Helen Osborn-Senatus, MSW

Originally hired to a new position, Program Coordinator, then promoted after six months to Program Manager, and promoted in June, 2021 to Director of Operations.

Lead a team of 22 staff in each aspect of Operations, including:

• Sourcing food, encompassing food drives, food recovery from retail partners, managing the budget for food purchases, TEFAP, and individual donations, averaging ___ pounds of incoming food each week.
• The River's nine operating food programs, each focused on serving our community necessary foods at different levels of accessibility, serving over 4,000 people each week.
• Volunteer recruitment, retention, and management, with over 300 volunteers weekly.
• Fleet and facility maintenance and management.
• Collaboration with Development and Communication staff.
• Internal and external service reporting.
• Cultivate and maintain partner agency collaboration.

5807: Clinical Social Work Practice - Assess discussion board posts and papers throughout the semester, grade final therapy modality (Interpersonal Psychotherapy) video submissions and reflection papers, and provide students assistance as needed.

Plan and implement daily programming for 55 first through fifth grade students, coordinate activities with local agencies and volunteers, supervise and guide four youth workers and one collegiate intern, contribute to program reports, provide socio-emotional support to youth, and communicate daily with parents and caregivers.

Supervise six counselors responsible for 35 students ages 5-6, provide support to staff, ensure quality counseling, oversee weekly field trips, and conduct follow-up meetings and contacts with families.

Contributed to the gathering and organization of data on state child welfare practices including youth involved in the Child Welfare and Department of Juvenile Justice Systems, group homes, program availability, parenting programs, pregnant and parenting foster youth, and foster homes for teenagers. Contributed to a field guide for case managers with pregnant or parenting youth as well as the modification of staff training guides for group homes involved in the dependency system.

Conducted forensically sound interviews of children in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse, provided referrals and support for families in accessing services, provided recommendations to the Department of Children and Families and law enforcement, and served as an advocate for children and families. Funded through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).

Maintained a caseload of children and families, both out of home and in-home, and supported the safety, well-being, and permanency of children by conducting home visits and parental visits, participating in various staffing and multidisciplinary team meetings, preparing and maintaining documents such as Family Functioning Assessments, Safety Plans, Case Plans, Judicial Reviews, Monthly Case Plan Progress Tools, Home Studies, and Progress Updates, transported children to appointments and visitations, and maintained contact with and referrals for service providers.

Worked with students at Griffin Middle School who were being considered for expulsion, supported them in academics and behavior, conducted parent conferences, and communicated regularly with teachers. Used the Restorative Justice model.

At Homestead Middle School:

• Supported, led, and coached a team of 13 idealistic corps members and conducted data entry and analysis.
• Area Coordinator – oversaw eight project coordinators as they led 400 volunteers to complete multiple beautification projects on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of service at Homestead Middle School.

At Madison Middle School:

• Planned and led over 100 hours of interventions for 38 seventh grade students in Intensive Reading Plus, created and maintained After School Heroes program for 20 students, implemented school wide morning tutoring, and developed a morning mentorship group for studens called “Morning Talk”.
• Volunteer Team Leader – served on the Logistics Team for Young Heroes three Saturdays a month, preparing lessons and supporting the implementation of programming for 40 middle school volunteers.
• Project Coordinator – Co-led a group of 35 volunteers in service on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day building an outdoor classroom at Madison Middle School.
• Honors: Corps Member of the Year 2012-2013

• Trained new employees and modeled expectations of service and customer satisfaction, motivated staff daily, and completed inventory and placed orders weekly. Enhanced relationships with local produce farmers to increase the quality of the salad bar.

• Provided enrollment information and graduation requirements to groups of incoming students, created individual education plans, and mentored students and aided in setting expectations for their college careers.