Meet Our Staff
Joanne Gallagher, LCSW - Executive Director & Birth Parent Counselor
Joanne received
her Masters Degree in Social Work from Colorado State University in
1990. The Board of Social Work Examiners licensed her in 1993 after
three years of supervised clinical practice. She is a 1970 graduate of
Colorado Woman’s College. She earned her teaching credentials (K-6) from
Regis University in 1981. Joanne is the Founding President of RESOLVE
of Colorado. She is the founder of Adoptions: Advocacy &
Alternatives. This is a Colorado Licensed Child Placement Agency. Joanne
is the executive director of this agency and practices as the
birthparent counselor.
Jude Simmons, MA - Placement Supervisor & Adoptive Parent Counselor
Jude received
her graduate degree in Marriage and Family counseling from the
University of Northern Colorado in Greeley Colorado in 1988. Jude
enjoyed working with individuals, couples and families exclusively in
her private practice from 1988 until 1994. Jude joined the staff at
Adoptions: Advocacy & Alternatives in 1994 to work with Adoptive
Parents and to develop the Adoptive Parent Program. She became the
Placement Supervisor in 1994. Jude maintains a small private practice on
the side and enjoys working with women’s issues and all persons
connected to the adoption triad.
Jean Noblitt, LCSW - Agency Social Worker
Jean
graduated from Colorado State University with a Masters of Social Work
degree in 1996 and received her Colorado license as a Clinical Social
Worker in 2001. She earned her undergraduate degree in Business
Administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1986. Jean
has worked a variety of areas in social work; adoption, child welfare,
domestic violence, school-based prevention programs, hospice, and
community organizing. She has done home assessments for adoption, foster
and relative care for private adoption and social service agencies.
Jean has worked with Jude and Joanne at Adoptions: Advocacy and
Alternatives since 1999 providing home studies for their adoptive
parents.
Tammy Brannen-Smith, LCSW, CD (DONA) - Birth Parent Counselor and Doula
Tammy received
her Masters Degree in Social Work from Colorado State University in
1999. For over 15 years she has dedicated her life to work with
children of all ages and supporting them and their families in a variety
of settings. She is also certified as a labor and postpartum doula and
is passionate about her work with women, children and families. She
believes that every woman deserves a doula and this is especially true
for birth mothers. Tammy is honored to be part of the Adoptions:
Advocacy & Alternatives and practices as a birth parent counselor
and doula for our birth families.