Erin Velez, Msw, Lcsw, M.Ed Email & Phone Number

Wheeling, Illinois, United States

• Provides consultation regarding mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders utilizing individual psychotherapy, family therapy, group therapy, and behavior modification in support of the student or faculty member’s plan of care• Conducts screening and assessments for identified families, brief interventions and referral to treatment, coordination with pediatricians, school personnel, community partners, and allied therapists• Collaborates with the APN and Medical Director on administrative duties, including preparation of required reporting and program expansion/development• Responds to an emergency that requires physical/behavioral management and de-escalation skills/techniques

Wilmette, Illinois, United States

• Utilized creativity and business acumen to create a Mental Health Department that goes beyond the services currently being offered• Supervised 5therapists within the department and provided interpretation of their client’s therapeutic profile and/or strategies around specific behaviors/goals• Reviewed resumes, interviewed, onboarded, and trained new employees• Collaborated with a multi-disciplinary team of Special Educators, Occupational, Speech, and Developmental therapists• Wrote social media content related to mental health services • Provided evidence-based psychotherapeutic services to children, adolescents, and families

Park Ridge, Il

• Managed all responsibilities for the internship program, including interviewing, supervising, and overall program development• Handled full case management responsibilities in multiple units simultaneously to develop interventions that target high-risk families and to maximize opportunities for preventive health care• Completed a needs assessment for the pediatric emergency room that led to pioneering a crisis intervention behavioral health program, creating a therapeutic environment by mitigating length of stays, minimizing escalation of patient behaviors, and providing developmentally appropriate materials• Functioned as a member of a multidisciplinary team to share expertise on concerns related to suspected abuse and neglect, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other legal matters• Proficiently completed patient-centered, strengths-based, and culturally competent intake and assessments of mentally ill patients to determine which level of care is most appropriate by using knowledge from DSM-V

Buffalo Grove, Illinois, United States

• Provided evidence-based psychotherapeutic services to children, adolescents, and young adults focusing on the integration of mind and body wellness• Determined frequency, duration, and intensity of treatment and completes integrated assessments and treatment planning documentation• Collaborated with client’s outside providers to ensure a comprehensive plan of care and necessary resource linkage to services• Maintained required training, licensure, and confidentiality of privileged information at the same time adhering to client privacy laws

Arlington Heights, Il

• Recommended new approaches, policies and procedures by continual evaluating efficiency of ministry and service performance• Oversaw the strategy for recruitment efforts, wrote and placed advertisements, worked with supervisors to screen and interview candidates, conducted reference checking, extended job offers, conducted new-employee orientations, and conducted exit interviews• Provided leadership within weekly group therapy meetings to Youth Ministry focused on spiritual guidance, coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills for every day life

Greater Chicago Area

• Developed and implemented the vision, strategy and tactical elements for all activities and educational aspects related to children’s ministry• Provided oversight of children’s program budgets such as managing bi-weekly payroll and teaching materials• Improved manager and employee performance by: identifying and clarifying problems; assisting in the interpretation of policies and procedures; evaluating potential solutions; and implementing selected solutions

Greater Chicago Area

• Provided culturally competent practices to assist patients with addressing the social and emotional needs that impact a patient's adherence to medical treatment for chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses• Participated in weekly Child Protective Services/DCFS multi-disciplinary team meetings to report on behalf of Social Work's assessment and intervention suggestions• Provided partnerships with local community resources/authorities for continued knowledge of appropriate referrals

Greater Chicago Area

• Pioneered a sustainable Early Education Option Outreach Program and community resource file aimed to enroll a higher percentage of teen parent’s children in an Early Education/Head Start program• Facilitated a weekly psycho-educational support group with pregnant and parenting teens stemming from evidence-based research that focused on developing a healthy relationships between teen parents and their children• Assisted teen parents with successful movement toward emancipation by creating individualized educational plans and used a strength-based perspective to motivate and promote achievement in their education and vocational goals

Naperville, Illinois

• Wrote weekly lesson plans, which pertained to Illinois State Education Requirements• Facilitated effective and comprehendible parent-teacher conferences• Administered an ongoing portfolio regarding, social, emotional, intellectual and physical growth using several tools such as Children’s Progress Academic Assessment (CPAA) and Goddard University Developmental Standards• Implemented a developmentally appropriate environment in which children developed personal relationships, experimented, made choices, solved problems, and developed age-appropriate social and self-help skills• Conducted ongoing responsibilities as the director designee, which included overseeing the school if director or assistant director were not present

Master'S Degree, Social Work

M. Ed Early Childhood Education Administration

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Sociology