Kari earned a master’s degree in social work, while working full time in a demanding job as a case manager, all while raising 3 young boys. In addition, Kari is a team supervisor/lead worker for the expedited child protection team based on her sound decision-making skills. As a lead worker, she helps train new staff and participates in many work groups with other lead workers. A significant accomplishment is the reputation Kari has among everyone she works with. She is known for her hard work, honesty, and ability to get the job done.

She is always willing to help out in a “we need it now” emergency. Kari is willing to voice her independent opinion on case direction rather than following management dictates, and in doing so, she earns the respect of everyone, from clients, peers and supervisors, to judicial and attorneys involved.

Kari is an exemplary case manager. She always has a very professional demeanor with the clients she serves. Kari is honest and respectful to the families she works with. She is the queen of multi-tasking and the “Gold Standard” all other case managers get compared to – a shining example of how to best serve the families and children she works for. Kari is often the one her peers seek for advice on difficult cases. Kari is never one to avoid a challenge.

Barbara Drake
County Director
El Paso County

Barbara is nationally recognized for her innovative work streamlining human services and building capacity within the El Paso County community to reduce poverty and family violence. She has served as a Caseworker, Supervisor, Senior Administrator and Deputy Director before becoming the Director of the agency 5 years ago.

Barbara has dedicated the past thirty years to her work with children and families. She has become an expert in building collaborations with community partners and other agencies, and has been instrumental in using her knowledge to build integrated service delivery in all areas within the agency. An example of this is the co-founding partnership between the DHS Family Independence Program and DVERT, a multi agency approach to serious domestic violence cases, which has been proven to work while reaming cost effective.

Barbara and her El Paso County staff have been published in several journals, which include: The Cradle to Prison Pipeline Crisis (Children’s Defense Fund), Reunification Task Force, Final Report, 2005 and many more.

She is a current board member for TESSA, CPCD, Greenbook Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families. She currently serves on the Governor's Fatality Action Team with the Colorado Department of Human Services.

Collaborative Foster Care Team
Cheryl Allen, Jill Crews, Evelyn Eagan, Lorraine Gallagher, Erin Hunt, Cheryl Hylink, Jan Kachenko, Deneen Kelly, Sara Kruszka, Ashley Madrid, Asya Muhammad, Andrea Muschett Llynnette Osorio, Lori Paluck, Janis Phillips, Angela Reyes, Veronica Reynoso, Kristi Rock, Otha Thomas, Jennifer Wallace, Barb Weinstein

Arapahoe and Jefferson County

Through a unique partnership, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties integrated two county-specific foster care programs into one shared program. This unique partnership was able to break through traditional barriers, and build on each counties unique strengths to develop a better foster care program.

Through this partnership, the two counties no longer compete for resources but join forces to provide the best quality service delivery system for children in foster care. The program and staff involved have crossed boundaries to streamline resources, reduce duplication, increase support for foster parents and keep kids closer to their families and communities.

The Collaborative Foster Care Program has accomplished many goals: 220 Certified Foster Homes with the program Since its inception, the program has certified 6 new homes, has 30 homes in the home study process, 57 homes in pre-certification and ready to begin the home study process,2 new group center programs. 3 new group center programs in process. The program has improved the quality of pre-service training, increased recruitment efforts, increased training opportunities, and increased resources for placement of children

Sara Canfield
Resource Unit Manager
Morgan County

Sara has worked for the Department for over 20 years, and has been instrumental in obtaining and maintaining the lease of a fully equipped house for the parent visitation. Sara is very active on the management team of Child Welfare managers. She adds great insight as we review placement decisions. Sara is trained on the SAFE Study, and reviews most of the studies completed for Morgan County. In addition, she coordinates the non-certified kinship SAFE Studies.

Sara is very involved with the CHAFEE program, and has willingly taken over many of the responsibilities for the unfilled position. In this capacity, Sara advocates for children transitioning out of foster care. She also coordinates the donations our department receives for families and children. She is very busy around the holidays, making sure all children in and out of home placement receive at least one gift. Sara has a good relationship with the court staff and contributes to discussions in our meetings with the judges and other community partners.

Sara has helped train and supports the case aides who do Parent/child visitation. Sara is dedicated to ensuring children are safe both physically an emotionally during these important visits. Sara's great insight has helped her in giving good direction to her staff regarding visitation and what parent education they should be delivering to parents specific to their issues.

