 Dr. Rycus received her Doctorate in organizational and developmental psychology from The Ohio State University, with a specialization in developmental disabilities. She also has a masters degree in social work and a bachelors degree in psychology, both from Wayne State University. Dr. Rycus has thirty-five years of work experience in the field of child welfare, as an adoption and family services caseworker, a protective services unit supervisor, a staff development coordinator, a trainer, a training manager, and a consultant. Dr. Rycus co-founded the Institute for Human Services in 1977.
Dr. Rycus is the lead author of the four-volume Field Guide to Child Welfare, and is co-author of Target Competent Staff: Competency-Based Inservice Training for Child Welfare and Child Welfare and Developmental Disabilities, all three published by the Child Welfare League of America. She is a co-developer of the Comprehensive, Competency-Based Inservice Training (CCBIT) Model, and has directed statewide coordination of the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program since its inception in 1985.
Dr. Rycus is a specialist in principles of adult learning, curriculum development, and inservice training technology. She is the principal author of the four-module Core Curriculum for Child Welfare Caseworkers, and has been a lead or contributing author of numerous other child welfare curricula and training resources, including the Core Curriculum for Child Welfare Supervisors and Managers, Training for Caseworkers, Supervisors, and Trainers in Culture and Diversity, Competency-Based Training for Child Welfare, and Curriculum Development for Inservice Training. She co-developed the Universe of Child Welfare Competencies; the Individual Training Needs Assessment process, and TrainTrack Training Management SoftwareTM Dr. Rycus provides training to trainers and training managers in curriculum design, development, sequencing, and evaluation.
Dr. Rycus has consulted extensively throughout the United States and Canada to help states and provinces develop, implement, and sustain competency-based inservice training (CCBIT) systems. She also conducts comprehensive program evaluations of child welfare agencies, and designs and facilitates strategic change initiatives in child welfare organizations.
Center for Child Welfare Policy
Dr. Rycus is a Senior Policy Analyst for NARCCW's Center for Child Welfare Policy. She facilitates issues colloquies, conducts literature reviews and analyses, writes policy white papers, and works with researchers and national organizations to define and promote evidence-based policy and practice in the field of child welfare.
Institute for Human Services
Dr. Rycus has been Program Director of the Institute for Human Services since the organization was founded in 1977. She provides training and consultation to child welfare organizations throughout North America; develops training curricula, technologies, and resources; manages agency program evaluations; and provides technical assistance to IHS staff.
TRAINet (Training Resource, Advocacy, and Information Network)
Dr. Rycus directs the operations of TRAINet, including managing collaborative development of CCBIT products and technologies, designing national TRAINet symposia and conferences, evaluating CCBIT training systems for TRAINet certification, and providing technical assistance to TRAINet member organizations.
Family Trust Clinic
Dr. Rycus serves as a member of the Family Trust Clinic's case assessment and consultation team, and provides clinical consultation to professionals serving maltreated children and their families. |
