Dee focuses on the importance of a healthy workforce and why a professional workforce is the key to a successful child welfare system. Dee talks about what he has seen over the last 50 years, and how that's impacting children impacted by these systems today. This episode is especially important for policy makers, child welfare advocates, child welfare attorneys, child welfare practitioners, and all those hoping to make long-term, sustainable, positive impacts on the child welfare systems. ------------ Dee Wilson sits down with New Mexico Child First Network to offer solutions -- and hope -- for the crisis facing child welfare systems in New Mexico. Dee offers historical examples, evidence-based solutions, and provides context for many of the issues impacting the public health crisis facing CYFD and New Mexico's Child Welfare systems. Dee is the monthly author of "The Sounding Board" on child welfare. Dee worked for the public child welfare agency in Washington State from 1978 – 2004 in a variety of positions including CPS social worker, supervisor, area administrator, training director and regional administrator. After leaving the Children’s Administration in 2004, Wilson was Director of the Northwest Institute for Children and Families at the University of Washington School of Social Work from 2005-08 and then was director of child welfare training in the UW – SSW through 2009. Wilson is currently Director of Child Welfare Services in the Knowledge Management section of Casey Family Programs. Dee Wilson speaks and writes on a wide range of child welfare issues including neglect, risk and safety, substance abuse and reunification, foster care outcomes, critical thinking and child welfare management. For more information, to contact Dee, or sign-up for his newsletter, please email: deewilson13 @ aol . com