Erika Shira Email & Phone Number

Greater Boston Area

Providing assessment, evaluation, treatment planning, consultation, crisis assessment, and short-term support and psychoeduational groups for individuals and families of all ages. Employing a culturally affirming, race-aware, body-positive, queer/trans competent, disability-positive, neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed approach. Board-certified music therapist able to work with individuals with minimal or no verbal communication. Competent with families and individuals affected by adoption, foster care, relinquishment, termination of parental rights, kinship care, step-families, grandparenting. Providing individual supervision and organizational trainings on various topics related to adoption, fostering, trauma, developmental and other disabilities, queer/trans-affirming healthcare, and cultural competency. Available for consultation, parenting/biopsychosocial evaluation, and advocacy with DCF-involved children, parents, and families, through private pay, CPCS vendor contract, or other contract arrangements. Available for developmental and biopsychosocial evaluations for individuals of any age or ability. Able to provide yearly standardized achievement testing for homeschooled students at a reasonable rate. Provider with lived experience as foster parent, adoptive parent, parent of children with complex medical and mental health needs.

Greater Boston Area

Completing parental functioning assessments as requested by The Department of Children and Families, including a full case history, psychosocial assessment, diagnostic interviews, observations of parents with their children, and substantial collateral contact, with the completed assessment to be used to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that responds to identified areas of need, as well as available to be subpoenaed to court in Care & Protection matters.

Greater Boston Area

Supervised a team of 10 clinicians providing CBHI services to children and families in the community, reviewed and approved documentation, provided training to behavioral health staff, ensured state and insurance mandates were met.

Greater Boston Area

Completed comprehensive assessments and provided group and individual counseling and music therapy to individuals with developmental disabilities, including parents living independently or semi-independently, non-verbal individuals, individuals living in group residences or long-term care facilities. Facilitated work on a variety of issues including communication, social skills, vocational skills, dating and sexuality, transitioning to independent living, parenting, bereavement, effects of trauma, relationship concerns, attentional difficulties, and identity exploration.

Greater Boston Area

Worked as a member of a multidisciplinary team to administer developmental assessments and coordinate interventions for children ages 0 to 3 and their families, acted as ongoing service coordinator for families, provided individual and group music therapy services, provided individual parent counseling and coaching, developed and presented staff inservices, and supervised graduate and post-graduate interns. Attended initial IEP meetings for children transitioning to public schools and advocated for appropriate placement and services.

Greater Boston Area

Met with individuals served by residential and community programs, along with their treatment teams, to develop reimbursable treatment plans and assessments. Provided clinical consultation and inservices in order to ensure that services were provided in accordance with insurance regulations, individualized, and client-driven. Completed internal audits and revised documentation completed by members of team to meet standards.

Greater Boston Area

Provided group and individual therapy in a residential setting serving 100 adults with traumatic brain injuries and related neurological complications. Performed standardized testing and completed evaluations and safety assessments of incoming individuals. Provided supervision to clinicians.

Greater Boston Area

0.4 FTE position entailed developing curriculum and teaching music classes for 90 students aged 5-12 experiencing moderate to severe emotional, behavioral, attentional, and learning difficulties. Classes typically incorporated a variety of music therapy and music education techniques to address goals encompassing areas of impulse control, socialization, appropriate risk-taking, self-expression, and cognitive development.

Greater Boston Area

Performed assessment, treatment planning as a member of a multidisciplinary team, crisis intervention, planning and facilitation of group therapy sessions, discharge/safety planning, and documentation in a 26-bed acute inpatient psychiatric hospital serving children and adolescents aged 3-18.

Greater Boston Area

Served as a caseworker for specialized foster parents and the children in their care, ranging in age from infant to older teen. Provided supervision to foster parents around children's developmental, social, and emotional issues, as well as issues pertaining to the systems serving these children. Maintained contacts with children's schools, custodial agencies, biological families, and other services.

Ma, Music Therapy And Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Ba, Music, Liberal Arts