Post Adoption Staff

WHFC has established a group of specialists, the WHFC Post Adoption team, to offer clinical and program support to local families. Each member of the team has extensive expertise in several of the following areas:

• Post placement counseling for all members of the adoption triad, including:
  • Birth parents - issues related to grief, loss and adjustment
  • Adoptive parents - issues related to adjustment and talking with children about adoption
  • Adopted adults - issues related to search and reunion
• Facilitating birth family/adoptee search and reunion
• Information and resources for homeland tours

Pat Hoopes, MSW, LICSW
Director of Clinical Services

Pat has over 20 years of experience in both domestic and international adoption. In her current role, she oversees the clinical staff in their work both preparing prospective adoptive families for the life-long journey, as well as counseling expectant parents during their decision-making. Pat also facilitates clinical training and education for our overseas partners. She speaks at local and national post adoption conferences attended by professionals and members of the adoption triad. Pat received an MSW from Simmons College. An avid traveler and photographer, Pat has accompanied many WHFC family groups as they first meet their children; and later in the adoption journey as families travel on a homeland tour.

Betsey Barrett, MSW, LCSW
Korea Program Manager & Post Adoption Counselor

Betsey has been in social work for over 20 years, initially working with at-risk children and families and later counseling children in an outpatient mental health center and schools. She joined WHFC in 1994 as a birth parent counselor and family social worker. Since 1998, Betsey has managed the Korea program, one of the agency's longest running programs. Her post adoption expertise focuses on facilitating birth family and adoptee search and reunions. Additionally, Betsey has traveled with families on homeland tours to Korea and India; and has accompanied WHFC's China adoption travel groups.

Contact Betsey:
Phone: 781.419.0338
Email: bbarrett@whfc.org

Lisa Lovett, MSW, LICSW
Program Manager, Africa Programs
Central Office, Waltham, MA

Adoption has played an integral part in both Lisa’s personal and professional life. Growing up in a blended multi-racial family led to her lifelong interest in race and adoption. Prior to her work at WHFC, her experience includes working with families and children in the foster care system in the United States.

Lisa received her Masters Degree in Social Work in 1994 from the University of Texas in Arlington and joined the staff of WHFC in 1996. For ten years, she worked with families adopting through a variety of international programs. In 2008, she became a Program Manager with the Africa Team at WHFC. Ethiopia is one of the most open international adoption programs with many birth and adoptive families maintaining contact with one another. Through this component of her work, she has worked with many adoptive families in the years after their placement. She enjoys seeing these children as they grow up and helping adoptive families with developmental challenges and questions that come up years after their adoption.

Contact Lisa:
Phone: 781.419.0358
Email: llovett@whfc.org