- July 25, 2010 - Talking About Maintaining Commitment to Teens Through the Pain
Anni Keane and Chester Jackson speak about a Partners in Permanency Conference they both attended on July 23rd in New Jersey\'s Monmouth County. The conference featured both parents and young adults speaking to the power of commitment that parents make to teens at the tail end of their foster care experiences. Anni and Chester have a very interesting conversation about the importance of hanging in with teens even if it causes some pain.
- July 18, 2010 - Former Foster Youth Adopts Teens - Barbara Kenyon
Listen to this dynamic interview with Barbara Kenyon, a former foster youth who aged out of the foster care system at age 16 and then went on to adopt her first teen at age 20. Listen to this fascinating story about a unique life serving children. Having gone into foster care herself at age 14, Ms. Kenyon got emancipated from the foster care system as a minor. Barbara tells her unique life story in this interview and she shares alot of wisdom she has gained over her many years of parenting three birth children, twelve adopted children, and eight children she offered a lifetime commitment to as a guardian. Pat O\'Brien and Chester Jackson host.
- July 11, 2010 - Experience of a Soon-to-Be Parent - Spencer Salzberg
Listen to this very informative interview with new dad Spencer Salzberg, whose son will be moving in with him at the end of this month. Mr. Salzberg speaks about the process of getting matched and having visits with his about-to-turn-15-year-old son. Mr. Salzberg is honest about his fears and concerns about becoming a full time single parent. This would be an excellent interview to listen to if you are a single person considering adopting a teenager. Denise Royal and Chester Jackson host this second Sunday of the month support group.
- June 27, 2010 - Cedric Riley Speaks Out About What Teens Need From Parents
This segment of Teen Talk hosted by Anni Keane is an intense discussion about how parents that we find to provide permanent homes for teens in foster care must be more attentive to listening to their teens. Cedric Riley makes the point that simply because an adoptive parent is recruited for an older teen in foster care that this may not be enough if that parent does not know how to, or is not willing to, listen to their teen youth\'s needs as expressed by the teen youth. Cedric and Anni (both former youth in care who got adopted) speak to how important it is for the permanent parents to make a real effort to understand their child by really paying attention to what their child\'s needs are that are being expressed both verbally by the teen and sometimes acted out by the teen. Anni made the point many times that one should not take a teen\'s acting out behavior personally but to, instead, read the behavior as a language of expressing needs that the parent must make every effort to understand.
- June 20, 2010 - Dr. Francine Cournos - Author - City of One
Listen to this wonderful interview with Dr. Francine Cournos, M.D. author of her own memoir entitled City of One about her experience growing up in foster care as a teen. Dr. Cournos is a psychiatrist who treats adult patients, but she brings incredible personal insight to the experience of children who enter foster care because of her own life experience and the great knowledge she has gained from many years of practicing psychiatry. Dr. Cournos speaks to importance of a foster youth\'s loyalty to birthparents, she speaks about the power of a having a committed foster family, and many many other insights. This is a program you do not want to miss. Mary Keane, Pat O\'Brien, and Chester Jackson participate in this wonderful discussion with Dr. Cournos.
- June 6th, 2010 - You Can Volunteer to Help Recruit Families for Teens.
This week Chester Jackson and Pat O\'Brien do a You Gotta Believe orientation where they unvail a new way members of the general public can be enlisted to serve teens in foster care. And that way is to become a teen\'s volunteer recruitment ambassador. Folks who might not be ready to be parents just yet can serve teens in foster care by helping You Gotta Believe and our staff recruit permanent parents for them. Chester and Pat also discusses other aspects of the You Gotta Believe program as well.
- May 23rd, 2010 - Brenda shares her story
An excellent interview with 28 year old Brenda who had her seven younger systems go into the foster care system. On her own by 18, with a child, Brenda shares her story about how tough it was to be a teen mom, having all her younger siblings in foster care, the pressures of being the oldest, losing her long time boyfriend to death, and, for a long time, not having a parental figure to help get her through the more difficult stages in life. This discussion is a great interview with Anni Keane that highlights how important it is to connect with a parental figure even as an adult at age 28.
- May 16, 2010 - Documentary: From Place to Place - w/ Matt Anderson
This week we interview Matt Anderson, the producer behind the developing documentary From Place to Place that features six youth who aged out of the foster care system. This documentary is unique because it features the youth for longer than two years after they left care. This powerful story in the form of a 12 minute short film can been seen by clicking on to our website www.yougottabelieve.org Porch Productions is the company putting together the effort and raising the money to get this full documentary created.
- Mother\'s Day 2010 - A Salute to Single Moms
Enjoy this excellent Mother\'s Day broadcast celebrating the contribution that single mothers have made in offering permanent homes to teens in the foster care system. Chester Jackson interviews Erika Tullberg, Iris Johnson, Susan Grundberg, and Joanie Siegel about what this Mother\'s Day means to them. Interesting conversations covering many issues in the area of single moms adopting teens and the incredible contributions single moms have made in preventing teens from simply aging out of the foster care system to no one.
- May 2nd, 2010 - Support Group with Denise & Chester
Denise and Chester spoke alot about a training on parenting that was given to our entire staff by Bryan Post on Friday April 30th. Alot of the ideas Bryan shared were discussed over the course of the hour by our two very experienced parents Denise and Chester. A great listen if you are a parent having challenges with your child.
- April 25, 2010 - Decreasing Disruption through Emotional Regulatory Parenting w/ Juli Alvardo
Listen to this great interview with Juli Alvarado, founder of Coaching-for-life, on how important it is for parents to be emotionally regulated as they are helping their traumatized children heal. Ms. Alvarado had an recent article published on this topic in Fostering Families Today - March/April 2010 issue. Please forgive that the first three minutes of this broadcast because it is very choppy. We also debut a song imitating the Abba/Mamma Mia song \"Take a Chance on Me\" that we have called \"Take a Chance on Teens.\"
- April 11, 2010 - Single Dad, Reinier Pritjen, Adopts A Teen Son
A great parent support group with Denise Royal and Single Dad, Reinier Pritjen, who adopted a teen son named Devin from the State of Texas. Listen to Reinier and Devin\'s inspiring story and hear some great insights from this single dad about parenting a teen as a single parent from a different culture. Also Reinier has alot of additional insights from the adoptee\'s perspective because he was adopted by his parents when he was a young child.
