Meet Our Team | FAC | United States

Meet the Family Assessment Clinic Team

Co-Director

Dr. Kathleen Coulborn Faller, Ph.D., A.C.S.W., L.M.S.W

Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor Emerita of Children and Families

University of Michigan School of Social Work

KATHLEEN COULBORN FALLER, Ph.D., A.C.S.W., D.C.S.W., is Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor Emerita of Children and Families at the University of Michigan. She is also Co-Director of the Family Assessment Clinic in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

She is involved in research, clinical work, teaching, training, and writing in the area of child welfare, child sexual abuse, and the child welfare workforce. Her primary practice and research areas are child sexual abuse and forensic interviewing. She conducts case record reviews where the issues are child maltreatment, child welfare, and social work best practice. She has been qualified as an expert witness in Federal, State, and County courts, in child protection cases, criminal cases, domestic relations cases, and civil litigation.

She is the recipient of the Sol Gothard Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Organization of Forensic Social Workers (2018), Michigan Child Abuse and Neglect Social Work Award (2014), the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) William Friedrich Memorial Child Sexual Abuse Research, Assessment and/or Treatment Award (2012), the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers’ Lifetime Achievement Award (2012), the National Children’s Advocacy Center’s Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award (2011), the University of Michigan School of Social Work Distinguished Faculty Award (2010), the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s Outstanding Research Achievement Award (2008), and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s Outstanding Service Award. (1998).

She is the author, editor, or co-editor of 10 books, Social Work with Abused and Neglected Children (The Free Press, 1981), Child Sexual Abuse: An Interdisciplinary Manual for Diagnosis, Case Management, and Treatment (Columbia University Press, 1988), Understanding Child Sexual Maltreatment (Sage Publications, 1990), Child Sexual Abuse: Intervention and Treatment (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993), the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children Study Guide: Interviewing Children Suspected of Having Been Sexually Abused (Sage Publications, 1996), Maltreatment in Early Childhood: Tools for Research-based Intervention (Haworth Press, 2000), Understanding and Assessing Child Sexual Maltreatment, Second Edition (Sage Publications, 2003), Interviewing Children about Sexual Abuse: Controversies and Best Practice (Oxford University Press, 2007), Seeking Justice in Child Sexual Abuse: Shifting Burdens and Sharing Responsibilities (Columbia University Press, 2010) and Contested Issues in Child Sexual Abuse Evaluation (Routledge Press, 2014), as well as approximately 100 research and clinical articles. She has conducted over 300 juried professional conference presentations at international national, and state conferences and provided over 250 workshops for child welfare professionals.

Co-Director

Dr. Robert M. Ortega, M.S.W., Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Education of the School of Social Work , University of Michigan

ROBERT M. ORTEGA, Ph.D., L.M.S.W. is the Associate Dean of Education at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. He is Co-Chair and clinical instructor of the Child Welfare Certificate Program. He also serves as Co-Director of the Family Assessment Clinic located at Jewish Family Services – Ann Arbor. Dr. Ortega is involved in research, writing, teaching, training and service in the areas of child maltreatment, permanency planning, and child welfare workforce. He provides assessments and treatment involving families in which child maltreatment is substantiated. He conducts case record reviews where issues focus on child maltreatment, child welfare and social work best practice. He has conducted over 200 juried conference presentations at state, national and international conferences and has provided over 150 workshops. He has authored and co-authored over 40 research and clinical articles in the areas of child welfare disparities and disproportionality, permanency planning, social work clinical practice and culturally responsive practice. He is the recipient of the National Association of Social Work – Michigan Chapter 2011 Lisa Putnam Award for Excellence in Child Welfare Practice and 2013 National Council on Social Work Education Distinguished Recent Contributions in Social Work Education as a result of his work on training child welfare workers within a cultural humility paradigm, 2015 Outstanding Service and Advancement of Cultural Competency in Child Maltreatment Prevention and Intervention Award from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and the 2017 University of Michigan School of Social Work Distinguished Faculty Recognition.

Clinic Administrator/Supervisor

Mary Ortega, M.S.W., L.M.S.W., A.C.S.W.

Mary B. Ortega, M.S.W., L.M.S.W, A.C.S.W. is the Clinic Administrator/Clinical Social Worker/Supervisor at the Family Assessment Clinic. She conducts comprehensive family assessments and provides clinical services to children who have experienced physical/sexual abuse and/or neglect and their families. Mary is a part-time lecturer at Eastern Michigan University, School of Social Work. She retired from the University of Michigan after 28 years where she was a part-time lecturer at the University of Michigan, School of Social Work. She has presented at the National Association of Social Workers Michigan Chapter Annual Conference, the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, and the Association for Experiential Education Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group Preconference. She has presented on several occasions at the Statewide Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, the National Symposium on Child Abuse and the Annual Colloquium of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). She has co-authored with Dr. Kathleen Coulborn Faller an article on the effectiveness of early assessment in child welfare cases. She has been on the Advisory Board of the Detroit Center for Family Advocacy and the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) Child Welfare Issues Conference Planning Committee. Mary is currently a member of the Michigan Statewide Child Abuse and Neglect Conference Planning Committee, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and APSAC.

