GABRIELLE MARIE ARREOLA

-Serve as a supportive resource to Region 8/Children’s N Bureau (CB) Manager and Program Specialists, Child, and Family Services Review Unit (CFSR), and Region 8 states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado) and staff, providing support for Child and Family Service Reviews, Statewide Assessments, Title VI-E reviews, and related special projects as needed.

-Support the CB in continuous quality assurance and developing and monitoring Program Improvement Plans with states and related stakeholders and partners.

-Implement communication plans, maintain, and foster relationships with regional staff, CFSR Unit, state Directors and leadership representatives and community stakeholders and participate and help plan and organize onsite and virtual PIP state visits on behalf of the Children’s Bureau.

-Provide technical and training assistance in the areas of workforce development to help states address compulsory training needs, workforce processes, recruitment, and retention, change management and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion planning and integration.

-Co-facilitate and arrange conferences and work plan discussion on behalf of Region 8/CB and the Program Specialists and Manager, for the states with the Capacity Center for States.

-Work with the CB Central and Regional Office staff in CFSR and related CB strategies and efforts and coordinate and participate with the CB, state child welfare agency staff, state courts and state court improvement program staff, CB’s training and technical assistance providers, grantees and others as designated by the CB in CFSR-related work.

-Co-facilitating and supporting collaborative meetings and initiatives between key stakeholders and partners, state child welfare systems, and state court systems including the legal and judicial communities.

-Participate in current CFSR Round 3 and Round 4 development and advancing the client relationship by evaluating and analyzing proposed changes to the review instrument and the impact of legislative changes to Round 4 and its impact on states.

-Provide, advocacy, support, and academic tutoring in psychology and related courses to first generation and low-income students, and students with disabilities.

-Support and empower students in their academic, personal, and professional growth, and motivate students toward the successful completion of a degree.

-Utilize Learned Experience as a TRIO alumni to help student succeed.

-Managed/Administered/Implemented Child Welfare programs/services including Child Protection, Institutional Investigations, Youth Services, Permanency, Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, Adoption/Post Adoption Service, Relative Guardianship Program and Family Treatment Court. (6 supervisors, 2 mental health professionals and 40+ caseworkers).

-Presented child welfare programs and child abuse prevention education consumer campaigns at community events including foster and adoption information/orientation nights, recruitments events and National Adoption Day. Appeared on local radio periodically to promote community awareness of children waiting for adoption.

-Evaluate and analyze the impact of new legislation, including Families First Prevention Service Act (FFPSA),for workforce planning and fiscal impact in preparation for implementation and strategic planning.
-Developed, monitored and evaluated policy and program procedures for legislation compliance and identified challenges to develop additional efficiencies and practices to maintain best practice and continuous quality improvement.

-Facilitated contact with the court and presented public monthly brown bag information lunches to disseminate data outcomes and current agency information to educate and inform for continuous quality improvement, community collaboration and public relations.

-Managed service contracts, grants and cooperative agreements with local and state providers, Medicaid, Medicare, health waiver programs and some private health Insurance to negotiate and braid services with other collateral resources.
-Co-Managed implementation and ongoing evaluation and assessment of IV-E Waiver programs including Youth Voice Permanency Roundtables, Family Engagement and Team Decision Meetings, Group Supervision and Trauma Informed Care. Congregate care was ultimately reduced by 40% from 2012 to 2019.

-Developed workforce assessment tools, including a 90-day review checklist, to promote consistent supervision and continuous workforce assessment and planning.
-Co Facilitated and developed internal and external partnerships’, collaborations, communication plans and agreed upon MOU’s with community agencies and stakeholders regarding the out of home placement of children after hours and other child welfare programs that interface with other community programs (law enforcement, probation, schools, and local hospitals).

-Reviewed and approved all Special Circumstance Child Care and served on on state CAPTA work group.

