FRANKFORT — Marta Miranda-Straub, the previous director of the Middle for Ladies and Households, has been named Kentucky’s new social companies director.
Miranda-Straub, who served as president of the Louisville regional home violence heart from 2011-18 earlier than retiring, will take over July 1 as commissioner of the Division of Group Based mostly Providers, which oversees baby abuse and neglect, foster care, adoption, grownup safety, and different human service packages together with advantages reminiscent of meals stamps.
Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Cupboard for Well being and Household Providers, introduced her appointment on Wednesday and launched her at Gov. Andy Beshear’s information convention.
Miranda-Straub stated she was happy to just accept the job.
“That is value popping out of retirement for,” she stated.
Friedlander referred to as Miranda-Straub a “confirmed chief, an advocate, activist, social employee and educator” and stated her profession in trauma intervention, resilience and violence prevention shall be important as she takes over administration of the social service company.
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Beshear stated Miranda-Straub’s 40 years’ expertise in organizational and medical social work apply and her ardour to serve are simply a part of her background for her new place.
“Marta has served households and kids by means of trauma, substance abuse, home violence and sexual assault intervention, and gender fairness and anti-racism activism. Her skilled aim for 40 years has been to make individuals’s lives higher,” Beshear stated.
Miranda-Straub stated she is able to tackle the problem at a time when Kentucky continues to guide the nation in its rate of child abuse and household struggles have been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state additionally continues to battle with almost 10,000 youngsters in foster care.
“Poverty, habit, psychological well being, baby abuse, neglect and homelessness are ravaging our state,” she stated. “We now know higher, so we should do higher and we’ll do higher.”
Miranda-Straub stated she plans to concentrate on the wants of social service employees and different employees in addition to purchasers of the division.
“They will need to have the assets, coaching and help they want as a way to serve the residents of the commonwealth,” she stated.
Previous to operating the state’s largest home violence shelter and prevention program, Miranda-Straub labored for 17 years at Jap Kentucky College as an assistant professor within the Division of Anthropology, Sociology and Social work. She has gained a number of awards for her work within the space of sexual assault, home violence, immigration reform and racism.
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The social service commissioner’s job has been vacant since Beshear took over as governor in December.
Friedlander stated he believes Miranda-Straub will carry important expertise to the social service company because it tries to assist Kentuckians in the course of the pandemic.
“She’ll be key to the wholesome restoration of each DCBS prospects — and employees — as we construct again higher throughout this COVID-19 emergency,” he stated.
Attain Deborah Yetter at dyetter@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4228. Discover her on Twitter at @d_yetter. Help sturdy native journalism by subscribing in the present day: courier-journal.com/subscribe.
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