SUSAN SCHMIDT, MSSW, LGSW

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1 EDUCATION D.S.W. St. Catherine University / University of St. Thomas Anticipated Graduation 2017 M.S.S.W Columbia University School of Social Work 1995 Specialization: Social Administration M.T.S. Boston University School of Theology 1993 B.A. Houghton College 1989 Majors: Philosophy, Psychology; Minor: Spanish OTHER LANGUAGES Spanish proficiency, introductory French and Italian LICENSURE & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION Licensed School Social Worker, State of Minnesota Department of Education 2012 Present Licensed Graduate Social Worker, State of Minnesota Board of Social Work 2009 Present Member, National Association of Social Workers 1997 Present TEACHING & TRAINING The College of St. Scholastica Twin Cities Program Jan Present Adjunct Instructor Teach undergraduate social work courses Evaluate social work students in internship settings Serve as liaison between college and social service agencies Summary of courses taught: o Integrated Lab II: Writing & Technology (Fall 2014) o Understanding Immigration Issues (Spring 2014) o Social Justice Issues at the U.S./Mexico Border (January 2014 in Tucson, AZ) o Preparation for Fieldwork I (Spring 2013) o Field Practicum I (Spring 2013, Spring 2014) o Preparation for Fieldwork II (Summer 2013, Summer 2014) o Field Practicum II (Fall 2013, Fall 2014) o Extended Field Practicum II (Spring 2014) Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) June 2010 Present Writer / Trainer / Consultant Created two-day training curriculum on Working with Refugee & Immigrant Families in the Minnesota Child Welfare System. Train county child welfare workers as part of the DHS Child Welfare Training System Mentor co-trainers AGENCY BASED FIELD SUPERVISOR Graduate Field Instructor, University of Minnesota School of Social Work Undergraduate Field Instructor, The College of St. Scholastica Graduate Field Instructor, University of Maryland School of Social Work Graduate Field Instructor, Columbia University School of Social Work

2 PRIVATE PRACTICE Research Consultancies United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Senior Research Consultant (UNHCR Regional Office Washington, D.C.) April 2013 Nov o Conducted interviews in Spanish with 203 unaccompanied children from Central America and Mexico, detained in U.S. shelters and Border Patrol facilities in Illinois and Texas o Analyzed and coded qualitative data from over 400 children's interviews o Co-authored report, Children on the Run: Unaccompanied Children Leaving Central America & Mexico and the Need for International Protection (March 2014) Volunteer Consultancy (UNHCR Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland) Sept Nov o Charted the ideal case flow of child asylum seekers in the European Union Seeking Asylum Alone Project Jan Oct Research Coordinator U.S. Report (Harvard Univ. & Univ. of Sydney) o Primary writer, and co-author, of Seeking Asylum Alone: Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Refugee Protection in the U.S. (June 2006). Report recommendations incorporated into federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 o Conducted research, site visits and policy analysis, supervised U.S. researchers o Analyzed qualitative and quantitative data, drafted report and assisted with editing final comparative report on child asylum seekers in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Australia. o Co-organized meeting and report release for federal government policy makers and administrators, child welfare and immigration experts, held at the German Marshall Fund, Washington, D.C. Writing / Analysis / Technical Assistance / Case Consultation The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights at the University of Chicago Child Advocate Consultant Sept Present o Provide expert consulation as part of Best Interest Determination (BID) Panels for highly complex cases of unaccompanied immigrant children o Provide social work consultation to Young Center staff; research and write internal policy protocols o Conduct case audit and survey stakeholders on children in need of Child Advocates Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service (LIRS) Feb Jan o Primary report writer for three national Roundtable meetings on policy and service needs of unaccompanied children in the U.S. o Provided writing and policy analysis for internal position paper on immigrant children (July 2010) Oak Foundation Nov o Served as expert external reviewer assessing large child-focused grant proposal Institute for Children's Aid (ICA) July 2014 August 2014 o Wrote federal grant proposal for ICA to provide foster care for unaccompanied immigrant children o Received a proposal evaluative score of points out of a possible 100 Equal Justice Works July 2014 o Provided expert consultation and review on evidence based practice and trauma informed care sections of a large federal grant proposal regarding immigrant children Bridging Refugee Youth & Children s Services ( Migration & Refugee Services, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Technical Assistance Consultant July 2002 Sept o Provided research, writing and analysis for publications and proposal writing o Carried out national training and technical assistance for agencies serving refugees and immigrants o Conducted key informant interviews and surveys, and consulted on complex cases 2

