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Auburn alumna named OPD's first social work coordinator

Auburn graduate Yarbi Cound '95 has joined the Opelika Police Department as the new social work coordinator. With more than 23 years of experience, Cound previously worked as a juvenile probation officer with Lee County Family Court, a legal advocate and education specialist for the Domestic Violence Intervention Center, and a resource worker for Chambers County Department of Human Resources (DHR). A majority of her career was spent with Lee County DHR serving as a child abuse and neglect investigator, quality assurance coordinator, and adult protective services resource supervisor. 

“Yarbi brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and resources to this new program,” says Opelika Police Chief Shane Healey. “With the increase of calls related to social services, we hope her role will allow us to better serve our citizens by connecting them with services that can truly help them.”

Cound's role will focus on assisting citizens who are in crisis that may not require law enforcement, connecting the community with resources, and following up to ensure they are receiving the appropriate services. 

“I am excited about this new position and look forward to working with our community partners to better serve the citizens of Opelika,” said Cound.

Cound is originally from Thomasville, Alabama, and received her bachelor's degree in criminology. She has assisted the Auburn University Social Work Program for many years, helping facilitate internships for students in the field.

Cound lives in Auburn and has two daughters, Ally, who currently lives in Birmingham and is a pharmaceutical sales rep, and Molly, who is studying apparel and textiles at the University of Alabama. 

Tags: Alumni Social Work