See the people who make it all happen!
We thought we’d tell you a little bit about our staff, since they are the people you’ll be talking to and working with. We’ve even tried to give you a picture of them to help you put a face to the voice on the other end of the phone line.
Administrative Support Staff
Adminstrative Support Staff are the people who often talk to you first when you call the office. They direct your call to the right person, but this is only a small part of their jobs. They are the ones that really make OFY run smoothly by keeping track of, organizing, and maintaining all the work done by everyone else. Our Administrative Support Staff are:
Danielle Eckert
Employed at OFY Since: January 2011School Attended:
Kent State University: Architecture and Environmental Design
Northwest State Community College: Liberal Arts
Malia Lisuch
Employed at OFY Since: May 2007In Human Services Since: 2003
Work Experience:
Clerical work, phones, mailings, and copying
School Attended:
Breckview Heights High School
Tri-C West
HMI Hula School: Oahu, Hawaii
Megan Vagase
Employed at OFY Since: May 2007In Human Services Since: 2007
Work Experience:
Maintain Help Me Grow filing system and enter data into the ODH Early Start System
School Attended:Baldwin-Wallace College, Degree: Theatre
Shirley Polick
Employed at OFY Since: July 1997In Human Services Since: 1997
Work Experience:
Office management, clerical work, foster care records
School Attended:John Marshall High School
Assessors
Assessors are professionally-trained staff who will come to your home and interview you. They will complete a “home study” (also known as a “family assessment”). You must have a home study completed by a certified assessor to become licensed as a foster parent or to be approved as an adoptive parent. Our Assessors are:
Karen Weaver, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: 2006In Human Services Since: 1977
Work Experience:
Child Welfare Services 1975-1985, Adoptions for the past 26 years, 20 years of which for the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, Licensed Social Worker since1993.
School Attended:
Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina
Winthrop University in Rockhill, South Carolina.
Sarah Lundeen, LISW-S
Employed at OFY Since: May 1998
In Human Services Since: 1998
Work Experience:
Certification: LISW.Foster Care casemanagement; Early Start home visitor; adoption assessor; school social work; coach; mentor; grantwriting.
School Attended:John Carroll University; Case Western Reserve University, Degree: Psychology; Social Work.
Assistant Director
Our Assistant Director is a professionally-trained individual who is the “back-up” to the Executive Director in running OFY. She provides leadership for the Help Me Grow program services, establishes internal procedures, performs quality control, and works with families in problem-solving and trouble-shooting. She also performs supervision of selected staff. Our Assistant Director is:
Ginger Heyneman, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: 1990
In Human Services Since: 1979
Work Experience:
Certification: LSW.Management and Administration in Early Start; grant writing; public relations, quality assurance and improvement; foster care case management, recertification and training; child welfare caseworker; program development; pregnancy prevention education; early childhood development.
School Attended:Bluffton College, Degree: Social Work; Sociology; Psychology.
Case Aids
Case Aids help OFY foster parents or case managers get children to visits with their biological family. Our Case Aid is:
Rita Alexander
Employed at OFY Since: 2001In Human Services Since: 1984
Work Experience:
Case Aid; Community Employment Specialist.
School Attended:Union Institute and University, Degree: Social Work.
Clinical Director
Our Clinical Director is a licensed psychologist and licensed independent chemical dependency counselor. His expertise is in the areas of mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders with children, adolescents and adults makes him well suited to supervise the diagnostic assessments and therapy provided by OFY's therapist. Additionally, OFY's Clinical Director conducts psychological evaluations and provides consultation to OFY's adoption, foster care and Help Me Grow staff.
Francis Matese, Ph.D., LICDC
Employed at OFY Since: March 1996
In Human Services Since: 1980
Work Experience:
Comprehensive diagnostic psychogical assessment, treatment and supervision and direction of treatment for children, adolescents and adults with mental health, substance use and co-occuring disorders provided in outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization and residential treatment settings.
School Attended:Loyola University of Chicago: Bachelor of Science in Psychology; DePaul University of Chicago: Master of Art and Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology.