- April 4, 2010 - Dr. Peter Alsop
We interview singer-song writer, and all round terrific person, Dr. Peter Alsop about how one might become an even better parent by exploring their own unfinished business left over from having had some \"un-even parenting\" modeled to them as children growing up. Peter strongly believes that people who seek to achieve a level of clarity about themselves could be that much better of a parent when raising the traumatized children placed from the foster care system. This interview is a re-airing of a program that originally aired on Sunday evening March 25, 2007. This interview features six of Peter\'s songs. Pat and Chester host.
- March 28th 2010 - Robert, 16, Needs You Home
Listen to Robert tell his story to our host Anni Keane on this weeks\' conversation on Teen Talk. Maybe you, or someone you know, might consider making a life time commitment to Robert. Chester Jackson co-hosts.
- March 21, 2010 - The Right to a Permanent Home?
Do teens in care have a constitutional right to a permanent home? Do they have a due process right to a forever family? Is not finding, or attempting to find, a permanent home a civil rights violation? These questions get asked and answered to and by our guest Dr. James Kenny, Ph.D who recently had an article published in Fostering Families Today entitled \"The Right to a Permanent Home.\" Dr. Kenny founded the organization Adoption in Child\'s Time to help promote bonding and permanency in \"child\'s time\" for all children in foster care.
- March 14, 2010 - Loretta Tayar - Adopted Two Over 18
Listen to this fabulous interview that Denise Royal and Chester Jackson conducted with Loretta Tayar -- a single mom who made the adoption commitment to two daughters. Loretta comes to this broadcast with alot of experiences from the last two-year-and-a-half years of parenting two young adults, both of whom moved in over the age of 18. Loretta brings alot of great insights into parenting young adults and she is very open and honest sharing her perspectives about a wide variety of issues from her relationship with her childrens\' birth families to her opinions about teens getting tatoos.
- March 7, 2010 - Teacher\'s Aide Plans to Adopt her Student
Listen to the inspiring story of Rebecca Chambers who met her son when he was 8 years old when she was a teacher\'s aide at his school. He is now 16 and she is planning to adopt him out of the residential school that he currently resides. Rebecca tells her story in a very insightful and honest way and her story touches on alot of subject related to adopting teens as teens. Anni Keane and Chester Jackson host.
- February 28, 2010 - Dr. Barbara Tremitiere
Pat and Chester interview Dr. Barbara Tremitiere in studio on a full range of topics related to older child and special needs adoption including the importance of parental preparation, the importance of unconditional commitment, and a variety of other interesting topics. Dr. Tremitiere is the mom of 15, 12 who came to her family through adoption. For additional insight from Dr. Tremitiere listen to our first interview with her that we conducted on April 13th, 2008.
- February 21st, 2010 - Social Workers Adopting Clients: The Ethical and Moral Questions.
Listen to this lively discussion and debate between Dr. Rana Duncan-Daston and host Pat O\'Brien about the issue of social workers adopting youth on their caseloads. This broadcast was planned as a result of Dr. Duncan-Daston hearing a presentation Pat O\'Brien did in Roanoke, VA, where Pat brought up this recruitment option for teens with no other family resources. Dr. Duncan-Daston had concerns about this form of recruitment and the two of them had a discussion about these concerns on this broadcast.
- February 7th, 2009 - Pat Dudley, LI Region of YGB
This is first of a series of interviews where we will be highlighting the backgrounds of You Gotta Believe staffers. You Gotta Believe hires many very experienced people who have unique life experiences in the area of having adopted older children. Listen to this wonderful interview Chester Jackson did with Pat Dudley, YGB\'s Long Island director, who had adopted two older kids before she began working in the field of older child adoption about 20 years ago. A discussion we believe you will find both interesting and informative.
- January 31st, 2010 - Therapist and Life Coach Pamela Langholf
Listen to this engrossing conversation with therapist and life coach Pamela Langholf about the incredibly stressful time she had raising her teenager daughter. Her daughter dropped out of school, ran away, got arrested many times, and was doing all of the things no parent ever wants their teenager to do. The unique aspect of Pamela\'s situation is that things did not improve between she and her daughter until she, the mom Pam, made changes in her own behavior and worldview. This conversation is a great learning experience about how parents of teens can completely changed the relationship with their child for the better by changing how they interpret and react to their child\'s misbehaviors and transgressions.
- January 24th, 2010 - Teen Talk & Eighteenyearolditis
Listen to this interesting discussion around issues related to turning 18 years old with host Anni Keane and co-host Chester Jackson.
- January 17th, 2010 - Off and Running Film
Our guest this evening is Nicole Opper who directed and produced an independent film called Off and Running: An American Coming of Age Story about an African American teenage girl named Avery who grew up in a unique and loving household with white Jewish lesbian adoptive parents. When Avery became curious about her African American roots, she decides to contact her birthmother. Her choice thrusts Avery into a complicated exploration of race, identity, and family. The Film opens at the IFC Center on 6th Avenue and 3rd Street on January 29th. Also interviewed is the outreach coordinator of the film Sara Kiener. Pat and Chester Host.
- January 10th, 2010 - Support Group - Power of Commitment
Excellent support group conducted by Denise Royal and Chester Jackson about the power of commitment no matter how difficult the behavior and additional issues that arise after the holiday season is over. Paul Snellgrove joins the support group as a caller and adds some wonderful insights as well. A great listen for this time of year.
- January 3rd, 2010 - Paul Brown, You Gotta Believe Board Member
Paul Brown, You Gotta Believe board member, became 13 year old Rey\'s father eight years ago and he recounts their story in this hour long interview with Pat and Chester. Paul shares alot of great insights that he gained from parenting Rey. He speaks about powerful issues such as the benefits of getting to know Rey\'s birthmother and birth siblings. An interesting discussion from one of You Gotta Believe\'s most seasoned parents.
- December 20th, 2009 - Guest Dr. Brenda McCreight
Chester Jackson interviews therapist, adoptive parent of 14, author and all round wonderful person Dr. Brenda McCreight. They talked about a variety of issues including brain development of adolescents and Dr. McCreight\'s upcoming book written about and for adolesent adoptees. This was a great and educational conversation and a continuation of an interview we did with Dr. McCreight back on March 9, 2008 that you can also listen to by going to the archive files on the \"Adopting Teens & \'Tweens\" page on WGBB\'s website.
