Hello!
Hi, my name is Barbara “Barb” McDannell. I have a great deal of life experience (code for I am old) and find that it helps me in many situations. My hobbies include scrapbooking, diamond painting, and attempting to play the clarinet. I also enjoy writing poetry and a very recently published book that includes a collection of poems. If we held an office talent show, I would keep everyone laughing with my stand-up comedy routine. I don’t even have to make up stuff because my life growing up with eight siblings was comedy central every day.
My Story
I have been working with youth and families in a variety of situations and settings. I began working in the health care field starting in high school and continued the rest of my career. This has included working with Developmentally Disabled Adults, Geriatric Patients, and youth involved with DCS and probation.
I graduated from Judson College in Elgin, Illinois in 1984. My degree was in Communication Arts with a minor in Public Relations. I wanted to be a famous journalist writing for People Magazine or The Chicago Tribune. However, I never achieved that dream. To survive life and feed myself, I began working as a CNA in a nursing home. I eventually transitioned to working with Developmentally Disabled Adults and then with Developmentally Disabled Children. I then transitioned to a Residential Treatment Center for teen age girls ages ten to twenty. (Boy, did I learn a lot during that phase of my career). I eventually transitioned to working with youth and families and learned the process of Wraparound Facilitation. I lived in Illinois for the first fifty-eight years of my life and then moved to Indiana to continue to work in the wraparound world. I love the wraparound process and seeing how it can empower families to find their success.