The choice to adopt or foster a child is an important one to make. OKDHS constantly strives to provide our prospective and current Bridge Resource Families for fostering and adoption with all the information about the children that are in state custody and the OKDHS process, including useful information about child care, financial assistance, and support groups.
Bridge Orientation
Bridge Orientation provides the Resource Parent with an overview of the Bridge Program. This course is for you if you would like to know:
- What it is like to adopt or foster a child in Oklahoma
- Why adopting and fostering children is important
- How you can be a Bridge Resource.
Post-Adoptive Toolkit
You don’t have to go it alone! The Post-Adoptive Toolkit is a short online tool that explains many of the resources available to adoptive families in Oklahoma. These include Support Groups, Mental Health and Respite Services, Adoptive Couple Retreats, a section of Frequently Asked Questions, and many more topics.
OKDHS Learning Management System
The following courses are available through the OKDHS Learning Management System (LMS). You will need to create an account in the LMS to access this training. Select that you are a Foster/Adoptive Parent. Use your contract number as your User ID and create a password that you will remember. Creating an account in the LMS allows the system to keep track of what courses you have completed and allows you to “return where I left off” when you have to quit a course before completing it.
After creating an account and logging into the LMS click the Online Courses button at the top of the page. The Online Course Menu will display. Click the name of the course you wish to complete. The courses are listed under the Foster Parent Video Assessments.
If you have trouble accessing the LMS or these courses please contact the Help Desk at help@oucpm.org or 405-325-6257, 8am-5am, Monday through Friday. Outside the OKC Metro area call 866-237-2127.
Psychotropic Medications
Children and adolescents who have been removed from their homes are at-risk for developing behavioral health issues, such as depression, anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and other related conditions.
There is a possibility that a child taking a prescription medication for depression, anxiety, a chemical imbalance, or a behavioral issue may be placed in your care. There is also a possibility that you may notice signs that a child in your care may need to be evaluated for a behavioral condition.
In this course, you will be introduced to some of the most common psychotropic medications prescribed to children, as well as the side effects of these medications and common symptoms of conditions that are sometimes treated with psychotropic medications.
Visits: A Guide for Bridge Resource Parents
Visits between children and their families are the single most predictive factor in whether children will successfully reunite with the family. Visits also help children cope with the trauma of separation from their families, and offer numerous benefits to the child, the child’s family, and the Bridge Resource Parents.
In this course, you will learn all about family visits:
- What are visits?
- How children react emotionally to visits and separation from their families
- Safety precautions and other considerations in planning visits
- How Bridge Resource Parents may participate in visits
Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Bridge Resource Parents
Many children in out-of-home care have lived through traumatic experiences. Children bring their traumas with them wherever they go. For some children, the trauma is so severe it affects nearly every aspect of their lives
In this course, you will learn how trauma affects children emotionally, physically, and psychologically, and how to adopt a “trauma-informed care” approach to working with children to give them the support they need.
Legal Processes for Bridge Resource Parents
In this course, Bridge Resource Parents will learn about:
- The various court hearings and other legal matters involved in deprived child proceedings
- Bridge Resource Parents’ rights in the legal process
- How Bridge Resource Parents may have an influence in court decisions
A Resource Parents’ Guide to Their Contract and Handbook
To officially become a Bridge Resource Parent, you will be asked to sign a “Fixed Rate Foster Care Contract” – a legal contract between you and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services stating the terms and expectations of your role as a Bridge Resource Parent.
This guide will assist you in understanding key points in the contract, as well as provide an overview of the Bridge Resource Family Handbook, an important resource for almost everything you need to know about being a Bridge Resource Parent.