- December 13th, 2009 - Importance of Holiday Traditions
Enjoy this great discussion during this month\'s support group with Denise Royal, Mary Chancie, and Chester Jackson about the importance of holiday traditions in newly greated adoptive families where teens and \'tweens move in as teens or \'tweens. An interesting discussion about what a great bonding experience it is for both parent and child to create and honor traditions around the holiday season.
- December 6, 2009 - Stephen & Brandon Share their story.
Wonderful interview about how a single African American therapeutic foster dad made a lifetime commitment to a 17 year old youth of hispanic and jewish descent after they first met when the youth was on an in-patient ward of a psychiatric hospital. Their story is an inspirational one as they reflect back into Brandon\'s late adolescent years. Brandon is now out on his own at age 25.
- November 29th, 2009 - Holiday Stress and Adopting Teens
Pat Dudley hosts this discussion on the stresses both youth and their families go through around holiday time and how they can overcome these stresses. Richard, 20, shares his journey being placed as a teen into a permanent home with his sister, and he shares insights about what some traumatized teens go through around the holiday season. Then Pat and the young man\'s mom, Danielle Skelly, share some of their insights and experiences as well. A very interesting conversation about holiday stress during a normally considered joyful time of the year.
- November 22, 2009 - Anni Keane Shares her Story
Great interview with Anni Keane, host of our monthly Teen Talk. Chester Jackson interviews Anni about her experiences as a teen in the foster care system and the importance of having a permanent family now that she is a 27 year old woman.
- November 15, 2009 - Susan Grundberg - Former ACS Administrator - Adopts Two Teen Over-18 boys.
Meet Susan Grundberg. She adopted two boys, who both were over 18 when they moved in, during the time that she worked for New York City\'s Children\'s Services. Ms. Grundberg is a strong advocate for members in the general public to come forward to learn about adopting teens. She shares her unique life story that includes both information about being a single mom to two sons and working as a social worker who decides to personally do what she had advocated for her entire career that others consider doing.
- Nov 8th, 2009 - The Importance of Supporting Families After Teens Move In.
An excellent discussion between Denise Royal and Chester Jackson, in celebration of National Adoption Month, about the great importance of support after the teens move in. Yes it takes a village to raise a child and the village can be any supportive person who understands the great commitment that families have made to teens in foster care. This is an insightful discussion well worth listening to.
- Nov 1st, 2009 - Tamisha Dukes - Author, Advocate, & Former Foster Youth
Tamisha Dukes, Author of Truth be Told, shares her remarkable life story overcoming a difficult childhood that included spending time in foster care as a child and youth. Tamisha shares her inspiring story about how she still managed to get her college and graduate degrees defying all statistics and odds. There were technical difficulties during this live radio broadcast but Tamisha\'s story is so compeling we urge everyone to listen through those difficulties.
- October 25th, 2009 - Domestic Violence After Foster Care
Listen to this very interesting episode where Anni Keane interviews \"Shirley\" about her foster care experience, being discharged from care to herself, hooking up with an abusive spouse who become the father of two of her children, and how she freed herself from that relationship over the course of time. Also hear \"Shirley\'s\" perspective on the importance of having families recruited from teens before they age out of foster care.
- October 18, 2009 - Orientation to YGB
We did an orientation show with Chester, Pat, and caller Heather about what You Gotta Believe does, why we do it, and how the general public can help teens in care by becoming parents or recruitment mentors. Great introduction to You Gotta Believe!
- October 11 - Bryan Post - The Great Behavior Breakdown
Bryan Post, co-author of Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control, Vol 1, speaks about his newest book called The Great Behavior Breakdown a book that presents 27 of the most serious, problematic, and challenging behaviors that parents face and offers step-by-step guidance on how to deal with them. Pat O\'Brien and Chester Jackson interview Bryan about his various strategies to dealing with difficult behaviors including aggression, defiance, public humiliation of parents, transition issues, and sexualized behaviors. A very powerful discussion for all to hear.
- October 4, 2009 - Foster Parent Advocacy
Hey Rob: I sent this to you on Monday and it didn\'t get posted yet. Everything okay>Pat \'Brien Listen to this very interesting interview with the two founders of the Foster Parent Advocacy Foundation, Dorin Matthews and Sylvia Hooper. FPAF believe that many foster parents and their children can benefit from having advocates from outside their agencies represent their point of view about what is best for the children in their care. Foster parents are often the voice not represented and Ms. Matthews and Ms. Hooper do an outstanding job speaking about the need for an organization that represents foster parents interest in serving the children in their care better.
- September 20th, 2009 - Every Child Is Adoptable - Rita Soronen
Great conversation with Rita Soronen, Executive Director of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, about the Foundations\'s newest DVD entitled \"Every Child Is Adoptable.\" This is a great DVD that the Foundation has made available to anyone who wants it for free on the foundation website that speaks to youths in foster care, prospective adoptive parents who might consider those youth, and the social workers who make these adoptions happen. You Gotta Believe will be airing this DVD on its cable access television program and wanted Ms. Soronen to speak about why the foundation made the video. This interview is a great conversation where the listener will learn alot about this great DVD and the Foundation that created it.
- National Grandparents Day 2009 - Pre-mature Grandparenting
On this National Grandparents Day, our support group this evening is rapping about becoming a grandparent. Denise Royal and Chester Jackson discuss the various challenges and blessings of becoming pre-mature grandparents.
- September 6, 2009 - A Conversation with Kevin Campbell
Listen to this excellent conversation with one of our field\'s most innovative professionals, Kevin Campbell. Kevin has helped develop and create one of our fields\' most innovative recruitment strategies know as \"Family Finding\". On this program we are re-airing an interview we did with Kevin in 2007 talking to him about his 60 Minutes interview with Leslie Stahl and many other issues related to the \"Family Finding\" model.
- August 30th, 2009 - Education Issues for Teens Placed As Teens
Listen to this interesting discussion between Pat Dudley, Catherine Dudley, a mom who adopted 16 year old Eric, and Chester about the variety of education issues that come up in placements of teens who are placed as teens. A very interesting discussion if you have any education issues with an older child placed for adoption.
