Chapin Hall

Heather Reed-Martinez is a Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall, where she partners with jurisdictions nationwide to drive child welfare transformation and implement evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for children and families. Drawing on her direct practice experience, she supports jurisdictions and practitioners in building the capacity needed to promote meaningful system change. Reed-Martinez specializes in implementation science, project management, and translating research into practice to strengthen child welfare systems. She has a primary focus on the effective implementation of Motivational Interviewing as an evidence-based practice under the Family First Prevention Services Act. She provides strategic guidance on embedding this approach into child welfare systems to elevate engagement, service effectiveness, and family well-being.

Prior to joining Chapin Hall, Reed-Martinez served as Children’s Services Program Manager at Family & Children Services, where she led initiatives to enhance workforce capacity, advance leadership development, and improve service delivery. She played a key role in integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles, applying LEAN Project Management techniques, and developing continuous quality improvement processes. Her efforts ensured the implementation of high-quality, evidence-based child welfare services and expanded the agency’s impact. With extensive training in Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT, Solution-Focused Interventions, and Protective Factors, Reed-Martinez brings a comprehensive understanding of therapeutic approaches that inform her policy and practice work.

Reed-Martinez holds a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Michigan State University.