Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) Names Sharon Dietsche, LCSW-C, LICSW to the Role of Director of Program Operations

Burtonsville, MD, January 27, 2021 --(PR.com)-- The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) has named Sharon Dietsche, LCSW-C, LICSW as their Director of Program Operations. Debbie B. Riley, LCMFT, C.A.S.E.’s Co-founder and CEO said of the hire, “Sharon has a vibrant career dedicated to providing clinical services to children and families with a focus on child welfare and adoption. Sharon’s leadership has spanned community centers, public schools, residential and day treatment programs, and government.”

C.A.S.E.’s reputation as a national innovator in adoption competent therapy is one of the things that drew Ms. Dietsche to the role: “I was introduced to C.A.S.E. several years ago due to their collaboration with University of Maryland. My family was embarking on our adoption journey around the same time. I was particularly interested in the mission of C.A.S.E. and its innovative approach to therapeutic services.”

Sharon has dedicated her 25+ year career to creating healthier families and communities. Her endeavors started in the child welfare field in Orlando, Florida, as a foster care counselor. After receiving her Masters, she began her clinical work at Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Francisco where she led clinical treatment teams serving children and families with severe trauma histories. Then, as Director, Mental Health, she served as one of the creative forces in the development of Our Second Home, an early childhood family resource center south of the city.

Sharon’s career then brought her to the national capitol area, where she joined the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) as a Senior Practice Associate. Among other accomplishments, she led the development of the NASW School Social Work Standards and the NASW policy statement for Early Childhood Care and Services. She also championed national initiatives to promote the awareness and prevention of the school-to-prison pipeline and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Sharon most recently served as Director, Prevention & Early Intervention at the D.C. Department of Behavioral Health. There she oversaw early childhood, school-based mental health, and substance use prevention programs. Sharon holds a Bachelors and Masters in Social Work from the University of Central Florida and in 2020 earned certification in Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Northwestern University. Since 2004, she has served as a subject matter expert in the development of the professional social work licensing exams in California and with the Association of Social Work Boards. Sharon and her husband Tom are parents to three children. Their youngest joined their family in 2018 through international adoption.

C.A.S.E. is a nationally-recognized leader in mental health services for the adoption and foster care community. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to improve the lives of children who have been adopted or in foster care and their families through counseling, lifelong education, and a growing national network of trained professionals. With offices across Northern Virginia and Maryland, C.A.S.E. has provided clinical services for more than 6,800 clients and their families since its founding in 1998. Visit www.adoptionsupport.org to learn more.