3 PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (NY, NY, and after 1999, Baltimore, MD) o Interim Assistant Director for Quality Assurance & Capacity Development Jan April 2015 Provide short-term leadership and supervision of Children's Services unit monitoring activities, data management, research, evaluation, and program expansion during staff maternity leave o Director for Children's Services o Acting Director / Assistant Director for Children's Services o Graduate Social Work Intern / Program Associate Child Welfare Services o Coordinated national network of seven culturally competent foster care programs for refugee children resettled in the U.S. o Conducted resettlement needs assessment for UNHCR regarding Sudanese Lost Boys and girls in the Kakuma Refugee Camp (Kenya) and helped develop U.S. resettlement program for the group o Supervised family reunification services for immigrant children in the custody of the former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Program Management, Supervision and Advocacy o Conducted site monitoring, liaising with local programs and government funders, coalition building with private and public agencies both nationally and internationally, conference planning, policy analysis and advocacy with government and international bodies o Carried out program planning, budget preparation and program finance management, negotiations with government partners, staff and casework supervision o Monitored contract compliance, wrote reports for funders, advocated with government and partner agencies Program Development o Served as first Program Officer of Bridging Refugee Youth and Children s Services (BRYCS); supervised the Trafficked Children s Initiative o Cultivated relationship with the Hilda Bretzlaff Foundation to provide annual college scholarships for refugee youth in foster care Catholic Charities of Saint Paul & Minneapolis (St. Paul, MN) Nov May 2013 DACA Project Specialist o Conducted outreach to schools and churches on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) o Planned and implemented two DACA community workshops o Recruited and trained volunteer law students and attorneys to assist DACA applicants o Researched immigration program funding opportunities Minnesota Kinship Caregivers Association (St. Paul, MN) July 2011 May 2012 Kinship Consultant o Recruited, trained and supervised students, interns and volunteers o Developed factsheets on public benefits for kinship caregivers o Interviewed kinship caregivers and documented their experiences ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE Citizens Advice Bureau (NY), Graduate Social Work Intern Boston Univ. Community Svc. Center (MA), Program Manager (Part-Time) Migrant Education (NY), Teaching Assistant and Tutor (Summer) 1992 Intergenerational Literacy Project (MA), Literacy Tutor (Part-time) La Posada Providencia Shelter & Proyecto Libertad (TX), Assistant/Paralegal Bread for the City (DC), Fundraising Assistant/Counseling Coordinator

