Care Coordinators are an important part of IMPOWER’s Case Management staff. Their role is to provide strength-based and family centered support for children and families through the implementation of Family Team Conferencing and Wraparound principles. Using these methods, they help reduce the risk of out-of-home placement by bringing individuals, agencies and the community together to build natural support systems and form a decision-making team focused on meeting the needs of the child and family. This process also increases quality service delivery, transparency, better working relationships with the Dependency Case Management and an easier navigation through the Dependency system which results in a reduction in the likelihood of returning to the system.
Cleopatra Price, MA, serves as Care Coordinator Lead. She possesses more than 14 years of professional child welfare experience and holds a Master’s Degree in Professional Mental Health from Webster University. Before joining the Case Management team as a Care Coordinator in July 2011, she was a Lead Dependency Case Manager for Devereux and worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer for the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Other Care Coordinator team members include senior staff member, Carlton Hemley who has extensive professional knowledge and experience working with substance abuse; and two new staff Melissa Eady and Candace Howell, former exceptional Case Managers. The combination of the team’s vast knowledge and skill sets, dedication to Brevard’s children and families and the use of strength-based, culturally competent practices is increasing the engagement of families in developing their own care plan and ultimately promoting long-term sustainability.
