Charlie Wellenstein, MSW, LCSW

Charlie was hired as Chief Operating Officer in February of 2023 for his second tenure with Youth Homes. Charlie brings a wealth of experience in both Clinical and Program Administration. He oversees the service areas of Youth Homes, including Shelter Care, Therapeutic Group Care, and the Dan Fox Family Care Program.

He started his career at Youth Homes in the 1980s with our Talbot Center, then went on to direct our Attention and Tom Roy Youth Guidance Homes, and helped establish the Flathead Youth Shelter in Kalispell and the Partnership for Children group homes. Over the years, he has remained connected to our work through supervising practicum students at UM and coordinating community outreach for the Youth Crisis Diversion Project. Previously, he served as Director of the Montana Child Welfare Training Program at the University of Montana. This program focuses on recruitment and retention for Child and Family Services at the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, as well as training and evaluation.