Susan Grundberg

Experience

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  Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

  Jan 1989 - Aug 1996

  Direct Service Caseworker and Supervisor

  The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) is responsible for all services to abused and neglected children and their families in Illinois, including nearly 50,000 children in substitute care during my tenure.

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  New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS)

  Nov 1999 - Jan 2009

  As a member of the senior leadership team at ACS, responsible for the development and implementation of cross-systems initiatives involving child welfare program operations affecting the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families served. Managed a wide variety of projects involving residential care, foster care placement issues as well as major systems and technology initiatives. Advocated for city interests and the needs of ACS and its provider agencies. Developed outstanding working relationships with city and state officials at all levels as well as contract agency administrators, advocates and other national child welfare experts. Managed program development, planning and implementation efforts for numerous cross-divisional initiatives in an effort to integrate agency silos and provide the most efficient service to families, children and outside stakeholders. Designed and implemented key program initiatives and turned them over to operational areas to manage forward. Highlights included the successful redesign of the therapeutic foster care matching process, including the use of video, which significantly increased the number of children and young people placed with families.Created the Systems Implementation Program Office responsible for all program/operational activities related to the design, development and implementation of the statewide federally-mandated SACWIS system as well as a wide range of additional case management information systems. Show less Managed special projects and critical initiatives for the Division responsible for most contract agency foster care and direct foster care services at ACS. Managed the ACS Families for Teens Residential Care Reduction Initiative to de-institutionalize children in residential care settings throughout the ACS system. In a traditionally adversarial climate, developed positive partnerships with the advocacy community around this effort. Also engaged as the primary liaison with national child welfare strategic consulting group to maximize change management efforts. Created and implemented the ACS Families for Teens process and led the agency in closing poor performing residential institutions while working collaboratively with all parties to safely replace youth in permanent families whenever possible.Planned, launched and managed ACS’ first professionally trained unit of foster care reviewers responsible for reviewing the safety, well-being and progress toward permanency for all foster children in the direct care of ACS. Show less

  • Associate Commissioner, Child Welfare Programs

    Jan 2005 - Jan 2009

  • Director

    Nov 1999 - Dec 2004
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  (Self Employed)

  Jul 2009 - Jan 2010

  Child Welfare/Human Services Consultant

  Subject matter expert and permanency advocate. Provided grant-writing and program planning services for two nonprofit agencies resulting in multi-year awards exceeding $2 million/year.

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  Mental Health Association of NYC

  Feb 2010 - Apr 2013

  Program Consultant

  MHA-NYC was founded to promote access to high quality mental health services throughout the NYC area. Its mission is to provide advocacy, public education and direct services to seniors, veterans, adults, children and families affected by mental illness or social/emotional behavioral challenges. Served as internal program consultant to MHA-NYC, providing technical assistance around program planning, proposal development, program implementation, budget development and service delivery to MHA’s child welfare prevention program leadership team. Provided external training and technical assistance to wide range of NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) funded programs. Also worked to advise and support the Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative, which is a citywide, cross- systems workgroup co-chaired by DOHMH, OMH and ACS and dedicated to improving services and outcomes for youth and families experiencing behavioral or mental health challenges.Highlights• Employed an outcomes-based, empowerment/coaching approach to work, with a constant focus on increasing capacity and building strength within organizations.• Provided training and capacity-building services on topics including: best practices in case management; youth workforce initiatives; family engagement and reunification for runaway and homeless youth; and psychological first aid in response to crisis, among other topics.• Facilitated citywide workgroup on housing issues for transition age youth, and co- authored a toolkit for housing providers entitled “More Than a Roof Over their Heads: A Toolkit for Guiding Transition-Age Young Adults to Long-Term Housing Success,” which is listed as a resource on the SAMHSA-funded Homelessness Resource Center. Successfully persuaded large group of providers to include family and permanent connections as a key element of long-term housing success. Show less

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  You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption & Permanency Movement, Inc.

  May 2013 - Aug 2017

  Executive Director/CEO

  YGB is one of very few programs in the country to focus solely on adoption and permanency for older youth and young adults. Succeeded agency founder and successfully navigated a pivotal time for YGB by redesigning business and practice models, envisioning a national advocacy campaign to end aging out, and positioning the agency for the next stage of contributions to older youth permanency. Highlights• Successfully created a rapid response to potentially catastrophic funding loss. Faced with the loss of more than 50 percent of YGB’s operating budget, recouped that funding and increased revenues 30 percent.• Oversaw the diversification of YGB revenue--tripled foundation revenue and increased private giving by 400%. • Advanced YGB’s theory of change and piloted unique partnership model with foster care and residential agencies, equipping agencies to improve outcomes for older youth through training and capacity building, with the elevation of youth voice as paramount.• Envisioned and pioneered the Nobody Ages Out Movement (NAO), an advocacy and programming strategy which rapidly became the guiding light for delivery on YGB’s mission to ensure all youth leave care with a permanent family. • Placed youth at the helm of YGB advocacy through the NAO Youth Movement, embedded youth voice in every aspect of YGB programming and supported them to gain an effective voice in relevant program and policy decision-making locally and nationally. • Built strong, collaborative relationships with funders, partners, advocates and child welfare organizations.• Developed suite of assessment and performance measurement tools for permanency work.• Refined organizational structure and established a culture of accountability; implemented necessary management structures, human resource and IT systems; Strengthened the unique, friendly, flexible, family culture of YGB. Show less

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  Susan Grundberg Consulting

  Sept 2017 - now

  Child Welfare/Human Services Consultant

  I collaborate with public and nonprofit organizations committed to improving outcomes for youth and families touched by the child welfare and other child-serving systems. Work focuses on organizational and system transformation and advocacy, with special expertise in all aspects of permanency, parent recruitment and support, and youth/family engagement. Services: Guidance and support in the successful development and implementation of your key initiatives• Work with you to craft the right strategic partnerships and funding strategies; identify grant opportunities & develop proposals to support your goals.• Assess current performance and existing program practice and structure; re-think practice models or identify evidence-based models that are a good fit for your agency; work with your teams to plan and implement new practices • Help you understand how your programs are performing for your clients and stakeholders.  Permanency Influencer• Are you a top performer, or your programs are struggling to achieve permanency outcomes? Permanency must be a priority at every level of the organization. Let’s identify opportunities and levers to push the process and create renewed energy around permanency. • I provide a fresh set of experienced eyes to facilitate case-specific program and permanency reviews in a collaborative, learning environment; coach leaders and cross-divisional teams to tackle long-term challenges• Are your foster/adoptive parent recruitment, development and support efforts working well for the children you serve? I will work with your teams to improve youth-specific family finding/recruitment efforts and to increase access to and support for strong, supportive permanency-focused foster/adoptive parents. • Are your programs benefiting from parent and youth involvement? Let’s create opportunities to build peer advocacy and the authentic voice of youth and families into your programs. Show less