Paula Truitt-Alohan

Administered the Statewide Permanency Enhancement program

· Led the implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of the Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP) Local Permanency Action Team plans through strong cross-divisional collaboration with the Office of Quality
Assurance

· Managed and coordinated Regional and Area Permanency Action Teams to drive local initiatives for improving permanency and addressing racial disparities

· Assessed programmatic needs of Permanency Enhancement Project to inform strategic enhancements and resource allocation

· Attended staff conferences, community events, and town hall meetings related to permanency and equity

• Led strategic initiatives to enhance service delivery and improve outcomes for children and families.
• Developed and implemented Community Action Plans that ensured compliance with program planning and integrated data with best practices.
• Fostered collaboration among stakeholders to align objectives and optimize resource utilization for program effectiveness.
• Managed budgets and contracts to maintain financial sustainability and support achievement of program plan goals.

Identified and reviewed residential placements for youth with complex medical , mental health and behavioral needs that require a more restrictive placement option.

. Supported evaluation processes to measure the effectiveness of residential care while recognizing performance trends of contracted agencies.

. Contributed to the development and execution of the out-of-state protocols placements for youth requiring more intensive out of state care.

• Collaborated with external agencies to align contracted service delivery with Illinois for the placement of illinois youth with the guideline of the . state and federal guidelines for procurement effectively.
• Overseen service contracts for out of state residential placement for accuracy and payment

Planned, implemented, managed, and evaluated regional clinical services to enhance service delivery.

. Coordinated and liaised with specialty and community-based services for children, families, and special populations as working supervisor.

. Established and maintained effective public relationships for department through regular engagement with state agencies, psychiatric hospitals, local mental health departments, and private agencies serving children and families.

• Coordinated multidisciplinary teams to address client needs comprehensively.
• Facilitated regular meetings with stakeholders to align on service objectives and strategies.

Supervised and coordinated team of professional caseworkers delivering child welfare protective services to children and families, ensuring compliance with agency standards.

. Direct the team with the existing framework of statutes and policies of the agency. Serve as liaison with other disciplines, agencies and community resources

Established and communicated performance goals and objectives for team members to align individual contributions with team mission.

.Maintained authority and accountability for statewide programs in income maintenance, intake, SNAP, and TANF, ensuring compliance and effective service delivery.

. Conducted program reviews to identify quality improvements, overseeing implementation of policies and procedures to enhance program effectiveness.

Supervised staff and served as community liaison for intergovernmental agencies, facilitating communication and collaboration to address community needs.

• Implemented process improvements that reduced response times for service requests by staff.
• Assisted in the preparation of reports and presentations, contributing to informed decision-making processes.
• Answered multi-line phone system, routing calls, delivering messages to staff and greeting visitors.
• Maintained electronic and paper filing systems for easy retrieval of information.
• Contributed to a positive work environment by fostering strong working relationships among colleagues.
• Boosted productivity by prioritizing tasks, managing schedules, and coordinating meetings for staff members.
• Maximized office space utilization by maintaining a clean, organized work environment that encouraged productivity and efficiency.
• Enhanced team collaboration with the establishment of clear communication channels and guidelines.