Illinois Branch | Holt-Sunny Ridge

Amy Trotter, LCSW
Branch Director | IL
630-754-4514

Amy joined Sunny Ridge in 2008. In addition to supervising program activities, Amy prepares families for adoption in both our international, special needs, and domestic programs. Amy also provides training and education to families, as well as post adoption services. Amy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and holds a bachelor and master's degree in social work. She received her master's (MSW) degree from the University of Iowa. Since 1995 Amy has worked in the field of child welfare with experiences in foster care, adoption, and juvenile court.

Katelyn Wilhelm
Branch Assistant | IL
630-754-4502

Katelyn joined Holt-Sunny Ridge in February 2015. She has experience working in health insurance and journalism. Katelyn has almost seven years of experience working with children in a daycare setting, and she also has two cousins who were adopted. Katelyn has a Bachelor's Degree in News/Editorial Journalism from Illinois State University.

Jessica Augsburger, MSW, LCSW
Social Worker | Chicagoland
847-306-1329

Joining Sunny Ridge in 2005, Jessica enjoys working in the adoption field. She conducts home studies for adoptive families and provides post placement services in the international adoption program. Jessica is also a certified W.I.S.E. Up facilitator. Jessica holds a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Hope College and a Master's Degree in Social Work from Dominican University. She is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Illinois. Since 2002, Jessica has been working in the field of child welfare with experience in both foster care and adoption.

Joining Sunny Ridge in 2011, Nancy supervises Adoption Services, provides home study and post-placement services to families. Nancy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Arts from Central Michigan University and a Master's Degree in Counseling from Oakland University. She is also a licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Illinois. Since 1988 Nancy has worked in the field of child welfare with experience in both foster care and adoption. Nancy also has many years of experience providing counseling services to families and supervising a unique adoption program for the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

Olivia started working at Holt-Sunny Ridge in September 2017 as a graduate social work intern and joined the staff in April 2018. She provides support to birth parents throughout and after the adoption process, conducts homestudies and post-placement follow-up, and also does community outreach for the branch. Olivia received her bachelor's degree in social work from Olivet Nazarene University followed by her master's degree in social work from Aurora University. In her past experience, Olivia enjoyed working with pregnant women, young parents and babies through home visits, parent education and child-safety interventions. As an adoptee herself, she loves the opportunity her role gives her to support birth mothers throughout the adoption process.

Beth joined Holt-Sunny Ridge in 2016 after working in the adoption field for more than twenty years. Her experience includes special needs, domestic and international adoption as well as post-adoption services. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University, a master's degree in clinical psychology from Bradley University and is a licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Illinois. Beth loves working with children and families and strongly believes that every child deserves a family to call his or her own.

Kristina joined Holt-Sunny Ridge in May 2014 as the newly created community outreach & educational specialist. She is excited to share her passion for adoption and build partnerships within the community. Kristina received her bachelor's degree in advertising from the University of Illinois and previously worked in the corporate sector. She loves volunteering, and has recently volunteered for several nonprofit organizations. Kristina is the mother of two children, one biological and one adopted domestically. She loves sharing how adoption has been a positive experience for her family.

Colleen joined Holt-Sunny Ridge in May 2015. She holds a bachelor's degree in social work from Bethel University and a master's degree in social work from the University of Minnesota. Colleen was a Title IV-E Child Welfare Scholar during her graduate program, which introduced her to the adoption field. She has worked in adoption and foster care since 2009, conducting home studies and post-placement services. Colleen works part-time while also caring for her two children.

Joy resides in Saint Louis, Missouri and is a licensed professional counselor with a master's of education in counseling degree. She has been working with children and families for 15 years. Her experience includes individual counseling (child and adult), group and family therapy, crisis intervention, and pregnancy and adoption counseling. Joy has had the privilege of working with many adoptive families over the years to achieve their dreams through the wonderful gift of adoption. She looks forward to the blessed opportunity of working with you!

Pam provides individual, family and group therapy for anyone connected with adoption and has experience working with anxiety, depression, defiant behavior, attention deficit/hyperactivity, post-traumatic stress disorder, abandonment, grief, and loss issues. Pam specializes in common issues connected with adoption such as trauma, attachment and identity issues. Pam has been trained in Theraplay® , Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy and Trust Based Relational Intervention ®. She also assists families with the pre and post educational aspects of adoption. Pam has worked in the child welfare field since 1996 with experience in foster care, domestic and international adoptions, and birthparent counseling. Prior to joining Sunny Ridge in January of 2011, Pam was employed as an Adoption Preservation Therapist. Pam has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Olivet Nazarene University and a Master's of Social Work degree from Dominican University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and United Healthcare provider for behavioral health services.  Pam resides in Frankfort with her husband and two children.

I joined Holt-Sunny Ridge in November 2017 and I feel honored to work with the Empowering Women, Strengthening Families Program. I am a Da Nang girl at heart, leaving my homeland [Vietnam] at the age of 9. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having spent my 15-year career in the nonprofit/social service sector, I feel fulfilled to be at a place in my life with a mission and purpose. I grasp every opportunity given to me to give back for what America has given me, and I feel my life's work is helping others. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my two tweens and my husband — traveling, exploring new places to eat and watching Asian shows, mostly Korean