TAC Star of Adoption – Shadell Quinones

Shadell is a licensed social worker and Manager of Adoption Services for Chester County, Pennsylvania Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Even with 25 years of experience in adoption and trauma Shadell was moved by her TAC Training, provided through Voce in Harrisburg, PA. She described a mindset shift and stated, “My TAC Training caused me to rediscover how invaluable the assessment tool is to our work.” After completing TAC she promptly began working with her post-adoption support staff to develop several assessment tools, including the county’s first Post-Adoption Biopsychosocial assessment tool, utilizing many of the resources from TAC. Shadell also noted the importance of setting an example for her colleagues, sharing TAC concepts in decision-making meetings, especially with respect to honoring sibling connections and understanding the impact of decisions to separate siblings. She leads by example, encouraging her staff to keep a posted copy of the adoption-competent clinical practice principles as a daily, visual reminder to “…ensure these principles become a part of who they are professionally and the foundation of their work with families.”