Raéann Bacchus
Director Child Welfare
Coral Gables,FL
Summary
Senior Executive, Child Welfare Expert leading the State of Florida's Economic Self Sufficiency Operations. Visionary leader, within Florida's Child Welfare's private and public sector during an 18 year span. In depth knowledge regarding systems of care processes and judicial procedures within the Dependency and Juvenile Justice systems, Substance Abuse and Mental and its affect on vulnerable communities. Change Leader dedicated to continuous business improvement, focused on streamlining processes to achieve true efficacy of services for clients and communities. Fostering and maintaining public and private partnerships. Customer focused background coupled with expertise in building vibrant workforce. Ready to tackle new challenges and build success with exciting organization.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Florida Department Of Children & Families
Miami, FL
02.2022 - Current
- Operational oversight for Florida's public assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Hope Florida and Care Coordination.
- Leading Team of 7 Regional Program Directors; oversight and leadership of approximately 4,500 staff
- Responsible for efficacy and efficiency of 29 ESS storefront locations statewide which aid Floridians. DCF storefronts have quadrupled average number of clients entering lobbies to receive assistance and averaging 100K calls daily, to ESS call centers
- Spearheaded and Implemented Region wide hiring fairs at local DCF offices to recruit new employees. 60% of 232 attendees from first event, hired; based on its success, DCF Secretary required all regions to host hiring fairs
- Newest project with Human Resources: Due to increased demand for assistance to undocumented individuals: Hiring and Placing clerical staff to assist with admin duties, who speak languages of communities' served to navigate longer than normal crowds in storefronts
- Maintenance of strong relationship with contracted provider, Lighthouse for Blind, to eradicate call center vacancies to reduce customer call times
Regional Managing Director
Florida Department Of Children And Families
Miami, FL
03.2020 - 02.2022
- Executive direction for Florida's Southern Region of DCF for Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties
- Regional Oversight of ESS( Economic Self Sufficiency), Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Family Safety; Child and Adult Protective Investigations
- Management of Foster Care and Managing Entity contracts. Through scorecard metrics, managed outcomes for Lead Foster Agency (Citrus Family Care Network and SAMH contract with South Florida Behavioral Health; totaling $197 Million in contracted services
- Responsible for Regional $250 Million budget; $54 Million in salaries
- Orchestrated Region wide transition from, in person operation of 980 staff, to remote work within 2 weeks, to comply with Federal Lockdown Mandates, accommodating Public Health Crisis in 2020
- Exceeded statewide targets for Food Stamp processing times during one year of remote work due to pandemic. Regional ESS office approved 7.2 million applications in 2021, which increased by 300k from 2020
- Consistently maintained lowest, removal rates and least amount of children in care in Florida; not surpassing 1100 children in out of home care since March 2020.
- Reduced 13% of agency expenses , without scaling back operations or staffing, but through reduction of rent spaces
- Activated region emergency response and spearheaded DCF assistance for Family Resource Center for survivors of collapsed Champlain Tower Residences, Surfside FL
- Coached new Lead Agency with their hiring process, in another Region during transition into judicial circuits 6 & 13
Vice President
Embrace Families Solutions
Orlando, FL
04.2015 - 03.2020
- Direct oversight of company's Diversion programs; varying from, Child Advocacy Center - Osceola county, Tri-county Homeless Prevention, SAMHSA grants, Education and Leadership Development Programs for Youth in Foster Care, and AmeriCorps Service Site
- Advised Chief Operating Officer and CEO in maintaining effective communication with Advisory Boards, community stakeholders, provider networks and funders
- ROI into Homeless Prevention Program was 2:1 saving over 300K per fiscal year
- Tripled reach of Homeless Prevention Program; increased from one to three counties, through effective collaboration with data analyzation, dynamic industry relationships and exceeding housing benchmarks, within 3 years
- Reduced 200K in operational costs by overhauling and streamlining by moving from outside contracts to in-house services within case management of homeless prevention program; all cost savings redirected to serve clients
- Direct Accountability to Company Board of Directors, and Finance and Audit Committees
Out of Home Care Director
Kids Central Inc.
Ocala, FL
12.2013 - 04.2015
- Leadership of Placement, and Licensing Departments; responsible for recruitment, licensing and maintaining of Foster homes in five county circuit
- Implemented new Foster Parent training curriculum, policies, procedures and processes, boosting recruitment and retention of foster parents within circuit, increasing bed availability for foster youth
- Championed efforts to reduce licensing of foster home cycle time; 6-8 month average decreased to 60- 90 days
- Planned and executed recruitment, and licensing of foster homes as required by DCF contract. Exceeded all contractual requirements and measures for Out of Home care as benchmarked by state
Child Protective Investigator Supervisor
Florida Department of Children and Families
Orlando, FL
01.2005 - 01.2013
- Trained and mentored new investigators, with emphasis on developing quality employees, while preparing them to deliver world class customer service and care to community
- Deployed to assist with relief efforts for backlogged cases to Miami in 2009
- Managed relief efforts for alongside Regional Managing Director at Sanford/ Orlando Airport to assist with investigations of human trafficking and ESS assistance to victims arriving from Haiti to United States after 2010 earthquake
- Successfully led investigative units and service center through transition of new statewide software transition
- Child Protective Investigator 2 years/ 2005-2007
Education
Master of Science - Administration Of Justice And Security
University Of Phoenix
Orlando, FL2010
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL2003
Timeline
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Florida Department Of Children & Families
02.2022 - Current
Regional Managing Director
Florida Department Of Children And Families
03.2020 - 02.2022
Vice President
Embrace Families Solutions
04.2015 - 03.2020
Out of Home Care Director
Kids Central Inc.
12.2013 - 04.2015
Child Protective Investigator Supervisor
Florida Department of Children and Families
01.2005 - 01.2013
Master of Science - Administration Of Justice And Security
University Of Phoenix
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice
University of Central Florida