Beth Ashton, Lcsw-C Email & Phone Number

Us

Baltimore, Maryland, Us

I provide a range of clinical social work services to the adults on our inpatient unit throughout their entire stay, collaborating with each patient and the treatment team to develop a treatment plan tailored to the individual's presenting problems and unique strengths. As the social worker on the treatment team, I provide family work when clinically indicated, and help patients to set limits and reinforce appropriate boundaries when family work is not indicated due to a variety of complicating factors (i.e. family involvement in perpetration of childhood abuse, continuing safety issues within the family system, and stage of treatment). When family members are involved in treatment, I offer psychoeducation regarding the patient's diagnoses, which typically include PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and co-occurring mood or personality disorders. While substance use disorders and eating disorders are not my specialty, I will provide referrals and resources to patients for whom these issues may be impacting the symptoms and treatment for their primary trauma-related diagnoses. By the end of a patient's stay on our unit, I also will have discussed discharge planning with the patient and assisted with securing aftercare appointments and continuity of care with outpatient providers. For more information on our services, please visit us at www.traumaatsp.org

Following an inpatient stay on the Trauma Disorders Unit, some patients may require additional social work services to maintain stability and reinforce progress achieved while inpatient. The Transitional Aftercare Program allows patients to continue receiving this social work assistance while also participating in daily life as an outpatient. I see referred patients following discharge approximately once per week in individual sessions to address psychosocial stressors and practice coping skills to tolerate the stress of this transition to a lower level of care. Short-term, behavioral and solution-focused interventions are used to empower clients and build self-efficacy in order to support recovery and stabilization. Some family work may be indicated, and this is approached collaboratively with the patient based on her or his specific needs. Referred individuals may remain in the program for up to 90 days post-discharge. In addition to individual sessions, clients are encouraged to attend our weekly Life Transitions group to process and receive support from their peers.

At this community mental health center, I provided individual and family therapy with children, adolescents, and adults on outpatient basis. Presenting problems included Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, Grief and loss, ADHD, relational problems, parent-child conflict, and general struggles with adjustment to life circumstances. I utilized play therapy and therapeutic art interventions when indicated to develop rapport and assist younger clients with expression of difficult feelings. I utilized CBT-informed techniques with adults struggling with depression and anxiety, and provided psychoeducation about the prevalence of these struggles in order to help normalize their otherwise isolating experiences. I utilized family meetings to provide psychoeducation and suggest behavioral techniques to promote safety and understanding in the family system of the child or adolescent (the identified patient). I loved this part-time evening job, and only left due to practical issues (location, increased responsibilities at primary workplace).

Baltimore, Maryland, Us

Fresh out of graduate school, I was immersed in another ceaselessly educational experience, navigating the Treatment Foster Care system in Baltimore City. I maintained a caseload of up to 12 children diagnosed with one or more Developmental, Intellectual disabilities and some co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. These individuals ranged in age from 18 mos. to 21 years. Each child was also assigned a DSS case manager, and communication between our agency and theirs was essential to the continuity of care for each child. As their TFC social worker, I was charged with making at least 2 home visits to each child per month, attending each court date, assisting with coordination of and transportation to appointments to ensure medical and mental health care needs were met in timely fashion, and attending IEP meetings to advocate for the treatment of each child's unique educational needs. I worked with alongside the Developmental Disabilities Administration to secure resources for individuals as they transitioned out of care at age 21. Descriptive and thorough progress notes were documented for each contact and filed in each child's record, audited by peers and licensing authorities with regularity. Family work was necessary to support foster parents and provide education about their foster child's special needs. I also participated in new foster parent training, specifically delivering education regarding behavior modification and adjustment issues.

Baltimore, Maryland, Us

I provided inpatient social work services to children up to age 12 on the acute stabilization unit. I completed psychosocial evaluations, maintained contact with each patient's family as needed, and provided family work to educate the child's support system about their diagnoses and accompanying behavioral issues. Some training with regards to behavioral interventions was also provided when indicated. Additionally, my supervisor and I co-facilitated groups on distress tolerance and other salient topics.

Baltimore, Md, Us

As a fledgling social work student, I learned much on my feet in this internship. I made contact with each outpatient as they started chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, assessing the individual for psychosocial stressors and areas of need as well as areas of strength. Throughout the course of their treatment, I would provide resources for support and to address practical concerns, including energy assistance, cash assistance, food stamps, prescription assistance programs, and housing. Along with another intern or our supervisors, I would co-facilitate a support group. During the second semester, the other SW intern and I traded positions, and I was able to experience a range of hospital services. I spent a short rotation working on the Med-Surg unit, followed the Mother-Baby unit social worker, and also followed the ICU social worker.

Baltimore, Md, Us

This was a temporary contract position in which I fielded phone calls from the public, assisted with locating pre-kindergarten programs when a program was not available at a child's zoned school, provided testing for early admission to Pre-K and Kindergarten for those eligible, and completed daily office management tasks including filing, mailing, developing spreadsheets and other documents, and organizing materials for trainings.

Baltimore, Md, Us

Coordinator for Summer Pre-College Residency Program

Activities leader for Good Shepherd residential treatment center for adolescent girls.

Master Of Social Work (M.S.W.), Clinical: Mental Health

Bachelor'S Of Fine Arts, General Sculptural Studies