Executive Director
Our Executive Director casts the agency’s vision and mission, oversees the entire operation, and creates policies and procedures. He assures that OFY stays compliant with state regulations, keeps the agency fiscally solvent, and supervises and manages programming offered by OFY. Our Executive Director is:
Michael D Rush, LISW-S
Employed at OFY Since: 1989
In Human Services Since: 1968
Work Experience:
Certification: LISW.Cofounder of OFY; Administration, supervision and management, case management in foster care; individual and group counseling, child welfare trainer; family therapist; child care worker, intake, supervisor, program director and social services director in residential treatment center; administrator, outreach worker in residential treatment center.
School Attended:Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University (Graduate School), Degree: Psychology, Philosophy, Social Work.
Financial Assistant
Our Financial Assistant works along with the Finance Manager and assures the timely completion of invoices, payment of accounts receivable, payments to staff and foster parents, and a variety of internal record-keeping activities. Our Finance assistant is:
Stephanie Kingsley
Employed at OFY Since: 2003In Human Services Since: 2001
Work Experience:
Assisting in completion of invoices, payment of accounts receivable, payments to staff and foster parents, record keeping, etc.
School Attended:Bluffton College
Financial Manager
Our Financial Manager develops and controls the agency’s budget and expenditures. She invoices for our services, pays the bills, and handles payments to staff and foster parents. She also completes all the agency’s financial paperwork, which is necessary to be in compliance with the government. She assists the Executive Director in keeping OFY fiscally sound. Our Finance Manager is:
Debbie Rush
Employed at OFY Since: 1989
In Human Services Since: 1979
Work Experience:
Cofounder of OFY; Financial Management of OFY its entire 21 years existence; accounting, bookkeeping; payroll; accounts receivable and payable; personnel officer; intake assistant in social services agency, clerical work.
School Attended:University of Dayton
Foster Care Case Managers
Foster Care Case Managers are professionally-trained staff. Their job is to visit and talk with you and the foster children in your home on a regular basis. They are in charge of the OFY Treatment Team. This team organizes a plan for you and your foster child so they will grow and develop while you care for them. OFY Foster Care Case Managers are:
Faith Lloyd Smith, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: March 2007In Human Services Since: 1987
Work Experience:
Murtis H. Taylor Multi-Services Center (Mental Health Case Manager), Passage Treatment Homes (Foster Care Regional Director), Ohio Youth Advocate Program (Adoption Specialist), Diversion Foster Care (Foster Parent Trainer), HELP Foundation (Program Manager), Hope Academy Chapelside (Family Advocate/Assistant Principal)
School Attended:Ashland College
Janice Smith, LCDC II
Employed at OFY Since: April 1991In Human Services Since: 1982
Work Experience:
Certification: CCDCI. Foster care casemanagement; child care worker, shift supervisor in residential treatment center; administrator and instructor at Karate Institute.
School Attended:Cuyahoga Community College, Northern Michigan University, Degree: Social Services
Jennifer Schmucker, MSSA, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: April 2009In Human Services Since: 2000
Work Experience:
Individual therapy with children, adolescents and adults; cognitive-behavioral therapy; therapeutic foster care case management and coordination; intervention planning for juvenile justice involved adolescents; comprehensive assessment, treament and intensive case management for adolescents with co-occuring mental health and substance use conditions; and treatment of trauma including neglect, abuse vicitmization and domestic violence in the context of presenting emotional/behavioral and substance use problems
School Attended:Loyola University of Chicago: Bachelor of Science in Social Work; Case Western Reserve University: Master of Science in Social Administration.
John Uhlir, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: December 1993In Human Services Since: 1994
Work Experience:
Certification: LSW.
Foster care case management, caseworker in county child welfare system and worked as an Ongoing Social Worker for CCDCFS.
Cleveland State University, Degree: Psychology
Randy Devney, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: November 1990
In Human Services Since: 1984
Work Experience:
Certification: LSW. Foster care casemanagement; child care worker, shift supervisor and program director in residential treatment center.
School Attended:Baldwin Wallace University, Degree: Human Services
Licensing Specialist
Our Licensing Specialist does whatever is necessary to keep you licensed as a foster parent from year to year. She will encourage you to complete the necessary hours each year as well as keep you current on foster care rules and regulations. Our Licensing Specialist is:
Laurie Steckle, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: 1999
In Human Services Since: 1994
Work Experience:
Certification: LSW.Foster Care program supervision, recruitment, training and licensing; adoption assessor; day camp counselor; inner-city before-and-after school program; domestic violence hotline and group work.
School Attended:Wright State University, Degree: Social Work.