Cindy Smith
Human Services Manager
La Plata County

Cindy has been with the La Plata County Department of Human Services for over 23 years, beginning as an Intern Maintenance Technician in 1986. Cindy attended Adams State College in the evening and on weekends, earning her Masters degree in Community Counseling in 1991. Since 1988, Cindy has been part of our Core Services unit, first providing home-based services and intensive family therapy to clients, then becoming our Core Services supervisor in 1994. Throughout her tenure with La Plata County, Cindy has focused on the strengths of individuals and families. She respects every person’s right to self-determination while supporting and guiding them to make constructive decisions for themselves and their families.

Cindy embraces collaboration and teamwork within our agency and with other individuals and agencies. Through these positive and creative working relationships, Cindy has enabled children, youth, and families to access community-based, affordable, and effective services.

Cindy is the rare person who can effectively execute her responsibilities as an authority figure while always making those she works with and supervises feel they are an equal member of the team. This teamwork leads to positive and creative results with families. Cindy leads through example and philosophy in providing timely and appropriate services to all family members.

Parenting Education Center
Theresa Bradshaw, Nancy Brex, Andrew Clark, Andrea Lee, Mary Oliva, Lisa Reiss Redmond Arlene Rivera, Geraldine Romero, Andrea Shea, Norma Sotelo, Lorenza Perez Verdia, Dollie Zamora

Weld County

The Weld County Parenting Education Center has been developed over the last 13 years, and currently employs 5 therapeutic caseworkers, 6 parent educators/case aides and a full time manager. The Parenting Education Center is unique in that the staff is able to provide different levels of intervention and assistance, all the while maintaining safety of children as their priority.

Parent educators have made special arrangements with families to attend family functions, assist with holiday visits and other special events, such as birthday parties, in order for children and their parents to be together during these important times. Parent educators routinely make home visits to assure safety of the parents' home, and assist in reunification.

The Parenting Education Center has been instrumental in facilitating the safe return home of a number of children to their parents. Often, parents who have been unsuccessful with their first child are better able to be safe parents for subsequent children because of the interventions and education provided by the Parenting Education Center staff. All recommendations made by the staff take into consideration safety, permanency and well being of children. Parenting Education Center staff work diligently to provide the needed frequency and duration of supervised parenting time that best meets the child's needs.

Family Visitation Center Team
Sue Eilertsen, Cheryl Fahrney, Marion Garza, Cruzita Rue, Sherri Swanson

El Paso County

This unit provided an average of 464 hours of supervised visitation per month in 2008. They saw an average of 81 families and 136 children each month and also provided supervised visitation on Saturdays for families. Along with this, they also closed an average of 17 cases per month. In addition, staff members developed training for case aides, CASA, the Office of the Guardian ad Litem, child welfare staff and other professionals working with children and families.

Staff members conduct direct assessments regarding the safety of children during initial visits, and they observe and evaluate the well-being of children throughout the supervised visitation process. Staff members are able to work closely with birth parents so that changes in behavior are made and children can return to their families of origin. If these changes do not occur, or parents do not complete the other components of their treatment plans successfully, then staff members may testify in hearings and participate in staffings. They are part of the treatment team and may recommend that a child be adopted by caretakers or stay in that home.

The Family Visitation Center staff is always working to ensure the best interests and well-being of every child that comes to the Center. The staff members want to educate, train, coach and mentor parents. They provide suggestions to parents and recommend alternative ways of interacting with their children. Family Visitation Center offers internships for students in associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs regularly and staff members serve as field instructors for those students.

Jessica Roberts
Caseworker B
Arapahoe County

Jessica performs her job duties with determination and dedication. She provides case management services in a way that is fair and balanced. She takes the time to communicate with everyone involved in the case, but in particular she provides honest and forthright communication for parents. She devotes countless hours to directing parents on what they need to do to have their children returned to them.

Jessica performs to the highest of standards, even when experiences and situations are new to her. Jessica has received numerous compliments in the 18 months that she has been employed by the Department. Foster parents have written to compliment her, and the judge has provided her compliments on the record. She routinely receives compliments from parents and family members on her cases. Jessica is responsive to everyone’s needs and is committed to excellence in all that she does.

The children on one particular case were submitted to serious neglect prior to DHS involvement, and due to Jessica's skillful communication and dedication, she was able to minimize the number of placement moves for these emotionally and behaviorally challenged children. She was also successful in her work with the Tribe to allow the children to remain in their placements and to find safe and permanent homes for them..

Shirley Mondragon
Key to Success Award
D&N Court Facilitator
Denver Juvenile Court

Shirley is a true advocate for safety, permanency and well-being of all children. She is constantly looking for ways to improve policy and practices of county departments and providers in assuring child safety. Shirley can turn the elements of a fatality into a learning opportunity for the staff of a county, as her constructive and useful for the county workers. She also empowers and supports county staff by providing needed resources for secondary trauma debriefings.

