Leadership Team
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Keith Diederich
Executive Director
Keith Diederich is the Executive Director of Stanford Home for Children. Prior joining Stanford Home, Keith gained more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit administration and leadership. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Nebraska, dual Bachelor of Science Degrees in Economics and Sociology from Wayne State College, and numerous special licenses and certifications.
Keith looks forward to serving at-risk youth and their families at Stanford Home and is committed to the organization’s family-centered service approach. "As I spoke with people in Sacramento, I realized that Stanford Home is Sacramento’s best-kept secret," he says. "By creating alternative solutions to institutional care, this agency is leading the field with successful, long-term solutions for children and families. I look forward to being a part of Stanford Home’s mission to improve the health and welfare of local kids and families facing crisis situations."
Susan DaviniAssociate Executive Director of Human Resources and Vocational Services
Susan Davini oversees our Human Resources Department and Vocational Services Program. She has been the Human Resources Director since 2000, and added the Vocational Services Program in 2006. Susan has over 15 years of Human Resources leadership experience and a varied background in management. She enjoys providing the Human Resources leadership for Stanford Home and has staffed her department with internal transfers from direct services programs to ensure Human Resources stays in touch with workforce needs.
The Vocational Services program helps at-risk kids and their families improve their lives through work by preparing for fulfilling and financially rewarding careers. With one-on-one mentoring and a comprehensive approach, Ms. Davini’s team of vocational counselors provides the guidance youth need to learn career skills and gain long-term employment.
Ms. Davini is involved in a variety of industry organizations, including the Society for Human Resource Management and the Sacramento Area Human Resource Association. She also belongs to the California Chamber of Commerce.
Susan Davini finds great reward serving in a family-centered practice agency. She says "After many years in the for-profit arena, this has been and continues to be where my heart lies in providing human resources leadership. To assist staff who are so committed to our mission has been very rewarding. Our focus on the family and their strengths feels like the right thing to do every day!"
Steve HortonAssociate Executive Director of Development
Steve Horton has more than 30 years experience serving as a non-profit leader. Before he began at Stanford Home in 2005, he was a clergyman and worked for Canada’s largest health related charity. His diverse volunteer experience includes a variety of Board positions for organizations like a counseling center, a bible college and seminary, and a citizen advisory board to corrections and other community organizations. Mr. Horton was a 15 year volunteer for the Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society where he received special recognition, and has served as a basketball coach, a jail chaplain, and a member of the Sacramento Downtown Rotary Club.
Mr. Horton received his Bachelor of Theology degree from Northwest Baptist College and Seminary in Vancouver, British Columbia. He received his National Certificate in Fundraising Management and is a member in good standing with the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the National Committee on Planned Giving. He has been published in various agency newsletters and in What We Learned (the Hard Way) About Supervising Volunteers published by Energize Inc.
Steve Horton sees first-hand the advantages a family-centered agency provides. “I like being involved in a family centered practice agency because the community understands the value of safe, nurturing ties of childrento their family,” he says. “No one has found a better long-term solution for kids than forkids to be connected to their family. Our stories of quality, successful-family connections for kids resonate with each of us. We get to tell stories with happy, hopeful endings.Wereflect ourfamily centered practice in our giving as well.We encourage our supporters to consider their involvement with Stanford Home based on their family needs and resources. We want satisfied donors, who are fulfilling their family's interest in helping kids at-risk of having no family support find a life long, family connection."
Jovina NevesAssociate Executive Director, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
Jovina Neves serves as Chief Financial Officer for Stanford Home. With more than 14 years of non-profit experience to her credit, Ms. Neves has played a crucial role at Stanford Home since joining the staff in 1997. In addition to serving as CFO, she also manages and directs several departments including Accounting, Quality Assurance, Facilities, and Information Technology. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from University of California, Davis.
Ms. Neves has witnessed exciting growth at Stanford Home and looks forward to enhancing programs in the future. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to integrate Stanford Home’s mission and values into my daily work. Although I’ve seen the agency grow tremendously over the years, we’ve kept our commitment to improving family-centered practices a number-one priority.” She hopes her contributions help “create and support systems that, in turn, support families who so desperately need our care."
Gordon RichardsonAssociate Executive Director of Programs
Since joining Stanford Home in 2000, Gordon Richardson has been developing innovative, family-centered, solution focused social programs that are effective, affordable, and reduce the need for incarceration, congregate care, and psychiatric hospitalization. Since 1996, he has served as an executive and program director in California and Nevada, directing programs in residential care, treatment foster care, therapeutic behavioral services, juvenile justice, and wraparound.
Mr. Richardson received his Master of Social Work specializing in Policy Analysis, Planning, and Administration from the University of Manitoba in Canada. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a certified Group Home Administrator in California. He has published and presented research papers on wraparound, birth parent participation in foster care, and restorative justice.
When he is not at Stanford Home, Gordon Richardson is a disaster relief services volunteer for the American Red Cross. In 2007, he was named Social Worker of the Year by the Sacramento Unit of the National Association of Social Workers.
