National START TTA Program

Tina Willauer, MPA
Program Director

Ms. Willauer currently serves as the Program Director for the National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she leads and manages the growth and expansion of the National START Model.  

With over 28 years of experience in the child welfare field, Ms. Willauer is dedicated to identifying and spreading strategies that work for families affected by parental substance use, trauma, and child maltreatment.  As the purveyor of the START model, she has worked in numerous jurisdictions to implement START and other child welfare system improvements. Before joining CFF in 2017, she spent a decade serving as the Director of the Kentucky START Program at the Department for Community Based Services, overseeing the expansion and rigorous evaluation of the model. Ms. Willauer has achieved high standards of practice and a change catalyst perspective in her every role from a front-line social worker, supervisor, senior manager, program director and consultant within the public child welfare system. She has maintained her focus on transforming and strengthening the system of care within and between child welfare agencies, substance use and mental health treatment providers, the judicial system, and other family-serving entities.  She has multiple peer reviewed publications and a lengthy list of dynamic national presentations.   

Ms. Willauer received her Masters in Public Administration from Cleveland State University and her Bachelors in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University.   

Lynn Posze, MA, LPCC
Senior Manager 

Ms. Posze currently serves as a Senior Manager for the National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she serves in a program leadership role for the growth and expansion of the National START Model.  

Prior to joining CFF, Ms. Posze served for over a decade as the Clinical Director of the Kentucky START Program. Working alongside the purveyor group, Ms. Posze co-authored the START Implementation Manual and eight peer-reviewed journal articles, elucidating the essential components of the model as well as outcomes and strategies for implementation. Ms. Posze brings her experience working in publicly-funded substance use and mental health disorder treatment, academia, and state government to bear as she helps jurisdictions navigate the intricacies and challenges of program implementation and model fidelity. She has presented at national and regional conferences and is well-received as a facilitator and trainer. Ms. Posze is also a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in the state of Kentucky. 

Ms. Posze received her Masters in Agency Counseling with an emphasis in Women’s Issues and Addictions from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina and her Bachelors in English from the University of Kentucky, Lexington. 

Renee Luque, LCSW
Program Development Manager 

Ms. Luque currently serves as the Program Development Manager for the National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she serves in a program leadership role for the growth and expansion of the National START Model.  

Ms. Luque has over 15 years of practice and policy experience in child welfare and mental health systems of care and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California. Prior to joining CFF, Ms. Luque served as a Workforce Development Specialist for Bay Area Academy, an intermediary organization charged with the learning and organizational improvement needs of public child welfare agencies. In this role, she supported California’s Continuum of Care Reform assigned as lead on statewide initiatives including the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, Resource Family Approval, and the Level of Care Rate Protocol. While at Bay Area Academy, Ms. Luque also co-facilitated a statewide strategic planning workgroup for the development of California’s Intensive Services Foster Care model, along with a regional model for Mobile Response Stabilization Services. Additionally, Ms. Luque holds expertise in adult learning theory skilled in curriculum development, facilitation, and training. She is the co-developer of a 36-hour Pre-Service curriculum for prospective resource families currently in use by bay area counties and foster family agencies. Ms. Luque is also certified in the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths/Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management approach (CANS/TCOM) through the Praed Foundation.  

Ms. Luque received her Masters in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and her Bachelors in Psychology from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. 

Dawnia Flonnoy, MA
Senior Program Associate 

Ms. Flonnoy currently serves as a Senior Program Associate with the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she provides training and technical assistance to state and local child welfare jurisdictions for the implementation of the START model.  

Ms. Flonnoy has 22 years of professional social work experience. Ms. Flonnoy’s personal experience with familial substance abuse has been a driving force for her career path. Prior to joining CFF, Ms. Flonnoy was employed with the Ohio Public Children’s Services Administration in Cuyahoga County and Greene County where she worked for both Employment Family Services and Children and Family Services. While with Children and Family Services, Ms. Flonnoy served as a START Social Service Worker and later, as a START Supervisor.  While working in child welfare, Ms. Flonnoy was also a part of the Cuyahoga County Family Drug Court team and facilitated monthly meetings with local substance use and mental health treatment providers. Additionally, Ms. Flonnoy has experience providing training on child welfare, prenatal substance exposure and substance use disorders to university students, hospitals, and community organizations. Ms. Flonnoy holds expertise in the areas of child welfare, juvenile court, leadership, teaming, and collaborative practice.  

Ms. Flonnoy received her Masters in Justice Administration from Tiffin University and her Bachelors in Rehabilitation and Corrections from Wilberforce University.   

Jennifer Foley, BS
Senior Program Associate 

Ms. Foley currently serves as a Senior Program Associate with the National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she provides training and technical assistance to state and local child welfare jurisdictions for the implementation of the START model.  