Service Coordinators
Service Coordinators are professionally-trained staff. They are familiar with resources at OFY and in the community that can help you take care of the needs of your infants/toddlers. Their job is to be a resource person and a helper to you. They will get you information about child development and parenting. They will help you find therapists to assist your children. In general, they will help and encourage you to be the best parent you can be to your little one. All of our Service Coordinators are certified Parent Educators in the “Parents As Teachers” curriculum. Our Service Coordinators are:
Amy Herrin
Employed at OFY Since: October 1999
In Human Services Since: 1993
Work Experience:
Certification: LSW.HMG Service Coordinator; parenting and pregnancy education; Hotline assessment, investigations; child welfare case management; child care worker
School Attended:University of North Dakota, Degree: Social Work
Christel Bright, MSW, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: September 2001
In Human Services Since: 2000
Work Experience:
Westhaven Youth Shelter: Intake & Assessment, 2002-2004
OFY: case aid, foster care case manager, past foster parent trainer in HMG and transition, previous Transition Commitee member, family support and outreach, Early Start/Part C/County & ODH home visitor, data entry and 2nd discipline for evaluations with HMG team
Certifications: LSW, PAT educator and Credentialed SC/HV
Cleveland State University: Masters of Social Work, 2004; Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Psychology, 2002
Cuyahoga Community College: Associate of Arts, 2000
Crystal Murrell
Employed at OFY Since: June 2008In Human Services Since: 2000
Work Experience:
Child Care Provider for Women Center of Greater Cleveland; Respite Worker for Berea Children’s Home; Youth Programs at Goodrich Gannett Center, Licensed Professsional Counselor
School Attended:Cleveland State University: Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and Master's in Education
Doreen Anderson, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: November 2006In Human Services Since: 1992
Work Experience:
Zelma George Homeless Shelter, Marycrest School for Girls, University Settlement – Neighborhood Foster Care Coordinator in partnership with DCFS, Hope Academy West – School Social Work
School Attended:Capital University, Bachelor Degree in Social Work. LSW
Heidi Vanyo RN
Employed at OFY Since: August 2004In Human Services Since: 1984
Work Experience:
Charge nurse duties; pediatric and infant care for special-needs children; Early Start home visitor services; High-risk maternity unit care; Step-down nursery unit care
School Attended:Lutheran Medical Center School of Nursing, RN
Jasmine Merriweather
Employed at OFY Since: October 2011Work Experience:
Stride Program Mentor at Beech Brook; Friendly Inn Settlement House Intern
School Attended:Cleveland State University: BSW Social Work and B.A. Psychology
Jenie Lowry
Employed at OFY Since: July 2001
In Human Services Since: 1994
Work Experience:
Case aid; youth drug prevention; county welfare case management; GED instructor; juvenile probation officer; foster care licensing and homestudy work; research in human services
School Attended:University of Dayton
Judy Mesaros
Karen Vacca
Employed at OFY Since: February 2004In Human Services Since: 1990
Work Experience:
Child Care Worker; Private Child Care Provider; Social Services Worker at DCFS; Social Services Supervisor
School Attended:Colorado State University, Psychology
Katie Sheatzley
Employed at OFY Since: January 2011In Human Services Since: 2010
Work Experience:
Community Refugee & Immigration Services' Help Me Grow
School Attended:
University fo Pittsburgh: BS in Psychology and BA in Spanish
Ohio University: MA in International Affairs with a concentration in Latin American Studies
Madelaine Pignatiello
Employed at OFY Since: July 2001In Human Services Since: 1998
Work Experience:
Early Start home visitor; pregnancy and parenting information; Research in the Veteran’s Addiction and Recovery Center; Individual Counseling
School Attended:John Carroll University, Degree: Psychology
Michelle Gilcher
Employed at OFY Since: 2004In Human Services Since: 1993
Work Experience:
Berea Children’s Home (Child Care Worker, Pro Kids Intake), Parmadale (Child Care Worker), CCDCFS (ongoing, hotline and hotline supervisor)
School Attended:Kent State University
Nicole Tokmenko
Employed at OFY Since: October 2008In Human Services Since: 2000
Work Experience:
Cuyahoga County Social Worker (child welfare intake and work with abused and neglected children; programming for teen moms; mentored new social workers.)