Clinic Coordinator/

Clinical Social Worker

Barbara Draheim, M.A., L.L.M.S.W.

Barbara Draheim has worked for the Family Assessment Clinic since 2019. She earned her Master's of Arts degree in Women's & Gender Studies with a focus on intimate partner violence from Eastern Michigan University in 2021. She earned a certificate in Victim Advocacy in the summer of 2020. Barbara has recently graduated from the University of Michigan School of Social Work after earning her MSW with a focus in Child Welfare.

Clinical Supervisor

Lynn Teribery, L.M.S.W.

Lynn Teribery LMSW is a Clinical Supervisor at Family Assessment Clinic. Lynn has been with the clinic for three years. Lynn has worked with children and families for over 13 years. She has assisted families in prevention programs, In-home programs, and by providing In-home and outpatient therapy. Lynn Teribery was trained and has been using TFCBT with families who have experienced trauma for more than five years. Lynn obtained her B.S. from Eastern Michigan University and her MSW from the University of Michigan in 2006.

Macro Supervisor

Grant Consultant

Esther Ayers, L.M.S.W., Ph.D.

Esther Ayers, obtained a PhD in Chicano/Latino Studies at Michigan State University, is a dedicated researcher and advocate for mental health in Latinx communities. With a Master's degree in Interpersonal Practice with children, youth and families from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Her qualitative research focuses on Latinx experiences, Adventure Therapy, and Community Mental Health that infuses methods and theories that are culturally responsive. Esther has presented her research at the Association of Experiential Education Symposium. Driven by a commitment to service, Esther engages in various forms of community outreach combined with being a member with Association of Experiential Education and National Association of Social Work. On Esther's spare time she enjoys spending time with family/friends outdoors, listening to music and dancing.

SRT Group Facilitator

Michael Turner, L.L.M.S.W.

Michael Turner serves as the Associate Director at the Center for Educational Outreach and Program Director for the Michigan College Advising Corps at the University of Michigan. The MCAC program provides college counselors to high schools throughout Southeast Michigan as a part of the national College Advising Corps which serves over 848,000 students in high schools across America. His current work also focuses on streamlining college access programming and leveraging resources to create equitable spaces for all students to thrive. Over the last 11 years, Michael has developed expertise in community development, knowledge of U-M, K-12 and parent/guardian outreach and engagement, and working with at-risk youth utilizing multidisciplinary approaches. This portfolio of work also consists of external partnerships , leading and directing external field programs, managing k-12 outreach initiatives as well as consulting U-M faculty, staff, and department leads regarding best practices when exposing, engaging, and inspiring K-12 populations to post-secondary education and holistic development.

He currently serves on the board of directors for the Washtenaw County non-profit, Our House, whose mission is to help young people (age 14-25) successfully transition from foster care to adulthood. He is very excited to be joining the Family Assessment Clinic team as a part time therapist as he continues his work supporting youth in a group therapy setting. Michael holds a Bachelors of Fine and Performing Arts with an emphasis on Theater from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Social Work with a focus on Family and Children from Eastern Michigan University.

MSW Interns

FAC also offers a post-MSW experience for University of Michigan doctoral students in the Joint Doctoral Program in Social Work and Social Science and hosts international students and faculty. Training provided to interns and others involved with FAC includes weekly professional development seminars, legal consultations, and individual and group supervisions. The professional development seminars are open to all staff in the agency.

Post- MSW Doctoral Students

F.A.C. Board Members

The Family Assessment Clinic is grateful to be working with a well respected group of community members that reflect and support our mission. If you are interested in joining our board, please contact us for more information.

Our current board members include:

Deborah Willis, PhD

Karen Staller, PhD, JD

Nora Rosenblum, LMSW

Sue Smith

Jane Pettit

Maria Hayes

Douglas Ayers

The Family Assessment Clinic partners with community members to advise, assist and work with us in their field of expertise to strengthen the work we do and better serve the families that come to us for services.

Devin R. Frazier, PhD., DLLP.

Ameel Trabilsy, Attorney

Gary Stauffer, LMSW

Orli Avi-Yonah, LMSW, PhD

Meet the Family Assessment Clinic Team

MSW Interns

Post- MSW Doctoral Students

F.A.C. Board Members

F.A.C. Consultants