EVOLVE Family Services Staff
EVOLVE Family Services employs a diverse staff, in identity, educational and professional experiences. EVOLVE has an extensive hiring process, with a focus on child-focused, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive practice and understanding. EVOLVE values transparency and understands the importance of hiring and creating a sustainable work environment for professionals of color. Overall, EVOLVE’s staff have a wealth of experiences and skillsets. EVOLVE’s staff will carry out the service areas with trauma-informed, child-focused, collaborative and anti-oppressive lens and practice.
Leadership
Susannah has served as EVOLVE’s Executive Director since 2019. She obtained her BSW from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and is a licensed social worker in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Susannah has extensive experience in the provision of child and family services.
Prior to her employment at EVOLVE, she gained experience in elementary school social work in St. Paul Public Schools and worked as a Juvenile Victim/Witness Specialist for the Anoka County Attorney’s Office. Since her employment at EVOLVE in 2006, Susannah has held many positions in the organization. From 2006 to 2013, she worked as adoption social worker and pregnancy counselor, developing direct practice skills and expertise in the adoption of children under state guardianship, domestic infant adoption, international adoption, pregnancy services, and foster care.
In 2013, she began taking on leadership roles in the agency, serving over time as the Adoption Programs Supervisor, Foster Care Programs Manager, Pregnancy Services Program Manager, Domestic Adoption Programs Manager, and Senior Programs Manager. In 2017, she joined the agency’s leadership team, serving as Programs Director, and then Senior Programs Director, overseeing all agency social services in adoption, kinship and traditional foster care, pregnancy services, education, and therapeutic mental health services, before rising to the executive leadership position in 2019.
Susannah has completed the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) curriculum at the supervisory level and is certified to perform Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) home studies as a practitioner and supervisor. Susannah additionally served on the Washington County Citizen Review Panel for Children’s Services from 2019 to 2021 and has been an active member of the Collaborative of Allied Directors for Race Equity (CADRE) since 2019.
Susannah is a dedicated leader who is passionate about addressing racial disparities, reducing childhood trauma, upholding, and leading antiracist, anti-oppressive, and ethical practices in child-welfare services, family reunification, kinship care, and permanency for children.
Holly joined EVOLVE in 2016 and obtained her bachelor’s degree at Iowa State University in Child, Adult, and Family Services. She obtained her master’s degree in Social Work in 2016 from the University of St Thomas and St. Catherine’s University. Holly started at EVOLVE working within our foster care and clinical departments.
During her initial work at EVOLVE, she licensed, and home study approved families for child foster care licensure. In addition, she provided post placement support, resource referral, and advocacy for children in out of home placement. Holly has specialized and provided oversight in working with and developing programming for relative/kin caregivers over the last 5.5 years and is passionate about supporting familial connections long term. Since 2017, Holly has been in a leadership role within EVOLVE’s foster care and kinship programs.
Holly completed her Permanency and Adoption Competency Certification through the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2018. Prior to Holly’s experience at EVOLVE, she has experience working with parents navigating the child welfare system. Holly is passionate about advancing change within the child welfare and adoption system to ensure that family and youth voice is at the center of our work.
Alaina joined EVOLVE in 2022. She graduated from Winona State University, with a BSW. She started her career in child welfare focusing on reunification and permanency. She transitioned to working at various adult residential treatment facilities, for individuals diagnosed with SPMI and SUD, across Minnesota. During this time, she developed direct practice skills and expertise in crisis management. In addition, she found fulfillment in collaboration, assessing policies and procedures, and learning how to evaluate programs.
She returned to school to complete her MSW, with an emphasis on community, organization, and business innovation, through the University of Southern California. She continued her work at residential treatment facilities homing in on leadership and program development. Through the height of the pandemic, she worked at a long-term care facility in the behavioral health unit as the Director of Social Services. During this time, she focused on changing the workplace landscape to promote culturally appropriate workplace values in relation to work/life balance, self-care, staff resilience, and support for grief and loss.
She was drawn to EVOLVE’s anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and child-centered approaches and values in child welfare. She continues to nurture her passion for promoting equitable programming, innovation, and championing change. Alaina has completed the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) curriculum at the supervisory level and is certified to perform Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) home studies as a practitioner and supervisor.
