Adoption and Child Welfare History

I hold an AS, BSW, MA, and have advocated for children as a Guardian Ad Litem since 1997. A background in Early Childhood Education, Bachelors Degree in Social Work and a Masters Degree in Forensic Mental Health. I pursued a degree in Forensic Mental Health because of personal experience working with children and adults with mental illness, many with adverse childhood experiences, including FASD and other neurobehavioral disorders resulting in out of home placements; foster care, adoption, disrupted adoptions, child protection, or involvement in the criminal justice system.

Neree's home is filled with biological, adopted and foster children. She has worked in various areas of child development and child welfare for more than 20 years, and mentors former foster youth on their own parenting journeys. She currently works in child welfare transformation, shifting system thinking about trauma, worthiness, race, and wellbeing while supporting agencies to find and/or maintain permanency for youth under their jurisdiction.

My name is Taylor Harman. I received my bachelor of arts degree from the University of Wisconsin River Falls in Psychology with an emphasis in Biology in 2015. I went on to complete my Master’s in Counseling and Psychological Services from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in 2018. I become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Minnesota in 2021. I have worked with children and their families, who have experienced trauma for more than 4 years.

The focus of my practice is working with children 1-18 years of age in foster care or that have been adopted and/or trauma focused treatment with children and their families. I am trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), the ARC model (Attachment, Regulation and Competency), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), sand tray therapy and Polyvagal theory and am currently in training for Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP).

Tarah Groettum holds a Master of Science in Education (MSEd), with a clinical counseling focus. As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), Certified Autism Specialist (CAS), Permanency and Adoption Competency Certified (PACC), and Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), Tarah brings a wealth of specialized training to her practice. She is also fully trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).

Kristin is a licensed clinical therapist trained in Child Parent Psychotherapy. She has been a foster and adoptive momma for 20 years and is intimately familiar with the ins and outs of transracial adoption.

Address:
Washburn Center for Children
1100 Glenwood Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55101

I have 15 years of child welfare experience working as an Independent Living Skills Counselor with youth in long-term foster care, a child protection social worker, a child crisis social worker and a therapist. I am currently a Human Service Program Consultant at the MN Department of Human Services where I provide foster care policy technical assistance to MN County and tribal child welfare agencies.

Address:
Minnesota Department of Human Services
444 Lafayette Rd. N
Saint Paul, MN 55155

Meagan Galbari, MA, LPCC has been working with children and families for over 25 years in a variety of settings including psychiatric hospitals, day-treatment programs, domestic violence refuges, residential treatment centers and in private adoption agencies.  Meagan’s passion is in adoption and foster care and supporting children and families through their journey.  Meagan is committed to assisting parents through the lifelong process of adoption and empowering them with the tools to help children heal while maintaining healthy families.