-Coordinated and co-facilitated a public information “SAFE SLEEP” public relations campaign with county health department, coroner, and community stakeholders due to high incident of infant fatalities in recent year. Worked collaboratively on agreed upon communication plan and press releases.
-Appointed Board Member and consultant with the “Realizing Independence Through Education” (RITE), a collaborative effort with the United Way, Weld County DHS, and the 19th Judicial district. Presented and promoted program to public to gain referral sources and sought out and collaborated with JBS Meat Co, Swift, UNC, North Range Behavioral Health, Greeley Housing Authority and Probation to participate in monthly meetings. The RITE Program supported at-risk youth/young adults transitioning to adulthood providing guidance, resources, and life skills. The program successfully supported over 100 youth and families including 4 homeless youth.
-Appointed as an Executive Board Member, “Life Stories”, Court Appointed Special Advocates and Child Advocacy Center (CASA). Publicly promoted the program through public awareness campaigns and charity events including “Top Chef”, and “Heroes”.
-Appointed by state of Colorado Behavioral Health to represent and present for Child Welfare on the “Colorado Mental Health Treatment Act (HB 1116 & SB 203) Advisory Committee” with public officials and appointees, parents, and community stakeholders.
-Served on the Trauma Informed “System of Care” Planning and Implementation Team, a community collaboration with CO Senate Bill 94, Weld County DHS, Youth & Family Connections and North Range Behavioral Health. It promoted and facilitated coordination of services for youth involved in 3 or more systems of care.

-Supported leadership and the agency and the Family Support Division during the 2013 Flood (declared disaster) and coordinated resources and the sorting and safety check of food and built emergency food boxes.

-Evaluated, reviewed and assessed the quality, quantity, and impact of service providers, as well as effectiveness of services, to successfully reunify families, move children and youth quickly to permanency and connect families to collateral and sustainable services.

-Provide oversight and management of youth and children in county custody placed in county homes, certified placement agencies, and facilities/residential settings.

-Provided clinical supervision, technical oversight, and performance management to a team of adoption social workers and related stake holders and community partners to ensure standards are met to achieve safety, permanency and well-being for legally freed youth and children awaiting adoption.

-Review and approve special circumstance child care for the adoption team.

-Designed measurement and assessment methods, based on current trends and data, to vet and screen potential adoptive parents and service providers to improve and increase adoption finalizations.

-Provided negotiation and mediation in potential failed adoption cases.
-Consulted with schools, health care providers and community agencies to arrange transition planning and consistency of services when children transitioned to adoptive homes, foster homes or reunified with caregivers.
-Facilitated a youth adoptive support group for children and families and secured funding source through outside grants.
-Participated in a Youth Community Connection Task Force with the United Way, county, community agencies and stakeholders and represented Adams County in state adoption meetings.
-Represented County at community adoption events and coordinated public presentations to recruit families for all waiting children in Colorado.
-Reviewed and updated adoption procedures and implemented protocols and policy per state and federal rules and regulations.

-Provided case management for children and families referred to child welfare programs due to abuse and neglect from multicultural populations with presenting issues including substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health/dual diagnosis and legal difficulties.
-Developed, formulated and monitored comprehensive treatment objectives and goals and initiated therapeutic intervention and ongoing services.
-Qualified expert witness in child protection and family counseling..
-Ongoing assessment and protective supervision of children at home, day care, foster care, relative placement and institutional settings. Verified safety and ongoing status of placement and insured basic needs were met including Medicaid and

health insurance coverage, advocacy, education, ongoing medical care, and mental health services.
-Recruited, trained and supervised interns, interviewed applicants, and supervised ongoing staff.
-Served as educational advocate and requested special education testing/services for identified foster youth and children. Attended IEP meetings and served on Student Assessment Review Boards to prevent truancy.
-Collaboration with schools, law enforcement, mental health practitioners, local employers, probation, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and the court to assure integration of services to best serve the needs children.

-Presentation: “Treating clients with dignity and respect.” Presentation on family engagement, inclusion, and diversity in child welfare programming to prospective student interns, employees, and volunteers.

-Appointed community Board Member, The Village for Early Childhood Education, Littleton Colorado, 2005-2007.

-Provided public presentations on services and programs offered by Arapahoe County and provided mandated reporter training.

-Provided community services to 100+ families in need. Sixty-five children reunified with family on my caseload in my 8 years employed.

-Contracted to assist with the overflow of child abuse and neglect referrals in a countywide initiative to assess every child abuse and neglect referral.
-Conducted initial home visit and risk assessments to families reported to child

protection services for alleged abuse and neglect.
-Provided appropriate referrals to sustainable community resources to family.

