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Meet the FPC Faculty

Courses on FosterParentCollege.com are created in partnership with experts who are nationally recognized in their field of expertise. These educators, pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social scientists, social workers, and other social work professionals, provide the content for each course and are also featured within each course (with a few exceptions).

Liz Barnett, PhD

Liz Barnett, PhD

Liz Barnett, MSW, PhD, is a lecturer at California State University, Long Beach, where she teaches research methods and statistics and directs the Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills Lab. As a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers, she has trained thousands of diverse discipline practitioners across the country, published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, produced specialized training videos and curriculum, and developed the MI Companion, online MI practice modules.

Dr. Barnett received her MSW from Boston University and her PhD from the University of Southern California's Department of Preventive Medicine's Institute for Prevention Research. She gained expertise in foster and adoptive family recruitment, retention, development, and support more than 20 years ago when she became a trainer for the Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) program and conducted home studies.

Courses by Liz Barnett, PhD

Tanya Coakley, PhD

Tanya Coakley, PhD

Tanya Coakley, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and provides instruction in Research Methods and Data Analysis for Social Work Practice. She earned a PhD in Social Work and a Minor in Statistics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also holds an MSW degree from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and a BSW degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Dr. Coakley serves on the Board of Directors for the Black Child Development Institute of Greensboro, and is a member of the CWLA Cultural Competence Committee for legislative advocacy and national awareness about children's cultural needs. Her practice experience includes working in mental health and foster care and adoption services in North Carolina.

Courses by Tanya Coakley, PhD

Joseph Crumbley, DSW

Joseph Crumbley, DSW

Joseph Crumbley, DSW, is in private practice as a family therapist, trainer and consultant. His areas of specialization include pre- and post-adoptive therapy, chemical dependency, couples therapy, physical and sexual abuse therapy, kinship care and transracial adoptions.

Dr. Crumbley has been a consultant to the Los Angeles County Kinship Care Program, the Child Welfare Institute, the Child Welfare League of America, the Spaulding Center, and the Philadelphia Society of Services to Children Kinship Care Program. He has provided expert testimony and briefings at the United Nations, U. S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania Multi-Ethic Placement Task Force and the Philadelphia City Council.

Courses by Joseph Crumbley, DSW

Richard Delaney, PhD

Richard Delaney, PhD

Richard (Rick) Delaney, PhD, is an internationally known trainer of foster, kinship and adoptive parents and consultant to public and private agencies serving troubled children and youth. He is the co-founder of and a principal contributor to FosterParentCollege.com. Dr. Delaney is the author or coauthor of several books in the area of foster care and adoption including Fostering Changes: Myth, Meaning, and Magic Bullets in Attachment Theory; The Healing Power of the Family; and (with James M. Kagan, MD) A 3-D View of Foster, Kinship, and Adopted Children. He received his doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago.

Courses by Richard Delaney, PhD

Susan Edelstein, MSW

Susan Edelstein, MSW

Susan Edelstein, MSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and an adjunct assistant professor in the UCLA Department of Pediatrics. Ms. Edelstein began her work at UCLA Medical Center directing service, training, and research projects involving interdisciplinary collaboration in the areas of child abuse and neglect, parental chemical dependency and prenatal substance exposure, foster care and adoption, and comprehensive early intervention approaches. She has published extensively in these areas. Ms. Edelstein is the founder and director of UCLA TIES for Families. TIES for Families received the 2001 National Adoption Excellence Award in the category of "Support for Adoptive Families." In 2000, Ms. Edelstein received the Daniel E. Koshland Award for California's Outstanding Practitioner in Social Services by the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter. In 2006, Ms. Edelstein and TIES received the Anne C. Rosenfield Distinguished Community Partnerships Prize from UCLA.

Courses by Susan Edelstein, MSW

Chris Foreman, MSW

Chris Foreman, MSW

Chris Foreman, MSW, became a member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) in 2009 when she was selected as one of the five sites in the US to pilot Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: A Workshop for Resource Parents curriculum. She has since gone on to develop Trauma Informed Parenting (TIPs) training programs across Wisconsin and Iowa while supporting similar efforts across the US and internationally.

