Family Solutions – Dedicated to improving the quality of life to individuals and families

Chelsea Steward

Chelsea Steward joined the SC Office of Rural Health as a certified community health worker on the Family Solutions staff in 2022. In this role, she provides case management and follow-up services to prenatal and postpartum women, specializing in diabetes. Prior to joining the Family Solutions staff, Chelsea was a community educator at CASA Family Systems, where she focused on violence prevention programs for children and young adults.

Chelsea received a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in psychology from Voorhees University, and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Claflin University. She enjoys spending her free time with family and friends.

ShaKayla Johnson, MSW

ShaKayla Johnson joined the SC Office of Rural Health as a perinatal social worker on the Family Solutions staff in 2022. In this role, she supports and advocates for pregnant women and babies through education and resources. Prior to joining the Family Solutions staff, ShaKayla worked for four years as a family support case manager for the SC Department of Social Services. She worked closely with foster families in both Lexington and Richland County.

ShaKayla received a bachelor’s degree in social work from South Carolina State University in 2014 and a MSW from the University of South Carolina in 2016.

Talina Strange

Talina Strange joined the Family Solutions staff in 2018 as an outreach coordinator. She has since broadened her role as a community health worker. In this role, she provides education on prenatal and postpartum care to mothers, and parenting skills and child development to families. Talina is also responsible for assisting with community events, engaging with future program participants, and sharing community resources. Talina is currently furthering her education from Claflin University, where she is seeking a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in sociology.

Annette Jensen, RN, CLC

Annette Jensen joined the Family Solutions staff in 2020 as a nurse home visitor with the Nurse Family Partnership program. She has worked in women’s health for 38 years. Prior to joining Family Solutions, she worked for 32 years at the Regional Medical Center as a clinical unit leader in labor and delivery. Annette is certified as an inpatient obstetric nurse and a sexual assault nurse examiner.

She is also certified as a lactation consultant (CLC).

Kelvin Gadson

Karie Fersner, MSN, APRN, WHNP-BC

Karie Fersner joined the Family Solutions staff in 2021 as a nurse practitioner. In this role, she provides education and support to women in the community.

Her nursing experience includes more than 11 years in women’s healthcare, including three-and-a-half years of postpartum/gynecologic nursing, eight years in antepartum and labor and delivery, and over 3 years as a nurse educator and nurse leader at the Regional Medical Center in Women’s Services. She was also a clinical adjunct nurse instructor at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College for more than four years.

Karie received a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2009 and master’s degree in nursing education in 2015 from Charleston Southern University. In 2020, she received a master’s of science in nursing from the University of Cincinnati. She is also an NCC-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner licensed in South Carolina.

She is married and has a son. In her spare time, Karie enjoys spinning, reading, and making memories with her family. They love to travel, go out to eat, and experience new things.

Crystal Dowd

Crystal Dowd joined the Family Solutions staff in 2020 as data manager. She worked as a data clerk for seven years prior to that. Crystal has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from College of Charleston. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Ladovia Washington

Ladovia Washington joined the Family Solutions staff in 2013 and currently serves as their Social Work Manager and Lead Social Worker. In this role, she provides intensive counseling, coordination, and management of complex cases. She is also a community outreach liaison and Certified Family Planning Worker.

As a former participant of Family Solution’s Low Country Healthy Start program, Ladovia is well-versed in the program and what it has to offer. She also has experience working with adolescent, prison, and adult populations.

Ladovia received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina and her Bachelor of Social Work from South Carolina State University. She is currently a PhD candidate at Ashford University pursuing her doctorate degree in philosophy and human services.

Otiti Uwagbai-Wright

Otiti Uwagbai-Wright serves as the Office Manager for Family Solutions. A native of Georgetown, SC, she has learned the fundamentals of life through trial and error. After working several years as a certified nursing assistant, Otiti decided to enroll (with encouragement from her parents) at Denmark Technical College. After graduating with an Associate Degree in Science, she continued to further her education by matriculating at South Carolina State University. She obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.

Romaine Stephens, CLC

Romaine Stephens joined the Family Solutions staff in 2010. Romaine currently serves as the Community Engagement Specialist with Family Solutions.

In April 2011, she received certification as a lactation consultant, allowing her to provide breastfeeding education and help mothers develop positive attitudes toward breastfeeding by reducing stigma surrounding this practice.

Romaine is also a reproductive health specialist for Family Solutions. In this role, she educates and connects women and men to reproductive and contraceptive care at partnering health care locations.

Romaine received her masters degree in human resource management and a Bachelor of Arts degree from South Carolina State University.

