Heather Ray
Murfreesboro,TN
Summary
Professional with solid foundation in program management and team leadership. Skilled in strategic planning, operational efficiency, and driving performance outcomes. Strong focus on fostering collaboration, adapting to change, and delivering measurable results. Known for effective communication, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to organizational goals. Demonstrates exceptional problem-solving abilities and adaptability, fostering statewide collaborations for continuous growth.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Regional Director
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
10.2016 - Current
- Director of the Child Abuse Hotline and Intake Analyst Program. Oversee daily operations for improved efficiency by evaluating existing processes and introducing innovative solutions.
- Oversee program management of 88 Hotline employees and 22 Intake Analyst employees. Directly manage 11 employees.
- Assess the staffing, technical, quality, and training needs of the Hotline and Intake Analyst Program.
- Review, approve, and track Child Death and Preliminary Near Death intakes.
- Implement robust performance management systems to identify areas for improvement and support employee development.
- Motivate employees through effective communication, recognition programs, and tailored incentive structures that aligned with agency objectives.
- Partner and collaborate with statewide leadership within DCS to ensure effectiveness of policies and to strengthen engagement between the Hotline and statewide case management services.
- Collaborate with other state child service's Hotlines to build state to state relationships and foster continuous development and growth.
- Collaborate with national child welfare agencies to foster continuous development and growth for the Hotline and intake screening quality.
- Serve as the Department's Tennessee Information Enforcement System (TIES) Alternate Terminal Agency Coordinator (Alt TAC).
Team Coordinator
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
08.2013 - 10.2016
- Team Coordinator for the Child Abuse Hotline. Provided supervision and management of 7 Team Leaders.
- Assisted with the monitoring and management of the Hotline's daily operations and staff performance management.
- Monitored and scheduled the Hotline's overtime and scheduling needs to ensure appropriate staffing coverage 24/7.
- Managed team workloads to ensure timely intake screening and submission times.
- Improved team collaboration with regular meetings, progress updates, and transparent communication.
- Served as the Department's Tennessee Information Enforcement System (TIES) Alternate Terminal Agency Coordinator (Alt TAC).
Team Leader
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
08.2011 - 08.2013
- Team Leader for the Child Abuse Hotline. Provided supervision and management of 8 intake case managers and 1 intake case manager 3 supervisor.
- Reviewed child abuse and neglect referrals and determined screening assignment decisions based on DCS policy and procedure.
- Assisted with monitoring phone call and intake volume for the Hotline. Ensured my staff were answering calls as needed to reduce hold times. Monitored staff workloads to ensure timely intake completions.
- Evaluated team member performance against established objectives during regular reviews, offering praise for achievements or identifying areas requiring further development.
- Served as the Department's Tennessee Information Enforcement System (TIES) Alternate Terminal Agency Coordinator (Alt TAC).
Case Manager 3
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
08.2010 - 08.2011
- Case Manager 3 (Supervisor) for the Child Abuse Hotline. Provided supervision and management for 2 intake case managers.
- Assisted Team Leader with overseeing the daily performance management of the team, which included monitoring attendance, call availability adherence, intake completion times, quality assurance, coaching and training needs, and facilitating monthly team meetings.
- Reviewed child abuse and neglect referrals. Determined each report's screening and assignment decision.
- Served as the Department's Tennessee Information Enforcement System (TIES) Alternate Terminal Agency Coordinator (Alt TAC).
Training Coordinator
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
03.2008 - 08.2010
- Training Coordinator for the Child Abuse Hotline.
- Provided all new hire Pre-Service training courses for new employees for the Hotline.
- Conducted, facilitated, and/or coordinated all training and coaching opportunities for existing Hotline staff.
- Provided public and professional presentations on "How to Report Child Abuse/Neglect".
- Maintained accurate records of employee participation in training events, tracking progress towards learning objectives.
- Served as the Department's Tennessee Information Enforcement System (TIES) Alternate Terminal Agency Coordinator (Alt TAC).
Case Manager
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
12.2004 - 03.2008
- Intake Case Manager with the Child Abuse Hotline.
- Conducted child safety and risk of harm interview assessments over the phone and created electronic intakes in the DCS database.
- Utilized DCS decision making tools, DCS Policies, DCS Protocols, and TCA to make preliminary screening decisions for each child abuse/neglect intake.
- Ensured excellence customer service and engagement to each caller.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN05-2003
Skills
- Meetings and presentations
- Performance reporting
- Staff training/development
- Problem-solving abilities
- Multitasking
- Operational Efficiency
- Conflict Resolution
- Adaptability
- Crisis Management
- Performance Management
- Manage operations
- Process Improvement
Timeline
Regional Director
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
10.2016 - Current
Team Coordinator
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
08.2013 - 10.2016
Team Leader
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
08.2011 - 08.2013
Case Manager 3
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
08.2010 - 08.2011
Training Coordinator
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
03.2008 - 08.2010
Case Manager
Department Of Children's Services, State Of TN
12.2004 - 03.2008
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
Middle Tennessee State University
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