Jessica C. Handelman, LCSW-BCD
Jess Handelman is a Board Certified Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nearly 20 years of experience, licensed to practice in Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Utah.
Holding certifications in Advanced Forensic Social Work and Multicultural/International Social Work Practice, other specialized expertise includes Adoption Trauma, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Complex Trauma, and Forensic Evaluations. Jessica's primary focus of work is centered around dependent and neglected children and domestic relations matters. She has also worked on juvenile delinquency and guardianship cases.
Jessica's scope of work routinely involves legal advocacy, conducting Parent-Child Interactional Evaluations, facilitating therapeutic out-of-home placement transitions, and serving as an expert witness nationwide. Jessica is a certified Child & Family Investigator and Parental Responsibilities Evaluator.
Jessica’s expert testimony has been heard in over 19 Colorado jurisdictions, most notably in the areas of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Childhood Trauma, Best Interest of the Child, and Adoption-Related Loss (among others).
Jessica’s extensive work with dependent and neglected children has allowed her to develop specialized knowledge about the psychological impact of child welfare permanency outcomes and the effects such outcomes have on a child’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
In addition to her professional engagements, Jessica actively participates in organizations and agencies dedicated to improving child welfare best practices. She serves as a guest lecturer at the University of Denver's Graduate School of Social Work and provides clinical supervision to masters level clinicians seeking state licensure.
Jessica currently serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Forensic Social Work, published by the National Organization of Forensic Social Work.
Offering a wide rage of services, Jessica provides nationwide presentations and training opportunities, available both virtually and in-person.