Blog

Visit our Human Services Blog regularly for information about current issues, research and happenings in the field of human services. All content is generated by UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education staff, instructors or colleagues.

We also produce several digital publications—each with a specific focus on an area of human services practice:

Michael Jayden

From Darkness to a Symbol of Hope

  • by Michael Jayden, Youth Ambassador, Child and Family Policy Unit of California Youth Engagement Program and LINC/Nextup
From foster care to college advocate, Michael Jayden’s journey is one of resilience, determination and hope. Discover how programs like LINC/Nextup and YEP helped him transform hardship into leadership—and how he’s now inspiring other foster youth to chase their dreams.
Illustration for Wraparound

"We're moving forward in a healthy way."

  • by Lynne Jones, Field Consultant, Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice
RCFFP field consultant Lynne Jones recently sat down with Crystal, who was eager to share her story on how Wraparound provided her entire family with hope, support, resources, understanding, encouragement and tools to improve their lives.
Chevonna Gaylor

Instructor Spotlight: Chevonna Gaylor

  • by the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice
A powerhouse of knowledge, compassion and unyielding dedication to community healing with more than two decades of experience in mental health, trauma-informed care and Wraparound services, Chevonna Gaylor brings an unstoppable drive to her work, always guided by the belief that healing and growth should be accessible to all.
Robert Martinez

We Found Our Way

  • by Robert Martinez, Parent Partner, Contra Costa County
Once caught in a cycle of addiction, arrests and family separation, Robert has transformed his life through determination, sobriety and access to services. After losing custody of his children and battling methamphetamine use, he committed to recovery through inpatient treatment, parenting classes and court-ordered services. Now, with 15 years of sobriety, a strong marriage and two thriving teenage sons, Robert shares his story.
A pair of hands supporting a pair of another, emphasizing support and understanding.

UC Davis Receives $600,000 Grant to Launch Statewide Domestic Abuse Training for County Staff

DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education – Human Services has been awarded a $600,000 grant from Blue Shield of California Foundation to develop and deliver a comprehensive state-wide training initiative for county workers who support survivors of domestic abuse. The two-year needs assessment and curriculum development project is the first Blue Shield Foundation grant received by UC Davis in more than 15 years.

Tiffany Montanez and Norah Sheeren, Sarah Duncan Award Winners

Honoring Excellence in Child Welfare: 2025 Sarah Duncan Award Recipients Announced

  • by Jason M Borucki

Presented each spring by the Northern Academy at UC Davis Human Services, the Sarah Duncan Champion for Children and Families Award honors Northern California’s outstanding social workers who reflect Duncan’s passion, skill and tireless commitment to improving outcomes for children and families. Now in its fourth year, the award continues to celebrate those making a lasting impact in the field.

Attendees of the 2025 Title IV-E Summit gather in a large banquet hall for a presentation by Christine Mark-Griffin, who stands on stage in a yellow blouse and black trousers with her hand raised.

“Healing is Not an Individual Journey”

  • by Tyler Morgenstern, UC Davis Human Services

California’s child welfare workforce is predominantly comprised of passionate and committed individuals driven by a deep desire to change their communities for the better. Tasked with intervening in complex and distressing cases of abuse and neglect, however, these dedicated workers often experience compassion fatigue, secondary trauma and burnout as a part of their deep connection to the profession.

California Wraparound

From the Director

  • by Nancy Hafer, M.S., Director, Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice
 

Collectively, our nation is in a period of profound change. The word “uncertainty” is everywhere—used by scholars, media personalities, politicians, colleagues and friends alike. It has become shorthand for something deeper: a widespread sense of disorientation, transition and not quite knowing what comes next.

Illustration for Wraparound

Wraparound: A Blessing in Disguise

  • by Lynne Jones, LCSW
Jesus and Cassie, along with their toddler Xavier, were proud to share their Wraparound journey with Lynne Jones, field consultant at the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice. We are excited to uplift their story of resilience, courage, faith and hope.
Cheryl Tredwell

Honoring Cheryl Treadwell

  • by Cheryl’s grateful colleagues at the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice and the California Department of Social Services
Cheryl’s wisdom, warmth and unyielding spirit will be deeply missed in the halls of social services, but her legacy is woven into the very fabric of child welfare. Though she now embarks on a well-earned retirement filled with hiking, family time and community service, her voice, her passion and her fight for equity will continue to inspire us all.
Kim Stokem

What About Baby?

  • by Kim Stokem, LMFT, Countywide Wraparound Trainer and Fidelity Coach, Contra Costa Behavioral Health; UC Davis Instructor; 0-5 Years Champion
In the Summer 2024 issue of Wraparound Connections, Jarred “Jay” Vermillion’s article, Aligning for Action: California's Wraparound Initiative Taking Flight to New Heights!, explored the history and future of California’s Wraparound Initiative. As a Wraparound Champion for the 0-5 population, I was especially struck by two statements in the piece that deeply resonated with my work.
Person writing in notebook

Lost Without Translation

  • by Tamara Trejos, Wraparound Program Specialist, UC Davis Human Services
"Your ABA will be provided by an RBT under a BCBA per the IPP and IEP BIP." UMMMM, WHAAAATTT???
Maria Casa

My Journey to Becoming a Parent Partner

  • by Maria Casas, Parent Partner and Certified Peer Support Specialist
Becoming a parent partner at Aspiranet Intensive Home-Based Services (IHBS) Wraparound in Visalia was not just my career choice, it was a part of my personal mission, rooted in my experiences navigating the often complex and overwhelming world of mental health care.
California Wraparound

Strengthening Wraparound Through Collaboration: CDSS and the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice

  • by Danielle Gabri, MA, Staff Services Manager I, Family-Centered Practice Unit, System of Care Branch, Children and Family Services Division, California Department of Social Services
Our partnership exemplifies what is possible when agencies work together toward a shared goal. CDSS is proud to collaborate with RCFFP in providing the guidance, training and resources needed to ensure that Wraparound remains a strong, effective, and family-driven model of care in California.
Tabatha Rodgers

Growing Out of Trauma

  • by Tabitha Rodgers, Transition Aftercare Services & Substance Abuse Coordinator
Growing up in the foster care system for six years before returning to my mother, I remember being scared, sad and angry. As a 7-year-old little girl yearning for love and comfort, I found myself surrounded by strangers, bouncing between foster homes and the Mary Graham Children's Shelter in French Camp, CA.
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