| Expertise: | Diligent recruitment and permanency and family connections for state and tribal child welfare systems, child welfare policies and practices that are inclusive and affirming for LGBTQ2S children, youth, and families Facilitation of peer-to-peer learning and information exchange, webinar planning, research, resource development, feedback on forms and publications, etc. |
| Bio: |
Tracy Serdjenian, LMSW has a varied professional background that includes information services provision; community organizing and outreach; direct service work; child welfare training facilitation; and research and policy work. Tracy most recently served as the Interim Project Director for the National Resource Center for Diligent Recruitment at AdoptUSKids (NRCDR), after working for the project as the Associate Director of Stakeholder Engagement, and as a consultant beginning in 2014. Tracy served as an LGBTQ Staff Advocate and facilitated the LGBTQ Task Force at The Adoption Exchange, playing a lead role in helping the agency to earn the Human Rights Campaign's All Children-All Families Project's Seal of Recognition as a "Leader in Supporting and Serving LGBTQ Youth and Families". Before joining the NRCDR, Tracy worked for 7 years at the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections, serving as the Director of Information Services for 5 years. In this capacity, Tracy provided off-site technical assistance, facilitated peer-to-peer information sharing opportunities, and helped to develop a wide range of child welfare publications, practice materials, webinars/webcasts, digital stories, and other resources. She has supported youth-led advocacy work with youth currently or formerly in foster care, worked with LGBTQ youth in homeless shelters, facilitated training for child welfare professionals on working with LGBTQ children, youth, and families, and provided vocational and educational support services to adults living with mental illness. She received a Master of Social Work degree from the Hunter College School of Social Work, where she received the Rebecca Donovan Award for exemplary research, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Vassar College. |