Selena Perry

Selena Perry serves as a Client Navigator for Family Solutions. In this role, she provides education and support through home visits to individuals and families in rural areas. She assists these families with improving their health, health status, and socio-economic status. She works with Perinatal Women and their families, health providers and community.

Prior to joining Family Solutions, Selena was an Early Steps to School Success Home Visitor for an organization called Save the Children. As an ESSS Home Visitor, she promoted literacy in the home by reading and doing activities with parents for children’s development. She also did community outreach.

Sara H. Myers

Sara H. Myers joined the Family Solutions staff in 2007 as a client navigator. In this role, she provides home visiting services to pregnant women and their families living in the rural counties of Allendale and Hampton. Sara helps her clients find employment, further their education, and secure child care for their children. She also distributes Pack-and-Plays to clients and colleagues. Sara holds a CNA certification.

Christina Morais

Christina Morais joined the Family Solutions staff in 2016 as a client navigator. In this role, she provides education on prenatal and postpartum care to mothers, and assists with childbirth classes. She also provides education on parenting skills and child development and keeps clients up to date with community resources and activities.

Latasha King, MBA

Latasha King joined Family Solutions as a Client Navigator in November 2015. In this role, she provides case management and follow up services to prenatal and postpartum women. Latasha is a former client of Family Solutions and therefore has used the knowledge gained to teach women the steps to having a healthy pregnancy outcome.

Latasha has worked in the medical field for 5 years. Prior to joining Family Solutions, she was employed with The Medical University of South Carolina as a Patient Care Technician. In this position, she received the honor of Patient Care Technician of the Year.

Latasha received her Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Health Care Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Lizzie Hannibal

Sabina (Lizzie) Hannibal joined the Family Solutions staff in 2017 as a home visitor for the Nurse-Family Partnership program. In this role, she visits mothers and babies in their homes to provide program support. Additionally, she provides information regarding pregnancy, breastfeeding, and parenting to clients in order to facilitate informed choices and promote self-efficacy.

Prior to joining Family Solutions, Sabina was employed as a Certified Diabetes Educator at The Regional Medical Center. In this position, she served as the coordinator of an American Diabetes Association-certified diabetes self-management program. She provided individual and group education to hospitalized clients and community members with diabetes. She also worked in the Healthy Living Center where she counseled clients about weight loss and diabetes.

Carla Geter

Carla Geter is a Certified Community Health Worker for Family Solutions in Bamberg County and portions of Orangeburg County. In this role, she is responsible for educating women and families during the perinatal phase as well as encouraging healthy interaction with and development of babies.

Carla earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Voorhees College.

Tracy Golden

Tracy Golden joined the Family Solutions staff in 2003 and currently serves as their Senior Program Manager. She’s also a Certified Childbirth Educator and a Certified Community Health Worker. Tracy’s responsibilities include planning and teaching childbirth classes to the participants in all five counties served by Family Solutions, and supervising community health workers. .

Prior to joining Family Solutions, Tracy was an Information Systems Engineer for BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Tracy is a member of the SC Breastfeeding Coalition, Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, SC Community Health Workers Association, and the SC Perinatal Association. Tracy also serves as Bamberg County First Steps Board Chairman and SC Community Health Workers Association Executive Board member.

Brittany Fogle, MSW

Brittany Fogle joined the Family Solutions staff in 2015 as a perinatal social worker, after serving as a bachelor- and master-level social work intern for the program. As a perinatal social worker, Brittany aims to reduce infant mortality by providing counseling services, education and support to pregnant women and infants. She is also a certified Community Health Worker.

Brittany is a native of Orangeburg, and a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received her Master of Social Work degree. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in social work through Capella University. She spends her free time with her son, Bryson.

Penny Cherry

Penny Cherry has been employed with Family Solutions for 12 years and currently works as a Perinatal Social Worker in the counties of Allendale and Hampton. She enjoys working with and changing the lives of the women she serves. She is also a Reproductive Health Specialist at Family Solutions, helping to navigate women through the process of obtaining contraception.

She is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at Walden University.

Tiyonia Fields

Tiyonia Fields joined the Family Solutions staff in 2014 as a perinatal social worker for Family Solutions. In this role, she provides education and support to prenatal and postpartum women in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties to help decrease infant mortality among African American women. Tiyonia leads the Maternal Mortality Initiative that provides services to clients who are medically high risk due to obesity coupled with hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or anemia.

Tiyonia obtained a Bachelor of Social Work degree from South Carolina State University in 2014 and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina in 2019.

Barbara Busby, MSN, RN, CLC

Barbara Busby joined the Family Solutions staff in 2015 as a nurse home visitor for the Nurse-Family Partnership program and currently serves as the nurse manager for the program. In this role, she provides support to the nursing staff and provides education and support to pregnant women, children, and their families.

