Part-time private therapy practice; licensed in both North and South Carolina, offering a hybrid of telehealth, in-office and eco-therapy (walk & talk). Therapy focus is on individual's experiencing life-transitions, identity issues, trauma, anxiety, and depression. I use a mix of therapeutic modalities, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral, Person-centered, Trust Based Relational Intervention, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness and Attachment theories.

Work in collaboration with primary care providers, psychiatrists, and others to help patients, ages 12+ with their mental health problems as an integral part of their overall health care. This may include psychosocial assessment, time-limited counseling appropriate to the primary care setting, consultation with and education of primary care providers about mental health issues, brief problem-solving and crisis interventions with patients in the primary care clinic, monitoring of patient progress, and at times referrals to outside mental health providers and other resources needed by the particular patient.

Responsibilities includes program development and oversight of the Foster Care program in the Upstate. Provide supervision for regular foster care staff and therapeutic foster care staff, hire and train staff, ensuring state and agency policies and procedures are followed, collaborate in updating program forms, set and achieve annual program goals and budgets, review case files in compliance with PQI, licensing foster families, placement of foster children collaboration with DSS, Marketing and recruiting foster families, ensure foster parents have all required training to maintain foster license. Complete diagnostic assessments and provide recommendations for care. Provide direct service to clients (as needed).

Work collaboratively with patients, their families and a multidisciplinary team to determine the best level of care; promoting an environment of safety and inclusion. Complete assessments and intake activities for behavioral health patients presented to an emergency department, and on hospital acute care units. Document in the electronic medical records an accurate and timely assessment of patients with emphasis on patient safety / risk factors and coordinate transfer or discharge planning. Facilitate access to psychiatric, mental health and chemical dependency services for patients in hospital emergency departments and/or in acute care settings throughout Aurora systems. Provide clinical consultation and outpatient resources. Assist with crisis intervention utilizing therapeutic counseling and de-escalation skills in the effort of maintaining a patient’s safety. Verifies patient’s insurance to ensure accurate benefits and appropriate referral to providers for services. Completes pre-authorization requirements. Assist in orientation of new staff. Responsible for maintaining intake statistics, maintenance of current community resource information and monitors service activities

Responsibilities include the oversight of both the Adoption and Pregnancy Support Services programs. Provide regular supervision to case managers. The hiring and expansion of programs, ensuring agency policies and procedures are followed in accordance with COA and DCF developing and updating program manuals, setting and achieving annual program budgets, reviewing case files, screening potential clients and collaborating with state and local entities. Marketing and social media engagement Management of a limited number of program cases to remain relevant and in touch with staff.

Practice a variety of therapeutic interventions, including person-centered, psychodynamic, family systems, cognitive behavioral, solution-focused, and trauma-informed modalities. Engaging children, adolescent and adults population. Facilitate weekly CBT groups as well as individual counseling for both adolescent and adult populations. Complete intake and assessments and treatment planning with clients. Utilizing motivational interviewing to facilitate client involvement Documenting weekly and monthly progress of clients. Collaboration with colleagues and multidisciplinary professionals including the judicial system, and the clients parole/probation officers to ensure clients compliance and communities safety. Provide psychoeducation to clients and manage risk and mitigation strategies.

Family preservation; keeping the family unit Intact by empowering families to solve their problems by coming alongside them and connecting them to community supports. Advocate non-traditional and varied activities and therapeutic modalities with and on behalf of families in order to meet the needs of the family. Coordinate client care and work closely with service providers. Complete documentation as required and according to Department of Child and Family Services. Develop and maintain on-going relationships and knowledge of services provided by collateral agencies. Maintain confidentiality and safeguard client information as required. Participate in professional development activities including: training, evaluations, conferences

As CIS Case Manager the responsibilities are for the provision of mobile emergency crisis intervention services for individuals of all ages (5-99). Our services are provided within the emergency rooms of local hospitals (Presence Mercy-Aurora, Rush-Copley Aurora and Yorkville). As a case manager, I worked with a team of medical staff to insure that clients are safe and their mental health needs are met in the least restrictive environment. A mental health assessment was completed and documented in MediTech, evaluating the immediate needs of the client whether that be inpatient hospitalization or outpatient referrals/appointments. Our goal, was to provide clinically effective, innovative behavioral health services to assist clients and their families in the process of mental health recovery.

Works collaboratively with patients and their families/significant others, physicians, the interdisciplinary team, to ensure that patients receive the appropriate level of care and services to meet their ongoing mental health needs in the least restrictive environment. I worked with patients in the Emergency Department and in the medical floors, completing mental health assessment and making the appropriate referrals for services. In the event a patient needed to be hospitalized, referrals and transportation would be coordinated to ensure as stable and smooth a transition for the patient as possible.

Committed to keeping the family unit Intact by empowering families to solve their own problems and to the value of a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a child. Advocate non-traditional and varied activities with and on behalf of families in order to meet the needs of the family. Complete documentation as required according to DCFS. Develop and maintain on-going relationships and knowledge of services provided by collateral agencies. Maintain confidentiality and safeguard client information as required. Participate in professional development activities including: training, evaluations, conferences.

Co-faciliate weekly CBT groups, both adolescent and adult populations. Documenting weekly and monthly progress of clients. Working closely with the judicial system, and the clients parole/probation officers to ensure clients compliance and communities safety. Providing additional tutoring for clients who need assistance through the workbook and presentation requirements for program completion. Work with anger management clients often mandated by the court system, working individually, through a 12-session program, completing anger-management intake and assessment as well as documentation of clients weekly progress.

Conduct aggressive internal and external sales, marketing and relationship building functions calling on various levels of corporate accounts, including CFO’s, VP’s of finance controllers and tax personnel soliciting consulting engagements and professional services. As part of a sales team, collaborate in each step of the sales process; penetrate new accounts through cold calling, networking, lead generation and referrals. Leading sales calls and effectively closing contracts for multiple years, generating long term accounts, driving a 300% increase in new business in 2010 and 2011. Create and implement sales cycle as well as supporting documents and tools.

Client interface position, partnering with tax managers, tax consultants and clients throughout full property tax life cycle. Processing personal property returns, manage real and personal property assessments, prepared appeals, reverse audits, audit defense, fixed asset studies, exemptions, abatements. Negotiated informally both real and personal value differences on behalf of clients, successfully reducing their tax liability. Identified new laws, exemptions, legislation and trends to minimize tax liability. Educate client on results achieved in order to equip them to continue tax saving moving forward. Strong computer skills, with property tax software (PTR) and Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Outlook.