Riverside Family Support
Our Staff

Taylor Wolfe became the Assistant Director of Riverside Family Support  in 2021 to support the growing agency in expanding upon services provided to families in the Shenandoah Valley.

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Taylor holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from James Madison University. Taylor has provided community-based services to families in the area since 2016 and has greatly enjoyed working directly with families in home, office, and community settings. 

Taylor’s work centers on agency management and development with consideration to how the supervisory role aids in preventing worker burnout. She is passionate about biological family reunification and the preservation of families. She feels it is crucial to utilize the perspectives of client families and hear the direct experiences of youth in care to continually advocate for and improve client outcomes.  

Taylor is excited about the opportunity to continue to grow and develop services at Riverside Family Support to meet the diverse needs of our clients and community. 

Claire Foerster joined Riverside Family Support to continue pursuing her passion for helping families. Her interests include supporting families and individuals learn healthy communication styles and form relationships, find productive outlets for coping with stress, & break cycles of poverty, abuse, & addiction.

Claire has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a special focus on recidivism prevention. She has a variety of experiences with individuals in the Valley. Claire has worked for various social work, domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy, and public safety agencies over the past seven years. These years of experience included the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Department of Social Services, as well as the Collins Center & Child Advocacy Center. 

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Claire believes in meeting people where they are, however they are, and helping them feel empowered to make & maintain positive changes while understanding their own trauma responses. 

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Hannah joined Riverside Family Support to continue her passion for mentoring youth and supporting families in the surrounding community. 

Hannah received her Bachelor's in Social Work from James Madison University. While obtaining her Bachelor's degree, Hannah worked as an intern at Riverside Family Support from 2021 to 2022 to understand youth and families in the area.

Additionally, Hannah interned for James Madison University's Valley Scholars program working directly with first-generation middle and high school students across the Shenandoah Valley to further their higher educational journey.

Hannah hopes to provide a safe space for all individuals struggling with personal challenges and empower clients to advocate for themselves. She wants to promote self-determination within clients in order to set and clarify attainable goals.

Samantha Schutz joined Riverside Family Support to continue her passion of building a strong community as well as advocating for children and their families.

Samantha obtained her bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.  After college, Samantha pursued a career in law enforcement. Most of her time as a LEO was spent responding to mental health and domestic calls for service. She later became a crisis negotiator and was involved in several major crisis negotiations in the Northern Virginia area.

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Samantha's main goal is to make sure people know that they do not have to face their problems alone. She believes that strong families build strong, healthy communities. Every individual is unique and Samantha believes in focusing on a person's strengths instead of dwelling on their past or weaknesses. Samantha is thrilled to be a part of the Riverside team and she is most excited to work with struggling teens and their parents. 

Courtlend joins Riverside Family Support as a Therapeutic Mentor. He has three years of previous experience as a Youth Mentor with the community. Courtlend also has experience in helping families through difficult times in public service. He is passionate about helping others and volunteers his time helping his community. Courtlend is always looking for new ways to help the people within his community. His friends always tell him that he doesn't meet strangers and that he knows everyone. His interests are to continue helping youth and families by promoting positivity in their lives. Courtlend feels that he has significant experience in this area of work and is excited to pass along what he knows to help others. 

Courtlend obtained his Associate in Applied Science in Administration of Justice, while obtaining his Associate Degree he focused on Substance Use Disorder and how it’s significantly impacting the local community. He has obtained certification in Crisis Intervention & takes pride in helping those in times of crisis. Courtlend has worked over eight years in public service and will bring a multitude of knowledge and experiences to his current role.

Jennifer Crookshanks is a Youth & Family Specialist providing mentoring support to youth in Rockingham County. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Virginia Intermont College. 

Jennifer has a variety of experiences partnering with youth and adults in the Rockingham County community to support positive outcomes.  ​

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Jessica joined Riverside Family Support to continue pursuing her passion for helping children and families feel empowered to lead their most fulfilling lives. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in Public Health Education with a concentration in Substance Abuse Prevention and is currently pursuing a master’s in Social Work with a concentration in clinical services. She has provided a range of community-based services to families and children of all ages over the past 7 years. Jessica has served her community as an educational specialist, Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer, Crisis Intervention Team Trainer, foster parent educator and has many years of experience as an Intensive In-Home provider. 

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Jessica feels it is important to utilize an individualized & strengths-based approach to meet the specific needs of each client. She has a passion for supporting cohesion in families to promote positive relationships. Jessica finds joy in supporting families with education & connection to community resources to achieve a sense of overall stability. ​ Jessica is excited to provide a benevolent and empowering space for education and growth within Harrisonburg, Rockingham, and the surrounding counties.

Rachel Kauffman joined Riverside Family Support in order to work closely with the community and advocate for their different needs. Rachel has experience working with the elderly from her work at nursing homes as a CNA. She served as a Youth & Family Specialist and MSW intern at Riverside from 2021-2022, she gained experience working with youth, parents, and families as a parent educator and therapeutic mentor.

Prior to Rachel's involvement in social work, she worked in human resources and spent a lot of time assisting with employee crises and relations. Rachel received her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from James Madison University and recently graduated from the University of Southern California with her Master's degree in Social Work. In the future, Rachel is looking to pursue a License in Clinical Social Work. 