Chris is currently a Liaison for the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS) co-located at UCLA and Duke Universities. Her job duties include consultation, resource brokering, facilitating collaborative connections, and technological assistance to a complex network of NCTSN organizational members and consumers of NCTSN resources.

Courses by Chris Foreman, MSW

Kevin George, MSW

Kevin George, MSW

Kevin George, MSW, has been the Foster Care Program Manager for the state of Oregon for over 15 years. He has worked in the field of child welfare for over 30 years as a direct line caseworker, foster home certifier, mental health therapist, and program manager. Mr. George's primary leadership role is in advocacy for and implementation of federal and state public policy surrounding care for children and youth, as well as support for foster parents.

Courses by Kevin George, MSW

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD, is a global human rights and disability justice advocate, author, and educator. She is also a parent in a neurodiverse, multicultural, twice-exceptional, serodifferent biological and adoptive family. Dr. Giwa Onaiwu is a prolific writer and social scientist/activist whose work focuses on participatory research, meaningful community involvement, intersectionality, and accessibility. She is a recognized leader and content expert in various collaborative endeavors, and she serves as founder/principal operator of Advocacy Without Borders, a nonprofit initiative offering lectures, advocacy, research, and related projects, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion training.

Dr. Giwa Onaiwu maintains membership within several executive boards and is a highly sought-after public speaker and consultant who has presented at the White House, the United Nations, and numerous peer-reviewed international conferences.

Courses by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD

Ginger Gorham, MS

Ginger Gorham, MS

Ginger Gorham, MS, taught for 30 years in public schools in New York City and Oregon. She received master's degrees in education and special education from City College of New York and Yeshiva University, respectively. She was a parent representative/co-chair of the Oregon Early Intervention Coordinating Council, and she has presented statewide and nationally on the parent role in special education and parent rights. As a member of the Oregon Department of Education/University of Oregon Behavior Cadre, she conducted trainings and presentations and provided mentoring on Positive Behavior Support throughout the state.

Courses by Ginger Gorham, MS

Karen Jorgenson, MA

Karen Jorgenson, MA

Karen Jorgenson, MA, has over 30 years of training experience in the field of child welfare and as a parent educator. Karen has worked as a licensed social worker, foster care recruitment and licensing specialist, Head Start teacher and trainer and an instructor in psychology and child development at the post-secondary level. A former foster parent, adoptive parent of children with special needs, and a parent mentor, she most recently served as the Executive Director for the National Foster Parent Association. Karen currently works with the homeless population and supervises the Food Backpacks 4 Kids Program in the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula community in Washington.

Courses by Karen Jorgenson, MA

Charley Joyce, LICSW

Charley Joyce, LICSW

Mr. Joyce, LICSW, is in private practice offering counseling and consultation services in Bismarck, North Dakota, with an emphasis on foster care and adoption. He began his career as a VISTA volunteer. He has worked as the clinical director of a psychiatric facility; as an outpatient therapist; as a supervisor of outpatient therapists; as a foster care caseworker; and as a supervisor and clinical director of foster care services. Mr. Joyce teaches part-time in the Master of Social Work Program at the University of North Dakota and provides trainings for foster-adopt parents. He is coauthor of the book "Behavior with a Purpose" and a contributing author of "Assessing Youth Behavior." He holds an MSW from the University of Iowa and has completed post-graduate education in family therapy.

Courses by Charley Joyce, LICSW

Audra Langley, PhD

Audra Langley, PhD

Audra Langley, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She is also the Executive Director of UCLA TIES for Families, an interdisciplinary program for children in foster care or adopted through foster care (ages birth to 21) and their families.

Dr. Langley specializes in evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and related problems. She works to increase access to quality mental health interventions for under-served populations of children, including those involved in the child welfare system and school-based mental health. Dr. Langley is the author of four treatment manuals and co-developer of an adoption-specific psychotherapy intervention. Additionally, she has consulted on adapting a school-based trauma intervention for youth in foster care.

