Future Parent

J. (Juanita) Elizabeth Brigman is a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Leadership with a focus in Curriculum and Instruction, through the University of Phoenix. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus in Psychology, where she graduated Cum Laude and was inducted into Psi-Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. In 2005, she was licensed as an LCSW-C, the highest licensure for the social work discipline. During her 17-year career as a social worker, she has presented at national conferences including the Foster Family Treatment Based Association (FFTA), and state level conferences, including the Maryland Association of Resources for Family and Youth (MARFY) to promote academic and social outcomes for youth. She has served as a member of the FFTA Research and Outcomes Committee working to find evidence-based solutions for child welfare organizations. She has served as a political liaison to promote state-level policies in the best interest of children in out-of-home care settings. Her career has included developing, implementing, and training child welfare professionals in tools that can improve the behavioral and emotional outcomes for children in out-of-home placements. Her career as a social worker allowed her to see first-hand the educational deprivation of children in the child welfare and juvenile justice system. The dynamic and often overlapping influences affecting the educational outcomes of children in the child welfare system moved her to want to make a difference. She has worked to develop a solution to not only reach the parents of children at risk for entering the system, but to reach all parents with the desire to see their children succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia. To reach the author for speaking engagements, workshops, or general questions, send correspondence to j_brigman2005@yahoo.com.