Our Folks – Board

Elementary School Teacher (retired)

Education and social work background. Family Focus agency founder; volunteer, former part-time employee; adoptive parent

Office Administrator, Berkshire Hathaway Home Service Florida Network Realty

Has worked in Child Welfare for almost 20 years in both New York and Florida, and for the last 6 years responsible for recruitment, training, and licensing of foster parents. Many years experience in foster care and adoption case management, as well as trainer for prospective case managers

Medical Social Worker, McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center

MSW, LMSW. Specializes in trauma, foster care, and adoptions (20 years experience). In private practice, specializes in private adoption home studies, independent contracting, strategic planning, child welfare consults, clinical work with foster/adoptive/kinship care and recruitment (10 years experience). Currently working as a medical social worker at Upstate, Healthy Steps Specialist and training as the child abuse coordinator at McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy center. BA in Sociology/Criminology

Family Focus Adoption Services (retired)

MSW, LCSW. 26 years at Family Focus, mainly as Social Work Supervisor; Prior social work experience in foster care, adoption, and special education; BA in Social Work and Spanish

Senior Director Customer Experience and Strategy, Macy’s, New York, NY

Retail Leader with 25 years of experience in customer service and selling industry. Skilled in developing strategic solutions that generate sales and profit. A proud adoptive parent through Family Focus with first-hand knowledge of the processes and steps of adopting from foster care. Adoptive parent

Clinician, Northeast Parent and Child Society (Northern Rivers) Schaffer Children’s Shelter.

LMSW. 8 years in the substance abuse field as therapist and detox coordinator; 22 years as clinician coordinating/completing diagnostic evaluations on children in a shelter/group home type setting, and developing recommendations based on the children’s needs, including permanency, placement, and support.

Psychotherapist/Psychoanalyst

MA, MSW, LCSW-R. Currently in private practice; decades of experience working with families with special needs children, in educational and social services settings, including: St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf, Samuel Field Y Special Services School, New York Foundling Hospital, Kennedy Child Study Center, Volunteers of America, and the Jewish Board for Family and Children’s Services.

Clinical Director, Andrus Children’s Center

LCSW, MSW. Post-Graduate Certificate in Treatment of Interpersonal Trauma; Social worker at Andrus since 2000. Ten years at Four Winds Hospital

ASQ CQA/CQE/CMQ-OE

Project Consultant at RQM+ providing guidance and hands-on support to ensure clients meet their quality and compliance needs and goals. Total twenty-one (21) years of experience in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, packaging components, and clinical trial software, at both the site and corporate level in various Quality roles. Adoptee. Previous employee of Family Focus. Past volunteer for social organizations including TRUE Center, Miry’s List, and Habitat for Humanity.