- August 23rd, 2009 - Permanent Therapeutic/Treatment Families
Chester Jackson and Pat O\'Brien discuss a proposal that Pat delivered to New York City\'s Children\'s Services this week that he called The Step-down Permanent Treatment Family project. Over half the teenagers in the United States currently living in therapeutic/treatment homes also need a permanent home. You Gotta Believe created a program via this proposal that incorporate teens in foster care\'s two major needs: permanency and treatment. You Gotta Believe will be targeting the population of teens living in residential treatment centers who do not have families to live with when they age out of care and recruit permanent families for those teens who will become treatment families as well. An excellent discussion on this idea. Please listen.
- August 18th Former Foster Youth ACS\'s LGBTQ Advocate
This evenings guest is Pyriel Infinity who is New York City\'s Children\'s Services LGBTQ Youth Advocate. She spend most of her adolescence in the foster care system and is now serving foster youth who have identified at LGBTQ. Pyriel shared alot of interesting experience she had as a foster youth and in her role as ACS\'s LGBTQ Advocate.
- August 9, 2009 - Elijah Nealy Adopts Youth Who Aged Out at 21
Enjoy this great interview Chester Jackson and Denise Royal did with Elijah Nealy, a gentleman who made a lifetime commitment to a youth who aged out of the foster care system. Elijah became an experienced parent about 15 years ago when he began to parent his daughter Karen when she was an older teen. He became Karen\'s dad about 15 years ago and has just begun to parent Alex and become his \"morally\" adoptive dad after Alex aged out of care at age 21. Mr. Nealy offered a great perspective on commitment, adoption, moral adoption, and how to parent youth who move in as young adults.
- July 26, 2009 - Jeanette Speaks about Aging Out & Motherhood
Aileen Rosario does an interview with Jeanette, 21, a young lady who recently aged out of foster care, but not her permanent home, at the age of 21. Jeanette is a young mother of two with a third due in October who speaks about the benefits of having a permanent family. She not only speaks of the importance of having a parent but also siblings who help out alot too. It is an interesting discussion about the struggles of parenting outside of the foster care system.
- July 19, 2009 - David - Foster Youth returned home as a teen.
Listen to this most interesting interview of a former foster youth, David, who got permanency when he was a teen by being returned home to his mom after nearly six years in care. David was placed in group care as an seven year old and didn\'t return home until he was nearly 13. He and his two brothers and sister were placed into a group care setting in Peekskill with the St. Joseph\'s agency. The conversation compared and contrasted the experience of foster care in the late sixties and early seventies and that of today. This is an interesting conversation about how the foster care system worked for one youth, David, who got his permanent home as a teen by returning home with his siblings to their mother. Today David is a community organizer and a Director of a social services program in Brooklyn. He is a great role model in the social services community.
- July 5th, 2009 - Orientation Show
Pat O\'Brien and Chester Jackson speak of recent issues at You Gotta Believe in regard to getting teens placed. They also did an orientation program for first time listeners.
- June 28th, 2009 - Chelsea, 14, Needs Your Home
Please listen to this incredible interview Anni Keane does with 14 year old Chelsea. Chelsea is wise beyond her years and she has great insight into why she, and children her age, absolutely near permanent homes. You will be struck by her maturity and wisdom. If you have any interest in learning why teenagers need parents listen to this real life teenager who needs a real life parent like you.
- June 21, 2009 - Father\'s Day with Steve Williams
Listen to this excellent father\'s day interview Denise Royal and Chester Jackson did with Steve Williams who adopted his 13 year old son about three years ago. They talk about a variety of issues including what it is like to be a single dad, a gay dad, a day of an only child, and a dad with a child who has special needs. Mr. Williams son Frankie also share some of his thoughts during the program as well.
- June 14, 2009 - Vanessa Roth - Academy Award Winner
Though Documentary Film Maker Vanessa Roth won an Oscar in 2008 for a documentary entitled \"Freeheld\" about the denying of a gay partner of an Ocean County New Jersey police officer dying of cancer pension benefits, this is not why Ms. Roth was on our program this evening. Ms. Roth produced a documentary that aired on PBS stations throughout the United States in 2005 called \"Aging Out\" that featured three youth at the tail end of their foster care experience and for a short time after they aged out on their own. Ms. Roth reported to us that two of those three youth have past away. One youth, Risa, was murdered and Ms Roth\'s documentary Aging Out was shown to a jury who after seeing the film sentenced Risa\'s murderer to death. Ms. Roth introduced her next documentary to our radio audience No Tomorrow about the experience of utilizing Aging Out to sentence a young murderer to death. The No Tomorrow documentary will be released in the near future.
- June 7th, 2009 - ACS Administrator Adopts a Teen
Listen to this great discussion with studio guest Joanie Siegel who adopted 16 year old Kathy when she was an administrator for New York City\'s Administration for Children\'s Services. Joan tells the wonderful story of how she learned about Kathy and then shares the story about how Kathy came to live with her at age 16. Joan no longers works for ACS and Kathy is now 18 and raising a son. Joan also speaks to the issue of how it feels to be a grandma shortly after she becomes a mom. She also speaks about the administrative obstacles agencies put in the way of teen permanency. This is an interesting radio interview you do not want to miss.
- May 24, 2009 - Dr. Gregory Keck and Parenting Adopted Adolescents
Listen to this most informative interview with Dr. Gregory Keck, author of the new book Parenting Adopted Adolescents. This interview deals not only with children adopted at younger ages who turn adolescent, but also adolescents placed as adolescents as well. Dr. Keck also shares his personally story of being an adoptive father to two boys who both moved in as teenagers. Dr. Keck\'s book deals with many wonderful topics related to parenting adolescents who were adopted and this interview would be a good listen for anyone interested in both a professional and personal opinion on the topic. This was a one-on-one conversation between Pat O\'Brien and Dr. Keck.
