Office of Youth Empowerment: Division of CFSA that support older foster youth ages 15-20. The division offers an array of resources and opportunities for youth in the areas of education, employment and financial literacy. The majority of older youth in foster care have their cases managed by OYE social workers.
Address: 3700 10th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20010
Bus: 64, 52, 53, 54
Metro: Georgia Avenue Petworth Station (Green/Yellow)
General Phone Number: (202) 727-7500
Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8 am to 4:45 pm
Sarah Thankachan, OYE Administrator, Sarah.Thankachan@dc.gov (202) 442-6174 –General Older Youth Issues
Nadya Richberg, Social Work Program Manager, Nadya.richberg@dc.gov (202) 727-7376- General Older Youth Issues
Tanya Trice, Social Work Program Manager, Tanya.Trice@dc.gov (202) 727-7461- General Older Youth Issues
Fasion Maxwell, Youth Ombudsman/Youth Plugs Leader, fasion.maxwell@dc.gov (202) 246-9364 or
(202) 727-7324- General Issues/ Youth Plugs
Alicha Gough, Supervisory Social Worker, lisa.kim@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Case Management
Lisa Kim, Supervisory Social Worker, lisa.kim@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Case Management
Kasandra Dodd, Supervisory Social Worker, Kasandra.Dodd@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Case Management
Alexandria Kline, Supervisory Social Worker, alexandra.kline@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Case Management
Nicole Broome, Social Worker, Nicole.Broome@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Lead for Aftercare Program
OYE Departments & Programs:
Career Pathways Unit: provides vocational and employment services to youth 18-20 who have graduated from high school or received their GED. They will help you whether you are planning to attend college or if you are not currently pursuing a college education.
Sabrina Dawson, Career Pathways Unit Supervisor, Sabrina.dawson@dc.gov (202) 727-7935- Employment/Vocational Training Issues
Thon Chol, Vocational Specialist, Thon.Chol@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Customer Service, Cosmetology and Job Readiness
Alysia Spence, Vocational Specialist, Alysia.spence@dc.gov (202) 727-7786- Youth Aging out of Foster Care
Yvonne Parker, Vocational Specialist, Yvonne.parker@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Medical Field
Kristopher Turner, Vocational Specialist, Kristopher.turner@dc.gov (202) 727-7500- Fire, Police, EMT, Military Transportation
Educational Support & Resource Development Services: Provide support for youth attending or entering adult education and post-secondary educational programs. This team will help you to research colleges (2 and 4 year), apply for college and scholarships and prepare for entering your educational program. This department along with your social worker are also responsible for making sure that your college bills are paid and that you have everything that you need to succeed in college.
Afrilasia Joseph-Phipps, Supervisory Resource/Development Specialist, afrilasia.joseph-phipps@dc.gov (202) 727-7517
Shalonda Knox, Resource Development Specialist, Shalonda.Knox@dc.gov (202) 727-7507
Kimyatta Divinity, Education Resource Specialist, kimyatta@dc.gov (202) 727-7500
Renee John, Education Resource Specialist, renee.john@dc.gov (202) 727-7500
Joelle Myers, Resource Development Specialist, Joelle.Myers@dc.gov (202) 727-7500
CFSA Youth Ombudsman (http://cfsa.dc.gov/service/be-heard-for-youth)
If you are age 15 and older you can contact the CFSA Youth Ombudsman to help resolve issues with your living arrangement, monthly allowance, ILP stipend, clothing allowance, rights violations or fair treatment. Before contacting the Youth Ombudsman, you should make an effort to resolve the issue with the assistance of your social worker and resource providers. Make sure to document all efforts (emails, calls made, receipts, etc.) You can also contact the Youth Ombudsman to get information on CFSA resources.
Youth Plugs: Youth Ombudsman Fasion Maxwell (see contact information above) leads this group of foster care leaders. The Plugs meet with CFSA leadership and plan events for youth in care. If you are interested in joining email Ombudsman Fasion Maxwell.
Financial Literacy: OYE provides financial literacy education for youth 15 years old and older. You can participate in the E$CROW Bank on DC 10-module online financial management program. After you complete this program then staff will help you open a special saving account. Through this special account Bank on DC will match the amount of money that you save up to a certain amount. This means for every dollar that you save they will deposit either one or two dollars into your account. The money in these accounts can only be used for specific purposes such as buying a car, paying college tuition, or for housing expenses (rent, deposit or buying a home). If you are interested in participating the financial literacy program contact your social worker or Youth Ombudsman Fasion Maxwell at fasion.maxwell@dc.gov.