MEET OUR POST-ADOPTION & ACT SERVICES TEAM
POST-ADOPTION PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Jennifer Knight: Greetings from the Buckeye State! As the Ohio Director of Social Services, I support families throughout their adoption journey, and coordinate the efforts of our staff to assess prospective adoptive parents and provide post-adoption supervision.
As the Post-Adoption Program Director, I have the privilege of not only supervising post-adoption reporting for families that have placed through America World, but also coordinating our coaching and training services. These services include our web-based trainings, live and on-demand webinars, virtual support groups, and one-on-one coaching. My background as an adult adoptee has given me a passion for helping adoptive parents understand the unique and often complex experiences of their adopted children.
I have a Master’s in Social Work, as well as an MBA, and have worked in the adoption field for 14 years.
When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading, hiking in the Metroparks, serving at my church, and working on craft projects.
POST-ADOPTION ASSOCIATE
Amy Curtis serves as the Corporate Post-Adoption Coordinator for America World. She has the opportunity to walk with families through the post-adoption phase of their journey by helping them to love and care for their children after they return home.
Amy attended Florida State University where she received her Bachelor’s of Social Work. She has a background in adoption advocacy; formerly serving in crisis pregnancy centers and ministering to women and families facing unplanned pregnancies.
She enjoys leading worship in her local church, cooking, and spending time outside in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her family. Amy is married to her high school sweetheart, Colin, and they live in Virginia with their children Piper and Calvin.
POST-ADOPTION ASSISTANT
Felicia Herrera: I moved to the DC area from New Mexico to help with a church plant. I have always had a passion and deep desire to advocate for vulnerable/historically overlooked and underserved populations. I am excited to see how God is going to move through me in Virginia, DC, America World and beyond. I have my Master’s degree in Social Work and I’m always on the looking for something new to learn or a new skill to develop.
In my free time you can usually find me with my Union City Church family. Currently I serve on our worship and kids’ team, in addition to leading Union City Church’s outreach and strategic partnerships efforts. It is truly my honor and
ACT COACHES
Samantha Fuhrman: Hi! I am Samantha and I am a Licensed Master Social Worker and currently serve as Home Study Coordinator for the New Jersey office and a counselor with the ACT program. I have been on the America World team since 2012!
Most of my clinical experience has been in trauma, attachment, and adoption. I completed the Training for Adoption Competence program through the Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE), and am an adoption-competent therapist. I am a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner, an evidence-based and trauma-responsive intervention. I am also a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor.
I am passionate about working with adoptive parents, providing them with education and guided support through a trauma-informed, attachment-based, and strength-based lens. I use a variety of models to help individuals and families heal from trauma, feel empowered with effective parenting strategies, and develop deep connections with each other.
In addition to my work with AWAA, I am a therapist in a private practice, and am the Program Director of a state-funded post-adoption program. I live on Long Island, New York with my husband and four children, by birth and adoption.
Leslie Knight has a Master of Social Work degree and currently serves as the Director of Social Services for America World’s Washington and Oregon offices. She has several years of experience working with state adoption and foster care services as well as serving as the director of a domestic adoption agency. As a personal foster parent graduate of the TBRI-based© HALO project, Leslie brings a unique and in-depth perspective to helping children and families.
FOR COACHING AND CONSULTATION RELATED TO DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS, SENSORY NEEDS, AND RELATED ISSUES:
Dr. Angie Lynch Fannon has a Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy and has been practicing for over 15 years. She has worked in schools, clinics, homes, as well as overseas orphanages, group homes and centers for adults with disabilities. Her specialties include working with children with sensory processing disorder, autism, and those adopted from international orphanages.
Important Note: This is not a crisis intervention service. If you have an emergency, please contact 911.