- May 17, 2009 - Manny, 17, Gets Adopted
Listen to this great interview Aileen Rosario does with 17 year old Emmanuel Sanchez, a young man who was adopted as a teenager after many years of ambivalence about being adopted. Manny has quite a story to tell about finally accepting that his long term foster mom was safe enough for he and his brother to be adopted by. Manny is a writer for a publication called REPRESENT. We invite folks to read an article he wrote about his road to adoption by clicking here: http://www.youthcomm.org/FCYU-Features/MarchApril2008/FCYU-2008-03-04b.htm
- May 10th, 2009 - A Mother\'s Day Story
Enjoy this encore presentation that was re-aired on Mother\'s Day 2009 sharing the very inspiring story of single mom Elva Ann and her daughter Pamela who was placed into her home a few months before her 18th birthday. Listen to a great story about how they met and how they interact with each other over two years after Pamela moved into Elva Ann\'s home permanently. Elva Ann and Pam bring up alot of interesting issues in this hour long discussion.
- May 3, 2009 - Primal Wound with Nancy Verrier
Chester Jackson interviews Author Nancy Verrier about the trauma of being placed for adoption even as young as infancy. It was a wonderful discussion with many insights into the adopted person and why the adopted person sometimes behaves the way they do. Nancy Verrier is the author of the book Primal Wound and has great insights into what adoptees feel and go through during all their life passages.
- April 26, 2009 - Nicole Dobbins - Voice for Adoption
Listen to this wonderful Teen Talk interview that Anni Keane does with the new Executive Director of Voice for Adoption --- Nicole Dobbins. Nicole spend part of her childhood and most of her adolescent years in the State of Oregon\'s child welfare system and she aged out of care without a family. She graduated Oregon State University in 2006 with her bachelor\'s degree and did some work for the Foster Care Club until she got an interview, at age 25, with Voice for Adoption. She so impressed this organization that they made her their Executive Director and the person who speaks up for foster care adoption in Washington DC. This interview is a great addition to our Former Foster Youth series.
- April 19, 2009 - Michelle Chalmers - Ampersand Families
The only other agency in the country (aside from YGB) that solely and exclusively limits its practice to placing teens and pre-teens from foster care into permanent adoptive families is Ampersand Families, an organization that just opened its doors in October 2008. Hear this great interview with one of its founders and its Co-Executive, Michelle Chalmers, a former foster youth who aged out of care without a family. Michelle was the director of a very successful Federal Demonstration grant \"The Homecoming Project\" where they produced a fabulous DVD/video they entitled called We Interrupt. We Interrupt is a fabulous production where the voices of Minnesota\'s youth speak to the way they would like for us \"professionals\" to recruit permanent homes for them. You Gotta Believe recently put We Interrupt on Youtube and it is accessible through YGB\'s home page.
- Easter Sunday 4-12-09 - Therapist Adopts Young Adult Former Client
Enjoy this great interview with Adoptive Mom Ilene Schneider and her 20 year old daughter Najely (Yolandelys) Encarnacaion. Ms. Schneider adopted Najely as a 20 year old on March 24th, 2009. Najely was placed permanently into Ms. Schneider\'s home as a 15 year old after suffering much trauma at the hands of her birthfather, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the abuse of Najely and her younger sister. As her therapist, Ms. Schneider had been Najely\'s only ally during the brutal trial against her father where Najely\'s entire family disowned her after she truthfully testified against her father. Here the story of how Najely became Ms. Schneider\'s daughter and how shortly after she moved in also made Ms. Schneider a grandmother as well. Their story is a great one and an inspiration for all folks who used child-focused recruitment techniques to find adoptive homes for the children on their caseloads.
- April 5th 2009 - Strong Connections - The Play - & Heather Forbes
The first half of the program Pat O\'Brien interviews Marilyn Panichi of Adoptions Unlimited in Chicago and Onie Riley, a former foster youth and performer in the play Strong Connections, about the play-DVD that was produced by them and going to air on BCAT on April 9th and 16th on You Gotta Believe\'s Adopting Teens & \'Tweens Show. The second half Heather Forbes is interviewed by Pat and Chester about her upcoming full day training on Friday April 24th at the Chruch of the Village on W.13th St and 7th Avenue in Manhattan. We interviewed Heather about the highlights of what she will be presenting in the six hour presentation she will be delivering on April 24th, 2009.
- March 29, 2009 - The Primal Wound - A Discussion
Scheduled for this evening was Nancy Verrier who wrote the book The Primal Wound about the traumatic experience of being separated from one\'s birthmother at, or shortly after, birth. Ms. Verrier had a family crisis and will appear on a future program. This program Pat O\'Brien interviewed Chester Jackson about Ms. Verrier\'s book. We also had a caller from New Jersey call in who was placed at birth for adoption to share her experiences about her own Primal Wound. This was an interesting discussion that lays the groundwork for a future interview we will be having with Ms. Verrier about her book.
- March 22, 2009 - Aileen Rosario & Jeffrey H.
Listen to this \"teen talk\" that starts out with a discussion with Aileen Rosario who moved into her permanent home at age 17. She was not freed for adoption and could not be adopted while she was in the foster care system. She was legally adopted by her permanent foster mom at age 23. The second half of this program is Jeffrey H., 18 who needs a home. Please listen to this interview to hear what Jeffrey has to say, and maybe you can learn more about adopting him or help us recruit someone to adopt him.
- March 15, 2009 - Dr. Deborah Harris Sims
As the founder for Hopes for a Higher Education Dr. Harris Sims has been educating foster parents and foster youth across the country on the numerous financial options available to finance higher education. A former foster youth adopted as a \'tween herself, Dr. Harris Sims had to nonetheless face alot of the challenges youth face when they age out of foster care because her adoptive parents died when she was 18 years old. This is a great interview conducted by Mary Chancie with the 2008 Maybelline New York Beauty of Education Award an award that recognizes woman who motivate, mentor, and make a difference in their communities through the power of education.
- March 8th, 2009 - Kristi Saul-Post - Violent Outbursts and Staying Committed
Our guest is Kristi Saul-Post who recently accepted a 19 year old young lady permanently into her home. She had written an article in a newsletter about dealing with this young lady\'s destructive behavior against her home shortly after she moved in. This is a fascinating discussion not only with Kristi, but our own Denise Royal about maintaining commitment even after violent outbursts against the parent. Lots of insights and a great support group for those who have had to deal with their own teen\'s aggressive behavior against them.
