Adoption/Permanency Professionals

I have been providing services to children, families, & communities for over 40 years, in child welfare, foster care, domestic abuse, tribal social services, recreational therapy, children's residential services, adolescent chemical dependency, & education. Currently, an Assistant Professor-BASW Practicum Director with the College of St Scholastica's Social Work Department, trainer with University of Minnesota in Permanency & Adoption Certificate Program (PACC) & as a QI (qualified individual) & trainer of new QI's.

Jamie Rieser has worked with children and families in a variety of settings for over 20 years including in children’s day treatment, case management, community mental health, ECFE parent education, school-based counseling, and outpatient mental health. She currently provides office-based mental health therapy services in her private practice. She works with infant/early childhood populations in the family context, children, adults, and families using attachment-based therapy, play-based interventions, CBT, and parenting education.

I am a licensed psychologist with a long-standing interest in clinical work with all members of the adoption constellation. I work with adolescents and adults, with a special interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with adult adoptees. I conduct pre-adoption psychological evaluations. My website is https://kvernsn.wixstudio.com/sagepsychology

Elliott is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and holds a Master’s degree from Augsburg College and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Elliott has had the privilege of working with children, youth, individuals and families of diverse backgrounds who are experiencing behavioral and mental health needs, disruptions in attachment and family relationships, trauma, as well as those experiencing the negative impacts of systemic and structural bias and racism.

I am a county social worker currently working in case management on child protection cases and adoption cases.

Address:
Sherburne County Health and Human Services
13880 Business Center Dr NW
Elk River, MN 55330-1692

I am currently working as a Mental Health Practitioner at CARE Counseling. Prior to that, I worked at at St. David's primarily with kids and their families who have been a part of the foster care system. I have provided Intensive Treatment to Foster Care (ITFC), and Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO). I prioritize building strong relationships in order to support clients to be vibrant members of their communities. I recognize that our experiences in the world create our lens in which we view things.

Britney Marks-Kroehler (she/her/hers) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) who specializes in supporting neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD) individuals and families along with those who have been impacted by foster care and adoption. Britney holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northcentral University and a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Family Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

I currently work as the Adoption Social Worker at Nexus Kindred Family Healing based out of the Saint Cloud office. I provider child specific recruitment services to children waiting for adoptive families in the MN foster care system. I also provide licensing and matching services to families looking to adopt a MN waiting child.

Address:
Nexus Kindred Family Healing
412 Great Oak Drive
Waite Park, MN 56387

Brandon is committed to the restoration and improvement of familial relationships and committed to generational change in families. Brandon feels very strongly about working with individuals and families whatever their current situation may be and working with them to establish positive changes that will positively affect generations to come in their families.

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.