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DCF Executive Management
View DCF's Table of Organization (pdf) Barbara Rusen Robert Sabreen Jessica Trombetta Lisa von Pier Kara P. Wood Donna Younkin Director, Division of Child Behavioral Health Services Jeffrey J. Guenzel, MA, LPC is the Director of the Division of Child Behavioral Health Services (DCBHS), which oversees a statewide child behavioral health system of care including a wide range of community based services, inpatient units, and residential treatment facilities. Mr. Guenzel is an accomplished leader in the field. He brings a wealth of child behavioral health experience, both in providing direct services and in program administration. Most recently, Mr. Guenzel was the Executive Director of the Partnership for Children of Essex, the State’s largest Wraparound Care Management agency. Mr. Guenzel was the inaugural Executive Director of the Partnership for Children of Essex. He led the organization to become the State’s first Unified Care Management (UCM) organization successfully bringing together both the high and moderate levels of child behavioral health care management under one integrated program. Prior to serving at the Partnership for Children of Essex, Mr. Guenzel was a Clinician Supervisor and Program Director at UMDNJ’s University Behavioral Health Care overseeing many programs including crisis services, mobile response, rape care and domestic violence services, partial care services, and other related programs. Mr. Guenzel earned his Bachelor’s degree in psychology and his Master’s degree in Counseling from Montclair State University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and has specialized in child and family services, suicide and violence prevention and intervention, post traumatic stress, and system of care implementation. Mr. Guenzel has been a leader in the development of a child behavioral health system of care model in New Jersey and has served as an advisor for the National Wraparound Initiative.
Barbara Rusen is the Chief of Staff for the Department of Children and Families overseeing Administration and Legal Affairs; Grants Management, Auditing and Records; Communications and Public Affairs; Advocacy; and the Child Welfare Training Academy and Partnership. Ms. Rusen joins DCF with over 20 years of experience in developing strategic plans, models, processes, needs assessments, curriculum, and evaluation components that result in producing effective organizational products and services. Prior to coming to DCF, Ms. Rusen was the Acting Director for the Institute for Families at the School of Social Work at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey where she has organized, developed, interpreted, and managed policies for remote offices throughout the state that lead to the increased service capacity and stability of human service professionals ensuring that children and their families receive all available support services. Other positions held at Rutgers University include Assistant Director of Office of Training and Education Programs and Program Manager for a Division of Human Services grant, The New Jersey Child Support Institute. Along with Ms. Rusen's commitment to children and families in New Jersey, she has been actively involved in collaborating with other state and national agencies highlighting New Jersey’s diverse needs while leveraging work perspectives and efforts from other agencies. Ms. Rusen has been an educator, guest speaker, committee member, and child advocate at state and national conferences and meetings such as National Child Support Enforcement Agency, National Judicial Task Force, New Jersey Child Support Conference, Judicial College, and National Staff Development and Training Association, serving as a resource for other similar programs and initiatives that enhance children and family services. Ms. Rusen's personal academic achievements include a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Management, Project Management Critical Skills Certificate, and a Master's Degree in Education.
Robert Sabreen is the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Children and Families where he provides leadership on inter-departmental efforts and is responsible for the overall administration and management of the Department’s $1.5 billion budget. As Deputy Commissioner, he oversees Polilcy and Legislative Affairs, Child and Family Health, Educational Services,Office of Education, Budget and Revenue, and DCFContracting and the five Business Offices. Previously, he served as the Assistant Commissioner overseeing the Department's fiscal operations and Child Health Operations. Prior to this, he served as DYFS Deputy Director for Business Operations, supervising the Budget Office and five Area Business Offices which contract with agencies to provide services for the Division’s families. Mr. Sabreen has more than 35 years serving New Jersey’s children and families. He began his career in state government as a DYFS caseworker and has held various positions such as County Service Specialist, District Office Manager, Regional Administrator and Special Assistant to the DYFS Director. Mr. Sabreen earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University.
Jessica Trombetta, LCSW is the Director of the Office of Adolescent Services. The Office of Adolescent Services is a Department level office focused on prioritizing the needs of youth who are aging out/aging in, ensuring that DCF staff has the resources they need to service these youth, and building strong collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders and advocates serving these youth. Most recently Ms. Trombetta served as an Associate Director at Family Connections Inc. where she supervised community based programs and a therapeutic afterschool program that provided case management and clinical services to at-risk children, adolescents, older adults, and families. In this role, Jessica gained extensive experience in working with youth involved with DCF, including DYFS and DCBHS. Additionally, Ms. Trombetta has provided direct clinical services and case management as well as clinical and programmatic supervision. Jessica earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Ithaca College and a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Direct Practice to Children and Families from Rutgers University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and clinical supervisor with extensive training regarding children and adolescents with complex trauma and family systems theory.
Lisa von Pier is the Director of the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships, which oversees a statewide network of child abuse prevention programs to strengthen and support families. Lisa brings a wealth of child welfare experience to her post. Most recently she served as the DYFS Deputy Director for Case Practice where she led a team solely dedicated to the implementation of improved case practice. Previously, she served as the DYFS Area Director for the Burlington/Mercer Area Office where she also led two of the case practice immersion sites. Prior to that, she held a supervisor's position within the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships, where she supported seven counties in beginning prevention initiatives. Lisa has worked on child abuse and neglect cases for the state and Monmouth County judiciaries, and worked for a non-profit agency serving adolescents. While at the Administrative Office of the Courts, Lisa was the Family Division's representative to the Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect and has served on its Prevention Subcommittee for many years.
Kara P. Wood is the Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), the State’s child protection agency. Most recently, Ms. Wood served as the DYFS Chief of Staff where she was responsible for the operational management of the division and its 5,000 employees and for managing all reporting aspects of the federal consent decree. Previously she served as the Department’s Chief of Staff with responsibility for the daily operations of DCF and advising the Commissioner on strategic planning, crisis management and communication, and policy. Prior to joining DCF, Ms. Wood served as the Director of Project Management at the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, where she created and managed a grants management office and improved coordination of department resources. She has also served as Director of Communications for the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and Director of Communications and Policy for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. In both positions, she was responsible for communications with media, outreach, speechwriting, and advising on strategic planning, crisis management and media relations. Prior to moving to New Jersey, Ms. Wood served as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the United States Department of Justice, and the Director of Communications for the National Partnership for Women and Families in Washington D.C. Wood began her career in public service as Deputy Press Secretary to United States Senator Paul S. Sarbanes. Ms. Wood graduated Cum Laude from Georgetown University, with a B.S. in International Politics and a minor in African Studies.
Donna Younkin is the Director of the Office of Information Technology and Reporting. She is responsible for providing information technology services to DCF users at 50 sites across the state. In addition, she oversees the production of data for management purposes, federal reporting, and fiscal processes. Her particular area of interest is the analysis and utilization of data to improve client outcomes. In this regard, Ms. Younkin is the Project Manager for a federal technical assistance grant that DCF has received to train 100 mid-level staff on “Managing by Data.” Ms. Younkin has worked on behalf of New Jersey’s children and families in many capacities. She began as an investigator of child abuse/neglect investigations for DYFS, and was further involved in direct service work as a District Office Manager and an Administrator for 14 years in the area of adoption. She has held administrative positions in areas of child health, foster care, kinship care, domestic violence, substance abuse, housing, policy, quality improvement, and data analysis. Her responsibilities have included working with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the federal government. In 2008, Ms. Younkin assumed responsibility for implementing NJ’s SACWIS system - NJ Spirit. Ms. Younkin has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Stockton State College, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from New York University.
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