Mr. Richardson sees the difference family-centered practices can make on the health of the community. “The Stanford Home vision of a community filled with safe, healthy, and productive families guides my day-to-day practice as a program director at Stanford Home. The modern, complex challenges facing families demand innovative, effective, affordable solutions that are centered in family empowerment, partnership, and self-determination. It is deeply gratifying to see families actually living our mission—dreaming, overcoming, and thriving."
Deborah BennettDirector of F.O.C.U.S. and Therapeutic Behavioral Services
With more than 10 years of experience in the social services industry, Deborah Bennett is well-qualified to oversee the daily operations of two intensive mental health programs at Stanford Home. Before she began with Stanford Home as an Intake Therapist in 2001, she held various social work positions in the Humboldt County area.
Ms. Bennett received her Master in Social Work from CSU, Long Beach, where she graduated Magna Cum Lade and received an award for outstanding community service to children, youth and families in 2001. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from CSU Humboldt in 1989. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Practitioner of the Healing Arts as well as a Certified Group Home Administrator and Authorized 5150 Site Coordinator and Designee. She also serves as the Professional Development Coordinator for the National Association of Social Workers in Sacramento County. Ms. Bennett joined Stanford Home in 2001 and recently began teaching part-time in the University of Phoenix Health and Human Services Department.
"It's a pleasure to provide leadership in an agency that emphasizes family-centered practices,” she says. “It’s my desire to promote individualized, culturally responsive, flexible, and relevant services that empower families to address the many challenges they may be facing. As a Stanford Home Program Director, I am committed to providing family centered, community-based services that strengthen family relationships and ensure safety, permanency, and optimal outcomes for the families we serve."
Katie CenskyDirector of Wraparound
Katie Censky is the new Wraparound Director for Stanford Home. As a licensed MFT with a Master's in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, Katie has many years of experience in community mental health. She recently directed Alameda County's largest program for transitional-age youth and previously performed direct-service work in inner-city Oakland and Taos, New Mexico.
Katie is an active trainer who has developed and delivered trainings in topics such as Suicide Assessment, PTSD and Chronic Trauma, Somatic Approaches to Trauma, Verbal Crisis De-Escalation, Cultural Competency, Anger Management, Harm Reduction, the Recovery Model, and Motivational Interviewing. She is also an expert in the field of Eating Disorders, and frequently lectures to parents about prevention, early intervention, and raising body-positive children.
Katie is "energized" by Stanford Home's family-focused environment and enjoys helping children and families live happy, healthy, and positive lives. "Being involved with Stanford Home is the opportunity of a lifetime," she says. "We're dedicated to those we serve, and we utilize an approach that embraces each family's unique culture and viewpoints." With a belief that families have an innate sense of what works best for them, Katie feels that Wraparound is the ideal way to empower families to carve out their own unique paths and solutions. "We do whatever it takes to support their wisdom and turn the solutions into reality."
Percy HowardDirector of Community Protection and Treatment Programs
While relatively new to Stanford Home (January 2007), Percy Howard is no newcomer to Social Services. With a background including employment at Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Child Protective Services Division of the Family Reunification Bureau of Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Howard has aided local Social Service programs since 1985. Prior to joining Stanford Home, he was a therapist at the Warren E. Thornton Youth Center and a Mental Health Clinician and Trainer at the WETYC.
When he’s not serving at-risk youth, Mr. Howard is a musician. He has made seven albums and toured throughout the United States and Europe. His musical collaborations have earned him work with groups like Living Color, King Crimson, and Gun’s and Roses. He also enjoys racing his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in a prepared class in the National Auto Sports Association.
Percy Howard believes this is the best job he’s had in his 22-year career. “Family centered practice has always been at the center of my treatment and case management Philosophy. If the family is not integral in all phases of decision making, movement, and planning within a case, it is almost impossible to marshal their best attributes—their true physical, emotional, and practical talents. All those attributes are necessary to begin the process of learning to be a successful family unit. Family Centered Practice agencies have a tendency to be more egalitarian within their own structures, as well—matrixing and sharing power from the perspective of who is best positioned to act effectively, not simply obeying hierarchical imperatives. Stanford Home, in my opinion, is an excellent example of this practice at work."
Jennifer ShebestaDirector of Foster Family Connections
Jennifer Shebesta is Stanford Home’s Director of Foster Family Connections. A licensed marriage and family therapist with an MS in Clinical Psychology from San Jose State University, Jennifer has worked with Stanford Home since 2003. Prior to assuming her role as Director, she served as both a Clinical Program Manager and Residential Therapist for Stanford Home, working in the residential program, FOCUS, and the Counseling Center. Her background includes extensive training and experience in the mental health field where she has specialized in areas like cognitive-behavioral treatment, domestic violence training, child abuse treatment, gang awareness, and suicide prevention.
Jennifer sees first-hand the benefits of providing a family-centered practice for children and families who become involved with the CPS system. "Our program strives to involve family members in the treatment process, actively supporting family reunification whenever possible," she says. "The emphasis on family involvement has provided a healthy forum for many children and families to reach their goals."