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About Me
Born in the Midwest, my mission-driven spirit is inherent in my community upbringing and birth order. As the oldest of three daughters, my sense of duty was ingrained from an early age. My parents modeled both grit and grace, ultimately leading me toward my professional journey as a social worker. That journey has been packed with twists and turns, yet always leads back to people. That’s why I started the SHIFT.
It's time for something different...
HHS & Public Sector Expert - Implementation Expert - SOCIAL WORKER - Strategy & Innovation - Thought Leader
Just a social worker politely disrupting...
First and foremost, I’m a social worker with vast experience leading government programs. My experience spans nearly three decades. I’ve knocked on doors and toiled over decisions that impact families and futures. I don’t take that lightly, and I’ve grown to understand that what people need most are connections, community, and a sense of belonging. Let's lead with that understanding and make it our priority.
Programs are mired in compliance and often lose sight of what’s most important - a challenge in any industry, but our work is about lives. There are many stakeholders but ideally, we’re shooting for ‘same page perspectives'. Sometimes we’re not in the same chapter, or worse, the same book. There may be multiple pages, but there’s only one story, the ‘people story,’ and that one begins with partnerships.
Rachael
"It’s about creating a culture in human services that doesn’t settle for the status quo—a culture where people are the most important thing."
About SHIFT HHS
SHIFT HHS represents my mission to transform service delivery through child welfare, health and human services, and other public sector programs by connecting the right dots and putting people and relationships back at the center of it all.
Within this community, I will freely share my experiences, knowledge, and insights through my blog, social media, and podcast to help advance and evolve how policy and practice come together with technology and innovation to drastically improve lives. I look forward to fostering conversations, providing perspective, and supporting child welfare and other public sector programs across the United States to help make the SHIFT.
My Story
