Get to know Alisa Kline, HR Recruiting Manager with United Methodist Family Services. 

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your work.

United Methodist Family Services (UMFS) has been touching lives and creating futures since 1900, earning national recognition for its innovative and effective approaches to meeting the needs of children, youth, and families. UMFS offers a network of services including treatment foster care, residential programs for teens in crisis, adoption services, guardian place apartment living for seniors, and more.

My primary role is to recruit and hire the best candidates to meet our clients’ needs. I love finding great candidates that are passionate about working with youth and families. I really love working with these passionate people and making a real difference in the lives of the people they serve. 

Q: Share an accomplishment or challenge you’ve faced in your work.

In 2013, UMFS opened a new Charterhouse School in Shenandoah County to work with students with intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbances, and autism. Recruiting qualified staff to start a new school was an exciting and challenging opportunity for me. This was a difficult part of the state to recruit in due to low populations, our need for specialized licensure, education, and experience requirements, as well as a lack of avaliable recruiting resources. I had to think outside the box and use resources I may not necessarily use in larger areas like Richmond. 

Overall, I have found that having the patience and waiting until the right candidates comes along makes all the difference!

Q: What’s coming next?

So far in 2014, UMFS was awarded a Systems of Care grant to help support and find resources for families with children who have mental health issues. In addition, our Child & Family Healing Center will be opening a residential facility specifically for older youth on the autism spectrum.