WHEN: 4:00 pm - 5:00 PM (EST) on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, starting in June

WHERE: Zoom

COST: FREE!

MD FAMILIES: Virtual Support Group for Transracial Adoptive Youth Ages 7-9
This virtual support group will provide a space where transracial adoptive children ages 7-9 can share their experiences about having an transracial family, while fostering a sense of community, gaining support, and receiving age appropriate learning and resources. This support group is designed as a consistent six-month experience. Families are asked to commit to regular biweekly attendance so the group can build trust, continuity, and meaningful support.

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS:

Susan LaVigna, LCSW-C serves clients throughout the state of Maryland. She has been providing individual, group, and family therapy to children, teens, and adults for over 10 years. She received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland. Susan holds a certification in Adoption Competent Therapy from the University of Maryland as well. Her expertise includes adoptee identity issues, grief and loss, anxiety, and ADHD. She has a special interest in working with teens. In addition to extensive training in adoption issues, she brings to her work the personal perspective of being an adult adopted person.

Catey Yost was adopted at birth in Baltimore, Maryland. Catey was raised with her adoptive sister and a large community of international adoptees in a small town in southern Vermont. It was not until she returned back to Baltimore for her undergraduate degree at Goucher College where she took a course on child adolescent development covering identity development frameworks that she began thinking about her adoptive identity. With experience in non-profit education, facilitation, volunteer, and knowledge management roles, Catey
has engaged with many nonprofit organizations throughout neighborhoods and communities in Baltimore City. Catey strives to maintain welcoming and accessible learning environments that promote justice, critical thinking, and conversation.

Athina is an intern with a BS in Psychology from Rutgers University and a background in technology. She is in her final year of her master’s program at Dallas Theological Seminary and is actively pursuing licensure as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC).

At the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.), Athina serves as both a counseling intern and a member of the Research and Evaluation Team, contributing to direct clinical services and data-informed program development. Drawing on her lived experience along with her academic and professional training, she brings practical tools, creative resources, and a calm, organized presence to her work in the therapeutic space at C.A.S.E.