Heather spent nearly half of her life in active addiction. She had multiple child protection cases and was in and out of jail. Today Heather lives a life of active recovery and has over four years clean. She was able to regain custody of her oldest daughter after five years. Heather also reunified with her second child who was placed in foster care. Heather was a peer recovery coach and helped other parents find recovery and navigate legal cases. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and working towards her CAT certification to become a licensed addiction counselor. Heather and her fiancé are raising three daughters with an amazing support system as they navigate recovery. She hopes to encourage other parents to create a circle of security for their children and build their village.

Natalei Shafer and her husband were licensed foster parents in Colorado for five years. They cared for five children and worked with four different counties. During that time, Natalei developed a passion for building healthy interactions between foster and biological parents. She is dedicated to sharing her experience with the complex emotions involved in supporting children and their families during and following the reunification process. Natalei spends her days raising three preschool aged children. She is excited to begin her new role as the Denver Ambassador for The Ambassador Project.

Sarah has her degree in social work from Metropolitan State University with an emphasis in child and adolescent mental health.

She has worked for Denver Department of Human Services Child Welfare for over 3 years as an ongoing social caseworker and currently holds a senior caseworker position in placement navigation. She has worked as a counselor at a residential treatment program for youth corrections, as a counselor for dual diagnosis adult men at a halfway house, and an independent living specialist for the disabled community/outreach specialist for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Sarah writes:

In my spare time, I spend most of my time with my two teenage daughters. I am a huge advocate for social justice issues which I spend a lot of my time supporting through peaceful protests, education, volunteer work, etc. I love camping, crafting, karaoke, road trip adventures, and dancing in my living room. My favorite place in the entire world is the Mojave Desert.

Sheila has been in her current role for the past five years. She oversees adoption
and permanency programs and supervises and supports counties across
the state. Sheila’s previous experience includes working on investigations,
adoptions, and family engagement. She has also worked as a probation officer
and in residential treatment.

Sheila holds a master’s degree in public administration from Penn State
University. She believes that you are never too old to need a family and
has always been a strong advocate for those she works with.

Timothy J. Eirich is an honors graduate of the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. At Loyola, Tim was as a Philip H. Corboy Fellow (member of the National Trial Team), a Curt N. Rodin Fellow in advocacy, and a Civitas Childlaw Fellow. Tim was also an associate editor for the Children's Legal Rights Journal. Tim received his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University where he majored in English and was a captain of the NCAA Division 1 Crew Team. Tim focuses his practice on adoption, child welfare, and guardianship cases. Tim represents prospective adoptive parents, foster parents, relatives, birth parents, and juveniles charged with delinquent acts. Tim is an experienced litigator who has tried over twenty-five jury trials, litigated dozens of contested hearings, and has argued in the front of both the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Tim litigated the ground-breaking case, both at the trial level and before the Colorado Supreme Court, that addressed the rights of foster parents and other caregivers in dependency and neglect cases. Tim has also received a number of awards recognizing his work. In 2012, Tim received the Excellence in Practice Award for a Juvenile Law Attorney at the Colorado Summit for Childen Youth and Families. In 2014, the Colorado State Foster Parent Association honored Tim with the Champion Award for work and efforts on behalf of Colorado’s foster parents. Also, in 2014, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute awarded Tim the prestigious Angels in Adoption Award for his work in adoption and positive child welfare practices. Tim has handled dozens of private, public, and contested adoptions and has been recognized as a Fellow with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Tim has lectured frequently on the rights of foster parents and the child welfare system and is a regular presenter for the Colorado State Foster Parent Association. In addition to training foster parents and relative caregivers, Tim teaches trial skills to fellow attorneys as an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA). Prior to joining the Grob & Eirich, LLC, Tim was the Deputy Director of the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center where he litigated some of the center's highest profile cases; represented foster parents, prospective adoptive parents, relative caregivers and juveniles; and supervised a multi-disciplinary staff of attorneys and social workers who served as guardians ad litem for abused and neglected children in Denver Juvenile Court. Prior to his time with the Children's Law Center, Tim was a trial attorney with the Office of the Colorado Public Defender where he represented adults and juveniles charged with felony offenses.

Eli Harwood is a licensed therapist, author, and educator who has more than 17 years of experience helping people process relational traumas and develop secure attachment relationships with their children and partners. Eli has three children, one husband, two cats, and an extraordinary number of plants.

Vincen was born and raised in Colorado with over 15 years of experience as a technical agile coach and IT manager with a wealth of knowledge in collaborating with various stakeholders to define and deliver value streams through the use of technology.  Vincen and his wife Doreen are former foster parents and through the use of technology want to help other foster parents successfully navigate their journey as well.  Vincen plays ice hockey in an adult league and has a 1957 Chevy that he occasionally takes to car shows.

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker is a licensed psychologist, international/transracial adoptee of color, and an adoptive parent. She specializes in providing mental health support focused on adoption, trauma, and racial identity work through her private practice based in Denver, Colorado. She is a frequent speaker and trainer at adoption agencies, camps, and conferences throughout the US, and the creator of the National Adoptee-Therapist Directory. She is also the author of “The Adoptee Self-Reflection Journal,” “The Adoptive Parent Self-Reflection Journal,” and the “Adoptees Like Me” illustrated series for elementary readers.

Dr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker is a licensed psychologist, international/transracial adoptee of color, and an adoptive parent. She specializes in providing mental health support focused on adoption, trauma, and racial identity work through her private practice based in Denver, Colorado. She is a frequent speaker and trainer at adoption agencies, camps, and conferences throughout the US, and the creator of the National Adoptee-Therapist Directory. She is also the author of “The Adoptee Self-Reflection Journal,” “The Adoptive Parent Self-Reflection Journal,” and the “Adoptees Like Me” illustrated series for elementary readers.

Amber Lopez is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with an educational background in human development and family studies. Her passion lies at the intersection of trauma-informed care and behavior supports for individuals with disabilities, which led her to further explore the field of child welfare and foster care when she began providing behavior supports to children and teens in out-of-home placements. Amber is the Director of Youth Services at Envoi Associates, a child placement agency in Northern Colorado licensed for treatment and therapeutic foster care. As a BCBA, she has focused her professional development and continuing education on trauma-informed interventions, caregiver and support staff training, and the dissemination of behavior analysis beyond traditional ABA settings. She has a deep love for lifelong learning and actively seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge in behavior analysis, child welfare, and improving the lives of the individuals and families she works alongside.