This is a description for a free live webinar scheduled 12/10/25 at 1-2:30pm ET. Register here

In the fast-paced hospital setting, adoption knowledge gaps are not just an inconvenience—they pose real risks of unintentional coercion, unnecessary patient distress, and inadvertent legal exposure. Join us to learn more about the national Adoption-Sensitive Clinical Care (ASCC) initiative, a free training program designed to mitigate these information gaps and empower healthcare professionals. Webinar attendees will explore how ASCC equips medical staff to provide confident, compassionate, and ethically sound support to expectant parents considering adoption or implementing an adoption plan—and how adoption professionals can play a vital role in strengthening this continuum of care.

Jennifer Chambers, MD, MPH & TM, Medical Director & Pediatrician, The Adoption and Foster Care Clinic

Kelly Curry, LICSW-S, PIP, Director of Counseling Services & Clinical Social Worker/Therapist, The Adoption and Foster Care Clinic

Ryan Hanlon, PhD, MSW, President & CEO, NCFA

Kris Henneman, MSW, Vice President, Institute for Family & Community Development, Spaulding for Children

Tamarie Willis, PhD, MSW, Teaching Associate & Lecturer, UW School of Social Work

After attending this course, professionals will be able to:

• Recall findings from research into birth parent experiences, such as factors that influence satisfaction with adoption decision-making, stigma, and shame.
• Describe the importance of adoption-competent, trauma-informed clinical care for individual providers and across the hospital system.
• Identify common clinical knowledge gaps such as recognizing personal bias, using accurate and appropriate adoption language, and navigating complex ethical and legal challenges related to adoption in the hospital setting.
• Examine the UIA 7 curriculum, including a high-level outline of the core training, key changes that have been implemented for version 7, supplemental learning opportunities, and key resource materials.
• Determine how to leverage this free asynchronous, online learning, or fully customize the training for in-person or virtual agency or firm presentations, hospital Grand Rounds, and other purposes.

Course length: 90 minutes

Course level: Beginning, Intermediate

National Council For Adoption, #1804, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 04/13/2023 – 04/13/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 general continuing education credits. 

This is a live interactive webinar, with Q&A time for attendees. To participate, attendees must have Zoom downloaded to their device. This course does not offer credit for NJ social workers. More information on continuing education credits.