Catherine Chase is a retired Child Welfare executive with more than 30 years of experience serving children and families. She began her career in 1988 as an adolescent inpatient counselor in San Diego, then moved into Child Welfare in Washington State and San Diego County. There she served as a Protective Services Worker, Supervisor, and Policy Analyst. She retired as Director of Child Welfare for Napa County.
Catherine has deep experience with investigations, court matters, adoptions, hotline, and placement services. As a supervisor, she became a leader in strengths-based supervision, self-directed work teams, Gallup leadership tools, and Safety Organized Practice (SOP). As a Continuous Quality Improvement Policy Analyst, she helped build San Diego County’s CQI program, using data and outcomes to guide practice change.
Catherine has trained for the Academy since 2016 and is known for being passionate and engaging in the classroom. Her focus is teaming, assessment, and leadership for Child Welfare Services. She teaches Child and Family Team Meeting (CFTM) Facilitation, CANS, Structured Decision Making, and Supervisor Core, along with CORE curriculum for line staff. She has also provided practice coaching to Riverside County to support its implementation of SOP.
Now retired from Child Welfare, Catherine writes visionary fiction. Her debut novel, Crossing Over: Forged in Fire, was released in October 2026.