4 ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE UNHCR secondment for resettlement needs assessment, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya July 1998 U.S. Department of Justice secondment too interview Haitian and Cuban unaccompanied minors, Panama City, Panama, & Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba Feb., July 1995 VOLUNTEER INVOLVEMENT MN Children & Families Immigration Court Project, Bloomington, MN Dec Present Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for Second Judicial District Court, St. Paul, MN May 2009 Present Parent Representative for School Relocation Transition Team, L Etoile du Nord French Immersion Elementary School, St. Paul, MN 2006 PUBLICATIONS (Authorship in alphabetical order with APA Style) Research Reports and Articles Schmidt, S., et al. (forthcoming). At the crossroads for unaccompanied migrant children: Policy, practice & protection. Baltimore, MD: Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service. Boehner, N., Goldberg, P., Somers, A., Schmidt, S., & Velez, L. (2014). Children on the run: Unaccompanied children leaving Central America & Mexico and the need for international protection. Washington, D.C.: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved from Bhabha, J. & Schmidt, S. (February 2011). From Kafka to Wilberforce: Is the U.S. Government s approach to child migrants improving?. Immigration Briefings, 11(2). Bhabha, J. & Schmidt, S. (2008). Seeking asylum alone: Unaccompanied and separated children and refugee protection in the U.S. Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, 1(1), Bhabha, J. & Schmidt, S. (January 2007). Kafka's kids: Children in U.S. immigration proceedings, Part I: Seeking asylum alone. Immigration Briefings, 07(1). Bhabha, J. & Schmidt, S. (February 2007). Kafka's kids: Children in U.S. immigration proceedings, Part II: Beyond and besides asylum. Immigration Briefings, 07(2). Bhabha, J., Crock, M., Finch, N., & Schmidt, S. (2007). Seeking asylum alone: Unaccompanied and separated children and refugee protection: A comparative study of laws, policy and practice in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Annandale, Australia: Themis Press. Bhabha, J. & Schmidt, S. (June 2006). Seeking asylum alone: Unaccompanied and separated children and refugee protection in the U.S. Cambridge, MA: President and Fellows of Harvard College. Retrieved from Technical Assistance Publications Schmidt, S. (2014). Refugee families from Somalia. Retrieved from Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services [BRYCS] website: Schmidt, S. (2012). Guardianship fact sheet for staff assisting refugee families. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2012). Legal guardianship for refugee children living in the U.S. with relatives. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2008 edition). Special Immigrant Juvenile Status caseworker's toolkit for children in federal custody. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Gardner, L., Kimball, C., Morland, L., & Schmidt, S. (2007). Raising children in a new country: An illustrated handbook. Washington, D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved from BRYCS website: 4

5 Schmidt, S. (2006). Refugees and the U.S. child welfare system: Background information for service providers. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. ( ). Refugee parenting interviews. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2010). Training staff for child welfare practice with newcomer families. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2009). I Came All This Way for Them: Refugee Parents in Their Own Words. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Morland, L. & Schmidt, S. (2009). Strengths-based programming: The example of Somali refugee youth. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2008). The Best Interests of the Child in a Global Perspective. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2008). Youth Voice: Listening to Refugee and Immigrant Youth. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Gardner, L., Morland, L. & Schmidt, S. (2008). Welcoming and orienting newcomer students to U.S. schools. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2007). Helping refugee youth find the right path. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Gardner, L., Morland, L. & Schmidt, S. (2007). Cultural Competency in Child Welfare Practice: A Bridge Worth Building. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2006). Refugee Resettlement and Child Welfare: Collaboration for Child Protection. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2006). Caring about Child Care for Refugee Families. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Morland, L., Rose, J. & Schmidt, S. (2006). Growing up in a new country: A positive youth development toolkit for working with refugees and immigrants. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2006). Growing Up in a New Country: A Focus on Positive Youth Development with Refugees and Immigrants. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2006). Blessed with a difficult task: Refugee youth and the transition to adulthood. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2006). Refugee Students and the No Child Left Behind Act. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2006). Community Building: Helping Refugees Feel at Home. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2005). Family strengthening across cultures: Parent support programs for refugees. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2005). Determining child abuse and neglect across cultures. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2005). Raising children in a new country: A toolkit for working with newcomer parents. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2005). Liberian refugees: Cultural consideration for social service providers. Retrieved from BRYCS website: 5