Shirley faces the most difficult of abuse cases with a non-judgmental approach. She goes above and beyond her duty by being continuously available to counties, administrative review division staff, and other state staff to consult on cases of serious injury or fatality of children. She does so in a way that is empowering to the county workers and assists the county in self-examination to improve safety practices to positively impact safety of children.

Shirley has used her Grant funding to support innovative practices across the State. Shirley has directly impacted safety and well-being of children through her work with county departments. She is available to any county staff person to consult on difficult cases, to locate and arrange training and find resources. Shirley is always available to county staff, administrative review division staff, and other state staff to consult on cases of serious injury or fatality of children.

Jefferson County Court
Magistrate Gail Meinster, Judge KJ Moore, Judge Brian Boatright Loretta Koehler, Jeanne Judge, Kathy Curley, Julia Roguski, Brenidy Rice, Paula Balser, Becky Alden, Alicia Blazewick, Lacey Brown, Lauren Smith, Libby Kinkead, Devon Whittaker, Dana Johnson, Caylan Clifford, Kelli Cool, Graham Peper, Barry Finck, Jenna Reulbach, Kris Ward, Stacie Woods, Warren Edson, Stacey Nickolaus, Christine Thornton, Jason Carrithers, Susan Easley, Michelle Roche, Jana Wittenberg, Natalie Mall, Barb Weinstein, Sabrina Byrnes, Nicole Prange, Dori Baranski, Stephen Willmer, Maria Foster, Melinda Veith, Carrie Riney, Lauren Burns

Spirit of the Summit Award

In late 2007, Judge Brian Boatright contacted the Division of Children, Youth & Families about starting a drug court for our substance abusing clients. The Division was excited to begin this collaboration to better meet the needs of families and to improve the safety, permanency, and well-being of children. A work group consisting of judicial officers, respondent parent attorneys, G.A.L.s, Savio House and Division personnel was convened to develop the program model and description. Within nine short months, the Family Integrated Team Court was up and running and serving its first clients.

It is a testament to the strength of the collaboration between all parties that within six months, there are already 30 families involved with Family Integrated Team Court. The different members might not always agree on every decision, but they always work together to reach a decision that is best for the children and families they serve.

Through Family Integrated Team Court, all the involved professionals have a better understanding of treatment and services being provided to clients. Service providers no longer excuse clients from missing a class. The type of appropriate urine screening is known and demanded, and clients receive immediate rewards or sanctions for their behaviors.

Jeff Koy
Juvenile Law Attorney Award – Guardian ad Litem

Jeff has been a G.A.L. for approximately ten years, and is considered to be one of the finest in the state of Colorado. He is well known for his advocacy efforts on behalf of his clients and his participation in collaborative efforts. Jeff has a reputation for being an excellent litigator as well as a counselor for his clients. In the Adams County Model Court, he worked very closely with the Court, CASA and Department of Human Services to start ‘Project Connect: Never Forget’. This project has made lifetime connections between Adams County foster youth and their relatives a reality. In the words of one of his clients, “Project Connect changed my life.”

He visits his clients in their placement on a regular basis and believes this to be one of the most important aspects of the job. He trains and mentors young attorneys and law students and through this he helps to improve the quality of practice in this area of law. He recruits talented and experienced attorneys to work at the Law Center so that children are well represented.

The innovative practice and vision are really just a commitment to the basics of being a good attorney and advocate for a client. Jeff practices the three P’s (Prepared, Punctual, and Professional) and so do the attorneys he serves and manages. He brings excellent litigation skills to the table and is well respected and recognized by many as the preeminent attorney in his field.

Barbara Bosley
Key to Success Award – Judicial Staff
D&N Court Facilitator
Denver Juvenile Court

Barbara has worked with state judicial for over 10 years, and has been with Denver Juvenile Court for the majority of that time. She has staffed and participated in our Model Court (now Best Practice Team), since the program started. She was instrumental in implementing our D&N mediation program and is responsible for coordinating scheduling of mediations for the court, as well as keeping data of outcomes. She has created a user-friendly format for FAMJIS reports so that we can easily track our compliance and how our practice impacts kids and families. She has been instrumental in moving our efforts forward to reduce disproportionate and disparate outcomes for minority children and families in the Child Welfare system

Whenever there is a task to be done Barbara is willing to take it on and does an exemplary job. Her efforts have helped us handle cases more effectively, not just more efficiently. She is extremely knowledgeable and skilled at the work that she does and she is readily available to share her knowledge and experiences with others.

