Lesley Edwards
Bowie,Maryland
Summary
Family Engagement Specialist with over 16 years of experience dedicated to empowering families through personalized, data-driven strategies. Expertise in crisis intervention, family advocacy, and case management, ensuring families receive access to critical resources and educational support. Passionate about fostering positive outcomes by designing and implementing innovative programs that enhance service delivery. Skilled in managing high caseloads and cultivating long-term relationships with families, while collaborating with community organizations to drive successful, sustainable initiatives. Proven track record in working with at-risk populations and leveraging Family Needs Assessments to develop tailored solutions that achieve family goals and create lasting change.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Case Manager
National Center for Children and Families, NCCF
2025.04 - Current
- Facilitated case management for 17 families, ensuring access to resources that support housing stability and enhance self-sufficiency.
- Performed monthly home visits and completed comprehensive reports on housing and child welfare to monitor safety and service outcomes.
- Develop and implement individualized service plans based on comprehensive assessments, addressing housing, mental health, employment, and family needs
- Maintained accurate documentation of client interactions, home visits, and service plans in OCTO/HTH and HMIS systems, ensuring compliance with DHS standards.
- Orchestrated service coordination and referral processes among community partners, ensuring effective connections with housing providers, mental health agencies, and public benefit programs.
- Advocate on behalf of clients with landlords and property management to prevent eviction and resolve housing-related issues
- Assessed and addressed crisis situations involving rent arrears, utility disconnections, and family instability to provide effective support and solutions.
Educational Support Specialist
Youth Now!
2023.04 - Current
- Coordinated and implemented personalized academic intervention strategies for youth in foster care, partnering with Prince George’s County Department of Social Services to address specific educational needs.
- Partner with foster parents, social workers, and school personnel to strengthen educational outcomes and support placement stability
- Design and implement structured learning strategies tailored to each student’s academic level, learning style, and behavioral needs
- Reinforce and support Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals through intentional, skill-based instruction and progress monitoring
- Develop and submit comprehensive monthly progress reports detailing academic performance, growth trends, and targeted areas for continued support
- Analyze student progress and adapt instructional approaches to address learning gaps and promote measurable improvement
- Maintain consistent, solution-focused communication with multidisciplinary teams to ensure alignment across educational and case planning goals
Family Engagement Specialist
Educare DC
2022.03 - Current
- Manage and optimize support services for 40-72 families through data-driven Family Needs Assessments (FNA), creating tailored development plans that enhance service delivery
- Coordinate and link families to critical community resources, ensuring seamless access to health services, early childhood education, and specialized support for children.
- Support families in navigating and implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), driving educational and developmental success for children with special needs.
- Analyze family engagement metrics and feedback to optimize program effectiveness, implement data-driven improvements, and enhance service delivery
- Design and lead targeted parent education sessions, community resource events, and family engagement activities, aligned with FNA results and FPA goals, to drive measurable improvements in family participation.
- Conduct home visits to ensure the safety of the families while providing personalized support, educating them on school readiness and parent involvement, and empowering them to achieve self-sufficiency and positive outcomes
Program Coordinator
Baskids Foundation
2015.04 - Current
- Monitor program effectiveness through data-driven assessment, identifying improvement areas and implementing strategic enhancements
- Coordinate literacy programs and community outreach initiatives, fostering partnerships with local organizations to enhance educational support for underserved youth
- Managed grant research and coordination, identifying funding opportunities and successfully securing grants to support educational initiatives and family support services.
- Established partnership with local schools and after-school programs to develop and implement customized educational initiatives, resulting in a significant improvement in literacy rates for at-risk children.
Case Manager Specialist
LabCorp Drug Development
2015.01 - 2017.01
- Assessed and determined patient eligibility for medical treatment based on medical need, financial factors and health referrals and documentation.
- Optimized clinical case management workflows through accurate documentation, risk assessment, and strict HIPAA compliance, resulting in reduced processing time and protocol adherence.
- Managed complex healthcare cases through systematic documentation and thorough risk evaluation, ensuring adherence to clinical protocols
Program Coordinator
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
2009.06 - 2014.06
- Enhanced program effectiveness through systematic managing compliance with M-NCPPC and Youth standards, ensuring smooth summer operations and accurate documentation.
- Presented weekly reports on operations, inspections, and adherence to regulations for leadership.
- Supervised aftercare, ensuring a safe environment and supporting children's development.
- Mentored youth through X-treme Teens initiative, creating engaging development opportunities and fostering personal growth in afterschool programs
Education
Master of Science - Human Services
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN05.2025
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
Bowie State University
Bowie, MD05.2015
Skills
- Case Management & Service Coordination
- Data Tracking, Documentation & Systems Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Crisis Intervention & Housing Stability Support
- Family Advocacy & Client Engagement
- Resource Navigation & Referral Coordination
- Program Implementation & Compliance Monitoring
- Educational Support & IEP Reinforcement
- Progress Monitoring, Reporting & Outcomes Analysis
- Community Outreach & Partnership Development
- Social Services Coordination
- Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP)
- Interpersonal Communication Skills
- Program Implementation
Professional Development
- Intensive Family Engagement
- Stages of Change
- Trauma Informed Care
- Developmental Milestones
- Administrative Leadership in EHS
Timeline
Case Manager
National Center for Children and Families, NCCF
2025.04 - Current
Educational Support Specialist
Youth Now!
2023.04 - Current
Family Engagement Specialist
Educare DC
2022.03 - Current
Program Coordinator
Baskids Foundation
2015.04 - Current
Case Manager Specialist
LabCorp Drug Development
2015.01 - 2017.01
Program Coordinator
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
2009.06 - 2014.06
Master of Science - Human Services
Walden University
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
Bowie State University