- March 1, 2009 - Recruiting Homes for Teens from the People They Know
The topic of this evening\'s discussion is recruiting lifetime moral and legal adoptive parents for teens in foster care from the positive and constructive adults who are already in their lives. Pat Dudley discusses the unique way homes were found for two youth: Johnny and our other studio guest this evening Rebecca Mendez. This program also debuts the new Jim Parisella song \"You Gotta Believe.\" Jim joins us for a brief discussion about the song.
- February 22, 2009 - Dawn Wadiak - Attachment & Trauma Institute
Dawn Wadiak started the Attachment & Trauma Institute in the State of Virginia to help kids in care heal from past trauma by working with the families the children find themselves in. This is a very interesting discussion about a treatment approach that is not solely child-focused and behaviorally directed. It looks at a child\'s severe behavior as a language that needs to be understood in the context of that child\'s developmental history. A very interesting discussion with Pat O\'Brien, Chester Jackson, and Anni Keane. Anni appeared on this program as a special guest who both asked and answered some interesting questions.
- February 15, 2009 - A YGB Orientation Show
This weeks broadcast goes answers the basic question: why does You Gotta Believe do what it does? Chester Jackson interviews Pat O\'Brien about why he founded You Gotta Believe and they discuss the major strategy of educating the community as a primary way of getting folks to consider adopting teens. Pat and Chester also discuss parenting approaches to raising kids who have been hurt, abandoned, rejected, and traumatized. This is a very good program to get a basic 101 course in You Gotta Believe and what it does to prevent homelessness by getting every youth a family before he or she ages out of the foster care system.
- February 8, 2009 - Programming Teens Out of Permanency
This lively broadcast covered two very interesting subjects. The first half hour continues our former foster youth series with a young man named Bill Schramm, 23, who is a motivational speaker on a tour to educate youth in foster care. Bill just showed up in Pat O\'Brien\'s office without an appointment on Friday February 6th. Pat was so fascinated with Bill\'s energy and charm that he wanted Bill to share his story on our live radio broadcast two days later. Bill\'s story is quite interesting and worth listening to. The second part of this program is a discussion with Mary Keane on the subject of \"Programming Teens Out of Permanency.\" There are many good programs offered to teens during their latter teenage years in foster care that actually offer them a lot of services but not a permanent family. Mary Keane discusses herself as a permanent mom who happens to be fostering teens because they are not freed for adoption (hence she cannot adopt them until after they leave foster care) and the dilemma she and her kids face all the time because the agency does not accept that she is their permanent mother and would rather see her teens accept Section 8 housing and move out of her home before they age out of care. Mary also discuss other good programs such as LGBT group homes and Mother/Baby residential programs where there is also not the focus of getting teens life time parents while they still remain in our system\'s foster care: life time parents who can offer older teens some hope of parenting continuity well into their adulthood and long after their years in foster care are over. Hence, this program is advocating that concurrent planning be done at the exit end of the system: meaning providing important services that teens need while simultaneously never stop recruiting life time parents for them as well. The case is made that we can do both.
- February 1, 2009 - Dealing with Your Teens\' Hospitalization.
Another great support group discussion about parents dealing with their youth\'s hospitalization after placement and adoption. Denise Royal and Dorothy Hannigan lead a wonderful discussion about parents coping with their child\'s hospitalization. Both Denise and Dorothy have had this parenting experience. They also deal wonderfully with the questions a caller from New Jersey, Paul, had called into ask.
- January 25, 2009 - Teen Talk - Sarah\'s Journey
Listen to this inspiring story of 17 year old Sarah who has settled into a permanent placement with her older sister after a long seven year foster care journey in and our of foster homes that both neglected her and loved her. Hear Sarah tell her story about how she spent two three-year stints in two separate foster homes and not really ever feeling part of the family. And, in fact, feeling very neglected while living in those homes. She then came across a home that loved her very much and she wound up leaving that foster home to be placed permanently with her older sister. Sarah sums up her story with a poem about her history in foster care. Another very interesting and inspiring story told to our hosts Anni Keane and Aileen Rosario.
- January 11, 2009 - Support Group- From Parent to Grandparent
Another very helpful supportive discussion about when our teen daughters have babies. Denise Royal\'s teen daughter is about to give birth. Chester Jackson\'s teen daughter made Chester a grandfather 15 years ago. Listen to the perspective of an about to become grandmother and a long time grandfather about their teen daughters having babies at way too young an age. They both give good concrete advice about how to support your child through this life passage. Pat O\'Brien hosts.
- January 4th, 2009 - Jorge "King J" Cornell
Often our radio program interviews former foster youth and the unique things they are doing in their lives after foster care. Listen to this provocative interview with Jorge Cornell, a young man the host, Pat O\'Brien, placed for adoption as a 13 year old in 1989. Jorge, also known as \"King J\", is the Head INCA, Leader, and Founder of the North Carolina Almightly Latin Kings & Queens Nation (A.L.K.Q.N). The first half of the interview listen to Jorge\'s foster care and adoption story. He tells of the powerful influence his adoptive mom, Janice Cornell (who passed when he was 18) had on his life. The second half he describes a political movement (he absolutely states that ALKQN is not a gang) he founded in North Carolina to advocate on behalf of oppressed Latinos and Latinas in the State of North Carolina. He speaks of immigration reform, police brutality, and keeping the peace among factioning gangs in North Carolina. It is absolutely an interview worth listening to.
- December 28th, 2008 - Alex, 21, Needs Your Home
Listen to 21 year old Alex. He has a very compelling story about his multiple years in foster care with multiple rejections by multiple families. He still needs a home and he still wants a family. Maybe after you hear this interview you would consider providing one. Anni Keane and Aileen Rosario host this episode of Teen Talk.
- December 21st, 2008 - Helene Timpone
This interview covers two topics. We further here Helene and her daughter Julia\'s story about how the two of them got together when Julia was 16 and Helene was her school social worker. Julia, now 20, was in the mist of a family crisis and Helene took her in temporarily that lead to a permanent lifetime placement. The second half hour Helene brainstorms with Chester Jackson and Pat O\'Brien concerning helping families deal with holiday stress.
- December 14, 2008 - Holiday Stress Support Group Discussion
Listen to this fabulous discussion about holiday stress and what alot of youth and parents go through during this time of year. Denise Royal leads a fabulous support group discussion with adoptive parents of teens Chester Jackson and caller Danielle Skelly. A must listen for anyone who is dealing with holiday stress and childrens\' reactions to the holidays. Also a great listen to learn a new term: learn what a \"drive-by holiday\" means.
