PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

2000-2003 School Social Worker · Valley View Middle School, Edina, Minnesota.

Provided individual therapy with all students. Wrote social/emotional/behavioural goals and objectives as part of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) for Special Education students. Performed Functional Behavioural Assessments (FBA’s) of students requesting Special Education services. Facilitated group therapy with students dealing with grief, divorce, social skills deficits and deaf/hard of hearing challenges. Consulted and supported parents, teachers and staff in dealing with students’ social/emotional/behavioural issues. Referred students, parents and teachers to community mental health resources. Planned and presented classroom lessons on diversity, bullying and youth who are differently-abled. Served as the trainer for the Peer Mediation Program. Performed crisis interventions with suicidal students. Collaborated on the Student Assistance Team and the Child Study Team.

1996-1999 Program Director · Lutheran Social Service, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Directed activities for 5 Intensive Transitional Programs for youth that included Unaccompanied Refugee Minors, Karibu House and Kapani House adolescent group homes, School-based Victim Services and Relative Foster Care Licensing. Wrote the grant proposals for 3 of the above. Achieved 80% success rate for grant proposals. Recruited, supervised and evaluated 3 Program Managers and 2 Social Workers. Field Instructor for 2 MSW student interns. Negotiated contracts, created budgets and contained costs for program budgets totalling over 1 million dollars. Licensed 3 corporate foster care facilities.

1991-1996 Program Supervisor · Lutheran Social Service, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Unaccompanied Minors Program. Recruited, licensed, trained and monitored culturally sensitive family foster homes for refugee children. Recruited, supervised and evaluated 4 MSW staff. Field Instructor for 2 MSW student interns. Agency Diversity Trainer. Provided direct casework and counselling services to refugee youth. Coordinated staff training and in-service programs. Facilitated foster parent support group meetings. Provided foster care for Chinese minors seeking asylum in the U.S.

1987-1991 Social Worker · Lutheran Social Service, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Unaccompanied Minors Program. Provided direct casework and counselling for refugee youth from Vietnam, Cambodia, Iran, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Recruited, licensed, trained and monitored family foster homes for refugee children. Planned and implemented independent living skills summer camps. Developed and facilitated Amerasian support group. Planned and implemented culturally appropriate celebrations and educational experiences for foster families and children.

INTERNATIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

2001-2002 International Foster Care Consultant for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), Baltimore, Maryland, via contract with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Evaluated foster care programs and other care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated refugee children in Tanzanian refugee camps and in urban centers of South Africa.

1999-2000 Resettlement Specialist and Consultant to the UNHCR at Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. Completed Best Interest Assessments (BIA’s) for Sudanese unaccompanied minors (the “Lost Boys”) and made durable solutions recommendations to UNHCR.

1999 Social Service Director for the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) in Tirana, Albania during the Kosovar refugee crisis. Recruited, hired, and supervised 20 Albanian Social Workers who provided social services to Kosovar Albanian refugees in host families, collective centers and tent camps throughout Albania.

OTHER WORK AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

1998-1999 Foster care consultant for Islamic social service agency, Minneapolis, Minnesota

1997-1998 Consultant for Sudanese community association, Minneapolis, Minnesota

1985-1986 Social Worker (MSW), Diocese of Metuchen Refugee Services, Perth Amboy, New Jersey

1982-1983 Personal Care Staff, Aveyron Group Home (DD adults), Hutchinson, Minnesota

1980-1981 Human Service Tech., Willmar State Hospital, Adolescent Treatment Unit, Willmar, Minnesota

1979-1980 Youth Counselor Intern, Berrien Center Juvenile Center, Berrien Center, Michigan

1979 Live-in Health Aide, Temporary Nursing Services, West Palm Beach, Florida

1977-1980 Conference Coordinator, International Student Leadership Institute, Notre Dame, Indiana

EDUCATION

1984-1985 MSW · Group Work, Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work, New Brunswick, New Jersey

1976-1980 BA · Sociology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana

CONTINUING EDUCATION

See Attached Sheets

PRESENTATION RECORD

1993 Ethical Dilemmas in Refugee Foster Care, presented at ELCA Annual Conference

1994 Diverse Asian Cultures, workshop presented at Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans

1995 Bridging Two Worlds: Refugee Foster Care, presented at the Annual MSSA Conference

1995 Facilitated 3 Diversity Training programs for Lutheran Social Service

1996 Facilitated 1 Diversity Training program for LSS

1999 Social Work Staff Training on Family-Based Social Services in Tirana, Albania

1999 Nurturing Yourself to Prevent Burnout for Refugee Therapists in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

2000 Resettling Sudanese Youth, presented for LIRS Conference, Baltimore, Maryland

2000 International Social Work, presented at NASW Annual Conference, St. Paul, Minnesota

2001 Life in Kakuma Refugee Camp, presented at LIRS Conference, Baltimore, Maryland

INTERESTS AND HOBBIES

Parenting, Computers, Writing, International Travel, Physical Fitness, Photography, Spirituality,

Healing, Art, Gardening, Poetry, Music, Diversity, Nature, Canoe Camping, Winemaking.