MSW, LSW, Director of Adoption and Permanency Services
As Director of Adoption and Permanency Services, Erika is responsible for overseeing all functions of the full service Infant Adoption Program, State Wide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) program, and county foster care placement services. She is a Management Team member at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center, maintains all financial aspects of the program and is involved in strategic planning. Erika also works directly with clients providing infertility and pre-adoption counseling sessions and running a monthly infertility support group. She also on occasion works as a birthparent specialist with our birthparent clients. Erika was integral in starting up the SWAN program and county foster care placement services at The Children’s Home, beginning in 2012. She also recently began expanding the program’s Counseling Services, which now includes counseling for donor conceived individuals, recipient parents, and those using artificial reproductive technology to conceive. Erika has been at The Children’s Home since 2006, working as a birthparent counselor, birthparent counseling services supervisor, and manager of the SWAN Program. Prior to her position at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, Erika worked for over 4 years as a Psychiatric Specialty Counselor for an adolescent drug and alcohol research program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. She earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Social Work through The University of Pittsburgh and is a licensed social worker.
Contact Erika: 412-441-4884 or eschmitt@chomepgh.org