Many agency workers who serve the foster care community choose this path out of a passion for helping others. But transitioning into this challenging career can often be a very overwhelming experience. Even when workers are doing their best, they can start to feel like they’re not doing enough and that they don’t have a support system to fall back on in their times of need.
Brian Gazdziak is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker as well as a foster and adoptive dad. He has spent years providing specialized mental health therapy to help people, such as those in the foster care community, cope with life challenges. As someone who has experienced foster care from the perspective of both an agency worker and a foster parent, Brian has unique insights and empathy surrounding the topic of these complex relationships.
In this episode, Brian shares what it’s like to work with children and families in a hands-on capacity, how churches can provide much-needed support to foster care workers, how to build a better relationship with case workers, and so much more.
Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/brian-gazdziak-226/
Join Team 3:10: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/team310
Fan Favorite: Traditional Parenting vs. Trauma-Informed Parenting (w/ Kristin Berry)
Fan Favorite: Finding the “Perfect” Time to Foster or Adopt (w/ Jason Johnson)
Episode 248: Learning the Language of a Child’s Brain (w/ Cherilyn Orr)
Episode 247: No One Ever Ages Out of Needing Care (w/ Jessica Cawthorn)
Episode 246: Leaning on Community as a Single Foster Parent (w/ Emma Finton)
Episode 245: When You Feel Unlovable (w/ Sheena Wood)
Episode 244: Finding Security & Identity as an Adoptee (w/ Trisha Priebe)
Episode 243: Uncovering Your Story as a Former Foster Child (w/ Dr. Mary Ann McMillan)
Episode 242: Defining Success in the Hard Moments of Foster Parenting (w/ Nate and Kristen Crew)
Episode 241: Cultivating Independence and Belonging for Teens (w/ Chandler James)
Episode 240: Combining Word and Deed to Provide Belonging (w/ Dr. Krish Kandiah)
Episode 239: Trauma-Informed Sleep Principles (w/ Allison Ezell)
Episode 238: Making the Hard Decision to Stop Being a Foster Parent (w/ Lisa Robertson)
Episode 237: Foster Care & Baseball (w/ Emily Cole)
Episode 236: Navigating the Complexity of Court (w/ Judge Brian Goldrick)
Episode 235: Supporting & Serving TFI Advocates (w/ Jody Vanderburg & Liz Archambault)
Episode 234: Finding Forever Families for Every Child (w/ Kaycee Stanley)
Episode 233: You Don't Have to Foster to Care (w/ Maddie Box)
Episode 232: Advocating for Children in Foster Care as CASAs (w/ Travis & Stephanie Johnson)
Episode 231: Lessons from a 30-Year Career in Social Work (w/ Carmen Nance)
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