Cecily Johnson-Sweet, Ma, Mpa Email & Phone Number

Austin, Texas, United States

Work in tandem with State Refugee Health Coordinator as part of the state-level leadership team administering refugee resettlement services in the state of Texas. Provide direct and indirect oversight and supervision to 20 staff in Medical Replacement Designee (MRD) programs funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), including Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA), Refugee Medical Screening (RMS), and Refugee Health Promotion (RHP) as well as a Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA). Collaborate with external partners and stakeholders to ensure the health and wellbeing of refugee arrivals across the state.- Expanded the TX MRD office from 7 to 23 full-time staff and added 7 on-call staff in 2.5 years.- Lead the implementation of ORR-approved waivers for RMA and RMS, adapting to increased ORR-eligible arrivals in TX.- Develop training and technical resources for RHP and RMS subcontractors, including a comprehensive 40-page RMS Clinic Handbook.- Conduct 2 annual in-person monitoring visits in RMS and RHP each to ensure compliance with ORR and USCRI standards.- Organized all logistics, materials, and facilitation for the 3-day April 2024 TX RMS Clinic Convening in Austin, receiving 100% positive feedback from 19 attendees.- Coordinate and lead production of online learning modules for RMA, RMS, and Refugee Wellness Program partners.- Designed and continue to enhace the TX RHP service framework based on ORR guidelines, authoring 2 key documents for sub-grantees.- Manage the annual RHP subcontracting process, overseeing $12 million in FY2025 allocations to 15 local agencies.- Presented on the TX RHP program in ORR’s national peer-to-peer learning series.- Serve as Secretary on the national Association of Refugee Health Coordinators (ARHC) Executive Board since April 2024.

Austin, Texas, United States

Collaborated with State Refugee Health Coordinator to administer Refugee Medical Screening Program (RMS) across Texas, contracting with 7 clinics to provide services. Ensured compliance with Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations.- Developed secure method to share Safe Haven medical records efficiently with the 7 TX RMS clinics for the ~11,880 Afghan evacuees formally resettled in TX through encrypted DropBox folders.- Facilitated 3 in-person and 2 virtual training sessions for the 7 RMS clinics on new federal eligibility requirements for Afghan arrivals.- Identified pharmaceutical supply issues and elevated them to vendors to ensure patients receive proper care.- Strengthened internal processes through the development of 5 standard operating procedures.- Analyzed proposed clinic budgets totaling $13.1 million and supported contract negotiations for FY2022 to achieve cost-effective implementation.

Fort Lee, Virginia, United States

On assignment with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) at the Ft. Lee Safe Haven to support Afghan emergency response operations. Appointed to NGO Coordination Team in recognition of strong leadership and managerial abilities. - Oriented 30 new deployees and arranged daily staffing schedules for over 40 volunteers in close coordination with Team Leads, providing day-to-day support for NGO staff.

Austin, Texas

Provided program oversite for the national Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP), funded by the federal Department of Health and Human Services. Built capacity with subcontractors by providing training and technical assistance on program implementation and enhances collaboration between agencies across nine states. Routinely reviewed program policies and procedures to identify areas for increased efficiency and effectiveness. Ensured quality services were provided to survivors of trafficking by reviewing monthly reports and conducting remote desk audits and onsite monitoring visits. Facilitated ongoing outreach to expand the TVAP network to more rural areas of the United States.- Increased number of active service providers by 250% in first 10 months across regional assignment.- Provided an average of 100 technical assistance encounters on a monthly basis to 20+ subcontractors.- Guided statewide cross-sector collaboration in response to large group cases of human trafficking to ensure survivors receive timely and trauma-informed support and services.- Developed national database in collaboration with IT developers and authored user manuals for USCRI staff and subcontractors.

Portland, Maine

Managed the federal Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) program, consisting of eligibility assessments, coordination of care, provision of technical assistance, and community outreach. Represented USCRI at federally-mandated Refugee Advisory Council and Refugee Health Working Groups. Facilitated two training workshops for federal and state requirements for RMA. Participated in multiple training workshops on public health, global health, and trauma-informed care. Provided administrative management and oversight for Maine field office. - Led the successful application of the RMA program in the state and achieved eligibility for 20+ clients in compliance with federal and state guidelines. - Strengthened community relationships by championing collaborative opportunities with partners and stakeholders to support refugee and immigrant programs and enhance best practices in the area.- Boosted client access to adequate healthcare services by enhancing lobbying for improved service channels between insurance providers and caseworkers.

