Hello!
In my free time, I am usually at the race track, dance studio, or looking for a new place to explore. I travel as much as possible. I have four children with a large gap in age, so I get the best of both worlds when I it comes to activities. I enjoy doing sports and traveling with my older children and reading and playing with my younger children. For my own hobbies, I enjoy gardening, traveling, and sports. To relax and de-stress I enjoy reading and research. I review biomedical research studies for an Institutional Review Board, It takes my mind off other things.
My Story
I graduated from Ball State University. I have worked with youth and families in mental health, the child welfare system, the juvenile justice system, and education in various capacities for almost 20 years. I first started volunteering families receiving mental health treatment and involved in child welfare. I went on to advocate for child welfare policies on local, state, and national for several years. After working with youth and families through my local education system, a licensed placing agency, and a mental health agency, I moved to the front lines of child welfare. During my time in child welfare, I worked across the state and assisted in neighboring states. In my last couple of years in child welfare, I had the opportunity to assist with policy review and development. I worked with the state’s first-ever RJEI team and contributed to the development of racial justice, equity, and inclusion policies, training curriculum, and data review. In 2022, I transitioned to wraparound services. Shortly after, I also became a CASA and a board member of the Anderson Education Foundation. I was brought to Wraparound due to experiencing it within the child welfare system, juvenile system, and the mental health system. I have seen and experienced the barriers our youth and families face. The most effective approach to youth and families is being strength based and being able to look at situations and events through a trauma informed lens. I am a strong advocate for pulling families out of the water upstream. I love that wraparound is all about family voice and choice. Our families know themselves better than anyone and their voices are powerful. The most inspiring facet about being a Wraparound Facilitator is that long term change is possible, and getting to see youth and families become empowered for their own success is inspirational. I am strengths based and will find often find the positive in every situation to bring families and teams together. I am resourceful and work to connect with communities and stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes for youth and families.