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Last updated on Friday, February 17, 2017
(BEDFORD) - The Indiana Department of Child Services has appointed Kelli Deckard the new office director for the Indiana DCS Lawrence County office.
In her new role, Deckard will set goals and objectives for child welfare management, helping to ensure children are protected from abuse or neglect. Also, she will oversee a staff of 23 while also handling general office operations. She began her new duties February 6th.
"Kelli brings years of child welfare field experience to the position," said Jane Bisbee, DCS' deputy director of Field Operations. "We are pleased to have her in this new role."
Deckard is a native Hoosier, born in Bloomington, and raised in Ellettsville, Indiana.
In July 2008, Deckard began her DCS career as a Family Case Manager (FCM) in Monroe County. She served in that role until January, 2012 when she transitioned to Foster Care Specialist. She then was promoted to the DCS Staff Development team as a Peer Coach Consultant. In this role Deckard assisted with training and development of FCMs as Child and Family Team Meeting (CFTM) Facilitators. (CFTMs bring together professionals and community resources to create a plan that ensures child safety, and meets the family's needs. Peer Coaches are considered to be subject matter experts regarding the DCS Practice Model.) In September, 2015, Deckard returned to Monroe County as an FCM Supervisor and held that position until her promotion to Lawrence County Local Office Director. She was in this position until her new appointment. Prior to joining DCS, Deckard served children in Monroe County as a home-based service provider and as a volunteer for the local Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.
Deckard graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 2003. She is currently in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis and will be graduating in May, 2017. Deckard was a Child Welfare Scholar for the first two years of her MSW and is currently a National Child Welfare Workforce Institute Trauma Fellow.
About Indiana DCS: The Indiana Department of Child Services protects children from abuse and neglect and works to ensure their financial support. Indiana Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline: (800) 800-5556. Child Support Customer Service Kidsline: (800) 840-8757 or (317) 233-5437. www.in.gov/dcs
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