In my current role, I have spearheaded the organization, structuring, and development of the Behavioral and Speech Services departments. I provide oversight, direction, and leadership to two Directors of Behavioral Services, Director of Speech Services, 14 Behavioral Intervention Specialists, and three Speech Pathologists. I lead the provision of behavioral and speech services for adults and children with Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Dual Diagnoses. I ensure compliance with all city, state, and federal regulations and external certifying and accrediting bodies.►Provide oversight and manage the core function of behavior and speech services for 404 individuals and onsite day services for 574 individuals, including tasks and activities that support the establishment of routines, structure, to decrease dangerous behaviors and increase socially acceptable behavior. ►Developed and oversee 8 internal systems that maximize efficiencies to the benefit of stakeholders. ►Build and maintain community connections through consulting and serving as liaison to community providers, inclusive of psychiatric inpatient and outpatient services. ►Create policies and procedures designed to assist with regulatory compliance of city, state, and federal government mandates. Monitor, coach, and counsel staff for adherence. ►Assess the quality of clinical services provided and implement strategies based on findings; develop risk management and crisis prevention plans.►Train and provide clinical instruction to student employees (160 to-date) through the development of training curriculum including Positive Behavior Supports, Psychiatric Diagnoses, Therapeutic Relationships & Interventions, and Behavior Plan Implementation. ►Preserve and protect patients’ rights; assess and authorize aggressive treatment strategies, with the goal of balancing risk and duty of care.►Oversee all departmental hiring processes including planning, recruitment, and employee selection.

I provide didactic and clinical instruction to Massage Therapy students including classroom, laboratory, and clinical supervision assignments. I also assist the Program Director with curriculum development and course planning as needed, monitor student progress in labs and clinical rotations, create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable participating and learning, and provide extra support to students who require it by scheduling consultation times where questions and concerns can be voiced. My teaching style is professional and engaging, and I ensure the course syllabus and outline are presented thoroughly in an understandable manner. As a Student Success Advocate, I advise students regarding educational and professional goals, tutor students in Myology, and assist them in perfecting their practical clinical skills.

I am the chief content creator and editor at LolaTheRescuedCat.com, a multi-award winning blog that focuses on pet education and animal advocacy. Lola The Rescued Cat has helped many animals find homes, and was awarded the Muse Medallion from the Cat Writers’ Association in 2019 and 2020 for Best Rescue/Advocacy Blog, and 2021 for Best Education Blog.I am the Author of Lola: Diary of a Rescued Cat (ISNB#. 9780983155256)Key Achievements:*I maintain an award-winning Blogger.com based blog read by a community of cat lovers who are dedicated to giving animals the best life they deserve.*I have established and maintained professional relationships with major pet brands such as Sleepypod, Catit, Chewy.com, Petmate, PetFusion, Pioneer Pet, Zen Clipper, MYLAP Pet Bed, Dezi & Roo, Weruva, Smiling Paws, and many more.*Regular written content is created on important pet-related topics (such as rescue and advocacy, health and safety, and product reviews,) which includes creating images and sharing to social media platforms.*All content is proofread and edited by me.*I interview rescues and other animal professionals.*Research is conducted for all pet-related articles and is documented.*Capture photographs of pets, products, events, and more to incorporate into related blog posts.An active presence on numerous social media networks - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram – is maintained. *I manage all communication and negotiation with brands regarding giveaway duration, prizes, and promotional channels.

I was responsible for improving the overall quality of services for 123 individuals in a Day Habilitation Program. I developed and implemented programs that advanced the independence and productivity of individuals with a range of disabilities including Intellectual Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. I was responsible for the supervision of two Assistant Directors, program Psychologists, RNs, and Social Workers. I oversaw the supervision for Teachers, Assistant Teachers, and personnel by Assistant Directors. Key Achievements:*Maximized compliance by ensuring accurate and timely filing of incident reports, investigative and corrective actions. *Increased effectiveness in adherence to agency policies and procedures by fulfilling key role as liaison between facility staff and Human Resources department.*Guaranteed individuals received all services deemed necessary and provided timely completion of evaluations by monitoring Interdisciplinary Treatment Team processes. *Conducted weekly staff meetings and in-service training for professional and para-professional staff.

In this role I directly monitored the implementation of psychological, medical, QMRP, and social work services for individuals with developmental disabilities living in residential settings and attending day habilitation programs . I provided supervision to the Assistant Coordinator of Clinical Services, Coordinator of Nursing Services, Psychologists, and Registered Nurses. In the absence of the Deputy Director, I fulfilled her role, and I also served as the incident management designee of department.Key Achievements:* Improved performance of staff by assessing training needs and developing/coordinating training as needed.*Increased success of audit outcomes by assisting in development of Plans of corrective Actions.* Participated in and monitored the screening, admission, and discharge of individuals.* Ensured the delivery of high quality clinical services.*Served on standing committees as directed.