Michelle Brenner
Spring Hill,TN
Summary
Talented Executive Director offering proven background in state and for-profit child welfare business settings while driving organizational change and significant growth YOY at operational levels. Demonstrated leadership, planning and problem-solving abilities focused on delivering robust, performance-oriented strategies and positive outcomes to meet current and expected demands.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Executive Director
AYS dba StepStone Family & Youth Services
Nashville, TN
06.2020 - 08.2023
- Established strategic direction and goals to accomplish objectives.
- Maintained accountability for operational and fiscal integrity, effectively managing designated budget.
- Reviewed and approved annual operating and capital budgets for company.
- Stayed up-to-date on best practices and cutting-edge ideas to improve organizational effectiveness.
- Recruited, hired and trained employees on operations and performance expectations.
- Strengthened company business by leading implementation of new projects and procedures.
- Implemented quality metrics to track business needs and lead diverse projects.
- Provided organizational leadership and collaborated with executive partners to establish long-term goals, strategies and company policies.
- Oversaw corrective action plans to remedy structural, organizational and departmental issues.
- Executed on-time, under-budget project management to adhere to project road map.2
- Hired, trained and mentored all staff members to maximize productivity.
- Strategized and implemented plans to transform and revitalize operations, capitalizing on emerging youth needs and trends in the state foster care system.
- Fostered collaboration and development of new practices by business leaders.
- Improved profitability by accurately maintaining P&L to meet prime fiscal responsibility.
- Exceeded growth goals each year through aggressive marketing plan and cross-selling within existing foster home base, employees as well as strategically attracting new business.
- Created program to promote new managers from within, leading to cohesive leadership structure.
- Strategized and implemented plans to transform and revitalize operations statewide, capitalizing on the needs of emerging youth care trends.
- Signed and approved budgets for new funding and program initiatives.
- Executed on-time, under-budget project management to adhere to project road map.
- Successfully improved employment turnover through creating incentive and training programs.
- Determined methods and procedures for staffing requirements and allotment of funds to various departments and projects.
- Recommended appropriate staffing techniques to meet demands and manage costs.
- Assessed potential collaboration opportunities to enhance organizational value and improve efficiency.
- Set organization direction and developed strategies and tactics to fulfill mission.
Program Manager
AYS dba Magnolia Academy
Lewisburg, TN
03.2020 - 06.2020
- Monitored staff performance and addressed issues.
- Enforced company and state regulations, policies and procedures while resolving customer concerns to uphold quality service and delivery.
- Exercised good judgment and decision-making in escalating concerns and resolving issues.
- Maintained adequate staffing to meet objectives within budget.
- Enhanced team member performance through use of strategic and tactical approaches, motivational coaching and training.
- Led team meetings and one-on-one coaching sessions to continuously improve performance.
- Created training modules and documentation to train staff.
Therapeutic Case Manager
Alternative Youth Services (AYS)
TN
09.2018 - 03.2020
- Proactively served, assisted and supported over 75 traumatized at-risk youth in transitioning and thriving in loving and supportive foster homes.
- Assessed and identified service delivery challenges and opportunities within local area.
- Acted as consultant to community programs by interpreting regulations and policies.
- Successfully transition children through the trauma of leaving home, moving placements and navigating the courts; identifying all the teams players and their roles for child’s understanding/participation
- Foster positive respectful long-term working relationships with multiple foster parents and collaterals
- Create strategies in tracking all work-flow requirements, dates and trainings; utilizing an online platform
- Assess, create, refer, monitor, consult and update individual treatment plans, services implemented, child and family team meetings, COE and supervisory reviews
- Include birth family in their child(ren) care, case progress, appointments, emergencies or any updated information - including going above and beyond to ensure understanding and parental inclusion.
- Intentionally managed crises (ie: suicidal attempts, runaways, sexual assaults, human trafficking) with urgent yet controlled perspective and informed decisions for optimal results.
- Support and assist supervisor and in helping meet collaborative goals required.
- Assist in training coworkers, maintaining a supportive role working as a team.
- Written quality reports and face contacts for entities as required.
- Promotes a positive “can-do” attitude
- Recognized with a Legacy Award for “keeping a positive attitude during our growth period and going the extra mile”.
Foster Parent/Child Advocate
Department of Children and Families
Plymouth, MA
03.2003 - 08.2016
- Successfully raised, nurtured and provided for the physical, medical/dental, social/emotional and academic needs of 135+ traumatized homeless children for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- Worked with community resources to engage youth in pro-social activities and help families access services.
