Rooted in Purpose

April is National Counseling Awareness Month, and we're celebrating one of our own who brings both clinical expertise and decades of heart to her work. Meet Charlene Jackson, Licensed Professional Counselor and Program Director for PCHAS Foster Care & Adoption in Itasca. She is also a board-approved supervisor for counselors entering the profession, a Licensed Child Placing Agency Administrator, and a Licensed Child Care Administrator.

A Career Rooted in Calling

Charlene's journey with PCHAS started before she even had her degree. While earning her Bachelor's in Psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington, she worked as a Youth Care Worker at the PCHAS group home in Duncanville in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was hands-on, ground-level work — and it set the tone for everything that followed.

After earning her Master of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University-Commerce (now East Texas A&M University), Charlene stepped away from PCHAS to serve families at a domestic violence shelter in Fort Worth for about three years. But like so many who leave PCHAS, she found her way back.

She returned as a Group Home Supervisor in Waxahachie, then stepped into a Senior Group Home Supervisor role in Itasca. In March 2020, she accepted her current position as Program Director — a role that puts her experience, her licensure, and her love for this work together in one place.

A Village Built for Children and Families

One of the most unique parts of Charlene's work is overseeing The Foster Care Village in Itasca. This one-of-a-kind community gives foster parents a supportive place to live and serve — especially those with a calling to care for large sibling groups.

The Village has six homes where foster parents literally relocate to be part of the community. In return, they gain built-in monthly respite care, neighbors who are also fostering and who truly understand the journey, and access to campus amenities like a pool, gym, youth center, and educational support for both children and foster parents.

"The Village is like its very own community of people that are driven to serve children and their families," Charlene says. It's a place where no one is doing this work alone.

Leading a Team That Shows Up Every Day

Beyond the Village, Charlene's team trains, assesses, verifies, and supports foster and adoptive families across a wide region — including Itasca, Hillsboro, Waco, Corsicana, Cleburne, Burleson, and southern Fort Worth.

As Program Director, Charlene sees her role as supporting the people who support families. "I see my role as the person to help guide, support, and encourage those on the team as they do the same for our foster parents, children, and families," she explains. "I have one of the best teams, and I am proud of the dedication and drive they have to help others."

Counseling Skills in Action — Every Single Day

April's spotlight on counseling feels fitting for Charlene, because her clinical training shapes the way she leads every day. She uses her counseling skills in case staffing, in hard conversations, and in the simple but powerful act of truly listening to understand what someone needs in the moment.

"There are unlimited opportunities every day that I have to pull out my counseling skills and tools," she says. And while she brings 20-plus years of experience to the table, she's quick to point out that she's still learning — from her staff, foster parents, respite providers, and the children and families they all serve together.

That kind of humility, paired with that kind of experience, is exactly what makes Charlene Jackson such a gift to PCHAS and to the families who count on us.

To learn more about fostering or adopting, visit pchas.org/FosterAdopt or Join An Online Info Session.

Want to see what a community designed for foster families is all about? Sign Up for a Virtual Tour of The Foster Care Village in Itasca, Texas or visit pchas.org/Itasca.