The RCFFP Team Has Grown!
It’s hard to believe that in just the last few years the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice at UC Davis Human Services has grown from a team of 3 staff to a team of 14! We’d like to officially introduce you to our team of talented and dedicated staff.
Nancy Hafer
As director of the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice at UC Davis Human Services, Nancy Hafer, M,S,, is dedicated to innovating workforce development programs which empower child welfare organizations and their partners to deliver high-quality supports and services to California’s most vulnerable children and families. Nancy's compass is guided by authenticity, innovation, and an unwavering dedication to social justice. Her career has been committed to workforce development, adult learning, and the art of building partnerships and fostering collaboration.
Ginny Alford
Ginny Alford is a public education specialist at RCFFP. Her work with the team is centered on curriculum development projects such as Specialized Permanency, the ICWA Specialist course and classes highlighting the needs of children ages 0-5. She has over seven years of experience in child welfare administration and has expertise in system assessment and improvement efforts. Prior to beginning her work in the child welfare field, Ginny spent time in elder care administration. She enjoys being in or near water, spending time with loved ones, traveling and experiencing great art whether it is music, movies, photography or haute couture.
Jerelyn Bourdage
Jerelyn Bourdage is a public education specialist working on child welfare projects at at RCFFP. These include Complex Care/Specialized Permanency, System of Care and Fiscal Academy. Prior to joining the team, she spent over 22 years in the field of child welfare. She has worked in multiple programs to support the implementation of best practices, not just for children and families, but also for workforce wellness. Jerelyn enjoys the creativity of nail stamping and nail art, raising Monarch butterflies during the spring and summer months, and spending time with family and friends.
Misael Chavarin
Misael Chavarin is a public education specialist II at RCFFP. He helps the team with projects such as Center for Excellence, Parent Partners/Peer Partners, and ICWA. Prior to joining the team, Misael spent five years in the field of injury prevention with UC Davis Health. In his free time, Misael enjoys drawing, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with his family.
Rebekah Cox
Rebekah Cox is a Wraparound specialist who loves supporting those who work with our youth and families through providing training, coaching, technical assistance, and thoughtful tools. She is passionate about creating better environments for transformational change for families and workers throughout the system of care. She has learned many things from working with families and staff in Wraparound over the years, most important of which are the value of community and connection in pursuing well-being. When she is not working, Rebekah loves to find random adventures and explore the outdoors with her family.
Alisha Delara
Alisha Delara is a public education specialist II at RCFFP. She helps to lead the team on financial planning, logistics and the coordination of projects such as Wraparound, Complex Care, and System of Care. Before her time at UC Davis, she worked in the Special Education field for 5 years and continues to be involved in the developmental services field for the past 10 years. Her passions and professional interests lie in child and animal welfare, disability advocacy, public health and workforce development. In her free time, Alisha enjoys hiking, exploring new spots in town, spending time with her two cats, and reading.
Lizzy Dembosz
Lizzy Dembosz is a public education specialist at RCFFP, primarily focusing on 0-5, ICWA, Specialized Permanency and Fiscal Academy. With 10 years of experience in human services, she has been involved in the behavioral health, child welfare and criminal justice fields. She has a passion for best practices in teaming, collaboration and engagement and has specialized experience in Safety Organized Practice, Voluntary Family Maintenance and Child and Family Teaming. When Lizzy is not working, she is outside hiking, stargazing, watching live music,
throwing the frisbee at the beach or playing adult league softball.
Sara Gorrell
Sara Gorrell is a public education specialist, assisting the RCFFP team in coordinating projects
such as Early Start/CAPTA, Fiscal Academy and Qualified Individual. She has a background in education and prior to joining the team, she developed and led programs for youth, family and
school audiences at an art museum. When Sara is not working, she uses her creativity to test out new recipes and loves to spend time outdoors with friends and family.
Lynne Jones
Lynne Jones is a field consultant with the RCFFP who works on anything associated with Wraparound. This includes engaging with regional HUBS, setting up Wraparound Connections Newsletter interviews, planning and implementing partnerships for the Wellbeing Institute and more. She is an L.C.S.W., who has worked in the mental health, child welfare and juvenile probation fields since 1982. She has a long and sustained connection to the Resource Center, initially through Shasta County and continues her commitment there to improve the lives of families and communities. Lynne loves outdoor adventures! She enjoys organizing and participating in community events, connecting with family and friends, being with her animals and baseball. She is inspired daily by families who are able to make difficult, but positive changes to improve their lives.
Karla Morales
Karla Morales is a public education specialist at at RCFFP specializing in child welfare-related projects such as the Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support. She has over two decades of experience in public child welfare, working in various programs to support best practice family engagement and staff development and support. Karla enjoys spending time with family and friends and exploring new restaurants.
RaQuel Neal
RaQuel Neal is a public education specialist at RCFFP. Her goal centers around implementing
best practices for the child welfare field. She has worked within the System of Care for the past
20 years, supporting children and families at multiple levels in probation, behavioral health and
child welfare. RaQuel's values of being solution-focused, family-centered, culturally responsive
and trauma-informed align with cultivating a kin-first culture and she applies them to her role
as co-lead for the Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support. RaQuel is a
mother of two amazing men and enjoys spending time near water, reading and listening to
good music.
Jessica Owens
Jessica Owens is a public education specialist and supervisor. Prior to starting at RCFFP, she worked in the non-profit world of foster care, providing training, coaching and mentoring to youth, families, resource parents and staff. Her first professional work experience was 13 years ago when she worked as a youth partner on a high-fidelity Wraparound team—an experience that continues to inform her practice today. Her career in child welfare began when she was a youth in care, volunteering for the policy advocacy organization, California Youth Connection. She believes in the power of mentorship and investing in enrichment opportunities for transition-aged youth. Jessica’s current team projects include planning the 2024 Partnerships
for Well-Being Institute, Complex Care/Specialized Permanency, SOC and the ICWA Specialist Certification. She loves practicing yoga and being outside in nature.
Dawne’ Shaw
Dawne’ Shaw is a parent partner and Wraparound specialist at RCFFP. She been providing services to youth and families for over 15 years. As a mother who raised a child with challenges, she brings both personal and professional life experience to the support she offers. As a program specialist, she provides training, coaching and mentoring to Parent Partner and Wraparound programs. Most importantly, she enjoys uplifting the voice of those with lived expertise across the state of California. Dawne’ believes leopard print is neutral and if the zombie apocalypse hits, she will be stealing your shoes because she had been wearing her heels.
James Williams
James Williams has been with UC Davis since 1994 and joined the RCFFP in 2008. James’s focus on the team is centered on the workshop experience. Prior to the pandemic, this included assisting instructors with the production of workshop handouts, training aids and audio-visual elements for the workshops. After the pandemic, this focus was redirected toward the use of Zoom and assisting instructors in carrying out the highest quality of training. Over this progressive medium for training, James also captures grading and attendance information for continued professional use by our participants. Outside of UC Davis, he serves as the pastor and music director for the Morning Star Church in Sacramento, CA. He also formerly toured the United States as a piano/keyboardist with various gospel music groups.
There's So Much More on Wraparound
Read additional articles from this issue of the Wraparound Connections Newsletter!