Barbara brings a variety of nursing experience to Family Solutions. Prior to joining Family Solutions, she worked as a nurse consultant for the Department of Health and Human Services’ community long-term care program. As a nurse consultant, she connected families with services and support to improve their quality of life. She also worked at Family Health Centers, Inc. on OB/GYN. She has worked in several areas at the Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg, including Her Place, the rehabilitative unit, progressive care unit, and medical-surgical units.

Barbara received a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Capella University with a concentration in nursing education and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from South Carolina State University. She is also certified as a lactation consultant (CLC).

Lamikka Purvis Samuel, LMSW

Lamikka Purvis Samuel currently serves as the Director of Family Solutions.

Prior to her work at the SC Office of Rural Health, Lamikka worked at one of South Carolina’s major hospital systems providing case management for adult patients with cardiovascular conditions, and also in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit helping families of premature, low birth weight, and/or critically ill babies to cope with unexpected and sometimes devastating birth outcomes.

Since becoming a professional social worker in 2003, Lamikka has facilitated grief/loss support groups, conducted community focus groups and educational sessions, provided individual and family counseling, served as a pregnancy prevention advocate in public schools, and provided mentorship and supervision to social workers in the field. She currently serves on board for the SC Perinatal Association.

Lamikka received a Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina. She is also licensed by the state of SC to practice social work, is certified as a Community Health Worker, and is a certified ACE Master Trainer.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a style of communication that promotes behavior change. The nurses in our Nurse-Family Partnership program are encouraged to become proficient in MI techniques so they can best support client strengths and help them move in a direction of positive change.

Fatherhood Initiative Program

Family Solutions/SCORH’s “Opportunity Knocks” Fatherhood Initiative is designed to promote responsible fatherhood and healthy relationships in the rural area of Orangeburg and Bamberg counties. Male participants obtain key information and problem-solving skills to help become healthy, productive and responsible men.

Tomorrow’s Scholars

Family Solutions/SCORH’s “Tomorrow’s Scholars” Leadership Program assists selected program participants in making positive life changes around their physical and mental health, and career development. Scholar participants receive information on topics such as building positive relationships, the importance of goal setting, interviewing techniques, how to dress for success, and effective communication skills. Participants are provided the opportunity to empower themselves, build their future and gain the foundation and support to return to school or college to complete their education and/or obtain employment. Program participants also become ambassadors for the Family Solutions/SCORH programs.

Milestone Play Dates

Learning activities and milestone play dates are provided to support parent/child interaction, along with monitoring and screening for appropriate stages of development. Family Solutions/SCORH offers a series of interactive sessions that help enhance and develop gross-motor, fine-motor, problem-solving, social, and communication skills of an infant, while creating a bond between mother and baby.

Reproductive Health education

Educational sessions are provided on topics such as nutrition, fetal growth and development, prenatal care, STIs, SIDS, pregnancy spacing, job training, careers, improving self-esteem, and family planning. These sessions are facilitated by Family Solutions/SCORH Client Navigators (CNs), nurses, and Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) for program participants and their partners.

Social Work Services

Services include risk assessment, individual and/or group counseling, cognitive behavioral assessment, crisis intervention, grief/loss support, relationship support, follow-up support, home visits, focus groups, and referrals to community resources.

Services include:

Risk Assessment
Individual and/or Group Counseling
Client-Centered
Cognitive Behavioral
Crisis Intervention
Grief/Loss
Relationships
Follow-up Support
Home Visiting
Focus Groups
Referrals to Community Resources

Childbirth & Breastfeeding Classes

Monthly sessions by a trained Certified Childbirth Educator and Certified Lactation Counselor for women who are in their third trimester. Class topics include delivery and post-partum aspects of birth, safe sleeping for infants (Back to Sleep), newborn care, car seat safety, signs and symptoms of preterm labor, postpartum check-ups, latch (nursing) positions, benefits of breastfeeding and mother/baby bonding.

Home Visits

Monthly individual sessions on prenatal, maternal and infant care, including second-hand smoke (smoking cessation), the importance of the infant’s and mother’s medical home, stress management, physical activity and personal well-being for the future. Research shows that expectant mothers who receive home visits from trained Client Navigators (CNs), Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) and nurses have a lower risk of delivering a low birth weight baby than other mothers in similar situations.

Case Management

Multi-level intervention services to pregnant and postpartum women and their infants for two years after birth. These services include risk screenings, group education sessions, one-on-one counseling and support, and available resources within the community.

Dedicated to reducing infant death and improving maternal health

Connecting rural families to healthcare services and community resources

Empowering parents to improve their family’s health through education and outreach

Family Solutions/SCORH

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