Fostering Change Podcast | Episode 184 | All Star Children’s Foundation

On today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer interviews Dr. Kristin Hoffman, Ph.D., Chief Program Officer and Child Psychologist and Chelsea Hernandez, LCSW, Clinical Director of the All Star Children’s Foundation.

The All Star Children’s Foundation, based in Sarasota, Florida uses a trauma-focused approach to improving the experiences of and outcomes among children and families involved in the foster care system. They have a foster care campus, home to youth in foster care and their caregivers, and an onsite clinical services center where they offer evidence-based treatment, wrap-around supports, and trainings to the child welfare community emphasizing an understanding of trauma using a “trauma informed lens”.

When children enter foster care, they are not always automatically enrolled into a type of treatment or therapy. Children in child welfare that are referred for mental health services may never receive direct trauma-focused treatment until much later in life. All Star Children’s Foundation believes treating the trauma experienced by the children and their families is crucial to move toward healing by promoting resilience, psychological safety, and stability.

Rob shares with Kristin and Chelsea that “the moment a child enters the system, they should receive some form of therapy.” They discuss how their campus was developed to create a “lasting change” by working systematically with a child, their caregivers, and the support services provided to them the moment they enter care to make them feel safe, loved, and capable.

The All Star Children’s Foundation is also planning their first “State of the Mind Conference” to help the community understand trauma and how it affects everyone around. There will be many speakers on hand, including Rob! For more information about the conference, please visit: www.stateofmind.org

We know you’ll find today’s discussion full of useful and insightful information. Please leave us a comment, and share with your friends and colleagues.

For more information about the All Star Children’s Foundation, please visit:

Website: www.allstarchildren.org

For more information about Comfort Cases, please visit: https://comfortcases.org

Comments? Questions? Guest Suggestions? Please send them to: info@comfortcases.org