It’s been an exciting year at Chosen. In 2022, we…
Updated Our Mission and Vision
To meet the needs of the current child welfare climate.
Created a Program for At-Risk Youth
To serve vulnerable teens and young adults who are living without families, because of a generous gift from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation.
Launched Foster Care Alumni Program
Tailored to meet the needs of youth who turn eighteen while in foster care, thanks to our valuable partnership with For Others.
OUTREACH SPOTLIGHT
Arlene Veazey Scholarship Fund
What can a single gift do? Put simply, a lot. After receiving an anonymous $80,000 legacy gift in honor of Arlene’s life, we immediately put it to work as a scholarship fund. Arlene was a life-long champion for children and part of our Chosen community for a decade. Thanks to this generous contribution, we’re now serving children who would otherwise not have access to the care they so desperately need.
It’s time to disrupt the cycle
When children experience abuse and neglect, the trauma stays with them. Depression and anxiety can last a lifetime — and unhealthy behaviors get passed down to the next generation. Cycles of unhealed trauma create broken families. And broken families lead to unhealthy communities.
80%
Up to 80% of foster children will be diagnosed with psychiatric disorders in their lifetimes.
5x
Youth who turn 18 while in foster care experience post-traumatic stress that’s 5x higher than the general population.
66k
At least 66,000 adoptions in the U.S. failed between 2008 and 2020.
The reality is, we’re all wired for connections.
By helping victims create healthy relational connections, our programs interrupt the cycle of trauma-related behaviors.While the child welfare system traditionally focuses on physical safety, we take a different approach. By shifting the focus to mental and behavioral well-being, Chosen puts families on the path of healing — together.
"No other professional has ever connected with my daughter like Chosen does. My goal every day is to be able to do what you do."
Connections help heal the heart.
Hurting children heal when they attach to a safe, loving caregiver. That’s why Chosen provides behavioral health services to everyone impacted by child welfare. Our clinical programs help children and teens create lasting connections with their caregivers. And we empower caregivers with proven tools and strategies. Foster and adoptive parents, reunited birth families, at-risk older teens, and close relatives are all welcomed with open arms.
83%
78%
25%
Heart healing takes place when those who’ve experienced trauma intersect with Chosen.
Healthy relationships are essential. But when those connections are broken during a child’s formative years, deep hurt follows. Chosen puts families on the path to healing by being:
Relational.
Our work is not transactional but truly transformational. By helping children form healthy connections, healing begins.
Relentless.
Our team does whatever it takes to equip families with the tools they need to overcome abuse, neglect, grief, and loss.
Restorative.
Our services help restore connections within healthy relationships. Connected families help shape healthy communities.
CORE VALUES
Faith is the foundation of everything we do.
Service
Excellence
Compassion
Integrity
Stewardship
CORE VALUES
Faith is the foundation of everything we do.
Service
Excellence
Compassion
Integrity
Stewardship
100%
of families WHO CAME to
Chosen in 2022 stayed together
Chosen in 2022 stayed together
1,823
Individuals
SERVED
402
FAMILIES SERVED
750
YOUTH SERVED
“Chosen gave me practical strategies to support our foster daugther's challenges. Because of this, I felt heard and supported.”
Programs for caregivers
Chosen’s programming guides caregivers on how to make connections that heal the heart. From 1:1 coaching and trauma education to clinical assessments and crisis support, we offer a full range of proven practices to provide exactly what each family needs to thrive. Our tailored programs include:
FOSTERING CONNECTION
for foster families
ADDY
for parents of adopted children
RISE
for parents who are reunified with birth children after they were removed
FAMILY TIES
for grandparents, aunts, uncles and other kin caregivers raising relative children
Chosen programs create connections so real healing can happen
89%
of youth who experienced a psychiatric stay did not return to the hospital after coming to Chosen.
62%
of children and teens had decreased levels of anxiety after participating in a Chosen program.
“Your program has changed my perspective on being a parent. I’m not the same person as I was a year ago.”