- December 7, 2008 - Heather Forbes - Vol 2.
Heather Forbes, author of recently released Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control Vol. 2, spends the hour with us talking about her ideas about raising children with severe behavior difficulties. Ms. Forbes speaks about her parenting ideas with the utmost of passion and if you are having difficulties with your children, you will find her passion infectious. Ms. Forbes will be speaking live here in New York City on April 24, 2009. Anyone who purchases her book can come to the seminar for free. Listen to this preview of what she will be speaking about on April 24th. A must listen, and read, for any parents dealing with severe behaviors.
- November 30, 2008 - Former Foster Mom Adopts 18 yr old and two others
Or we can call this program: My Three Sons. Meet Beth Brucoli, along with her husband Billy Kaiser, who adopted three older teen males. Their first son was adopted at 18. When the family left for Florida when Ryan was 11 they were not allowed to bring him along. When they came back they found out that now, at 17, he needed to be adopted. So they did. When Ryan turned 18 he was legally adopted. Then Beth met a young man named Alex, 17, at a YGB function and hear her very interesting story about how that lead to an adoption. And finally Beth met one of her daughter\'s friends working at an Applebee\'s who was 19 and living in a group home. She is adopting Hector as well. A totally fascinating family. This program was a re-airing of a live program that originally aired on 11/25/07.
- November 23rd, 2008 - School Social Workers Adopting Teens
Listen to this excellent discussion with two school social workers, Nancy Todd and Helene Timpone, discuss how they met the teens they adopted through the course of their work at their respective schools. Nancy worked in the South Bronx and Helene worked in Charlotte North Carolina when they met their respective son, Carl, and daughter, Julie. Julie also joined in on the conversation as well. Lots of issues were discussed including contact with birth families, the adjustment of a single mom whose first child was a 16 year old son, the adjustment of a married mom with a young child when her teen moved in, and lots of interesting subjects. Pat and Chester hosted this program.
- November 16th, 2008 - Why Teens Say "No" To Adoption
A very insightful conversation between Anni Keane, Aileen Rosario, and Chester Jackson about why some teens say they don\'t want to be adopted. Anni and Aileen share their practical experiences working with teens in residential treatment centers and group homes about what they hear teens say about their reasons for not wanting to be adopted. Then Anni and Aileen share their thoughts about how professionals should address teens who say they do not want to be adopted.
- November 9th, 2008 - Support Group About Relationship
Listen to this interesting conversation between Denise, Chester, and Pat about the importance of relationship in every part of healing our families and children. A great discussion on the importance of relationship as it relates to medication and treatment. Also, Denise and Chester share their personal stories about how they came to adopt teenagers.
- November 2nd, 2008 - Gay Couple "Adopts" Teen from Florida
Couple Armondo Arevalo-Mignone and Joe Mignone share their experience making a lifetime commitment to a youth from the State of Florida. Their son, Stephen, turns 18 in early November and when that happens the couple will be free to adopt him. Listen to this very interesting story about the journey of a gay couple to provide a lifetime commitment to a very special needs youth from the State of Florida. Pat O\'Brien and Chester Jackson host. Later in program Denise Royal calls in about YGB\'s first class yesterday (Nov 1st) at the LGBT Community Center.
- October 26th, 2008 - Teen Talk, Adopting Teen Moms
Anni Keane and Aileen Rosario interview Chester Jackson and, later in the hour, his daughter Eboney Wright-Simmons about issues of adopting teens who are raising babies. Chester became a grand father when Eboney, at 15, had a baby. Chester shares some of his faulty parenting techniques around the time of Eboney\'s pregnancy and he shares with the audience, with 20/20 hindsight, what he could have done a lot better. This was an interesting discussion all around about the importance of teen moms needing permanent parents and how these parents can best help their daughters raise their very young children.
- October 12th, 2008 - Support Group
Today\'s support group offers good advice about how YGB families can interact better with foster care agency staff after their teens are placed with them. This discussion also offers advice to foster care agencies about how best to serve our families and how to better support them after their youths move into their new homes. We also engage in a discussion about how important it is for parents to be involved with the things their teens are learning when they receive Independent Living skills development training and support.
- September 28th, 2008 - Teen Talk w/ Dr. Bryan Post
Please listen to this engaging discussion our hosts Anni Keane and Aileen Rosario had with Dr. Bryan Post. The young ladies attended a presentation Dr. Post did at You Gotta Believe the previous Friday and they had a whole host of questions for him about his world view on effectively parenting children with severe behaviors without pushing consequences, punishments, or controlling behaviors upon them. This was a great discussion and if you enjoy listening to Dr. Post, you will enjoy this interview he submitted to with these young co-host, both of whom grew up as teenagers in the foster care system.
- September 21st, 2008 - Johnny Madrid
Listen to this wonderful interview with guest Johnny Madrid, a 27 year old man who entered foster care after his mother past away at age 11. During his seven years in the foster care system Johnny spent time in 19 different foster homes. Johnny, nonetheless, graduated from Stamford College and works on Wall Street as a Vice President of a major brokeage firm. Johnny founded an organization called fosterfocus.org which is a program that helps youth in foster care who are in their Freshman and Sophomore years of high school focus on the skills they will need to succeed in college.
- September 14th, 2008 - Denise Royal & Mary Chancie
This week, our monthly support group meeting, Denise Royal and Mary Chancie speak about the importance of taking care of oneself during times of difficulties and stresses with one\'s children. Denise, Mary, and Chester speak of some of the ways they took extra care of themselves when they were going through troubling times with their adolescents.
- September 7th, 2008 - Author Heather Forbes
Today\'s guest is Heather Forbes, the co-author of Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control. The discussion with Heather starts out concerning a blog entry she had written about a Minnesota woman who tried to kill her two adopted 11 year olds. Heather noted in her blog that sometimes a parent\'s \"unfinished business\" can lead to horrible behavior such as this woman\'s. Then Heather shares some of her \"Beyond Consequences\" ideas in other parenting situations as well. This interview was an excellent discussion that all parents can benefit greatly from listening to. Pat and Chester host.
