Clinical Director

Jenny has served children and families in the fields of education and social work for 25 years. In 2001, Jenny earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Instrumental Music Education (K-12) with a dual Major in Sociology from Michigan State University, where she also taught undergraduate courses in the Integrated Social Sciences Department as a teaching assistant.

She began her career as a certified music educator in the Detroit Public Schools system; where she taught K-12 General and Instrumental Music as the director of award-winning instrumental music programs and served as a resource instructor in specialized student services. Jenny completed her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Michigan in 2009, and began work providing home-based therapy for children and families referred through the Child Welfare Department in Wayne County, and as a clinician in a high secure residential treatment center where she treated youth adjudicated of violent felony and sex offenses. Over her decade-long tenure with that agency, Jenny championed the integration of Trauma-Informed Care as a lead contributor to therapeutic programming and development, authored company publications, conducted training for agency employees, community stakeholders, local courts, care management organizations, law enforcement and first responders, and state graduate schools and universities, in addition to providing supervision to clinical supervisors, Master level clinicians, and graduate level interns as a Field Instructor with several graduate schools and universities. Jenny’s been an Associate Trainer through Starr Commonwealth for many years but joined Starr full time in early 2020 – where she currently serves as the Clinical Director of Behavioral Health.

Within her respective roles, Jenny has provided direct clinical care and supervision, individual and community-based crisis counseling, assisted institutions with initiating and evolving Trauma-Informed Care practices, authored various publications, conducted trainings for myriad healthcare, educational & governmental organizations, graduate schools & universities, and presented at many state, regional and national conferences on topics ranging from Trauma, Attachment & the Brain, Verbal & Non-Aggressive De-Escalation Techniques, Suicide Risk & Prevention, Intersectional Threats and Assets amid the LGBTQ+ community, to Developmentally-Informed, Co-Treatment and Tandem Approaches to Treating Childhood Trauma.

Jenny holds certifications as a Trauma Practitioner and Trainer, and Core Supervision through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Jenny serves as a reflective supervisor and consultant to novice and evolving clinicians and supervisors, both within her agency roles and in private practice, and has remained a persistent student and collaborator with leading innovators in the field.