Bruce Maag - A Brief Professional Overview

Educational and Professional attainments:

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Ohio State 1970
• Masters in Counseling – University of Dayton 1976
• Licensed Social Worker – (State of Ohio) 1988
• Licensed Professional Counselor – (State of Ohio) 1986
• “Diplomat” of the American Psychology Association 1998
• “Fellow” of the American Psychology Association 2006
• APA Board Certified in Professional Counseling 2007
• Member in good standing of the American Counseling Association and the National Association of Social Workers

Career Highlights:

1. Has served personally and through the agencies he founded well over 50,000 youth, their families and adults in his 39 year career
2. Has worked in 5 Residential and Hospital settings - two with the Ohio Youth Commission in the 70’s and as a Psychologist (1970-1974) at the former Lima State Hospital and at two psychiatric units (Lima St. Rits’s 2-west and Upham Hall at OSU)
3. He began, under the auspices of the Allen County Juvenile Court, the Allen County Youth Services Bureau and was its Executive Director from 1974 – 1978. This was Allen County’s first street outreach and prevention program for youth.
4. He has been in Treatment Foster Care for 30 years beginning with the Ohio Youth Advocate Program in 1978 as their COO. This was one of the first TFC programs in America.
5. In 1984 he established Specialized Alternatives for Youth of America (SAFY) and was its CEO for 16 years (1984 – 1999). Resigned in December of 1999 to be with his wife who was fighting Leukemia.
6. In July of 2000 he formed the International Phoenix Group and Phoenix Homes. He has been the CEO of the IPG since that time.
7. In the 28 years he has been in Treatment Foster Care (TFC) he has accomplished the following:
   1. Has developed and operationalized TFC programs in sixteen states and provinces - Ohio/ Indiana/ Michigan/ Kentucky/ Tennessee/ Texas/ Oklahoma/ Nevada/ Rhode Island/ Missouri/ Maryland/ Georgia/ South Carolina/ Alabama/ Florida and Puerto Rico
   2. In conjunction with these he has developed:
      1. A Pre-school program in Delphos (Kreative Learning)
      2. A Sex Offender TFC at SAFY
      3. A TFC Program for the Medically Fragile at SAFY
      4. In-Home Services both at SAFY and Phoenix Homes
      5. Independent Living programming throughout the states where we had TFC programs
      6. Emergency Shelters
      7. A Runaway Center in Lima (Safe Harbor)
      8. A TFC program to work with youth and adult MRDD clients at both SAFY and Phoenix Homes
      9. A national conference that lasted for 17 years that focused on issues in the TFC field
      10. A revolutionary program, in conjunction with the University of Phoenix, to develop on-line training for Treatment Foster Parents, staff and youth in care
      11. Purchased and ran a female residential facility in Delaware Ohio (Delwood)
      12. Was the 1st TFC agency in America to become COA accredited
      13. Personally initiated the Ohio Youth Services Bureau Association and served as its president for 2 years
      14. Was one of the founders of the Ohio Youth Services Network and served as its president
      15. Was one of a select group of TFC providers from across America and Canada to form the National Treatment Foster Care Association which was called FFTA (Foster Family Based Treatment Association). Served on the board of such for 10 years and was it’s 5th National President in 1994.
      16. Initiator and Chair of the Midwest Chapter of FFTA.
      17. Vice Chair of the National Standards Committee for standards for TFC for FFTA. These standards are now nationally recognized as the benchmarks for quality TFC
      18. Received the Virginia Colson Awards in 1994 from the Ohio Association for Child Caring Agencies for Services to Children, Youth and Families