Amy Doolittle, Ph.D., MSSW, LCSW
UTC Child Welfare Initiative Director, Child Welfare Training Grant Principle Investigator
Assistant Professor, Social Work Department
(423) 425-5563
amy-doolittle@utc.edu
Amy Doolittle, PhD, LCSW is an Assistant Professor in the Social Work Department and the Principle Investigator for the Child Welfare Training Grant. Dr. Doolittle provides supervision and leadership for the Child Welfare Initiative team and coordinates with partners such the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and the Tennessee Center for Child Wefare. Amy's role is supported by a diverse foundation of social work training and experience from her background providing mental health treatment to her experiences as a social work administrator, researcher and passion for training new social work professionals to meet the needs of families and children across the state of Tennessee. Dr. Doolittle holds a Ph.D. from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville.
Brenda Taylor-Hines, MSW
Child Welfare Professional Development Coach
(423) 425-5375
brenda-taylor-hines@utc.edu
Ms. Taylor-Hines recently joined the UTC Child Welfare Initiative in 2009 as a Child Welfare Professional Development Coach. She provides training and coaching to potential foster care parents residing in a ten county area in Tennessee. She has over thirty years of experience as a trainer, mentor and coach working with diverse groups in urban, rural and frontier communities throughout the U.S. Ms. Taylor-Hines experiences includes working as a master trainer for the Hazelden and BEST Foundations, grants reviewer and chair for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); consultant to national, state and local organizations that focus on the prevention of substance abuse, delinquency, violence, teen pregnancy and school drop. She has earned a Bachelors of Science in Applied Social Science from Case Western Reserve University and a Masters of Science in Social Work from the Case Western Reserve University -Mandel School of Applied Social Science in Cleveland, Ohio.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
Jananna Cornett, BA
Administrative Support Assistant III
(423) 425-5628
jananna-cornett@utc.edu
Jananna joined the UTC Child Welfare Initiative in 2008 and provides administrative support to the child welfare team. Mrs. Cornett completed her Bachelor’s Degree in English at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. Jananna is an excellent resource for information regarding the services provided by the UTC Child Welfare Initiative.
"It is never too late to be who you might have been." -
George Eliot
Jill Black, MSSW
Child Welfare Professional Development Coach
(423) 425-5375
jill-black@utc.edu
Jill holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Jill's training experience is a result of spending several years as a community organizer for Tennesseans for Fair Taxation and the Tennessee Chapter of Stand for Children. Jill made the transition from non-profit work to public service when accepting a position with the City of Chattanooga's Department of Neighborhood Services and Community Development as a Neighborhood Program Specialist. There she worked for 3 years with neighborhood organizations and community groups throughout the city developing trainings and programs to address the needs of the community. Jill is new to child welfare work, but brings with her experience in advocacy and passion for Foster Care and Adoption.
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
Johanna B. Jensen, MSSW, LMSW
Child Welfare Team Leader
(423) 425-5628
johanna-jensen@utc.edu
Johanna joined the UTC Child Welfare Initiative in 2009 as the Child Welfare Team Leader. Johanna provides oversight of the training team and the delivery of training services to DCS professionals and resource parents across the state of Tennessee. Johanna partners closely with the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare in meeting the needs of the children, families, and child welfare professionals of Tennessee. Johanna came to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with extensive experience as a social work professional, including 5 years of child welfare experience. Johanna’s professional experience includes advocacy for children, families, human service agencies and communities regarding issues of social justice, effectively working with multicultural communities, and coordinating with the juvenile justice systems and meeting the needs of youth and families through her work as a legal advocate in New York. Johanna also is a licensed master social worker and has wealth of training and experience as a mental health professional working with children, adolescents and families. Johanna has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Women's Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Master of Science in Social Work with a Minor in Law from Columbia University.
“There are some things in our social system to which I am proud to be maladjusted and to which I suggest that you too ought to be maladjusted.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Holly Wilson, BSW
Child Welfare Professional Development Coach
(423) 425-5631
holly-wilson@utc.edu
Holly Wilson obtained an Associate of Applied Science Degree in the Human Services Specialist Program from Chattanooga State Technical Community College and a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2004. Holly is currently pursuing her MSSW degree through the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Holly has 7 years of child welfare experience. Her professional service includes in-home parent and child training for economically disadvantaged families through Early Head Start, as well as service coordination for families of young children with disabilities and/or developmental delays through Tennessee's Early Intervention System. She joined the UTC Social Work Department as a Child Welfare Trainer in September, 2007.
"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." - Maya Angelou
Keshma Fontaine Odeny, MS
Child Welfare Professional Development Coach
(423) 425-5631
keshma-fontaine@utc.edu
Keshma completed her bachelors as well as a Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology at Lee University. Keshma has at least five years of experience in Child Welfare. Her specialty is in the area of clinical pathology and mental health development. Keshma has served in two primary vocational positions. She has served as an In-Home Therapist; providing family systems counseling and individual therapy, conducting psychoeducational groups and case management for families placed in the system. Keshma has also served as a research professional; coordinating research on rural-minority families and on issues in adolescent development into adulthood. Keshma enjoys being in the classroom and has lectured /instructed several courses in Psychological Theory, Human Development, and Research in Social Sciences. Keshma enjoys working with people and engaging herself in challenges that foster professional growth.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” - Nelson Mandela
Latisha Simmons, BSW
Child Welfare Professional Development Coach
(423) 425-5631
latisha-simmons@utc.edu
Latisha earned a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Social Work at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with an expected graduation date of December 2009. Latisha previously worked for a year and a half at the Hamilton County Health Department with children and families as a social worker for at risk youth at a local elementary school. She has also worked for three years as a case manager for a behavior modification program at the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults. Latisha began working as a professional development coach with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in September 2007. Latisha currently does PATH training for prospective resource parents, CPR/First Aid training as well as core class training for resource parents. Latisha recently began providing in-service training and coaching for DCS staff. Latisha has a passion for helping people and enjoys being a social worker.
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated” - Maya Angelou
