Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25+ years of diverse work experience including in the public sector, private sector, non-profit, academia, and military. A former Child Protective Services (CPS) social worker & supervisor of 15 years with insider knowledge about child welfare. Hands-on experience with hundreds of child welfare-involved families and children in all phases of a child dependency case. Supervised, trained, and taught CPS social workers, interns, and Master of Social Work students. Specialized areas of knowledge include: Certificates of Merits Emergency Child Removals, warrants Warrantless removals, exigent circumstances, imminent risk Child Protective Services policies, practices, and procedures Child abuse and neglect Foster care, out of home care, congregate care Case Plans: Reunification, family maintenance and transitional living plans Standards of care § 1983 Civil rights, Monell Liability AB12/Non-Minor dependents Structured Decision-Making (SDM) Risk assessments 300 Welfare and Institutions Code (CA) Child abuse intake & investigations Child abuse hotline WIC 366.26 hearings/termination of parental rights Reasonable Services Child/parent, child/sibling visitation Permanent Placements, Long-term Foster Care Juvenile Court & child dependency Relative/NREFM placements, emergency placements Emancipated youth, Independent Living Services, aftercare services Special Juvenile Immigrant Status (SJIS), undocumented child minors Dual Status Minors (probation wards/juvenile dependents) Youth Permanency, Family Connections Team-Decision Making, Family Group Conferences, Child & Family Team Meetings Child Welfare Services Case Management Systems (CWS/CMS) Mental Health Trauma-Informed Care