Encompass adopted and fostered teen program combines elements of a support group with mentoring and meets after our youth program one Saturday per month from 4-6 pm. This group is designed for adoptees and foster youth 14 years old or older. Similar to our youth program, this group is intended to be creative, community minded, and trauma informed. However, the teen group will allow more opportunity for self exploration, individual expression, and conversation. Topics and activities will frequently build on concepts explored in the youth program to encourage discussions between siblings and families at home.

Monthly, sessions will address specific topics relevant to the experience of adoption and foster care and will include group sharing and discussions, individual and group writing prompts, and art projects.

Please see our teen program page- Coming Soon!- or contact us directly for more information.

This Month:

Topic- Since this will be our first group meeting we will do some introduction type activities, decorate individual journals which we will use during the group, and do an art piece to help us get to know ourselves and one another a bit better.

3:45 Drop off and Settle in

6:10 Final pick up

Encompass Adoptees’ youth program combines elements of a support group with mentoring. The core program is from 11 am- 2 pm, and we sometimes offer an additional hour class before or after the core program. For our Core program, the first activity is intended to be more quiet, creative, conversational, and reflective. Our after-lunch activity is geared more toward exploration, learning a new art skill, trying something new, and seeing themselves succeed. A mentor is always available to spend time with a youth who is either having a rough day and/or does not prefer the planned activities listed below. Activities are purposefully selected to align with our goals but never required. Please see our youth program page, or contact us directly for more information.

This week:

** Activities today will be outside as much as weather permits- please have youth dress accordingly**

10:50 Arrive & Settle in

11- 12:15 Art & Discussion— Today's project will be one theme with two parts - We’ll discuss the spectrum of emotions we can feel are associated to love and the differences between love as an emotion and love as an action. We will decorate our own chocolate boxes and create polymer clay chocolates for the inside.

12:30- 1:15 Lunch & 20 min outside game (if weather permits)- Please dress warm and bring a coat & hat. This is something we have recently added based on the kid’s request (kids bring a packed meal- microwave available)

1:15- 2 Art Exploration & Learning Activity: See description of 2 part project above

2:00 Clean up & Final pick up

2:20 Mentor Meeting & Debrief

LEARN ABOUT PROGRAM

LEARN ABOUT MENTORS

REGISTER

-Please note- activities offered change each week-

Please Join us for our February Adult Adoptee/Kinship/Foster Alum VIRTUAL Dinner on February 17, 2021 at 7pm

Theme: Support Small Business

For this month’s dinner, you are all welcome to grab food from your favorite local small business restaurant to share online with everyone while supporting small businesses in Columbus. Or feel free to make your own “locally made” food right in your home to share and enjoy with the group. Although it not ideal, we are keeping it virtual for another month as we continue to tackle this pandemic and keeping everyone safe. Hope to see your lovely selves in February! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

-contact us to receive the link-

This is a casual discussion group meant to support adoptive, kinship, and fostering parents and to build relationships between parents and their adopted children of all ages through the community, conversation, and educational materials. This group offers a safe place to share and ask questions openly and honestly about relinquishment and adoption/foster care related issues.

This is co-facilitated by Julie Richards, a trauma therapist and parent of both adopted and birth children; and by Heather Gonzales, an adult adoptee who is in graduate school studying art therapy and counseling. Both are committed to increasing their understanding through the insight and perspective of other triad members. Each month we discuss a chapter in a book or a podcast. We do this in an attempt to cover a variety of related topics, to increase our knowledge and awareness of the information that is out there, and maximize our resources for the future. There is no requirement to come to all discussions or to have read the chapter beforehand, so please join us and feel free to choose the chapter topics that interest you!

• Meets every 2nd Thursday of the month (except holidays)

• 7-9 pm via Zoom- contact us to receive the link to join

We are meeting in person and also have an option to participate via zoom.
Please bring your mask. Hand sanitizer will be provided. Or message us for the zoom link.
This month we will have time to check in with one another and will read & discuss this article.

https://www.nacac.org/.../ambiguous-loss-foster-and.../...

Hosted by Encompass Adoptees, these meetings designed to support one another, offer a safe place to share, discuss, gain a better understanding, &/or expressing our adoption/ foster/ kinship experiences.
Each week we will discuss different topics. Time is given for individual sharing, but no one is required to do so- We encourage each person to participate, or just listen, however they wish.

-Meetings are held at The Wydah Room - 122 S Terrace Ave,
-Parking is available on the side of the building and on the street.
- Previously read- The Primal Wound, and Adoption Therapy

For more information please contact Heather at
heather@encompassadoptees.org or call/txt 502-873-6723