Staff

This group of thoughtful, committed individuals are uplifting and empowering the Greater Harrisburg Community.

Executive Team

Steve Schauder, MSW, CFRE

Chief Executive Officer

Steve is responsible for mobilizing the financial, leadership and volunteer resources necessary to implement the mission and vision for JFS. His focus is on helping those in need in Greater Harrisburg and increasing the scope and visibility of JFS throughout the community.

Prior to coming to JFS, Steve served as the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Durham-Chapel Hill, where he oversaw the community JFS, and as the Executive  Director of Gratitude House, a treatment center for low-income women struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. He also served as the Director of Development for SunServe, a LGBTQ social and human service agency in South Florida. His early career was spent as a youth and camp director in the JCC movement in New York and New Jersey.

In his 30+ professional career, Steve is proud to have built and sustained financially sound, mission driven organizations that have positively impacted the lives of countless children, families and adults.

Rachel Kuhr, MSW, LCSW

Chief program officer

Rachel Kuhr is the Chief Program Officer. She oversees all services to children in foster and pre-adoptive homes approved by JFS and  provides private home study services.  Rachel  also coordinates and supervises services provided by program staff to children through the Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN).  This includes coordination with county providers and other foster care agencies as well as work with the state contract agency on policy and planning for these services.   She supervises services in the Post Permanency support program, for families after adoption or guardianship.  Rachel was instrumental in developing the Family Based Mental Health program at JFS.

Prior to joining JFS in 2003, Rachel worked in an Intensive Family Preservation program locally, as well as in a Child Welfare agency in California.  She was an outpatient therapist from 2000-2016. Rachel holds a LCSW from the School of Social Work at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jessica Fox, MA, NCC, LPC

Director of Family Based Mental Health

Jess is responsible for directing the Family Based Mental Health Services program at JFS. She started as a family based mental health professional in 2020 and took over as director in 2022. Jess and the Family Based teams are committed to helping families that have children/adolescents who are at risk of out of home placement (such as in-patient hospitalization, residential treatment facilities, or foster care) due to emotional/behavioral struggles.

Jess has a master’s degree in counseling with a specialization in marriage, family, and couples counseling from Kutztown University.

Donna Butler

Chief Operations officer

Bio to come

Dustin Copenhefer, LPC, LMHC, RPT-S

Director of myndworks

Dustin Copenhefer is the Director of MyndWorks, Jewish Family Service’s outpatient counseling program. Dustin is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wright State University and a master’s degree in Counseling and Human Services from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Dustin has over 15 years in the field of human services providing care coordination, case management, therapy, clinical supervision, and professional training.

Dustin has expertise in child, adolescent, family, and relationship counseling, with specialties in play therapy, trauma therapy and counseling with members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families. He also has expertise in counseling military service members, veterans, and their families.

Dustin joined the JFS as an outpatient therapist in January 2023, after working many years in community mental health and private practice settings. Dustin accepted the role of Director of MyndWorks in July 2023.

Hazem A.L

Immigration Consultant

Hazem serves as the Immigration Consultant for JFS and has spent more than 10 years working in the resettlement field. In his most recent position, he served as the Resettlement Educator for the largest Private Sponsorship Agreement Holder in Canada, where he educated and trained the public on the refugee private sponsorship program in Canada and where he helped resettle more than 500 refugees. Hazem has also worked in Amman, Jordan for a number of international not-for-profit organizations, where he helped refugees from different backgrounds and nationalities.

Kevin Keefer

Director of Senior & Community Assistance Services

Bio to come

Adoption/Foster Care

Rachel Kuhr, MSW, LCSW

CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER

Kelly Christ

Administrative Assistant, Foster Care

Alia Hupmann,MSW

Home Study specialist

Tabitha Kincaid

Resource Family Coordinator-Child Worker

Kimberly Kupfer, MS

Post Permanency Coordinator

Geri Leidy

Permanency Coordinator

Bryna Sherr, MSW, LCSW, ACSW

Permanency Coordinator and Therapist

Crystal Smith, BSW

Resource Family Coordinator

Heidi Storey

Resource Family Coordinator

Joseph Studivant

Permanency Coordinator

Kathleen Swain

Permanency Coordinator

Katherine Young

Permanency Coordinator

Family Based Mental Health

Jessica Fox, MA, NCC, LPC

Director of Family Based Mental Health

Stella Laffey, MSW

Family Based Mental Health Professional

Kayla Whittington, MSW

Family Based Mental Health Professional

Abbigail Linn, BS

Family Based Mental Health Worker

Shelley Thomas-Steele, BA

Family Based Mental Health Worker

Alicia Rivera, BSW

Family based mental health worker

Front Office/Administrative

Donna Butler

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Kristian Beverly

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Luz Martir

Office Administrator

Tennisha Plummer

Front Office Receptionist

Shante Plummer

Front Office Receptionist and insurance billing specialist

Jill Olney

Executive and development assistant

Vicki Polhemus

Part-time account associate

Mynd Works

Dustin Copenhefer, LPC, LMHC, RPT-S

DIRECTOR OF MYNDWORKS

Amanda Cleveland, LCSW, CCTP

Outpatient Therapist

Marjorie Koch,
MSW, LCSW GCM

Outpatient Therapist

Mary Tarbell, LPC, RPT-S

Licensed Professional Counselor

Madalyn “Maddy” Gordon, MSW

Outpatient Therapist

Julia Medina, BSW

Ukrainian Refugee Case Manager

Refugee Services

Hazem A.L

IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT

Feti Karakoc

Senior Refugee Case Manager

Staci Mathura

Volunteer Coordinator and Trainer

Maksym Prykhodko

Intensive Case Manager

Polina Teslenko

Ukrainian Refugee Case Manager

Vivianne Richard

Haitian and Cuban Case Manager

Dr. Yuri Yaroslavsky

Counsulting Psychiatrist

Community Assistance

Elaine Strokoff

Director of Financial and Food Security

Senior Services

John Jantos

Coordinator of Kosher Meals on Wheels
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