I am excited to announce Jessie Watrous as the Acting Director for The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work.
Jessie Watrous is an advocate for the application of research and learning to improve the public systems that serve the most vulnerable children and
families. For over twenty-five years she has worked with human service, philanthropic, academic and community partners to strengthen efforts to improve the health and well-being of children and families impacted by poverty, violence, substance use and mental health disorders, and homelessness.
Ms. Watrous has been Program Director for Evidence-Based Programs and Practices for The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMB, SSW) for the last six years. She is responsible for training and technical assistance to child and family-serving agencies in order to strengthen local service arrays and the delivery of evidence-based and promising programs and practices with the goal of addressing the needs of vulnerable children, youth and families. She currently serves as Principal Investigator for contracts with Maryland Department of Human Services/Social Services Administration and has served as Project Director for contracts with U.S. HHS, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau.
Prior to joining the UMB SSW, she was a Senior Associate with the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) where she worked for over a decade. She was part of the team that founded AECF’s Evidence-Based Practice Group, and for which she managed a grant portfolio that funded partners to use and build evidence for what works in child and family services. She co-led the design and implementation of
AECF’s Evidence2Success (E2S), an augmentation of the Communities That Care model. It has been replicated in six U.S. cities. With the AECF’s Strategic Consulting Group, she served as co-manager of state consulting engagements where she advised senior leaders on reform and planning, service array development, crisis
management, workforce development, quality improvement systems, and care coordination best practices. Child welfare agencies she advised were able to implement reforms that reduced the over-reliance on congregate care.
Ms. Watrous began her career by providing direct care. Agencies she worked in provided for the basic needs of those in poverty, or provided foster care, or shelter to families who experienced homelessness and domestic violence. She holds a Master of Public Affairs, with a Concentration in Non-Profit Management from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, and a
Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University. She additionally has a certificate in fundraising fromThe Fundraising School, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy,Indiana University.
She is a resident of Baltimore City and the proud mother of two wonderful boys who attend Baltimore City Public School.
As part of this new responsibility, Jessie will be the point person for employees at the Institute, serving as a problem solver and advocate when needed. She will also work closely with the SSW Leadership including myself, Ms. Cherita Adams, and Dr. Jodi Frey, along with the LGC consultants. Finally, she will work closely with me as we look to establish stronger relationships with our external partners including our state agencies.
During this next chapter of The Institute, we are grateful to have Jessie leading our organization. Please congratulate Jessie Watrous on her new role!
