Our Team

Clarissa Traylor headshot

Clarissa Traylor

Trainer and Recruiter

 As the Trainer and Recruiter, Clarissa Traylor provides support to foster and adoptive parents at Arms Wide. She works collaboratively to ensure prospective families are prepared to meet the needs of children in foster care. 


Why I started with Arms Wide:

 I started working with Arms Wide because I have a passion for helping better support youth in care. I spent some years working at an RTC and seeing and supporting the youth there. However, in that time I discovered another important way to actively support our children in care is to better support and educate the families they are uniting with. If we continue to find families who are truly wanting to support our youth in care and provide them with not only a strong foundation but also reliable and well-informed resources to maintain and grow that foundation, then we can truly be a real support to our children in care. Arms Wide embodies that philosophy which led me to pursue a career here supporting and helping continue the work they have been doing for decades. 

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My favorite part about my job:

 My favorite part about my job is being able to show up for my families and be able to watch and support them during their journey. 

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My least favorite part:

 My least favorite part about my job is knowing there aren’t more resources in the community to better support our families.


More about me:

 I have been working in the mental health field for some years. I find joy in finding new and creative ways to educate myself and those I train. I have two pet turtles who will be 10 years old next year. 

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Ask me about:

Ask me about my favorite Houston restaurants and favorite ways to practice self care. 

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More Team Members

Tamika Rusher

Foster Care & Adoptive Home Compliance Coordinator

Edye Villarreal

Foster Care and Adoption Coordinator / Adoption Matching Specialist