Dr. Linda Bass became President of KVC Kansas in January 2019. Bass, pronounced “boss,” has been with KVC Kansas for 16 years. She previously served as Vice President of Clinical Services and Wellbeing, leading KVC’s foster care prevention programs (family preservation), intensive in-home services (aftercare support following each child’s safe family reunification or adoption), and outpatient behavioral healthcare. As President, she now also oversees foster care case management, KVC’s network of foster and adoptive parents, and all other services.

“Linda is extremely competent, operates with strong values and morals, and always places children and families first,” said Jason Hooper. “She is exactly what we want our leaders to be in that she is a consummate professional and always working to raise the bar for service quality. She is driven by achieving outcomes for children, and as President, Linda will leverage her wealth of clinical and programmatic expertise to create brighter futures for the children and families we serve.”

Bass is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist with expertise in the treatment of trauma, sibling abuse, and child behavior problems. She has worked in child welfare for nearly 20 years. Prior to KVC, Bass worked in child placing, kinship care and residential care. At KVC, Bass led several research-backed initiatives including the implementation of the Kansas Intensive Permanency Project (KIPP); the Kansas Adoption Permanency Project (KAPP); and the creation and growth of an Engaging Parents/Developing Leaders group for parents involved in the child welfare system. She is also a thought leader on the groundbreaking Family First Act which increases funding for foster care prevention by keeping children with their families whenever safely possible.

Bass earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree from San Diego State University and doctoral degree from Loma Linda University. She has published in the areas of sibling abuse, clinical process and practitioners’ perceptions of implementing evidence-based practices.

Bass’s vision for KVC Kansas includes an expanded focus on prevention services, safely reducing the number of children in foster care, and increased support for caregivers and staff.

Danielle Bartelli, Vice President of KVC Kansas, has been with KVC since 2000, joining just three years into the public-private child welfare partnership between the state of Kansas and KVC. She led efforts to decrease care for children in residential settings such as group homes, increase community-based care of children by relatives and foster families, and reduce the time children were in foster care. She was instrumental in forging community and provider partnerships to ensure lasting change.

Over the last 21 years, Bartelli rose from a family support worker to her current leadership role. She will oversee all programs, ensuring children and families who receive child welfare services have the best possible care. Ongoing program improvement is a priority for Bartelli who is committed to continued implementation of evidence-based practices and measuring outcomes.

Bartelli is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and received her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan.

Angela Hedrick, LPC, is Vice President at KVC Kansas. She joined KVC in 2008. Over the past thirteen years, she has held various positions including Case Manager, Permanency Supervisor and Director, and Director of Integrated Services. She recently was the Director of Training, Policy and Data Management. Angela is strategic, solution-focused, and seeks to find common ground through collaboration and understanding. As a former Kansas foster parent and now adoptive parent, Angela brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to the position.

Matt Arnet, LCPC, serves as KVC Kansas’ Director of Outpatient Services – Kansas City Metro. He leads a team of outpatient therapists, psychologists, and professionals who provide therapy, medication management, case coordination, and substance use treatment to youth and families experiencing in foster care.

Since joining KVC Kansas in 2007, Matt has held roles such as therapeutic case manager, community-based outpatient therapist, and outpatient services supervisor, before becoming director in 2013. A certified master trainer in Trauma Systems Therapy (TST), Matt also consults internally to enhance trauma-informed care for children and families.

Matt holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Avila University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Kansas. In addition to his leadership role at KVC, he serves as an adjunct professor for Avila University’s Graduate Psychology program.

Adrienne Baars, LAC, is Director of Admissions at KVC Kansas.

Kelly Beale is Director of Intensive In-Home Services at KVC Kansas.

Gabrielle Darrow is Director of Human Resources at KVC Kansas.

Kristina Foster is Director of Marketing and Communications at KVC Kansas.

Rachel Gauntt-Weaver, LMSW, is Associate Director of Permanency at KVC Kansas. Rachel helps lead a team that provides foster care case management services to youth and their families.