- August 31st, 2008 - Briana, at 18, Adopted by her Boss
A fabulous interview that first aired on 10/14/2007, with a wonderful family, Linda & Fred Tartaglione and their newly adopted daughter, Briana, 18. Briana started to work in a local vet because she loved animals so much. Fred was a manager in the store. When Fred found out Briana needed to be adopted, he told his wife and the three of them made it happen. Listen to their great story hosted by Pat O\'Brien and Chester Jackson.
- August 24th, 2008 - Teen Talk with Anthony Brunson
Listen to this very interesting interview that Anni Keane & Aileen Rosario conducted with Anthony Brunson, 23, who was in foster care for a period of his childhood, and then aged out on his own even before he was 18. Reflecting back, Anthony speaks to the importance of getting teens and older teens a family ... something he just received very recently himself.
- August 17th, 2008 - Camp Resilience with Joseph Toles
Enjoy this informative interview with Joseph Toles the Founder and Director of the Joseph Toles Foundation. Mr. Toles spent his entire childhood in foster care. He has a powerful story of success to tell and this interview is well worth listening to just for his inspiring story. However, in addition, Mr. Toles has started a summer camp for youth who are, or were, in foster care and who are now between the ages of 12 and 18 --- a summer camp population that is completely underserved. He\'ll be sharing the story about why he had started the camp and perhaps give you the inspiration to have a child you know go to Camp Resilience next summer.
- August 10th, 2008 - Dealing with Birthparents of Older Teens
Listen to this great support group discussion about birthparents reinvolving themselves in our kids lives as they are turning 18, or after they have turned 18. Denise Royal speaks to her experiences with her daughters\' birthparents and caller, Joan Siegel, does the same. One of the big issued discussed is helping their children deal with the disappointment when their daughters\' birthparents didn\'t follow through on promises made. An interesting discussion hosted by Pat O\'Brien and Chester Jackson.
- August 3rd, 2008 - Doris Laurenceau
Listen to this great reflective interview with Doris Laurenceau a woman who grew up in foster care, got adopted unsuccessfully as a teen, became Director of Permanency at a residential treatment center and advocates very strongly for the adoption of teens, and she, herself, will be adopted again in the near future in her mid-thirties. Doris personifies the statement that \"one is never too old to be adopted.\" She also speaks to the power and importance of having an adoptive mom who she did not even meet until she was a grown adult who helped her get through a very difficult divorce. This was a re-airing of a teen talk episode hosted by Anni Keane and Aileen Rosario that originally aired in late February of 2008.
- July 27th, 2008 - Rev. Bart Fletcher & Spiritual Growth Pare
This program offers a great conversation in the area of giving the pain sometimes parents go through with their children some deeper meaning in a spiritual context. The Rev. Bart Fletcher, himself an adoptive father of 12 children and a United Methodist Minister, speaks to the great spiritual growth parenting difficult children can bring to any parent who stays committed to his or her child. Pat O\'Brien hosts.
- July 20, 2008 - Shanese Colon, 18, Needs A Home.
Another great \"Teen Talk\" interview by Anni Keane and Aileen Rosario. Meet Shanese Colon: A high school graduate and college Freshman. She\'s been in foster care since infancy and has had 20 foster home placements, one RTC placement, and one group shelter placement over the past 17 years. She was placed for adoption at age 5 and abandoned by her adoptive parents at age 8. She speaks about her fear of family and her need to move on. Both Shanese and Anni have a sad \"addicted to moving\" conversation about how they even feel discomfort when they stay in one location for too long. Despite her skepticism about people\'s motives who want to adopt teens, Shanese says she continues to long for a family that will have patience with her. She is tired of her foster agency having to find temporary homes to \"plop\" her in during holiday and summer breaks. She wants a real family who will understand that she needs time to adjust to a setting where she will not have to move again. Shanese is an extraordinarily intelligent, insightful, and mature young lady who will make some prospective permanent or adoptive parent proud to call her \"daughter\" someday.
- July 13, 2008 - Denise Royal on Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control
Listen to this radio support group with Denise Royal, Pat O\'Brien, Chester Jackson, and call-in parent Craig Allen speak about the Bryan Post book \"Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control.\" A very interesting discussion about a book that aims to help families cope better with their children\'s difficult behaviors.
- July 6th, 2008 - The Craig & Zola Allen Story
Listen to this great interview sharing a very unique love story about how one of our YGB families met, feel in love, and got married. Then, after having been married 15 years had their first child, Teddy (a/k/a Yung Fresh), who moved in when he was 18 years old. In addition there is great music including the songs \"Wildboy\" and \"Ultimate High\" from the Album The Two Masters. Ultimate High is the story of how Craig & Zola met. During the second half of this broadcast Craig and Zola\'s first son, Teddy, has a few words to share as we debut his first rap song \"G-G-G-Jesus.\" This interview is an encore presentation that first aired in March of 2007.
- June 29, 2008 - Craig & Jarius Rap, LGBT Parade Update, Response to e-mail
Today\'s program starts off with ACS\'s LGBT Coordinator, Rudy Estrada, calling in to share his thoughts about today\'s Gay Pride parade where over 50 people marched under the LGBT Foster Care Coalition banner. Then Craig Allen and his 14 year old foster son Jarius perform a wonderful Holy Hip Hop rap that Jarius wrote himself about never giving up. Then Chester, Craig, and Pat respond to an e-mail from a woman in California who was having a hard time with the young adult student she is mentoring and his constant lying.
- June 22, 2008 - Teen Talk about Sex
Anni Keane hosts and leads a discussion on what adoptive parents need to know about teens having sex as well as providing information to teens themselves about sex. It is an informative discussion for all. Chester Jackson co-hosts.
- June 15, 2008 - Father\'s Day Panel
This special Father\'s Day panel features four dads Mark Goldman, Terrance Skelly, Stephen McCall, and Chester Jackson speaking about a variety of issues about being adoptive fathers. A great listen highlighting the importance of father\'s in our childrens\' lives. Pat O\'Brien hosts.
- June 8, 2008 - Dr. Bryan Post on Lying and Aggression
Today\'s program is an interview with Dr. Bryan Post concerning issues about why kids lie and why kids get aggressive. Chester and Pat start the program off with a discussion about a New York Times article in today\'s Sunday metro section concerning moving kids from group homes into families.
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