Judge K.J. Moore
Judicial Officer (Judicial Officer Award)
1st Judicial District

Judge Moore has been a role model for child Welfare practice as a judicial officer as she sets the bar for both the Mental Health Court and the Family Integrated Treatment Court. She helped create the Mental Health Court and she was instrumental in the development of our Family Integrated Treatment Court.

Judge Moore has a broad understanding of juvenile law and applies the law fairly. She provided a court environment that allowed both of our specialty courts to develop into an atmosphere that fosters collaboration and creative resolution for the benefit of the children, parents, and families. She is always willing to take the extra time to work with children and families and understand their unique situation.

Judge Moore has had the vision to develop Specialty Courts that haven’t been attempted in our jurisdictions. With her willingness to take the lead for these courts in our jurisdiction, she has shown excellent independence and a strong commitment to children, parents and families. She has patience, but can be firm when necessary. Judge Moore is willing to work collaboratively and creatively to create the courts that benefit all the participants.

Denise Haines
Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer

Denise became a CASA volunteer in 1996 and has demonstrated her loyalty and commitment to the program ever since. She has served on 5 cases during the past 12 years. This length of service is outstanding and shows how dedicated she is to putting the needs of abused and neglected children high on her list of priorities. She has always maintained professionalism, good humor and consistency during this period of service.

Denise has always been an effective advocate for the children on her cases. What is also important to note is that the parents have always seemed to feel comfortable around her. She is never demeaning or judgmental in her relations with them. While helping parents’ access needed resources, she has been able to help reunite families.

Caseworkers and Guardian ad litems have commented on the excellent volunteer work Denise Haines. She has always managed to establish professional yet friendly relationships with the other players on her cases and has been praised in court by attorneys and magistrates. Foster parents have found her to be a reliable volunteer and asset for the children in their care.

Bruce Kirkpatrick
Juvenile Law Attorney Award - Respondent Parents’ Council

Bruce is an attorney for respondent parents in the 17th Judicial District. He is respected amongst his colleagues for being a highly competent and dedicated attorney and an advocate for his clients. Judicial officers greatly appreciate that he is always on time and knows his cases well. He is always available for his clients, and goes to great lengths to assist them with navigating their way through the dependency and neglect process. On top of his regular caseload, Bruce is one of two attorneys for fathers who are participating in the Adams County Drug Court. He is also an incredible asset to the 17th Judicial District because he is bi-lingual, which is wonderful for Spanish speaking clients. In addition to his extremely busy work as an attorney, Bruce volunteers his time to work on various projects and committees to improve the court process for families. He is currently working on the 17th Judicial District’s Racial Overrepresentation committee for which he has assisted with the coordination of various trainings over the past year including a large conference called the “Fall Forum on Racial Disparity and Juvenile Justice”. He consistently offers his valuable perspective regarding the barriers his clients are faced with and is instrumental in developing solutions for system improvements.

Bruce understands and demonstrates the characteristics of a collaborative best practice court team member. He sets an example as to how juvenile justice professionals can accomplish more when working together as a team while still maintaining unique roles and responsibilities. He often gives up his lunch hour to attend meetings and assists with communicating information in a positive and productive manner. He is open to suggestions from others and always willing to give something new a try.

Dea Schantz
Juvenile Law Attorney Award – Assistant County Attorney
Boulder County

Dea has been a member of the Colorado Court Improvement Program since 2006, serving as a county attorney representative. In her capacity as a county attorney representative she has offered important and helpful insight into the strategic planning process and the development of the ‘Best Practice Courts Program’. She is a regular attendee and vocal participant in Court Improvement Program meetings. Prior to her joining the Court Improvement Program, the committee primarily consisted of judicial representatives; her addition has improved the strength of the C.I.P. and has added to the multi-disciplinary makeup of the statewide committee responsible for improving the handling dependency and neglect cases.

Dea is a role model for child welfare practice because she has demonstrated a dedication to working closely with the Court Improvement Program to impact systems change. In the face of busy dockets and growing caseloads, she has been true to her commitment to the C.I.P.

Dea Schantz is a leader because she is willing to share her unique experiences and skills with other members of the committee. As the makeup of the C.I.P. became more multidisciplinary, the group of professionals serving on the committee needed to develop norms. Dea was instrumental in this process. Her willingness to ask questions, share her point of view, and suggest improvements accelerated the norming, storming and forming process of the Colorado Court Improvement Program.