Adoptees/Former Foster

Erin earned her Master’s of Social Work from the University of North Dakota in 2019, following her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Argosy University in 2006. She has been working with individuals impacted by trauma since 2006, bringing extensive experience from various settings, including residential chemical dependency treatment, community-based mental health, school-based, outpatient mental health and chemical dependency, and community social work consultation.

Nicole is a licensed psychotherapist and clinical supervisor at Mental Health Systems (MHS) in Roseville, MN. At MHS, she facilitates Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) groups and provides mindfulness-based individual therapy to adolescents (16+) and adults. Nicole has clinical, research and training, community development, and lived experience in transracial/transnational adoption, birth family search/reunion, suicide/prevention, mindfulness, trauma, identity development, and life transitions.

Julie is the executive director of Main Street Family Services, a social service agency whose focus is to support parents and their children with resources, solutions, and practical strategies they need to thrive. Julie is a social worker who has spent 20 years of her career supporting adoptive & foster care parents, and the biological parents of children who are in out-of-home placement. Julie is also a parent, adoptive parent, and grandparent.

I have worked in child welfare, kinship care, and adoption since 2004. I started out serving as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem with the Second Judicial District. From 2006-2017, I filled a variety of roles with the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) that primarily centered around advocacy, support, leadership capacity development, and education for youth, young adults, families, and professionals within the foster care, kinship care, and adoption communities.

I have been providing services to children, families, & communities for over 40 years, in child welfare, foster care, domestic abuse, tribal social services, recreational therapy, children's residential services, adolescent chemical dependency, & education. Currently, an Assistant Professor-BASW Practicum Director with the College of St Scholastica's Social Work Department, trainer with University of Minnesota in Permanency & Adoption Certificate Program (PACC) & as a QI (qualified individual) & trainer of new QI's.

I am a licensed psychologist with a long-standing interest in clinical work with all members of the adoption constellation. I work with adolescents and adults, with a special interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with adult adoptees. I conduct pre-adoption psychological evaluations. My website is https://kvernsn.wixstudio.com/sagepsychology

All people are striving for well-being in their life, with ideas, goals, and opportunities available for each unique person. It is my sincere belief that most people know the direction they aim towards in life. However, life often throws us curveballs, and it's okay to ask someone to come along for part of the journey. You may need help to reframe your perspective, build up coping skills and mindfulness, process trauma, or support your relationships in order to continue on your life's journey.

Areas that I specialize in include: working with all types of families; adoptive, foster, and kinship, adult/youth adoptees, transracial parenting, communication/conflict, life transitions, childhood trauma, child development, as well as depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health diagnosis.

Elliott is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and holds a Master’s degree from Augsburg College and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Elliott has had the privilege of working with children, youth, individuals and families of diverse backgrounds who are experiencing behavioral and mental health needs, disruptions in attachment and family relationships, trauma, as well as those experiencing the negative impacts of systemic and structural bias and racism.

Born outside of Seoul, South Korea, I am a transracial, transnational adoptee.

I love working with transracial, transnational adopted individuals (age 17+) who grew up questioning their racial and ethnic identities and wondered, “does anyone else feel this way?”

I draw from a variety of modalities, chief among them being relational (and relatable). I take a developmental and holistic approach to healing, including awareness of developmental milestones on our lives and the lingering impact on our relationships and connections to self and others.