Rachel Ayoub, BSW, LSW, is the International Intermediary Caseworker with Post-Adoption Services.  Rachel has been with the agency since September 2006. She assists both adoptees and adoptive parents with the search process, as well as facilitating ongoing correspondence within the adoption triad. She has experience working with diverse populations, including children experiencing emotional and behavioral issues.

Liz Bacha, MSW, LGSW, has been an adoption social worker in the Minnesota Waiting Children Program since May of 2004.  Liz does group work with children from the foster care system helping them to create Life Books.  Her background is in working with children who have experienced abuse and neglect.

Jenni Edwards, BA, is the International Intermediary Services Coordinator.  She also facilitates groups for kids, teens, and adults.  Jenni travels with our families on the CHSFS Birthland tours to Korea and is the M&M Program Manager.  Jenni was adopted from South Korea when she was four.

Hannah Epstein, MSW, LGSW, is a General Adoption Social Worker. She works with families adopting domestically and internationally, assisting them with everything from the homestudy process, to the completion of post placement requirements. She also enjoys being a facilitator of the Before I Joined Your Family Workshop and Post-Adoption Services Toddler Time Group.

Jackie Kennedy, BA, MSEd, part-time social worker for Domestic Search and Background Services within the Post-Adoption Services Department.  Jackie has seventeen years experience in social services as a social worker, group facilitator, counselor and supervisor. 

Kendra Kuhlmann, MSW, LGSW, has been a social worker at CHSFS since August 2005. She works with families adopting internationally and domestically. She has over five years of experience with children and families through her work in schools, post adoption services, adolescent parenting programs, youth serving organizations, and AmeriCorps. Kendra was adopted from South Korea when she was an infant.

Linda Kuhlmann, LSW, is the lead social worker for Domestic Search and Background Services within the Post-Adoption Services Department and has been with the agency for seventeen years.  She has been assisting adopted persons and birth family members for more than 27 years, providing counseling and support to all members of the adoption triad.

Jennifer Lavigne, MSSW, LGSW, is a social worker in the General Adoption at Children's Home Society & Family Services.  She works with families adopting domestically and internationally.  In the past she has worked in Child Protection, coordinated a county Foster Care Program.

Annie Matzke, BSW, LSW, is the Education and Support social worker for Post-Adoption Services. Annie coordinates programming for children, families and professionals regarding the adoption journey. She has years of experience working with youth in various school and community settings.

Jeff Mondloh, LICSW, has 29 years of experience in the Post-Adoption service field.  He facilitates the parent component of the Parent/Pre-Teen Awareness Group, provides individual and family pre- and post-travel counseling, and supervises the CHSFS birth country tour programs.  He also co-leads the Dad’s on Board group. 

Ben Nesbitt, MSW, LGSW, has been a social worker at CHSFS since July 2005.  He has close family connections to adoption and works with families adopting internationally and domestically.  He also has experience working in the child protection system, in correctional social work in a minimum-security prison, and with refugees and asylees.

Laura Nystrom, MSW, is an international and domestic adoption social worker at CHSFS and has worked in adoption for over seven years. She is trilingual in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and also speaks some Italian. Laura prepares clients by giving them the tools to become better problem solvers and helps them better understand adoption through the life span.

Emily Palmer, MSW, LISW, has been a social worker at CHSFS since June 2003.  She has worked with families adopting internationally and domestically.  Since August 2005, she has worked in the Minnesota's Waiting Children program.  In the past she has worked in the child protection system and with hospitalized children.

Alison Pluntz, MSW, LGSW, has been a social worker at CHSFS since January 2006. She works with families adopting internationally and domestically. She has over 6 years of experience with children and families through her work with a preschool day treatment program, youth mental health initiative and in-home therapy program for children diagnosed with autism.

Maxine Walton, MS, LICSW, is a Social Work Director for International Adoption at CHSFS.  With over 25 years of experience in the area of adoption, she has worked with all members of the adoption triad.  She is also an adoptive parent.

Heidi Weitzman, MSW, LICSW, is an adoptee from South Korea.  Heidi worked as an adoption social worker for Minnesota’s waiting children.  She now works as a mental health therapist who focuses on providing services to domestic and international adopted persons and their families, helping them work through issues of abandonment, grief and loss, identity and life changes.  She has experience in helping children through use of lifebooks and Theraplay techniques.  Heidi has educated adoptive parents on the challenges and realities of parenting adopted children pre and post-adoptive placements. 

Jennifer Wilson, MSW, LISW, is an adoption therapist and trainer for the Individual & Family Counseling Program. She most recently worked as the Director of Post-Adoption Services for CHSFS and has also been a school social worker, case manager and life coach. She conducts workshops and trainings within the agency and in the community on adoption related themes and works with all members of the adoption circle. Jennifer is also available to meet with individuals who are in the midst of adoption decision making. Her areas of focus also include grief and loss, life balance, stress management, transracial parenting, anxiety and depression. Adoption has been a part of her life and work for over 30 years, as she is the older sibling to three adults adopted from Latin America in the late 1970's.  She is also an adoptive parent.

Suzanne Witte, MSW, LGSW, has been a social worker at CHSFS since October 2002. She works with families adopting older, special needs children from the MN Waiting Children Program. She also does group work with children from the foster care system helping them to create Life Books. In addition, she facilitates the parent support group for the MN Waiting Children Program. Suzanne has over 9 years of experience working with children and families. Other experiences have included work in a hospital, community centers, schools, camps and Lutheran Volunteer Corps. She is also an adoptee.

Corrie Wold, MSW, LGSW, has been a social worker at CHSFS since February 2006.  She works with families adopting internationally and domestically.  She has over 8 years of experience with children and families through her work in schools, adolescent residential treatment, animal assisted activity programs, community outreach programs, youth serving organizations, and AmeriCorps.

Keri Zimmerman, MSSW is currently working as a pregnancy counselor and open adoption facilitator for CHSFS.  Keri has worked as a foster care licensor for family members caring for their kin.  She worked with teen moms teaching them parenting skills and helping them locate housing and other resources.  Keri also started a grant program for youth aging out of the foster care system which helped them learn life skills such as budgeting, employment, housing, healthy relationships and stress management.