Rachel's main priority as a social worker is to make a positive difference in whatever way she can. Rachel is an advocate for mental health and hopes to bring joy to the lives of those she interacts with. 

Kayla joined Riverside Family Support to pursue her passion for working with children and families.  

She has a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from George Mason University, with minors in Information Technology and Psychology.  She is currently working towards her Master’s of Social Work degree and School Social Work Certificate from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Kayla believes every person is capable of growth and success.  She has personal experience working with children with mental health difficulties and focuses on a strengths-based and empathic approach to her interactions.

Kayla is excited to work as a Youth & Family Specialist with Riverside Family Support and finds joy in supporting and advocating for the needs of each family.​​​

Morgan Thomas joined Riverside Family Support to continue to pursue her passion for teaching and mentoring youth and supporting families from all walks of life. 

Morgan received her Bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in Middle School Mathematics from Radford University in 2021. Morgan comes to Riverside with three years of experience as a middle school classroom teacher.

Morgan is excited to use her experience working with a diverse community of youth in the classroom setting to support her awareness of the unique needs presented by this population. Morgan is passionate about creating and maintaining solid positive relationships with the youth and families she serves. She believes every person has value and deserves to feel safe and secure in their community.

Morgan is ecstatic to be on this new journey with her career and to be a part of the Riverside team. 

Bio Coming Soon

Barbie Jenkins joined Riverside Family Support to continue her passion of helping youth and their families to become successful members of the communities they live in.  Barbie has her BS Degree in Management and Organizational Development and her AAAS Degree in Mental Health and Human Services from Blue Ridge Community College.  Barbie is also licensed to teach Family and Consumer Sciences, Business & Information Technology, and Middle School Social Studies.  Barbie has worked in a variety of community-based settings and has served as a Children's Services Coordinator for a domestic violence shelter, a juvenile probation officer, a mental health case manager, and has spent the last several years teaching life skills as a Family and Consumer Sciences Educator.  

Barbie believes in equipping the people entrusted to her care with the skills and confidence to be productive, to learn they can be successful, and to be a positive and encouraging support in their lives.  Barbie believes that every person is capable of leading the best life for them, and she enjoys providing the support they may need in some areas to achieve their personal level of success. 

Kim joined Riverside Family Support as an educational specialist to continue her passion for working with those in the community.

In addition to her bachelor’s degree in sociology, Kim has a master’s degree in human services counseling with a concentration in trauma and crisis response. She has worked in social work for over seven years for multiple agencies in Harrisonburg. She has experience working with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Department of Social Services (HRSSD) as well as the local court system.

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Kim believes in finding creative solutions to the problems that families are facing. She is passionate about working to meet the unique needs of each family and empowering them to maintain change long-term. This involves a strength-based approach that identifies the positive aspects of the family while focusing to build on those characteristics. 

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Kim is excited to be a part of Riverside Family Support. She is looking forward to utilizing her experience and passion while helping families remain intact.​

Cayla Riesen joined Riverside Family Support to continue her passion of working with children as well as advocating for those in the community.

Cayla has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Longwood University. Cayla comes to Riverside with ten years’ experience as a classroom teacher, specifically third and fourth grade.  The majority of her time teaching was in Charlottesville City along with schools in the Rockingham community.

In Charlottesville, she worked at a Title 1 school with a diverse population and further realized her passion for working with children and families from various backgrounds and life experiences.  She finds joy in building those relationships and connecting families with education and resources to lead their most fulfilling lives. Cayla is excited to transition from the classroom to working with the whole family. She hopes to utilize her prior experience and passion to help families in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham communities. 

Abby joined Riverside Family Support in order to continue her passion for working with children and families, and to continue being an advocate for youth who have experienced trauma.  Abby received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Mary Baldwin University. During her studies, Abby interned at Riverside, where she felt deeply inspired by working with families in our community and wanted to continue to serve our client population. Abby has a history of working with children and had multiple years of experience working as a pediatric psychiatric care technician; providing direct care and support to children and adolescents experiencing mental illness and behavioral crisis.  Abby is an avid mental health advocate and is passionate about working with children, parents, and family units experiencing stress, mental health challenges, and behavioral struggles. She also has a specific interest in child development, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and the way that trauma affects us physically and emotionally. Abby values working with a strengths-based perspective and utilizes empathy and empowerment to provide a safe space for all clients without judgment. 

Bio Coming Soon

Abby McKay earned her Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in Individualized Studies. She designed a unique major by combining concentrations in Family and Consumer Sciences, Child Development, and Early Education.

Abby has had a variety of experiences that support her knowledge of the purpose and mission of Riverside. She has spent time working in schools and daycares, for mental health support groups, and as a special needs care worker. 

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Abby’s passion for engaging in community support and her experience working with children and families brought her to the Riverside team. Abby plans to pursue her MSW in the future so she can broaden her work in social services and continue advocating for the well-being of those around her. 

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Abby is committed to maintaining welcoming office spaces and providing information to clients and referring parties to ensure a positive, smooth experience for everyone with Riverside Family Support.  Abby is here to help with all things admin and more! ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Keri Jones is a Youth & Family Specialist working with Riverside Family Support​. Keri earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Eastern Mennonite University.

Keri has a myriad of experience providing services to families in Augusta and Rockingham Counties and serves as the GAPP Coalition Coordinator for the Central Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth in Staunton Virginia. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​