Jackie Harwig is Director of Community Engagement at KVC Kansas. She has been with KVC for more than 15 years. In her role, she is responsible for supporting foster parent recruiters, licensing workers and community resource specialist teams.

Erica Herzog, LCMFT, is the Director of Outpatient Services – East Region at KVC Kansas. She leads a dedicated team of outpatient therapists and professionals providing therapy, medication management, case coordination, and substance use treatment to youth and families in foster care. Erica also trains and coaches therapists in Parent Management Training – Oregon Model (PMTO™).

Since joining KVC in 2007, she has held numerous roles, including therapeutic case manager, family support worker, outpatient therapist, PMTO lead trainer, and director of in-home services, before stepping into her current role in 2020. A certified therapist, coach, and trainer in PMTO™, Erica is passionate about equipping families with the tools they need to thrive.

She earned a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Friends University and a bachelor’s degree in applied behavioral science from the University of Kansas. She is a licensed clinical marriage and family therapist in Kansas.

Nicole Hines, LMSW, is Director of Policy, Training and Data Management at KVC Kansas.

Megan Hosterman, LMSW, currently serves as the Director of Permanency at KVC Kansas, overseeing foster care child welfare case management services for Johnson and Douglas counties. In this role, she is dedicated to ensuring the safety and timely permanency of children in foster care.

Megan also manages the Strengthening Families Program, offering essential support and resources to families, focusing on healthy communication, substance use prevention, setting child behavior expectations and building stronger bonds.

With a social work career spanning more than 16 years, Megan began her KVC journey in 2007 as a permanency case manager. She has since taken on various roles within KVC, including training specialist, permanency supervisor and director of integrated services. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force in positively impacting the lives of thousands of children and families throughout Kansas.

Megan is a licensed master social worker in Kansas. She received a master’s and bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Kansas. Megan is also currently an adjunct professor for the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.

“I’m truly passionate about this work and feel extremely grateful for the opportunity to help influence positive change in the field of child and family services.” – Megan Hosterman

Kevin McKenzie is Legal Counsel at KVC Kansas.

Lisa Milford is Director of Child Placing Agency (CPA) – Pittsburg, Wichita and Non-Contract at KVC Kansas.

Christopher Noe serves as Director of Transportation at KVC Kansas.

Regena Pearl is Director of the Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) at KVC Kansas.

Kierstin Reed, LMSW, is Director of Adoption Services at KVC Kansas.

Jerilyn Smith is the Director of Specialized Programs at KVC Kansas, where she leads initiatives supporting older youth currently and formerly in foster care. She leads a team of caring professionals working with youth who have exited foster care through Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) and youth currently in foster care with experience in the juvenile justice system. Jerilyn also develops training programs and leads KVC’s implementation of SOUL Family, an innovative legal permanency option for youth aged 16 and older in foster care.

With more than 25 years of social work and child welfare experience, Jerilyn brings a wealth of experience and steadfast commitment to Kansas children and families. During her career with KVC Kansas, she served in a variety of roles including family support worker, therapeutic case manager, supervisor and more. In each capacity, Jerilyn consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, empathy, and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of children and families involved in the child welfare system.

Outside of KVC, Jerilyn led a team of volunteers providing round-the-clock crisis intervention to victims of sexual violence and trauma in Douglas, Franklin and Jefferson counties.

Jerilyn is a licensed master social worker in Kansas. She received a master’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in women’s studies from the University of Kansas.

“Building relationships has always been important to me personally and as a social worker. It’s the most crucial part of our work at KVC! I love coming to work each day and connecting with youth, families, caregivers, coworkers and community professionals to collaborate and be the village our families need to be successful – one small change at a time.” – Jerilyn Smith

Kimberly Smith, LPC, is Director of Kinship Services at KVC Kansas.

Anastasia Trulson, LMSW, is Director of Child Placing Agency – East & KC Metro Regions at KVC Kansas.