Who is Roque R Gerald?

Answer 1

Over the course of his professional career, Roque Gerald, Psy.D., has worked to improve the lives of children and families. Most recently, Roque Gerald worked for the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) of Washington, D.C., where he served as Director of the organization. Through direct services, including community education, outreach efforts, and a 24-hour phone hotline, Roque Gerald and CFSA work to ensure that the D.C. area remains a safe environment for children and families. In his role at CFSA, Roque Gerald oversees an annual budget of $300 million and maintains responsibility for more than 800 employees.

Appointed to the position of Interim Director by Mayor Adrian Fenty in July 2008, Roque Gerald quickly led the CFSA team to a number of successes, including a thorough examination of the large investigative backlog, and he was chosen as the permanent Director in June 2009. During his tenure at the helm of the organization, he has hired 40 new social workers and introduced new strategies for accelerated home placement for children. Roque Gerald's previous experience in the agency includes nearly seven years as Deputy Director, holding responsibility for innovations like the Office of Clinical Practice. The new practices designed, developed, and implemented under his regime include a new Family Group Decision Making Practice Model that helped the agency's social workers improve children's lives.

Roque Gerald's position also consisted of serving on various taskforces committed to improving child welfare in the region. Roque Gerald graduated from The City College of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology in 1974. His postgraduate work in various roles as a counselor, teacher, social worker, protective service investigator, and mental health therapist helped him understand the struggles faced by disadvantaged youths, and in 1982, he matriculated at The Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, completing his Doctor of Psychology in 1986.

In addition to his work with CFSA, Roque Gerald volunteers with a number of charitable organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors for the American Humane Association (AHA), acts as a Co-Chair on the Practice Subcommittee for Migration for the AHA's Child Welfare National Task Force, and holds membership in the AHA's Family Group Decision Making Advisory Committee. Presently, Roque Gerald lives in Washington, D.C.