Show Notes
“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” -Psalm 107:28-29
Welcome to The Adoption & Foster Care Journey—a podcast to encourage, educate and equip you as you care for children in crisis through adoption, foster care and kinship care.
On this episode, host Sandra Flach continues the foster care conversation with foster and adoptive mom and FASD expert, Dr. Ryan Jolly.
Dr. Jolly is a Kansas-based psychiatric nurse practitioner and nationally recognized advocate focused on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. As the founder of Brain First Family Center, she leads a specialized clinic dedicated to the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of FASD and related neurodevelopment conditions, with a strong commitment to Medicaid access and eliminating long waitlists for vulnerable families.
Ryan’s advocacy is grounded in both clinical expertise and lived experience as a single foster and adoptive parent to children with FASD and complex brain-based disabilities. Utilizing her role as a Doctor of Nursing Practice she engages in research to advance understanding of brain-based differences, trauma-informed systems of care, and increase recognition of FASD within child welfare and education systems. Dr. Jolly strives to reimagine systems of care to ensure all individuals are supported to thrive within families and communities rather than being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or institutionalized.
Listen in to Sandra’s conversation with Dr. Ryan Jolly on Episode 531 wherever you get your podcasts.
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Links mentioned in this episode: See Available Trainings The Adoption & Foster Care Journey AFCJ on YouTube justicefororphansny.org justicefororphansny.org/hope-community Email: [email protected] sandraflach.com Soul Care Saturday—52 Devotions for Foster and Adoptive Moms Orphans No More—A Journey Back to the Father book on Amazon FASD United Brain First Family Center
More from The Adoption & Foster Care Journey
“Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever..” -Psalm 23:6
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” -1 Thessalonians 5:11
“This is what the Lord Almighty said, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.” -Zechariah 7:9 This episode continues our FASD Awareness Month series with special guest, foster and adoptive mom, Rebecca Ciesielski. After years of searching for answers, Rebecca’s child received an FASD diagnosis at age eight. Along the way, she discovered the FASCETS Neurobehavioral Approach and began viewing challenging behaviors through a brain-based lens—recognizing differences in processing, regulation, memory, and inconsistent performance and responding with appropriate accommodations and support. That shift was so impactful that Rebecca eventually became a certified FASCETS facilitator and now serves as president of the Texas FASD Network, helping educate, encourage, and advocate for families and professionals in Texas. If you’re parenting or supporting someone with FASD, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that when we understand the brain differently, we can respond differently. Listen in as Rebecca shares her FASD story on episode 552 of The Adoption & Foster Care Journey podcast. Links mentioned in this episode: FASDUnited.org Texas FASD Network Free Breath Prayer Download See Available Trainings AFCJ on YouTube justicefororphansny.org justicefororphansny.org/hope-community Email: [email protected] sandraflach.com Soul Care Saturday—52 Devotions for Foster and Adoptive Moms Orphans No More—A Journey Back to the Father book on Amazon
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'” -Isaiah 52:7
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” -Psalm 139:13-14