Courses by Audra Langley, PhD

Howard Markman, PhD

Howard Markman, PhD

Howard J. Markman, PhD, is a professor of psychology and Co-Director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver. A noted expert on marriage, he specializes in research on the prediction and prevention of marital distress. Dr. Markman has published extensively in professional journals and appears regularly in the media as an expert on relationships and marriage. He has coauthored the books We Can Work It Out and Fighting for Your Marriage, as well as co-produced the Fighting for Your Marriage video- and audiotapes. He developed the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and is co-founder and president of PREP Inc.

Courses by Howard Markman, PhD

Martha Merchant, PsyD

Martha Merchant, PsyD

Dr. Martha Merchant is a national expert on trauma and a licensed clinical psychologist. In addition to her clinical practice, she provides trainings and consultations with school staff, teachers, and administrators in order to create more trauma-informed schools. She is currently the Program Director of the Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools (HEARTS) Extended grant, funded by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). HEARTS is a multilevel, whole-school approach that aims to promote school success and resilience for trauma-impacted children and youth by creating safe, supportive, equitable, and engaging learning and teaching environments that benefit everyone in the school community. Dr. Merchant earned her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy and her PsyD in Clinical Psychology at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology.

Courses by Martha Merchant, PsyD

Robert E. Nickel, MD

Robert E. Nickel, MD

Robert E. Nickel, MD, is a developmental and behavioral pediatrician and Professor of Pediatrics at Oregon Health Sciences University. A graduate of the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, he has served as a clinician and researcher for over 30 years in California, Washington, and Oregon. His current research interests include children with autism spectrum disorders, behavioral and emotional problems in infants and toddlers, substance-exposed newborns, and complementary and alternative therapies. Dr. Nickel's work has been published in peer-reviewed journals including Pediatrics, Infants & Young Children, Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, American Journal of Medical Genetics, and Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. He has also authored many book chapters and is co-editor of The Physician's Guide to Caring for Children with Disabilities and Chronic Conditions.

Courses by Robert E. Nickel, MD

Caesar Pacifici, PhD

Caesar Pacifici, PhD

Caesar Pacifici, PhD, wrote grants and directed research at Northwest Media, Inc. As an educational psychologist for more than 15 years, he was instrumental in developing instructional content for curriculums, and he was a contributing writer of many FPC courses. He received his doctorate from The City University of New York and is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Indiana.

Kathryn Page, PhD

Kathryn Page, PhD

Along with a PhD from the Center for Psychological Studies in Berkeley and an internship at Stanford, a few highlights of Kathryn Page's varied career include: Disabilities Specialist for the Santa Clara County Juvenile Drug Treatment Court; bilingual School Psychologist in San Lorenzo; 504 Coordinator in the Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall; and teacher of social workers with UC Davis Extension. She developed a mental health program for Latino immigrants at Canal Alliance in San Rafael and was the director of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Clinic at Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Dr. Page has also written, consulted, and trained widely on FASD in California and Mexico.

Courses by Kathryn Page, PhD

Jessica Petrass, LCSW

Jessica Petrass, LCSW

Jessica Petrass, LCSW, is a Senior Project Manager at John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY). In this role, Jessica leads the Foster Youth College Advancement Project, an initiative of the Los Angeles Opportunity Youth Collaborative, which convenes a robust network of leaders in L.A. County to co-design systems improvements and collaborative strategies to increase postsecondary attainment for current and former foster youth in the region. Jessica also provides technical assistance and training to public agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Prior to her work at JBAY, Jessica spent nearly 15 years working in a direct service capacity with transition-age youth (TAY), many of whom were current and former foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness. Jessica has designed and managed a TAY drop-in center in Pasadena, California. She earned her BA at the University of San Diego and her master's in social welfare from UCLA.

Courses by Jessica Petrass, LCSW

Michael Quinn, MA

Michael Quinn, MA

Michael Quinn, MA, has been a social worker and foster family agency supervisor for 25 years in residential foster care and group home settings. He received his master's degree in psychology from California State University in Sacramento. Mr. Quinn has authored handbooks for foster parents, group home staff, and private agency caseworkers and is a contributor to the FosterParentCollege.com online training catalog. He is currently a Residential Care Consultant.

