Staff
Jennifer Press, LMFT
Executive Director, Social Services
Jennifer Press holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology with a concentration
in Marriage and Family Therapy. She has 12 years of social work and therapy experience.
Jennifer has worked with a number of adopted children in her therapy practice and is
dedicated to working with adoptive parents to help each family establish a loving,
nurturing bond. Her professional experience includes work as the Administrative
Director of the Marina Counseling Center; as a social worker/therapist at ALMA
Family Services and as a therapist with Jewish Family Services.
Jennifer also has hands-on humanitarian aid experience, having spent 2 years in Angola as a Senior Liaison officer with Catholic Relief Services. Jennifer's knowledge of both domestic and international adoption, coupled with her experience as a therapist, ensures that she is in touch with the real needs of each family and can objectively help them evaluate the best way to build their family.
Diana Revutsky
Director of International Programs
Diana Revutsky, originally a Russian language teacher by profession, began her career
in adoptions in 1993 when one of her language students needed someone who spoke
Russian to help them complete an adoption. After successfully assisting this student,
Diana realized she had found her calling, and she went on to found her own adoption
agency, which specialized in placement from Russia and Ukraine. Most recently,
Diana started and has grown Partners for Adoption's Ukraine program. As the
Director of International Programs, it is incumbent upon Diana to not only manage
the U.S. side of international placement, but to organize, maintain, and strengthen
our overseas logistics as well.
Cara Helberg
Program Development Specialist
Cara has 22 years of experience working in the field of adoption. She and her husband have two biological daughters and one daughter who was adopted from Russia at the age of 12. Cara has a special fondness and passion for adoptions of older children. Her experience is in both open domestic adoption and international adoption and she is proud to have helped thousands of adoptive parents through the process of becoming a family.
Shonna Cronin
Adoption Consultant
Shonna has been working in international adoption for over six years. She has been instrumental in helping families bring their children home from Russia, Kazakhstan, Japan, China, and Guatemala. Shonna is devoted to the families with whom she works and she has a true passion for international and domestic adoption. Shonna is the proud mother of a teenage son, and has dedicated her life to working with adoptive families and children.
Kathy Bargar, LCSW
Social Worker/Trainer
Kathy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience conducting international
and domestic homestudies and post-placement studies. Kathy also facilitates our
introductory workshops on adoption and is a speaker at our other classes. Kathy
and her husband have one biological daughter and have also completed 2 adoptions,
one from Russia and one from China. Kathy has extensive personal and clinical
knowledge of special issues related to toddler adoption.
Ronna Harris, MSW
Social Worker
Ronna has been working in the field of social work for over 17 years, in a variety of
settings, including child protection work, fost/adopt services in England, and medical
social work (neonatal intensive care and adult medical/surgical). Most recently she
has worked with prospective adoptive parents in domestic fost/adopt, independent
adoption, and international adoption. She is the mother of two daughters and
recognizes the job of parenting as one of the most rewarding jobs one can do.
Diana Cheng, LCSW
Social Worker/Trainer
Diana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience conducting pre-placement
homestudies and post-placement reports for international adoptions. She also conducts
educational workshops to help prepare families for the international adoption
process. Diana is also an adoptive parent and she is passionate about her work
in the field of adoption.
Cristi Chastain, LCSW
Social Worker
Christi has over 16 years of adoption and foster care experience. Previously,
she was the Adoption Program Director at Olive Crest, where she facilitated the
matching and placement of over 300 children. She has also been the Clinical
Supervisor at Serenity Infant Care homes, and spent several years in private
practice doing individual, marital, family and child counseling. She holds a
Masters in Social Work from USC.
Annette Eastman, LCSW
Senior Social Worker
Annette has over 25 years of experience working in the field of adoption. She has
worked with open-adoptions, foster care and foster-adopt programs. She has spent the
past five years specializing in international adoption with several Bay Area adoption
agencies.
Angela True, LMFT
Social Worker
Angela is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with expertise in adoption
adjustment issues and educating adoptive families about the attachment process
in adoption. Angela has an adopted child whom is the light of her life and she
believes whole-heartedly in the international adoption process.
Heidi Allison-Rhodes, LCSW
Social Worker
Heidi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience providing pre-placement
homestudies, post placement reports, and education classes, preparing parents for
domestic and international adoptions. Heidi has also worked extensively with children
and families as a therapist, providing interventions relating to attachment and other
issues.
Christina Smith, MSW
Social Worker
Christina has been working in the field of social work for over five years, in a variety of settings, including child protection services, domestic public foster/adoption, and school social work. Most recently she has worked with prospective adoptive parents and adopted children in domestic fost/adopt, and domestic birth parent adoption. Christina also has experience as a therapist providing services to both adults as well as child. During her time as a therapist, she also facilitated private groups as well as classes on many different social topics. Christina enjoys traveling and has been to over forty-two countries world wide. She has a passion for international adoption.