Key Project Staff

American Humane Association

Donna Parrish, M.A., LPC

Donna L. Parrish has more than 17 years of experience in the human services field and is the director of Disparities and Practice for the Child Protection Research Center at American Humane Association. Ms. Parrish provides strategic leadership to advance American Humane Association's approaches to reducing the disproportionate representation of children of color in care caused by discrimination, as well as disparate outcomes in the child welfare system and other systems serving children and families. Through these efforts, Ms. Parrish oversees the infusion of disproportionality and disparities strategies in practice delivery approaches throughout American Humane Association Child Welfare programs. She is also responsible for the leadership, influence, administration and day-to-day management of the Colorado Disparities Resource Center (CDRC). Ms. Parrish previously served as the project manager for the Breakthrough Series Collaborative on Safety and Risk Assessments, which was a 33-month, national partnership project with American Humane Association and Casey Family Programs. Prior to joining American Humane Association, Ms. Parrish served for five years as a clinical supervisor of a child protection treatment team in a Colorado county social services agency. The treatment team was composed of 12 licensed clinicians and provided short-term, child-centered, solution-focused therapy to constituents. She has also served as a family therapist, mental health counselor and program director in various venues. In addition, she has served as a faculty member at both the University of Colorado at Denver Health and Sciences Center and the Denver Family Institute. As a faculty member, Ms. Parrish ensured that students were able to provide therapeutic interventions that were strengths-based and culturally appropriate. Her areas of expertise include clinical assessment and evaluation; child abuse prevention; safety, risk and family assessment; child protection therapy; cultural competence and responsiveness; and organizational and staff development. She also has many years of experience as a state and national consultant and trainer, and strives to ensure that participants are able to transform their practices into culturally sound interventions.

John Fluke, Ph.D.

John Fluke has more than 29 years of experience in social service delivery system research in the area of child welfare and mental health services for children. In November 2008, Dr. Fluke became the founding director of American Humane Association's Child Protection Research Center. He is nationally recognized as a researcher specializing in assessing and analyzing decision making in human services delivery systems. Dr. Fluke is also nationally known for his innovative and informative evaluation work in the areas of child welfare administrative data analysis, child welfare decision making, workload and costing, and performance and outcomes measurement for children and family services. He has been active in research and evaluation at all levels of government, in the private not-for-profit sector, and with national foundations and associations -- including work both in the United States and abroad.

Colorado Department of Human Services

Sharen E. Ford, Ph.D.

Sharen Ford is the manager of permanency services for the Colorado Department of Human Services in the Division of Child Welfare Services. Dr. Ford has built a comprehensive work history there for 23 years that includes program and policy development and implementation, monitoring, serving as the division’s legislative liaison, and testifying before the State Board of Human Services and at the legislature. She oversees seven programmatic areas, including the Foster Care and Adoption Program, and supervises a team of professional staff. Dr. Ford serves as the co-chair for the Governor's Child Welfare Action Subcommittee on Cultural Competency.