Courses by Michael Quinn, MA

Theresa Reed, MEd

Theresa Reed, MEd

Theresa Reed, MEd, is a former foster youth, professor, author, consultant, and facilitator of learning. She is a doctoral student with an MEd in Adult Education, certifications in trauma (Attachment, Regulation, and Competency) and Mental Health First. Her work at Pasadena City College includes being the Director of Foster/Kinship Care Education and STARS Advisor for foster youth for 14 years and 19+ years as a trainer. As the author of the book series, It's Not Drama, It's Trauma, Theresa has developed a trauma specialist course for resource parents using these books as the curriculum.

Courses by Theresa Reed, MEd

Jenn Shimer, MS

Jenn Shimer, MS

Ms. Shimer is a co-founder of ABOVE the Path, an organization providing trauma-informed training and support to youth- and family-serving programs. She co-developed the prevention curriculum, Closing the Gap: A Caregiver Approach to Reducing the Risk of Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation. Ms. Shimer previously served as Program Manager for Love146, an international anti-trafficking organization. Here she grew the Rapid Response program, providing response and recommendations for suspected and confirmed survivors of child sex trafficking. Her work was recognized by Connecticut's Department of Children and Families, which awarded her the Human Anti-Trafficking Response Team Community Award. She also co-developed the Connecticut Department of Children and Families Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Foster Parent Training. Ms. Shimer holds a master's degree in criminal justice and a certification in traumatic stress.

Courses by Jenn Shimer, MS

Jane Silovsky, PhD

Jane Silovsky, PhD

Jane Silovsky, PhD is a licensed Clinical Child Psychologist who actively provides treatment and supervision for treatment groups serving youth with problematic sexual behavior. She is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Director of the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth. Dr. Silovsky also provides training and technical assistance to communities implementing evidence-based treatment for youth with problematic sexual behavior.

Since 1997, Dr. Silovsky has been the Director of the Children with Sexual Behavior Problems program, an assessment, treatment, and research program for preschool and school-age children with problematic sexual behavior. Dr. Silovsky's research is in the area of treatment outcome and program evaluation of services for children affected by child maltreatment.

Courses by Jane Silovsky, PhD

Betsy Keefer Smalley, LSW

Betsy Keefer Smalley, LSW

Betsy Keefer Smalley, LSW, is the Director of Foster Care and Adoption Training at the Institute for Human Services (IHS) in Columbus, Ohio. A graduate of the Ohio State University School of Social Work, she specializes in adoption and child welfare. Ms. Keefer Smalley has been a consultant and trainer to states and private agencies in the U.S., Canada and Eastern Europe. She is the author of the IHS Pre-Service Training Curriculum for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Caregivers, and co-author of Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past (2000) and Wounded Children, Healing Homes (2009).

Courses by Betsy Keefer Smalley, LSW

Scott M. Stanley, PhD

Scott M. Stanley, PhD

Scott Stanley, PhD, is Co-Director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies and a research professor of psychology at the University of Denver. He has authored numerous research articles on romantic relationships and is an expert on marital commitment. Dr. Stanley has co-authored the book Fighting for Your Marriage and developed video- and audiotapes by the same title. He is also the co-author of A Lasting Promise and the author of The Heart of Commitment and The Power of Commitment. Additionally, he regularly contributes to print and broadcast media as an expert on marriage. He is co-founder of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP).

Courses by Scott M. Stanley, PhD

Lee White

Lee White

Lee White, BA, is the president of Northwest Media, Inc., and co-founder of both Northwest Media and FosterParentCollege.com®. He is a specialist in the design of interactive Web-based educational material. He co-writes and manages the production of all FosterParentCollege.com courses.


Wendy Wolff, MS

Wendy Wolff, MS

Wendy Wolff, MS, conducted a three year qualitative research project with Hennepin County in Minneapolis to identify best practices in family visiting, which led to the creation of family visit guides for foster parents, children and birth families, published by Northwest Media, Inc. She has consulted with county and private agencies about positive visit practices and has developed training for foster parents and social workers on visiting issues. She has been a school counselor for Minneapolis Public Schools for over 12 years.

Courses by Wendy Wolff, MS