CAMILLE BAILEY, LCSW

Deputy Director (Interim)

Camille is a multi-faceted advocate with deep experience working with and for system involved young people and families.  She joined Freedom Forward in 2020 as Director of FAM [Family & Me], our foster-care pilot designed to meet the needs of youth at risk of exploitation.  Under Camille's leadership, FAM transitioned from a complex, multi-partner, direct service program to a streamlined resource family model that is strategically positioned for implementation in the city and county of San Francisco.  In 2023 Camille was appointed Senior Director of Impact & Learning. In this role, she led the design and implementation of our HYPE member database, refined our prevention strategies, and launched our Community of Practice. She now serves as Interim Deputy Director, overseeing Freedom Forward’s initiatives and on-site team.

Prior to joining us, Camille was a Program Manager at the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), leading the Contra Costa FosterEd demonstration site.  There she supervised direct student supports and facilitating county level coordination to increase educational outcomes for system involved students. In addition, Camille was tapped to manage the FosterEd California team's policy initiatives, successfully passing legislation that supports foster youth access to post-secondary education. 

Before NCYL, Camille was Director of a residential program supporting youth in foster care impacted by commercial sexual exploitation, leading the transition from “group home” to “short-term residential treatment program” (STRTP).  This built upon a foundation of clinical and program development work in both CA and NY, including transitional housing settings, therapeutic supervised visitation services, and drop-in supports for homeless LGBTQ+ youth.  Camille sits on numerous local and state committees related to improving experiences for youth in care, and preventing commercial sexual exploitation.

After getting her start as a group home counselor in Northern CA, Camille returned to school for her MSW at NYU's Silver School of Social Work.  There she had a combined emphasis on trauma focused clinical work and macro policy in organizations with the goal of helping to reform our child welfare system.  She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Columbia University and is originally from Sonoma County.  Camille lives in Oakland and is an active plant and podcast enthusiast.