Real-Life Communication -- Solution
One of the things that adoption counselors do is to help other counseling
and health-care professionals educate themselves about adoption issues and
adoption resources available in the community.
Social worker Louise
Fleischman says networking with other professionals is very important.
"Someone
might call me because they don't know how to deal with an adoption issue.
I will talk to them to see what the best route is. I might just direct them
to resources to help them understand more about the adoption situation. Or
I might counsel their client myself a couple of sessions, then
hand [the client] back to them so they can deal with whatever other issues
were being faced at that time."
Here's what your letter could say:
Dear
Ms. Wells,
Thank you for contacting me regarding your patient.
I
have put together an information kit that should be very useful in explaining
the adoption process and the services that the Children's Aid Society can
provide. I know your schedule is very tight, but it would be helpful if you
could go through the material with your patient.
From what you tell
me, she trusts you. You understand this young woman is afraid and needs to
feel in control. It is important that she has someone she can trust to help
her decide on the best future for her child and begin to take steps towards
that.
I hope that once she understands more about adoption, parenting
and the CAS, the young woman might be more open to talking to me before making
a decision. My goal is to inform her so that she can make her a choice based
on the facts rather than on her fears.
Please assure her that even
if she decides to talk to me, the decision is still hers. As you will read
in this material, the CAS can also help people get tools and learn skills
for parenting.
I am sure that you will also find this information kit
useful. You never know when you or a colleague may be faced with a similar
situation.
With best regards,
Jane Smith