-Provided intensive in-home services based on the empirically based “Homebuilders, Multi Systemic Therapy and Family Functional Therapy Model’s to youth, children and families involved in a Dependency & Neglect and Delinquency court action.
-Provided goal-oriented core services including crisis intervention, skills building, safety planning, counseling, referral and advocacy along with concrete needs.
-Completed assessment and formulated treatment plans with family input.
-Taught parent’s early childhood development and basic infant care, housekeeping, budgeting and child behavior management.
-Supervised, trained, assessed and monitored student interns, volunteers and staff and provided employee mediation, conflict management and performance task evaluations for management.
-Interpreted policy and managed state funded budget and data reporting.
-Coordinated ongoing community information presentations about the Families First Program to schools, mental health agencies, shelters, and faith-based agencies to increase awareness, referrals, and partnerships.

-Created and taught no nonsense class to parents and caregivers involved in a Dependency and Neglect action by the court. Goal of class was to prevent subsequent child abuse and neglect referrals. (“Safe Parenting: how to prevent social service involvement and keep your children home and safe.

-Advocated and facilitated for family needs and resources including Food Nutrition Programs (SNAP, WIC), Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),

-Facilitated and monitored a peer developed support group for adolescent girls involved with social services (MMAA- “My Mom’s an Addict.”).

-Worked in Collaboration with the Health Department and schools to address a Bed Bug infestation among clientele and provided education for prevention.

-Followed up with families after intervention for outcome tracking and data analysis.
-Twenty-four families reunified with their children or remained home on my caseload.

-Provided case management for over fifteen adolescents and families referred to child welfare programs by law enforcement, schools and the community.
-Developed, executed and monitored comprehensive treatment plans and initiated therapeutic intervention and ongoing services based on evidenced based interventions.
-Ongoing supervision of adolescents at home, foster care, relative placement and treatment centers.
-Assisted and coached youth in successfully emancipating from the foster care system providing ongoing support as they overcame the hurdles of living independently. Located and arranged educational programs, financial aid, housing, employment, Food Nutrition Programs (SNAP) and the acquisition of life skills.
-Maintained thirteen adolescents in their family homes and reunified two incarcerated adolescents with their families.

-Individual, family and group therapy and relationship counseling.
-Developed and lead group programs including a Court ordered first offense “Theft Group for Women.” 11th Circuit Court, Schoolcraft County Michigan. Participants had less than 20% recidivism compared to non-participants.
-Career counseling and life coaching.
-Provided Training, Technical guidance, and recommendations to YWCA Women’s Shelter staff regarding work programs, child care assistance, safety, public assistance, Food Stamps (now SNAP), WIC, reduced lunch and Medicaid for clients and resource access for the agency.

-Worked with clients referred by Human Services child welfare division and provided individual, family and group therapy.
-Conducted psychological assessments, parent child interaction reports and visitation/custody evaluations.

-Social Contract Coordinator: Appointed to organize an ongoing public information campaign on a special welfare reform projects to employ the “TO STRENGTHEN MICHIGAN FAMILIES” program and introduce new policy to public assistance applicants. Facilitated biweekly public presentations to new applicants and educated recipients on work requirements. Engaged community stakeholders and developed partnerships with local employers (Upjohn, Stryker, Borgess and Bronson Hospitals) and economic development leaders in Kalamazoo and arranged job fairs and recruitment events. Collaborated with Kalamazoo Community College and Western Michigan University and provided on campus presentations.

-Organized faith based and local community outreach to coordinated holiday events for foster children and Medicaid recipients in need of holiday referrals, tax return assistance, school supplies and application completion assistance.

-Collaborated with the Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration and private health insurance companies and client’s behalf to determine eligibility and coordinate benefits and access.

-Determined eligibility for economic assistance programs including child care, Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Emergency Food assistance) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for over 220 families.

-Maintained and determined eligibility for pregnant clients, infants and children and referred and facilitated WIC eligibility process with county health department,
-Completed monthly budgets to determine eligibility for employed clients and enforced monthly reporting requirements based on state guidelines.
-Enforced child support regulations with applicants and secured absentee parent information.
-Investigated allegations of welfare fraud and instigated recoupment of over issued benefits.