Team

As a result, Brevard CARES was asked to help prevent youth in secure detention from being ordered into foster care due to a parent’s refusal to take their child home after the detention period.  CARES provided services to families struggling with their child’s behavior and prevented many youth from being adjudicated dependent and placed in foster care.

Prior to his DJJ service, Mr. Rodgers was a foster care counselor working with teenage youth living is a foster care placement.

Mr. Rodgers retired from the United States Air Force in 1990. He is married and has one adult son.

husband.  She was co-owner of the business, which focused on new homes.  Christa has also worked as an activities director in two local assisted living facilities where she enjoyed helping residents step outside the average day to day routine and fully enjoy life as seniors. Christa and her husband have lived in their Brevard home for 27 years, raising their son and now their daughters. Christa is a former Brevard Family Partnership Board member. She currently home-schools her daughters.  As a family with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, they enjoy traveling, theme parks, and exploring each other’s interests.  Christa’s experiences as a mom, foster mom, adoptive mom and CARES Alumni help drive her passion for the CARES mission.

building mentally healthy thinking skills. During her career, she became Project Manager for SEDNET (Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities Multi-agency Network) and, later, the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Project. In this role, she was able to connect mental health and substance abuse, providing research-based programs to help build resiliency (mentally healthy thinking) in students and families. Paula worked with local mental health and substance abuse agencies to provide services to Brevard Public School students. She also created a BPS Mental Health Resource Guide for School Guidance Counselors and families’ use.

She was blessed with raising three sons and a grandson. Her life experiences as a mother and grandmother had a profound influence on her education in youth interaction.

In retirement, Paula looks forward to continuing the pursuit of her passion for educating and supporting the building of resiliency in children and families.

District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Mrs. Newman owns her own law firm in Melbourne.

Mrs. Newman holds the position as an Adjunct Instructor for three different Universities and Colleges and has taught for over 15 years.  She is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and works in a community agency doing counseling and visitation.

Mrs. Newman is passionate about services to help families and believes the key to success is having a strong community and social service system. She believes that Brevard County is a strong community that supports those in need and provides access to services. She is a big supporter of the social service community to provide the best care to help strengthen families.

In her spare time, she enjoys true crime books, traveling, and time with her family and friends. She is married with two boys.

Previously, Phil worked as part of the Department of Children and Families Central Region’s Leadership on the professional development and talent management of its middle and senior managers. Prior to that he was the State Director with Key Assets Florida, Inc., part of the International Core Assets Group, a leading children’s services provider.

Phil has 30 years of experience working in behavioral healthcare and child welfare in both clinical and administrative capacities. Throughout his career, he has been committed to children and families at risk, and to the development of a perpetual learning environment willing to challenge the status quo, embrace innovation, inclusion, transparency, and trust.

Phil has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Gerontology from Iona College and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Yeshiva University

She was able to help educate families on how to help their loved ones lead their best life possible. Kathryn has been working with children’s issues for over 15 years.

Kathryn transitioned to the Department of Children and Families as a Child Protective Investigator. It was through this work that she discovered that she was passionate about helping families before there is a need to have court involvement. She began working for Brevard C.A.R.E.S in 2015. Kathryn was initially hired as a Diversion Care Coordinator. Since that time, she has served in the roles of Family Engagement Specialist for the Safety Management Team, Mobile Response Team Coordinator, Non-Judicial In Home Services Supervisor and Chief Operations Officer.  Kathryn has Wrap Around Certification through the National Center for Innovation and Excellence and provides support to the Brevard C.A.R.E.S. team through ongoing training and team development. She believes that having clinical training helps bring a perspective to managing the safety of children by bringing an understanding of how past trauma can impact parenting and ongoing behavioral change.

Kathryn graduated with a MS in Counseling Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University in August of 2012. She completed her Licensed Mental Health in Counseling in March of 2018. She also has a Bachelor’s in Administration from Columbia College and worked several years as an Assistant Branch manager for a national financial institution.

Kathryn is married with three children and is very involved with the worship team at her church. She believes a person’s religion, or the lack thereof, can have a significant impact on their ability to heal.