Alumna Finds Niche at CPS
Melissa Brod ('92) originally wanted to be a probation officer after graduating from Sam Houston State University, but she discovered a more rewarding way to practice criminal justice.
"All I saw was probation and the law enforcement end of things," said Brod. "But not all of it's punitive; criminal justice can help in the social work side of it too."
After serving eight years as a case worker with Child Protective Services in Austin, Colorado, and Waller counties, Brod now is the supervisor of the conservatorship program covering Burleson, Grimes, Madison, and Washington counties. She oversees cases where children have been removed from their home after the investigation of allegations of abuse or neglect and placed with relatives or in foster care. She supervises five case workers, each who handle about 20 cases, and two human services technicians, who process legal paperwork and help transport and supervise children during family visits.
Vol 19 No 33