Wendy is a Licensed Master Social worker. She has helped clients in a variety of settings, including residential treatment programs, community outreach, schools and outpatient clinics. Her focus has primarily been with children and families, with an emphasis on family systems, cognitive behavioral and play therapy approaches.  In all of these she strives to help people learn how to help themselves. Wendy earned her bachelor’s degree in Social work at the University of Kansas, and her master’s degree in social work from the University of Denver.

Sondra, who began at JFS as a volunteer, manages Help@Home and JET Express. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Women’s Studies at San Francisco State University. After working in telecommunications management for 25 years and moving to Kansas City, she changed directions and moved into the non-profit sector. She enjoys helping older adults remain independent and active.

Sarah has a Bachelor's in Russian from St. Olaf College and an MA in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Kansas, and worked for over 5 years in the field of education. Her expertise has brought her to Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and finally back to the US as a teacher and facilitator. At JFS, Sarah works directly with Russian-speaking clients in our Older Adult Care Management program and assists with Russian Language facilitation across all programs. Her most recent efforts have been in the areas of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) and Mindfulness, on which she leads working groups and training sessions for JFS staff,  community partners, and clients.

Whitney is pursing a Masters in Social Work from Widener University in Chester, PA, and recently completed her first of two required internships at JFS. Her focus after graduation will be clinical mental health services, so she feels helping with the You Be You program for teens is an exciting opportunity. Whitney holds a Masters in Library Science from Emporia State University and worked as a library administrator for more than 10 years before deciding to become a social worker.

Rebecca attended Northwestern University as an undergraduate and doubled majored in Psychology and Spanish. She later went on to pursue a Master’s in Social Work from Loyola University in Chicago. After moving to Kansas City, Rebecca worked at Gillis as a Family Focus Therapist, providing therapy for boys and their families as they re-entered their homes from a residential facility. She later worked as a Bilingual Therapist at The Family Conservancy in the “Dame La Mano” Program. She provided Spanish-speaking therapy for individuals, couples, families, and adolescents. Rebecca utilizes a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapy in her work with clients. She considers it a privilege to be invited into the lives of clients to help them in their journey towards healing and self-discovery.

Jana is a Licensed Master Social Worker whose passion is working with older adults. She graduated from University of Nebraska with a Bachelor in Family Science and went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Jana spent 15 years working as a Service Coordinator in two affordable senior housing communities in the Kansas City area through Phoenix Family. Jana comes to Jewish Family Services with a wealth of resources for senior adults. Jana enjoys meeting new clients and connecting them with community resources to help them achieve independence and improve their quality of life.

Annie received her B.A. in Jewish Studies at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies and her M.A. in Jewish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She is a graduate of the Senior Educators Program of the Melton Centre for Jewish Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, teaching children and adults in both New York City and Dallas. As a recipient of the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Seeds of Innovation grant, she founded Priya, meaning “fruitful” in Kansas City which is in partnership with Jewish Family Services and The Jewish Community Foundation. She also serves as Director of School Services for The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning.

Debra Orbuch Grayson holds a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of Maryland-College Park and a bachelor’s degree in education and behavioral disabilities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has more than 30 years of experience working with children, couples and families and will manage and supervise the JFS counseling team. She will also be responsible for providing community outreach to engage new partners and participants.

With a background in design, Terri helps coordinate marketing and social media and, being a furtive writer, she facilitates the JFS blog. She moved to Kansas by way of Las Vegas after growing up in Michigan. She has a BA degree in design from Michigan State University.

Susie is the Adolescent Specialist for C.H.A.I. (Channeling Healthy Adolescent Interaction). She offers preventive education workshops and individual consultations for adolescents, parents, educators and youth workers. In addition, she serves as the Director of Family Life Education, offering a variety of education and support programs across all age groups. Susie holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA in Psychology from the University of Missouri Kansas City. She also attended the One Year Program of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Susie earned the local Jewish Teacher of the Year award and the national Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.

Laurie joins the JFS team to assist older adult clients through education, outreach and care management services. She plans to help them achieve their best possible older life. Laurie has a BA in Recreation Therapy, a Ceritificate in Gerontolgy from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Laurie brings extensive experience working with geriatrics in hospital, case management and hospice settings.

Diane brings the combination of Corporate Marketing and Non-Profit Counseling experience to CSC. She is passionate about guiding clients to take an active role in their job search during what can be one of life’s most challenging events. Diane is skilled in utilizing a strengths based focus with individual clients in developing and executing a focused job search strategy and resulting in a more efficient and successful outcome for her clients. Diane has a Master’s Degree in Counseling from University of Missouri, Kansas City and a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Missouri State University. She is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator through the National Career Development Association.

Seroj provides minor home repairs and computer troubleshooting.  He holds bachelor degrees in math and English from the University of Kansas and is experienced in many facets of home construction and repair. Previously, he worked as a technical writer and process analyst for Sprint before leaving the company to start his own remodeling and handyman business.