Hi-

I worked in foster care/adoption for 2 years in Michigan in the late 90's and am looking to get back into the social services field- specifically adoption- and would prefer to work for a Christian organization. I have my M.A. in Counseling Psychology and 7 years experience in the corporate world in benefits and insurance as well. I currently live in a western suburb of Chicago and I'm willing to relocate.

Does anyone have contacts or ideas of agencies I could contact to see what opportunities they may know of or have available? BRIEF RESUME POSTED BELOW.

Thank you-
Sarah

Sarah Baumeister
836 South Charlotte Avenue, Lombard, IL 60148
(847) 445-1216

OBJECTIVE: To obtain a position in a non profit organization.

QUALIFICATIONS
8 years in social services and human resource consulting where I developed skills in:

Relationship Building
Coaching
Group Facilitation
Listening
Training
Project Management

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Teen Ranch Family Services, Spaulding for Children, Foster Care Caseworker/Licensing Specialist/Therapist, Port Huron, MI, Southfield, MI, 1995-1997

·Built trusting relationships with clients at various developmental levels.
·Developed rapport with foster parents that led to the amount of available foster homes to increase by one hundred percent in one year.
·As a result, foster children moved 75% less than before.

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Operations Analyst, Schaumburg, IL, 2001-2003

·Managed the relationship and disability, life, and FMLA benefit needs of National Account customers with over 25,000 employees.
·Facilitated benefit plan designs and pricing options.
·Implemented new populations and coordinated with internal partners to ensure processes were in place and adhered to from the customer’s perspective.
·Outlined process flows, formulated structure, and ran weekly conference calls to problem solve client issues.
·Developed and maintained knowledge of MetLife’s and competitor’s products and industry trends.
·Interacted with outside vendors on behalf of the client including Fidelity and Hewitt.

Hewitt Associates, LLC, Sageo, LLC, Benefits Analyst/Project Manager, Defined Benefit Project Manager, New Hire Trainer/Coordinator, Benefits Representative, Lincolnshire, IL, 1998-2001

·Interfaced with clients, account managers, outside carriers and technology teams to provide data needed for implementation and set up.
·Implemented benefit programs for major corporate clients.
·Developed relationships with outside vendors and health plans and thereby reduced eligibility errors by 30% in 10 months.
·Built trust within team resulting in thoroughly trained representatives better equipped to handle calls and potentially problematic situations.
·By actively listening, setting boundaries and rigorous follow through effectively handled clients in crisis situations resulting in no manager calls for 1 year.
·Developed and facilitated new hire and ongoing refresher training for a team of 70 customer service representatives.

EDUCATION

Master of Arts, Counseling Psychology, Trinity International University, Deerfield, IL, 1995

Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Northwestern College, Saint Paul, MN, 1993

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

·Instrumental in launching a series of career workshops in a local church.
·Facilitate a workshop on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for 2 years.
·Participated in community service projects through the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.
·Chair for a local Women’s Community Outreach group.

[mcwahl]

I don't know if you have checked out Central Baptist Family Services, but they serve the entire state of IL, and are always looking for good people with experience.

[Kim B]

please send us your email address...
thanks
bonnie
bbernard@fuse.net