2026 Award for Excellence Recipient, Jenn Russell

This award is presented to an active member of NAPSW to recognize excellence and/or outstanding accomplishment by a perinatal social worker.

Jenn Russell, LCSW, CCM, PMH-C received the 2026 NAPSW Award for Excellence at the 50th annual conference held in Nashville, TN. This award is presented to an active member of NAPSW to recognize excellence and/or outstanding accomplishment by a perinatal social worker.

Jenn was nominated by NAPSW Membership Chair Heather Ousley who said "Jenn has been a member of NAPSW for 11 years. In 2022, Jenn and I officially met at the Chicago conference as we were both interested in taking on the NAPSW website. From the moment I met Jenn, I could see what a truly amazing person she was and I can only imagine how amazing of a social worker she is. Jenn jumped right into the web chair role and I believe is one of the main reasons NAPSW is so successful today. I have a first hand look at how much work is done on the backend for the web and how Jenn handles every request given to her in a timely matter and somehow makes the request better than what was submitted. Jenn is a part of almost EVERY committee as the web chair as everything funnels down to the web for one reason or another. Jenn is such an integral part of NAPSW and without her, we would not be where we are today as an organization."

NAPSW Treasurer, Dawn Raadt, also nominated Jenn, saying that Jenn "is a very accommodating, responsive and capable member of our organization. She has done so much to improve our web page, and made the virtual conference a huge success."

NAPSW Immediate Past President, Karina Ousley, shared that in reading through the letters written about Jenn, "a few words come up again and again: Compassion. Dedication. Advocacy. Trust. 

Her manager, Stephanie Costley, who has worked alongside Jenn for eight years, wrote that Jenn meets every person with “steadiness, respect, and an unwavering commitment to care.” She also shared that Jenn consistently goes above and beyond—taking on additional work, supporting her team, and ensuring no one is left without resources.

But Jenn’s impact doesn’t stop there. Her colleague, Christin Myers, wrote about how Jenn has been a constant source of guidance and mentorship, someone she still turns to today for insight and support. And she said something powerful: that Jenn helped shape her into the social worker she is today. That is impact that extends far beyond one person, that is a legacy.

Her longtime colleague, friend, and fellow member of NAPSW, Cat Farthing, shared something especially meaningful. She described watching Jenn grow into this work, stepping into new spaces, finding her confidence, and committing herself to building something meaningful. And after attending a NAPSW conference together, they didn’t just take in knowledge, they brought it back and built something real.

But to truly understand Jenn, you also have to look at who she is outside of work. Her sister, Lindsay Hamman, described her as fiercely loyal, someone who remembers both your best days and your hardest days, and always reaches out to remind you that you’re not alone. She also described her as a “momma bear,” someone who shows unwavering support and care for her children and those around them. And in moments of crisis, Jenn becomes the person her family turns to, guiding them through complex medical situations with calm, strength, and relentless advocacy.