- Built trust and rapport with birth families for calm and compassionate parental modeling of situations and care for their children in preparation for returning home.
- Participated in ongoing training to maintain license and enhance knowledge of trauma informed care models.
- Counseled parents on proper child-rearing choices.
- Collaborated with state agencies and benefits coordinators to develop individualized plans for each child/youth in our care.
- Interfaced with local court system, attending court proceedings and working directly with attorneys.
Owner/Educator/Therapist
Welcome Home Childcare
Plymouth, MA
03.2003 - 04.2017
- Developed a business plan for educational excellence, where fun and learning were synonymous and schedules were flexible.
- Promoted business on social media platforms to maximize brand identity and generate revenue.
- Developed and implemented successful individual care plans to meet educational needs for developmental milestones.
- Enhanced operational performance by developing and reviewing effective care plans and procedures; including parental input.
- Employed and managed family child care vendor by negotiating deliverables, cost and expected quality secured by state regulations and policies.
- Kept records for business performance review, financial records, and child development progress.
- Managed operations budgeting, accounts payable and accounts receivable.
- Kept up-to-date on regulatory changes affecting business operations.
Social Worker III
Department of Children and Families
South Weymouth, MA
02.1995 - 08.1999
- Efficiently and effectively assessed and serviced over 100 families in crisis
- Delivered comprehensive case management services for an average caseload of 28 families, simultaneously.
- Maintained thorough case history records and wrote detailed reports.
- Implemented social service interventions to achieve treatment goals and address client needs.
- Maintained lists of resources helpful to clients.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary team of mental health, educational, legal, and medical specialists for best practices and care solutions.
- Visited clients at residence for home study assessments to assist courts with custody decisions.
- Coordinated mental health assessments for children, adolescents and adults receiving child welfare and prevention services.
Education
Master in Social Work - Clinical Social Work
Fordham University
New York05.1995
Bachelor in Social Work - Social Work, Minor in Psychology
Eastern Nazarene College
Quincy, MA05.1992
Skills
- Positive 'can do' solution-oriented
- Operations Management
- Exceptional interpersonal skills
- Microsoft 365 and Mac proficient
- Coaching and Counseling
- Project Management
- Strategic Planning
- Entrepreneur/Macro Visionary
- Teamwork Driven
- Leadership Development
- Professional crisis management
- Contract Management
- Business Planning
- Negotiation
- Empathic and patient
- Report Compilation
- Relationship Building
- Program Leadership
- Vendor Relations
Certification
Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW), TN
Accomplishments
- Led team to achieve significant growth in 2021 and 2022, earning recognition from upper management and financial reward.
- StepStone - #1 GROWTH AWARD in 2021 for Community Living in BrightSpring Health Inc.
- Legacy Award Winner 2021 - positive ATTITUDE
- MA DCS Foster Parent of the Year 2008
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
swipe to browse
Quote
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
Albert Schweitzer
Timeline
Executive Director
AYS dba StepStone Family & Youth Services
06.2020 - 08.2023
Program Manager
AYS dba Magnolia Academy
03.2020 - 06.2020
Therapeutic Case Manager
Alternative Youth Services (AYS)
09.2018 - 03.2020
Foster Parent/Child Advocate
Department of Children and Families
03.2003 - 08.2016
Owner/Educator/Therapist
Welcome Home Childcare
03.2003 - 04.2017
Social Worker III
Department of Children and Families
02.1995 - 08.1999
Master in Social Work - Clinical Social Work
Fordham University
Bachelor in Social Work - Social Work, Minor in Psychology
Eastern Nazarene College
- Licensed Master Social Work (LMSW), TN
- Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW), MA
Similar Profiles
Kelsey DavisKelsey Davis
National Recruitment Director at StepStone Family & Youth Services/ Bright Spring HealthNational Recruitment Director at StepStone Family & Youth Services/ Bright Spring Health
Jessica TumblingJessica Tumbling
Foster Care Licensing Specialist at Stepstone Family and Youth ServicesFoster Care Licensing Specialist at Stepstone Family and Youth Services
Arianna KrolArianna Krol
Programs Data Analyst at Idaho Youth Ranch, Youth & Family ServicesPrograms Data Analyst at Idaho Youth Ranch, Youth & Family Services