Staff
This group of thoughtful, committed individuals are uplifting and empowering the Greater Harrisburg Community.
Executive Team
Steve Schauder, MSW, CFRE
Chief Executive Officer
Steve is responsible for mobilizing the financial, leadership and volunteer resources necessary to implement the mission and vision for JFS. His focus is on helping those in need in Greater Harrisburg and increasing the scope and visibility of JFS throughout the community.
Prior to coming to JFS, Steve served as the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Durham-Chapel Hill, where he oversaw the community JFS, and as the Executive Director of Gratitude House, a treatment center for low-income women struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. He also served as the Director of Development for SunServe, a LGBTQ social and human service agency in South Florida. His early career was spent as a youth and camp director in the JCC movement in New York and New Jersey.
In his 30+ professional career, Steve is proud to have built and sustained financially sound, mission driven organizations that have positively impacted the lives of countless children, families and adults.
Rachel Kuhr, MSW, LCSW
Director, Adoption and Foster Care Services
Rachel Kuhr is the Director of Adoption and Foster Care Services, a role she accepted in 2005. She oversees all services to children in foster and pre-adoptive homes approved by JFS and provides private home study services. Rachel also coordinates and supervises services provided by program staff to children through the Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN). This includes coordination with county providers and other foster care agencies as well as work with the state contract agency on policy and planning for these services. She supervises services in the Post Permanency support program, for families after adoption or guardianship. Rachel was instrumental in developing the Family Based Mental Health program at JFS.
Prior to joining JFS in 2003, Rachel worked in an Intensive Family Preservation program locally, as well as in a Child Welfare agency in California. She was an outpatient therapist from 2000-2016. Rachel holds a LCSW from the School of Social Work at the University of California, Berkeley.
Jessica Fox, MA, NCC, LPC
Director of Family Based Mental Health
Jess is responsible for directing the Family Based Mental Health Services program at JFS. She started as a family based mental health professional in 2020 and took over as director in 2022. Jess and the Family Based teams are committed to helping families that have children/adolescents who are at risk of out of home placement (such as in-patient hospitalization, residential treatment facilities, or foster care) due to emotional/behavioral struggles.
Jess has a master’s degree in counseling with a specialization in marriage, family, and couples counseling from Kutztown University.
Wendy Halperin, MSW, LCSW
Clinical Director
Wendy is the Clinical Director and over sees all agency mental health programs including budgetary oversight, personnel policies, clinical supervision, and the overall management of the programs.
Wendy has been with JFS since January 2020 and has served as Director of Family Based Mental Health Services, Director of Mynd Works and is now the Clinical Director. Wendy has over twenty-five years’ experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Union College in Schenectady, New York and a Master of Social Work from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Hazem Algebraeel
Director of resettlement
Hazem serves as the Director of Refugee Services for JFS and has spent more than 10 years working in the resettlement field. In his most recent position, he served as the Resettlement Educator for the largest Private Sponsorship Agreement Holder in Canada, where he educated and trained the public on the refugee private sponsorship program in Canada and where he helped resettle more than 500 refugees. Hazem has also worked in Amman, Jordan for a number of international not-for-profit organizations, where he helped refugees from different backgrounds and nationalities.
