Jennifer Kestel
Galesburg,IL
Summary
Motivated CWEL certified individual with high-level integrity and strong desire to help resolve challenges. Compassionate and team-oriented individual offering extensive knowledge of services, treatment options and issue resolution methods for child welfare cases.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Coordinator
Children’s Home Association of Illinois
01.2023 - Current
- Use of reflective supervision to assist in families and workers meeting desired outcomes in an intensive home visiting program, grant management, use of parallel process
Licensed
Foster/Adoptive Parent, Lutheran Social Services
02.2013 - 01.2023
- Providing loving, nurturing, and safe homes for wards of DCFS, crisis management, scheduling, working with birth families, meeting with DCFS staff on a regular basis, mental health support
Home Daycare
08.2018 - 12.2022
- Provide a safe structured environment, with age-appropriate activities for children 0-12, planning, manage finances, communication with parents/guardians, completion of age appropriate assessments
Service Coordinator
Child And Family Connections #14
05.2016 - 08.2018
- Screened children 0-3 for developmental delays, provided home visits, making referrals, maintained case records
Child Welfare Specialist
Lutheran Social Services
07.2014 - 05.2016
- Provided comprehensive casework services to DCFS wards, families and foster families, assessed risk factors on a regular basis, made referrals, designed and implemented plans, issue resolution
- Contributed to court proceedings, advocating for family's best interests and recommending balanced solutions.
- Intervened in crisis situations and counseled children experiencing emergencies and disruptive incidents.
Child Welfare Specialist
Illinois Mentor
06.2012 - 07.2014
- Contributed to court proceedings, advocating for family's best interests and recommending balanced solutions.
- Intervened in crisis situations and counseled children experiencing emergencies and disruptive incidents.
- Maintained detailed case histories, metrics and reports to meet strict standards.
- Completed comprehensive assessments of families to identify needs and develop treatment plans.
Education
Bachelor of Social Work -
Illinois State University
Skills
- Case Management- CWEL Certified
- Supervisory
- Microsoft Office
- Crisis Intervention
- Communication
- Organization
- Home Visiting
- Mental Health Awareness
- Compassion
- Birth-3 assessments
Timeline
Program Coordinator
Children’s Home Association of Illinois
01.2023 - Current
Home Daycare
08.2018 - 12.2022
Service Coordinator
Child And Family Connections #14
05.2016 - 08.2018
Child Welfare Specialist
Lutheran Social Services
07.2014 - 05.2016
Licensed
Foster/Adoptive Parent, Lutheran Social Services
02.2013 - 01.2023
Child Welfare Specialist
Illinois Mentor
06.2012 - 07.2014
Bachelor of Social Work -
Illinois State University
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