School Attended:Kent State University (Bachelor of Science – Human Development)
Tessa ODonnell
Employed at OFY Since: February 2007In Human Services Since: 1993
Work Experience:
Case manager and facilitator of case review at CCDCFS, Family Resource Coordinator at Lakewood Pre Kindergarten Program
School Attended:Cleveland State University, BA in Psychology
Supervisors
Our Supervisors are the professionally-trained staff who provide direction, advice, problem-solving, and guidance to those who work with children and families. They also handle a variety of managerial and administrative responsibilities. Our Supervisors are:
Amy Hokaj, LISW-S
Employed at OFY Since: 2000In Human Services Since: 1990
Work Experience:
Certification: LISW.DCFS hotline work and supervision; psychosocial assessments for juvenile court; child welfare casemanagement; abuse and neglect investigations; in-home family counseling; community outreach; hospital social work; bereavement support group work; adoption assessor; adoption triad counseling; service coordinator.
School Attended:Cleveland State University; Case Western Reserve University (Graduate School), Degree: Social Work.
Holly Sidari, CFLE
Employed at OFY Since: November 2004In Human Services Since: 1999
Work Experience:
Upward Bound Program, DCFS Social Services Worker, Young Women’s Psychological Self-Defense Program, Early Start Worker and Supervisor, Day Care and Family Support Services Director.
School Attended:Kent State University, Human Development and Family Studies.
Kathy Netzel, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: 2000In Human Services Since: 1993
Work Experience:
Certification: LSW.Early Start Home Visitor; hotline assessments and investigations; child welfare casemanagement; criminal justice victim advocacy; crisis counseling; group discussion leader and conference organization.
School Attended:Cleveland State University, Degree: Social Work.
Therapists
OFY's therapists are licensed behavioral health professionals who provide diagnostic assessment, behavioral health counseling and therapy services to children, adolescents and adults. Our therapists have extensive experience in the treament of victims of neglect, abuse and trauma; emotional (anxiety and depressive) disorders; behavioral (attention, anger, oppositional and agressive) disorders; and relationship (parent-child, simbling and familiy) difficulties. Our therapists are particularly skilled in the treament of children and adolescents who have experienced disruptions and losses (neglect, foster care and/or adoption) in their lives.
Jennifer Schmucker, MSSA, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: April 2009In Human Services Since: 2000
Work Experience:
Individual therapy with children, adolescents and adults; cognitive-behavioral therapy; therapeutic foster care case management and coordination; intervention planning for juvenile justice involved adolescents; comprehensive assessment, treament and intensive case management for adolescents with co-occuring mental health and substance use conditions; and treatment of trauma including neglect, abuse vicitmization and domestic violence in the context of presenting emotional/behavioral and substance use problems
School Attended:Loyola University of Chicago: Bachelor of Science in Social Work; Case Western Reserve University: Master of Science in Social Administration
Laura Artino, LISW-S
Employed at OFY Since: April 2001In Human Services Since: 1984
Work Experience:
Comprehensive diagnostic assessment and therapy of children, adolescents and adults; individual, group and family therapies; play therapy; cognitive-behavioral therapy; therapeutic foster care case management and coordination; and clinical supervision of outpatient therapists; administration of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) services.
School Attended:Cleveland State University: Bachelor of Art in Social Work; Ohio State University: Master of Social Work
Seth Allen Garcia
Employed at OFY Since: March 2011In Human Services Since: 2008
Work Experience:
Individual therapy with children, adolescents and adults; cognitive-behavioral therapy; group and family therapy, anger management and impulse control training; play therapy; field experience with the Federal Bureau of Investigation hostage negotiation unit; and comprehensive assessment, treatment and intensive case management for adolescents with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions.
School Attended:University of Akron: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Law; The Chicago School of Professional Psychology: Master of Art in Forensic Psychology.
Training Coordinator
Our Training Coordinator is the person who develops and updates our foster care and adoptive training curriculum. She schedules and approves of outside speakers at OFY. She also organizes and maintains the records for all the training classes and hours that foster parents take whether they occur at OFY or at other community sites. She encourages you to get your foster parent training done. Our Training coordinator is:
Jackie Jackson, LSW
Employed at OFY Since: 1994In Human Services Since: 1993
Work Experience:
Certification: LSW.Foster Care recruitment, training and casemanagement, adoption assessor, adult parole counselor and interviewer; rape crisis hotline work; early start home visitor, case aid.
School Attended:Cleveland State University, Degree: Social Work; Criminal Justice.
