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. The Board of Social Work Examiners licensed her in 2004 after her being supervised in clinical practice. She is a 1994 graduate of Regis University. Her professional experience includes 10 years of work with Hospice patients and families. 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.