Ms. Foley specializes in serving children and families affected by parental substance use and child maltreatment. Prior to her position at CFF, she was employed with the Relief Nursery’s Accessing Success Recovery Support Program in Eugene, Oregon.  Initially hired as a Peer Support Specialist, she advanced to Alcohol & Drug Counselor, eventually managing the recovery support program for six years. She then spent seven years as a child welfare caseworker with the Oregon Department of Human Services.  In 2013, she accepted the position as the Women’s Treatment Services Coordinator and the Access to Recovery Project Director with the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon’s Women’s Services Network Coordinator through the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors.   

Ms. Foley received her Bachelors in Sociology with an area of concentration in Substance Abuse Prevention from the University of Oregon.

Elizabeth Bullock, BA
Senior Program Associate

Ms. Bullock currently serves as a Senior Program Associate with the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she provides training and technical assistance to state and local child welfare jurisdictions for the implementation of the START model. 

Ms. Bullock gained direct service and leadership experience through her work with the Indiana Department of Child Services as a Family Case Manager, Supervisor, and Local Office Director.  As the Monroe County Child Welfare Director, Ms. Bullock provided oversight of the START program and helped implement START strategies across the region.  Additionally, Ms. Bullock has prior experience working with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and has worked in the field of crisis intervention for most of her career. Ms. Bullock holds expertise in the areas of child welfare, substance use disorders and recovery, leadership, trauma-informed care, and motivational interviewing. She brings to CFF strong skills in engaging community partners and cross-system collaboration for improved outcomes for children and families. 

Ms. Bullock received her Bachelors in Psychology from Indiana University.

Erin Smead, MSW
Senior Program Associate

Ms. Smead currently serves as a Senior Program Associate with the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she provides training and technical assistance to tribal, state, and local child welfare jurisdictions for the implementation of the START model.

With over 22 years of professional social work experience, Ms. Smead has dedicated her career to public child welfare services serving in a range of capacities including frontline social worker, supervisor, and regional manager. More recently prior to joining CFF in 2022, she served as the Director of Kentucky START—providing programmatic oversight to seven local jurisdictions. In addition to her tenure with START, Ms. Smead brings to CFF extensive knowledge and expertise in substance use disorders including treatment and recovery, peer support services, and collaborative practice.

Ms. Smead received her Masters in Social Work and Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Meredith Russo, MPA
Program Associate

Ms. Russo currently serves as a Program Associate with the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she provides training and technical assistance to state and local child welfare jurisdictions for the implementation of the START model. 

Prior to joining CFF, Ms. Russo gained frontline child welfare and START programmatic experience through her work with the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services, and as a Social Service Clinician and Family Services Office Supervisor for START. As the START Family Services Office Supervisor, Ms. Russo played an integral role in the expansion of START within her county as well as to neighboring jurisdictions. She brings to CFF strong skills in START program outreach, community engagement, and meeting facilitation. Ms. Russo holds expertise in substance use disorders including treatment and recovery, peer support services, and collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders.

Ms. Russo received her Masters in Public Administration from Murray State University and her Bachelors in Sociology from Morehead State University.

Colleen Killian, Ph.D.
Senior Research and Evaluation Associate 

Dr. Killian currently serves as a Senior Research and Evaluation Associate at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she provides evaluation and administrative data technical assistance for the National START Model. Additionally, Dr. Killian also provides ongoing evaluation technical assistance to the Sacramento County Family Drug Courts and Veterans Treatment Court projects. 

Prior to her position at CFF, Dr. Killian was a Senior Research Associate with a Virginia based firm providing evaluation technical assistance and program evaluation.  In addition, she previously conducted evaluation work with prevention projects with high-risk youth and families, projects related to substance use/abuse and on U.S. Department of Education funded projects including Elementary Counseling, Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse, and Student Drug Testing.  Dr. Killian has extensive experience collecting and conducting comprehensive analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data and in preparing high quality, professional summary reports, documents, and presentations that illustrates evaluation design, results, discussion questions, and lessons. Her experience with analyzing large datasets includes national AFCARS and NCANDS data. 

Dr. Killian received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from University of California, Riverside and both her Masters and Bachelors in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton.

Graciela Mesa, BA
Administrative Coordinator

Ms. Mesa currently serves as an Administrative Coordinator for the National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Program at Children and Family Futures (CFF). In this capacity, she provides administrative support for the National START Model.  

Prior to working at CFF, Ms. Mesa served in coordinator roles for various non-profit and private organizations with over ten years in customer service and administrative support. In her spare time, Ms. Mesa is passionate about volunteering with community grassroots organizations—where she offers her support through her love for cooking and baking.    

Ms. Mesa received her Bachelors in Women and Gender Studies from San Francisco State University.