Welcome to a transformative episode of Resilient Voices & Beyond Podcast - Season Three, Episode Fourteen! 🎙️

Title: "Lead with Data, Follow with Passion." 📊❤️

In this episode, we are honored to host Mercedes O’Bryant-Gruzeski, a Field Operation Specialist, Child Welfare, and Lived Experience Expert. Join us as we explore the dynamic interplay of data-driven decision-making and the profound impact of passionate advocacy in the child welfare system. 🌐

Mercedes brings more than a decade of experience and lived experience within the Missouri child welfare system, where she pursued adoption for her birth daughter at just twenty years old. Her profound journey ignited a passion for connecting foster youth to their biological families, a commitment she carries in every professional role she undertakes. Mercedes is not just an advocate; she's a powerful voice for birth parents, shedding light on the often-overlooked grief they endure throughout the adoption process. 🌈

A true transformational leader, Mercedes is known for her outstanding relationship-building skills, preferring to listen and translating insights into decisive action. Her journey is a testament to the potential of gathering and analyzing data to impact policies positively, aiming to enhance the lives of youth and families in the child welfare system. 📈

In September 2022, Mercedes graduated from the Minority Professional Leadership Development Program (MPLD) with AdoptUSKids, where she initiated a language resource group addressing adoption recruiters' language barriers with Hispanic youth. Since then, she has joined the Board of Directors for the non-profit agency Family to Family Support Network, advocating for birth parents' voices in the hospital setting. Mercedes also shared her impactful experiences as a birth mother at the National Council for Adoption Conference. 🌟
Currently, Mercedes serves as a Field Operation Specialist for Missouri Children’s Division, overseeing the St. Louis Region. In this role, she utilizes data to support the implementation of legislation and improvement planning, contributing significantly to the welfare landscape. 🏛️
Join us in this riveting episode as we delve into the transformative potential of leading with data and following with passion in the child welfare system. Let's learn, empathize, and advocate for positive changes alongside Mercedes. 🌐🌈

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