RESUME
MAUREEN STAUNTON HEFFERNAN
521 S. Francis Street
Kent, Ohio 44240
(330)
678-1922
EDUCATION
1985 Case Western Reserve University, School of
Applied Social
Sciences:
Master of Science in Social Administration
1976 Kent State University:
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1996-present Social Service Consultant and Trainer
Independent practice offering program planning and
development, administrative and case consultation, grant writing, expert legal
testimony, small and large group training, staff coaching, and technical
assistance. Particular expertise in child
welfare, permanency planning and special needs adoption.
1996-present Case Western
Reserve University, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Cleveland, Ohio
Adjunct instructor, teaching graduate level Family
and Child Policy and Community-Based Practice courses. Previously
coordinated collaborative
adoptive family assessment project; field instructor for graduate
students.
2001-2002 Beech Brook
Cleveland,
OH
Director, Spaulding Adoption
Program. Responsible for all aspects of management for special needs adoption
program, including administrative, fiscal, supervisory, and program functions.
1999-2001 Family Builders Adoption
Network, Inc.
Executive Director (part-time/contract basis) of
national organization of specialized adoption agencies and programs. Responsible for implementation of interstate
adoption program, membership services and development, fund raising and
administrative activities.
1998 -2000 Voice For Adoption
Washington, DC
Coordinator of
membership and administrative activities for nationally
based public policy organization (part-time/contract
position).
1983-1996 Northeast Ohio Adoption Services
Warren, Ohio
1994-1996 Interim Director, responsible
for overall agency management, including fiscal, development, personnel,
program and planning functions. Liaison with Board of Trustees, funding sources
and consumer organizations. (Shared
position on co-director basis from 12/94-10/95.)
1990 - 1996 Program Director with
administrative responsibility for special needs adoption services, including
management, planning, and supervisory activities; agency licensing and
certifications; grant writing; limited direct client services.
1983 - 1989 Previous positions within the
agency include Adoption Supervisor (1985-1989), and part-time Adoption Worker
(1983-1985).
1985-1987 Family & Community Services of Catholic Charities
Kent, Ohio
Marriage and Family Therapist (part-time).
Individual, marital and family treatment
1977 - 1983 Portage
County Welfare Department
Ravenna, Ohio
Social Service Worker III. Responsibilities included
case management, permanency planning, and counseling with children in foster
care and their families including foster and adoptive parents. Direct service,
referrals, and maintenance of legal and administrative documentation.
1976 - 1977 Portage
County Employment and Training Administration Ravenna, Ohio
Program Director, Counselor. Work-experience and
training programs for adolescent and young adult service recipients. Supervised
supportive services component.
TRAINING PROVIDED
1985 - Present Training and consultation
provided in child welfare, mental health and university settings on topics
including preparation of children for adoption, permanency planning, youth
permanency, recruitment, family assessment, placement decisions, post-adoption
services, sibling placement, developmental disabilities, mental health/adoption
issues, and cross system collaboration.
Current Training
Activities:
Ohio Child Welfare Training Program
Frequent
trainer for professionals, foster and adoptive parents. Approved trainer for Foster, Adoptive, Kinship Pre-Service
and Adoption Assessor curricula. Also
deliver specialized sessions on permanency planning, adoption, foster care,
mental health issues, sexual abuse, special education, developmental
disabilities, and advocacy.
Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Department of Children & Family Services
On-going trainer for foster, adoptive, kinship parent pre-service education and
foster/kinship adoption preparation.
Regional & National Training
Frequent
staff development and foster/adoptive parents training sessions; recent
organizations include Every Child, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA) and Beech Brook,
Bellefaire, Cleveland Christian Home, and Options for Families & Youth
(Cleveland, OH).
Many
workshop presentations at local, state and national conferences.
CONSULTATION PROVIDED
1988 - Present Program and case consultation,
grant writing, and expert testimony in
the areas of adoption practice,
permanency planning and child placement-related issues provided to
organizations, courts, and attorneys, within and outside of Ohio.
Recent Consulting Assignments:
Adopt US Kids (federally
funded technical assistance to states)
Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids Project of
Adoption Network Cleveland
Beech Brook (Cleveland, OH)
Casey Family Services (New Haven, CT)
Cuyahoga County Department of Children
and Family Services (Cleveland, OH)
Family Builders Adoption Network
National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption
PUBLICATONS Freundlich, M., Heffernan, M., & Jacobs, J. (2004). Interjurisdictional Placements of
Children in Foster Care. Child
Welfare, 83 (1), 5-28.
Lewis, R. G. & Heffernan, M.S.
(2000). Adolescents and Families for
Life: A Toolkit for Supervisors. Gloucester, MA: High Popples Press.
Lewis, R. G. & Heffernan, M.S.
(2004). Families for Teens: A
Toolkit for Focusing, Educating and Motivating Staff. . Gloucester, MA: High Popples Press.
Sullivan, A. & Freundlich, M., ed. (1998). Special Issue:
Achieving Excellence in Special Needs Adoption.
Child Welfare, 78 (5). Peer Reviewer for special issue of
journal.
INVITED National Youth Permanence Convening, sponsored by the
California Permanency PARTICIPANT for Youth Project, 2003 and 2004.
Expert Meeting on Permanence for Older Youth,
co-sponsored by the National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning
and Casey Family Services, 2004.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS/ACTIVITIES
Current Family Builders Adoption Network. Member, Board of Directors.
Ohio Family Care
Association (state-wide foster/adoptive/kinship parent organization). Member, Board of Directors; Co-Chair,
Adoption Issues Committee.
.
Ohio Adoption Planning Group.
State-wide resource, networking, and
advocacy organization. Co-Chair.
Past The Arc of Summit and Portage Counties. Member, Board of Trustees
PROFESSIONAL
LICENSURE/MEMBERSHIPS
National Association of Social Workers
Licensed Independent Social Worker
Ohio License #I4488
Ohio Adoption Assessor
Certificate #83-08-96-OH