Gladney's Family Service Department's mission is to provide education, counseling, pre and post adoption education to Domestic and International Adoptive Parents.
The Gladney Center for Adoption is excited to present informative and educational training sessions on adoption. Each training will be facilitated by a highly trained professional. Some of the professionals include:
Meredith Bailey, LMSW
Meredith has worked with children and families for over 15 years. She holds both Bachelor and Master Degrees in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is currently the Domestic Adoption Manager for The Gladney Center for Adoption, where she has been employed serving adoptive families since 1997.
Prior to her employment with Gladney, Meredith gained experience in residential treatment for children, helping prepare children with abuse and neglect backgrounds for permanent adoptive placement. In addition, she has experience as a medical social worker and has worked to advance a pro-child, pro-family agenda through community planning and public policy formation in her role as a constituency case manager for a state legislator.
Linda B. Clarke
Linda B. Clarke, a Program Specialist with Recovery Resource Council (formerly Tarrant Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse), has facilitated Love and Logic programs throughout Tarrant County for the past seven years. As a former teacher, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and Certified Prevention Specialist, Mrs. Clarke states, "The best drug and alcohol prevention is good parenting - the Love and Logic way." By starting early using the Love and Logic principles, parents up the odds that their children will be respectful, responsible, and fun to be around - and be ready to start school with a solid background of loving discipline.
Heather Colby, LCSW, International Family Services Counselor
Heather Colby joined Gladney in 2005 and currently serves as a International Family Services Counselor for the Gladney Center for Adoption. Heather provides pre and post-adoption education and support to all Gladney families who adopt through an inter-country program as well as all inter-country adoptees. Heather's experience prior to joining Gladney has been in a variety of settings, the majority involving direct practice with children and families. Heather is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and holds a Masters in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelors in Social Work from Brigham Young University.
Bethany Comeau, LPC-I, International Family Services Counselor
Bethany Comeau is a masters-level counselor. She has experience in preparing children for adoption, as well as providing counseling and support to families in the areas of trauma, attachment, and sensory disorders. Prior to joining Gladney, Bethany was a child and adolescent therapist for children involved with the CPS and foster care system in Phoenix, Arizona. She began working in 2008 for The Gladney Center's Family Services Program where she focuses on family assessments and support to children and their families through pre and post placement transition.
Heidi Cox
Heidi Cox is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for The Gladney Center for Adoption. She has been an adoption professional for over 15 years. In addition to being a member of the Board of Directors for the National Council for Adoption, she is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, Texas Bar Association, College of the State Bar of Texas, and The Texas Family Law Council. As an attorney and child advocate, Cox is involved with legislative initiatives in Texas to protect children and protect adoption practices. A frequent author and lecturer, she is also committed to education other professionals, policy makers, and the public about the benefits for the children touched by adoption, as well as, the positive outcomes for birth families. She has a B.A. in History with concentrations in philosophy and German from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a Law Degree from Texas Tech University.
Amy Curtis, LBSW. M.S., International Family Services Manager
Amy Curtis is a Licensed Social Worker. After graduating from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Social Work in 1984, she began working for Child Protective Services. As an adoptee, she loves working with children in transition and continues her professional focus on children in transition living domestically or abroad. Amy worked with other child centered agencies before joining the Gladney team as a contract worker in 1997. She joined Gladney full time in 2000 to begin the New Beginnings program. Over the last 10 years, Amy has worked with Gladney's Domestic Adoption program, International Adoption program, Home Study Services and served as a transitional care parent. Amy has a Masters in Counseling and Community Development.
Cristina Fabbri
Cristina Fabbri was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She attended school in Addis Ababa. She has a Nursing Degree from El Centro College and a Biology Degree from UTA. Cristina currently is employed by UT Southwestern Medical Center as a Research Nurse for the department of Surgery. Cristina serves on the Education Committee at Kidmia School. Cristina also teaches reading and writing in the Amharic language at Kidmia.
Arienne Harvey, LMSW
Mrs. Harvey has worked for the Gladney Center for Adoption for 9 years. In her nine years of experience at Gladney she has worked in the international department as an Intake and Homestudy caseworker, Russia Program Manager and currently serves in the role of International Adoption Manager. Mrs. Harvey also has experience working with pregnant and parenting teens; hospital social work; and working with welfare recipients assisting them with obtaining education, training and employment. Mrs. Harvey received her Bachelors of Social Work in December 1993 from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas and her Masters in Social Work in May 1997 from the University of Texas, Arlington. Mrs. Harvey is licensed by the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW).
Pattye P. Hicks, MA
Pattye Hicks has 22+ years of experience as a social worker working with children and families. Presently she is the Director of Post Adoption and Specialized Services at The Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth, TX, where she has been employed since 1991. Pattye provides services to adult adoptees, adoptive families and birth families post-placement..Pattye has served on numerous community task forces and parent groups boards as an advocate for adoption. She was also employed by the National Committee for Adoption as a Master Adoption Trainer from 2003-2005. Pattye's social work career has also included work as a social worker in a nursing home, social worker with Child Protective Services, and as a School Counselor. Pattye has a BSW from Mississippi State University in 1982 and a Master's of Arts in Social Services from Southwestern in 1986. Pattye and her husband have a daughter through adoption.
