Senior Associate
Rachel Paletta has been at CSSP since 2011 and, in that time, has provided monitoring and technical assistance to leadership and staff as part of the Washington DC, New Jersey, South Carolina, and New Mexico systemic reform efforts. This work has included collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, review of policy and procedures, production of monitoring reports, and engagement with stakeholders, children, and families. Prior to coming to CSSP, Rachel served as a Child Advocate Attorney at the Council for Children’s Rights in Charlotte, NC, where she advocated on behalf of children in the areas of abuse and neglect, mental and physical health, intellectual disability, special education, school discipline, domestic violence, and juvenile justice to ensure they received needed government and community services. In that role, she worked as part of a multidisciplinary team to develop and advocate for legal strategies to support child well-being, and conducted trainings in federal EPSDT requirements and students’ rights. Rachel has also clerked for the Office of Children’s Representative and served as GAL in Denver, Colorado, and trained at both the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic in Denver, and the Family and Juvenile Drug Court in Providence, RI. She has a MSW and JD from the University of Denver, is admitted to the District of Columbia bar, and is certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children as a Child Welfare Law Specialist.