20,000
youth left foster care in 2020
without a family to call home
Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Programs for teens and young adults
While the goal of foster care is for every child to have a home, that doesn’t always happen. Thousands of teens are living in group settings, treatment centers, and even hotels. And they’re at risk for becoming adults without healthy family ties. Chosen provides services specifically for this at-risk population. Our customized programs include:
ADAYA
for at-risk teens who are displaced from their family
LAUNCH
for foster care alumni who exit the system without family connections.
The HALO project
an eight-week curriculum run by licensed professionals to help people replace shame with self-worth
TBRI®: Trust-Based Relational Intervention
designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable teens
The Seven Life Domains Framework
which helps foster youth address significant challenges as they transition to adulthood
+ Clinical assessments, weekly coaching, and more.
50%
of the kinship caregivers we serve have histories of significant childhood trauma in their past. Chosen’s clinical programs help them heal, too.
Clinical offerings
Not all therapy is created equal. At Chosen, we’ve hand selected tools that are backed by science and focus on healing from grief and loss. Each one is rooted inattachment theory so our clinical staff can focus on creating healthy connections.
From trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy to dyadic developmental psychotherapy, our practitioners pull from a variety of evidence-based practices.
Each service is tailored to help families heal and thrive together. And we’ll do whatever it takes to achieve family restoration.
Here are some of the tools we offer:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
“I've been a foster parent for 15 years and this is the best training I've ever received.”
Training programs
Creating connections between youth and the people who care for them is crucial. Which is why we’re so passionate about sharing knowledge with other professionals.
Live Online Trianing
Online programs give organizations freedom to train at their preferred pace, wherever they are.
Continuing Education
We offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to providers looking to expand their knowledge and gain new skills.
Custom Training
Training programs can be tailored based on an organization’s specific needs and challenges.
TRAINING SPOTLIGHT
Making trauma-informed care accessible to everyone.
TBRI®: Trust-Based Relational Intervention is widely considered the gold standard for parenting children who have experienced trauma. Our TBRI® practitioners are all eager to provide training to others who serve children and teens.
This highly-sought after training equips professionals, clinicians, and parents with techniques that help turn around challenging behaviors.
In 2022, Chosen provided more than 3,200 hours of TBRI® Training.
A look back...
The idea for Chosen was first conceived at the start line of a half marathon back in 2008. Our founder’s burning question
was “What if we had a race that benefitted children who needed homes and thosewho might never be adopted?” Thus, the
Chosen Marathon was birthed. Over the next several years, one race became fifteen
races across multiple states.
Through the races, more than $1 million dollars were invested in 388 adoptions and 91 orphan care projects. This incredible
work was done almost exclusively through the sacrificial service of volunteers.
While worthy of celebration, we recognized that “happily ever after” was often a fantasy once adoptions were completed.
We witnessed the aftermath of trauma that was wreaking havoc on families to the point of utter breakdown. Children were
being returned to the system. Our hearts were burdened afresh, which led to an organizational evolution.
In 2015, we made a strategic move to shift programming towards the long term support necessary to preserve families and help children heal. What began as a pilot program for 25 clients has exploded over the past 7 years to now serving more than 1,800 clients with a full service array.
Now with both in-person and telehealth options available, our sprint to reach the hurting continues.
Thanks to the generous support of our partners and donors, Chosen continues to expand to provide care across the country.
1,823
CLIENTS SERVED
771
CAREGIVERS SERVED
24
STATES SERVED
On the horizon. What’s ahead for 2023?
Intern Program
For the past 5 years, social work and counseling interns have been an important part of our work. To ensure even more professionals receive handson training, we’re dedicating an entire program to interns in 2023. Our goal is simple: help the next generation learn best-in-class practices.
Culture Building
As we continue to grow, culture has never been more important. For this reason, we’ve created learning tracks to help our team and expand their biblical literacy and embody our core values. Tracks include leadership coaching and training for new managers.
Training For Partners
This coming year will also include more trauma-informed education for our partners and professionals. We’re focused specifically on residential treatment and hospital staff who work with vulnerable populations.
Board and Staff Retreat
Our remote team will gather in person for a multi-day learning retreat. We’re pouring into our team as we kick-off growth opportunities for the year ahead.Connection, fun and renewed vision is on tap.
