September 2010 Caseworker of the Month
Devonne Jefferson
Snow Hill, Maryland
Devonne Jefferson, a foster care and adoptions worker with the Worcester County Department of Social Services in Maryland, is our September Caseworker of the Month. Her tenacity helped finalize an interstate adoption more than two years in the making all while balancing more than a dozen other cases.
“She had a whole array of responsibilities and case plan types in her caseload – renunciation, adoption, relative placement, children in care with supervised visits,” said Jamie Manning, the out of home services supervisor of Worcester County who nominated Devonne for caseworker of the month.
“Being our most seasoned worker, she got a lot dropped on her lap at once because of structural changes within our agency. Yet she was able to prioritize tasks and put children first as far as their safety and physical well being were concerned,” Manning said.
Going Above and Beyond
By stepping outside the box to go above and beyond in recruitment and retention, Jefferson helped meet Worcester County’s agency goal set by the State to finalize 11 adoptions. One of those adoptions was an interstate placement of a little boy with his grandparents.
"I wasn't quite sure what to do because I hadn't done an interstate adoption before, but I was confident it would go through. I just didn't anticipate that going through the ICPC [Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children] would be as long of a process as it was," Jefferson said.
She was the third caseworker assigned to the child’s case over the course of two years. Eleven months after taking the case Jefferson had finalized the adoption.
“She just got right to work,” Manning said. “Most of our adoption cases don’t have ICPC involvement. Four different offices had to coordinate together to make sure the pre-adoption paper work was done, the family met requirements for licensing, the child had correct health insurance and the list goes on.”
Learning the ICPC Process
Over the course of the adoption, Jefferson said the most important thing she learned was that workers should first research the adoption and foster care guidelines of state they are working with before jumping into the ICPC process.
“I think if you know the differences in requirements between that state and yours, it can relieve a lot of stress and frustration,” she said. “I also got information and support from other workers on what to do next, especially from the other state. I just got on the phone and worked with them to make the process as smooth as it could be.”
Plans for the Future
Manning said her nomination of Jefferson for the award is bittersweet because Jefferson will be leaving at the end of the month to pursue a Masters of Social Work.
“Hopefully I’ll continue working in child welfare. I really love foster care and working with the family in the beginning stages whether you’re working an adoption case or a reunification case. It’s just so nice to see all the steps of getting to the end goal that the family takes,” Jefferson said.
As for being nominated AdoptUsKids’ caseworker of the month, Jefferson said she was flattered.
“The rewards of the job are enough, but the recognition is extra special,” she said.
The nomination letter
Since Devonne Jefferson began with this agency she has been very enthusiastic about her work and has truly committed herself to the teamwork approach. Devonne inherited a small caseload initially, which quickly changed due to several structural changes within the unit. However, she remained compassionate in working with the foster children and families.
Due to her vigorous role in a complicated ICPC case, Missouri grandparents were able to adopt their grandson on May 20th, 2010, in Maryland. Devonne turned a tragic situation into a happy ending with the assistance of various workers.
This Missouri family learned of their grandson entering foster care due to neglect and death of their daughter in September 2007. They actively pursued completing the child-specific foster parent and adoption training and home study process in Missouri. However, they had to undergo waiting out the long legal time for termination of parental rights, appeal processes and placement approval from ICPC.
With many ups and downs along the way, Devonne was assigned to the case in 2009 as the child’s third caseworker the family had to work with. She proved her diligence would pay off and kept the family reassured and focused on the end result. She kept lines of communication open between the family, Missouri ICPC and Maryland ICPC. She also assisted in getting the family in contact with an adoption attorney in Maryland to ensure the process would not be delayed once the department was granted guardianship.
This is not the first case Devonne has brought forward through to adoption. Since her involvement with our unit, which started in June 2009, she has been assigned eight cases with a plan of adoption and brought five to fruition.
Devonne’s ability to assess client needs is on target. She seeks out consultation appropriately and is open to directives and suggestions when given. She has continued to build her assessment and intervention skills over time, especially with our reunification cases as well.
I look forward to continuing to work with her and feel she is an asset to our unit. Her dedication will assist many of our foster children in accomplishing their goals as well as helping children to establish permanency rather it be through reunification, adoption or independent living.
Jamie Manning
Out of Home Services Supervisor of Worcester County
Media who would like to interview Jefferson, contact us at info@adoptuskids.org or 888-200-4005.