Augusta, Maine

Designed and conducted training workshops to provide opportunities and knowledge on cross-cultural competency and social media use for small organizations. Distributed the annual AmeriCorps member survey and collected data from up to 250 respondents. Utilized excellent quantitative skills to analyze data and presented findings to staff, commissioners, and subgrantees. Coordinated end-to-end logistics for award ceremonies, training workshops, and other public events; oversaw execution, monitoring, and completion of events and documented lessons learned to ensure continuous improvement. Designed brochures, event programs, monthly newsletters, and other marketing collaterals using Photoshop and InDesign.- Enhanced organization’s public presence by creating collaterals to promote networking events.

Portland, Maine

Offered support services with case managers to ease the resettlement process of international refugees in Maine. Assisted securement of U.S. registrations, such as Social Security Numbers. Coordinated concurrent support services for families. - Facilitated resettlement for over 16 refugee families from Iraq, Syria, the DRC, Somalia, and other countries.- Demonstrated exceptional cross-cultural communication skills and strengthened relationships with clients and recent arrivals fleeing from areas of conflict.

Erbil, Iraq

Supervised teams of up to six personnel. Oversaw project budgets up to $70K. Member of the senior management team for a donor-based foundation which provides humanitarian and emergency aid for Syrian and Iraqi refugees in both camp and urban settings. Oversaw operations and financial administration for an annual operating budget of $500,000. Managed donor relations and contract agreements. Prepared financial summaries, operational progress reports, and contextual briefs for stakeholders and funding partners. - Championed the transition from a start-up-level organization to a foundation with a value of $500,000.- Managed multiple emergency aid programs across the 7 formal Syrian refugee camps in the Kurdish Region and food and hygiene distributions for internally displaced Iraqis.- Designed and deployed the organization’s strategic goals and objectives, using evidence-based information on population needs and requirements. - Developed grant proposals, generating tens of thousands of dollars in funding from private and public donors, including a $45,000 award from the UNHCR.

Erbil, Iraq

- Spearheaded extensive research efforts for Iraq’s first thematic shadow report on the UN Convention to End Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), focusing on the extent to which US Occupying Forces and the new Iraqi Government encouraged the involvement of Iraqi women in the reconciliation and reconstruction process after the 2003 war- Utilized institutional policies and framework upheld by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security to analyze findings- Evaluated major trends in the status of women in Iraqi society and the impact these trends have on the greater societal and political contexts of Iraq, documented in 25-page report- Extracted advice, guidance, and recommendations based on the evaluation

Lund, Sweden

- Conducted desk review of literature on rates of female leadership in the Middle East, specifically the Gulf region, to inform the design of the leadership training program- Derived key ideas, arguments, and statistics concerning rates of women in the workforce and personal, societal, or economic factors that both hold back and encourage their participation- Documented each source using accurate APA bibliographic guidelines and EndNote- Facilitated the planning and coordination of a leadership training program for 25 mid-level female managers from Sweden and the United Arab Emirates

Kuwait City, Kuwait

- Connected one-on-one with Kuwaiti students to increase their comprehension of school subjects - Enhanced students’ grades, which led to referral to additional students

San Bartolo, Peru

- Developed jewelry making business to help support street children of Lima, Peru - Gathered video footage and photos to increase awareness of the lives of these street children in the United States

San Francisco, Ca

- Engaged in original, community-based research of human trafficking within San Francisco- Documented findings in a report presented to the San Francisco District Attorney

Biddeford, Maine

- Effectively addressed constituent inquiries, including conducting research, communicating responses, and and completing related casework- Increased the administrative organization and efficiency of office operations, resulting in timely communication with citizens, enhanced record-keeping, and regular office hours.

Master Of Public Administration - Mpa, Public Health

Master Of Arts - Ma, Middle Eastern Studies, Arabic

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, International/Global Studies

Activities and Societies: Pi Sigma Alpha, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Honors Program in the HumanitiesValedictorian

Arabic, Middle Eastern History And Politics

Activities and Societies: STAR (Student Actions for Refugees, teaching English), Gilman Follow-Up Project (Promoting cross-cultural.