Washington D.C.-based consultant and former Iowa human services administrator James Hennessey has been appointed deputy director for Children's Services with Michigan Department of Human Services.

In his new role, Hennessey will be responsible for administration of services to children and families including adoption, foster care and protective services. He begins the assignment on August 29, 2005.

"Jim Hennessey brings comprehensive knowledge and capability in children's services to Michigan," said DHS director Marianne Udow, who made the appointment. "He has considerable experience both working inside Michigan state government and in the administration of programs that serve children. He is a valuable addition to our management team."

Since 1999, Hennessey has been a vice president of Denver-based Policy Studies Inc., which provides consulting services to state governments in health, human services, and justice. Hennessey spent three years in Michigan as the contract executive for a consulting project in the DHS Office of Child Support, where his team worked with state and county leaders to strengthen the state's child support program. He performed similar duty in Connecticut, Illinois and California and was responsible for certain training and technical assistance projects with the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement. Hennessey also helped the Department of Human Services administer applications for Michigan's MIChild health care program.

For three decades prior, Hennessey worked for the Iowa Department of Human Services in a number of positions of ascending importance and responsibility. He was chief of its Bureau of Collections for 10 years, responsible for directing the Iowa child support program. He was the department's legislative liaison from 1987-88, social work administrator for 15 statewide programs from 1984-87, manager of the state's children's protective services program from 1979-84, and a regional protective services supervisor for three months in 1979. He worked for a private children’s services agency as a direct care worker, social worker, and division director from 1975-1979.

Hennessey holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Northern Iowa.

For the Michigan Department of Human Services, Hennessey will be deputy director and chief administrator for its Administration on Children's Services. He will be responsible for administration and field services in the foster care, children's protective services, adoption, and community support services programs and will have administrative oversight of the independent Children's Trust Fund.