all experience their adoption exploration in different ways, but with common themes
such as:
• peer pressure & bullying
• adoptee loyalty & thoughts about searching
for biological family
• grief/trauma
• attachment challenges
• intrusive questioning
Children and youth will spend part of their day in a workshop with Jaclyn, during which they will have the opportunity to observe, listen to, and participate in guided discussions about these topics. When not in session with Jaclyn, children and youth will spend time engaging in arts projects and games with fellow adoptees. This will allow them to connect with each other in a safe and fun environment.

Speaker

Jaclyn Skalnik, founder of Adoption Wellness, is an adoption competent clinician as well as a transracial, internationally adopted person. Jaclyn earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin. She has assisted adoptive families throughout their adoption process for nearly two decades. She has presented at global conferences on matters concerning adoption and is passionate about counseling adopted persons and adoptive families seeking support. Jaclyn is a licensed and Certified Advanced Practice Social Worker (CAPSW), a trained Hague Accreditation reviewer for the Council on Accreditation, a member of the National Association of Social Workers, a World of Diversity trainer, adoptive family homeland journey social worker, and has facilitated international birth family searches and reunions. For more information, please visit www.adoptionwellness.com.