6 Schmidt, S. (2004). Separated refugee children in the United States: Challenges and opportunities. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2004). Hmong Resettlement Revisited. Retrieved from BRYCS Howard, A., Schmidt, S. (2004). Developing Refugee Foster Families: A Worthwhile Investment. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Howard, A., Schmidt, S. (2004). Serving Refugee Children in Foster Care: Fundamental Considerations. Retrieved from BRYCS website: Schmidt, S. (2002). Supporting separated refugee minors in the USA, in United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] Refugee resettlement: An international handbook to guide reception and integration. Retrieved from UNHCR website: Macdonald, J., Schmidt, S. & Whitfield, J. (1998). Working with refugee and immigrant children: Issues of culture, law and development. New York, NY: Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Editor or Contributor Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2013). Bhutanese refugee families. S. Schmidt (Editor). Retrieved from BRYCS website: Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2013). Refugee families from Burma. S. Schmidt (Editor). Retrieved from BRYCS website: Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2013). Refugee families from Iraq. S. Schmidt (Editor). Retrieved from BRYCS website: Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2013). Raising young children in a new country. S. Schmidt (Editor & Contributor). Retrieved from BRYCS website: Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2013). Enhancing childcare for refugee self-sufficiency: A training resource and toolkit. S. Schmidt (Editor). Retrieved from BRYCS website: Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (2003). Foster Care at a Cultural Crossroads: Refugee Children in the Public Foster Care System. S. Schmidt (Co-Editor). Retrieved from BRYCS website: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2002). Separated Refugee Minors, in Refugee Resettlement: An International Handbook to Guide Reception & Integration. S. Schmidt (Contributor). Retrieved from UNHCR website: SELECTED PRESENTATIONS Working with refugees, immigrants, and unaccompanied minors in child welfare, MN Department of Human Services Child Welfare Training System, St. Paul, MN, May Co-presenter: Hassan Ugas. Children on the Run, Minnesota Children and Families Immigration Court Project: Volunteer Training, Minneapolis, MN, December Unaccompanied Children in the U.S., Plenary Speaker for University of St. Thomas Public Policy & Mental Health Conference, Minneapolis, MN, October Working with Unaccompanied Children, Volunteer Training of the Volunteer Lawyers Network & Advocates for Human Rights, Minneapolis, MN, October

7 Children on the Run, Minnesota Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force, St. Paul, MN, July Co-Presenter: R. Scholtz. The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Causes and Local Responses, University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minneapolis, MN, July Co-Presenter: R. Scholtz. Latino, African, Asian: Working with children and families from other countries, Minnesota Guardian ad Litem Training Institute, Shakopee, MN, December Co-Presenters: K. Klos and R. Scholtz. Working Effectively with Newcomer Children and Families: Inside and Outside the Classroom, LIU #12 Migrant Education and ESL Programs, Gettysburg, PA, February Co-presenter: B. Custodio. Serving Newcomer Families in the MN Child Welfare System, MN Department of Human Services Child Welfare Training System, St. Paul, MN, March 2012 & Mankato, MN, May Working with Newcomer Families in the Child Welfare System, Webinar for National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, March Co-presenter: E. Steglich. Advocating for Immigrant Youth, Part 1 & 2, Podcasts for National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, June 29 & July 12, U.S. Immigration Practices: Legal Remedies, Conference on Protection of Unaccompanied and Separated Children of George Mason University, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Fairfax, VA, October Parenting Challenges for Newcomer Families and Resources to Help Them, Minnesota ESL, Bilingual and Migrant Education Conference of the Minnesota Department of Education, St. Paul, MN, May Separated and Unaccompanied Children, Responding to Immigrant Families and Children: Rising to the Challenge, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of Minnesota, Willmar, MN, June Children and Immigration, Human Rights Series, Advocates for Human Rights, Minneapolis, MN, June Separated Refugee Children in the United States: Challenges and Opportunities, Keynote Speaker for release of BRYCS report at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., July Child Welfare Standards and Practice with Refugee and Immigrant Populations, Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) National Conference, Washington, D.C., March Refugee Children and Youth & Models for Facilitating Integration in the Resettlement of Unaccompanied Minors, International Conference on the Reception & Integration of Resettled Refugees, Norrkoping, Sweden, April A Child s Perspective of Immigration Court, National Conference of Immigration Judges, U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Miami, FL, June