Tanya Houk, LBSW
Tanya Houk graduated from Texas Women's University, magna cum laude, in 1998. Her tenure at Gladney began as an intern in the International and Admissions Departments. Following the internship, she worked briefly as a contract caseworker until becoming a permanent employee in the domestic adoption department, as the Coordinator of the Transitional Care Department, as well as placing medically fragile babies in permanent homes through Gladney's New Beginnings program.
In 2004, Tanya helped initiate Gladney's State adoption program, placing children out of the State's foster care system into permanent families. Since that time, the State program has grown tremendously and we have placed more than 300 children in forever homes.
Raquel McFadden, LSW
Raquel McFadden is currently the ABC Program Coordinator for The Gladney Center for Adoption. Raquel has a degree in Social Work and has worked with children and families for the past 15 years. It has been her privilege to spend the last eight years of her career growing families through adoption at The Gladney Center. Raquel enjoys her work with families who want to adopt children of color.
Karin Matula
Karin Matula has been on staff in Gladney's Community Outreach department since 2002. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology, and has worked with children and families in Tarrant County for 29 years. Karin and her husband David were married in 1980 and have two grown daughters.
Dr. Ruth McRoy
Ruth G. McRoy is a Research Professor and the Ruby Lee Piester Centennial Professor Emerita at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. During her 25 years on the UT faculty, she served for 12 years, as the Director of the Center for Social Work Research, Director of the Diversity Institute at the UT School of Social Work and since 2002; Dr. McRoy was also Associate Dean for Research. A practitioner, researcher, trainer and lecturer in the field for over 30 years, her interests include such topics as transracial adoptions, family preservation, disproportionality, open adoptions, older child adoptions, and post-adoption services. She serves on the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) Board and is a Senior Research Fellow and a member of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Board. As part of the federally funded Collaboration to AdoptUsKids project, she is leading a research team at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work which has just completed two nationwide studies on barriers to adoption and factors associated with successful special needs adoptions. From 2007-2012, McRoy and her research team will be conducting a five year evaluation of the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids. She has written eight books, including: Transracial and Inracial Adoptees: The Adolescent Years (with L. Zurcher), Special Needs Adoptions: Practice Issues, and Openness in Adoption: Family Connections (with H. Grotevant) and numerous articles and book chapters on adoption issues.
Karyn Purvis, Ph.D.
Dr. Karyn Purvis has spent the last ten years developing research-based interventions for adopted children. A developmental psychologist by training, her Ph.D. is with specialization in working with at-risk children. Throughout her life, a personal and professional calling for her has always been to create a welcoming, loving environment for children who come from "hard places". Foster and adoption issues have always been at the heart of her work, and when her own children were small, she served as foster mother to many children. She has three grown sons and six grandchildren including an adopted daughter and grandchildren . Karyn is currently the director of the newly formed Institute of Child Development at TCU. She is an avid advocate for children and speaks frequently to parents and professional groups. She and her colleague, Dr. David Cross recently completed a book project for McGraw-Hill Trade titled The Connected Child: Bring Hope And Healing to your Adoptive Family. Purchase it today on Amazon.com.
Read more about Dr. Purvis' work
Paula St. John, LCSW, Vice President of Intercountry Adoption and Family Services
Paula St. John is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She obtained her clinical license in 2002. She has worked with children and families for 17 years; 12 of these years she has worked for Gladney. Paula obtained a Bachelor of Social Work from Texas Tech University and a Master in Social Work from the University of Texas in Arlington. She has supervised both Birth Parent and Adoptive Parent Services, and is currently the Vice President of Family Services. Paula supervises the development of training and education programs for adoptive families, in particular working with families adopting at risk children. Paula conducts assessment and consultations with families that are experiencing severe behaviors in their children. She provides in-home therapy as well as attachment based interventions for families and children. Paula centers her work on the holistic view on treating the whole child and working toward permanency for all children needing homes around the world. Paula is the proud mother of three beautiful children.
Heidi Schwarzwald, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Heidi Schwarzwald, M.D., M.P.H. is the Director of the Texas Children's Center for International Adoption. She is the Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine. Her specialty is International Adoption AIDS Initiative. She received her Bachelors in 1991 at Harvard University and her M.D. in 1996 at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She also has obtained her M.P.H. in 2003 at University of Texas School of Public Health. Dr. Heidi primarily focuses on International Child Health and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Andrew Vaughn, Ph.D.
Adoptive Parent Andrew Vaughn, Ph.D. is the founder of Up Wee Grow, Inc. and author of Maximum Strength Parenting.
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