Lorena Mitchell Email & Phone Number

New Haven County, Connecticut, United States

• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and other providers to assess veterans' needs in VA Psychiatric Emergency Room and develop appropriate discharge and transfer plans.• Communicate and refer veterans to non-VA, community-based inpatient psychiatry units; follow veterans' progress while inpatient and coordinate appropriate discharge plans with connection to VA follow up care.• Navigate VA and community resources and provide referrals to housing, legal, substance abuse, and other services.• Participate in weekly Psych ER leadership meetings and participate in projects to improve workflow of ER and overall patient care.

New Haven

• Provided rehabilitative community support and case management services in a residential setting to assist veterans with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders to achieve and maintain the highest degree of independent living in their communities. • Worked collaboratively to provide group and individual psycho-education, case management activities, person centered goal development, and crisis intervention services. • Provided transportation and assists in providing hands-on-instruction with life skill development.

West Haven, Ct

• Conducted psychosocial assessments with newly admitted veterans on inpatient psychiatric unit to inform mental health treatment and discharge plan and assist with on-going case management and discharge planning.• Participated in daily multidisciplinary rounds to discuss clinical case evaluation and discharge.• Accompanied veterans off the unit to complete case management tasks related to housing, finances, legal obligations and other discharge planning activities.• Designed and implemented 8-week group curriculum using eclectic blend of CBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness and strengths-based interventions to support veterans in recovery from substance use at crisis-respite house.

Greater New York City Area

• Research New York Medicaid Managed Care Policies to recommend program improvement strategies to hospital system.• Analyze emergency department utilization data using PSYCKES database and the Mount Sinai dashboard to identify patients with behavioral health needs to enroll in intensive case management programs.

Greater New York City Area

• Conducted semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews for Community-Based Participatory Research initiative to assess impact of mental health education programs.• Created survey from evidence-based tools to evaluate community/research partnership and managed data collection.• Conducted qualitative analysis of interview transcripts to discover perceptions of mental illness in the community.• Recruited and consented Harlem residents from faith-based organizations for monthly Mental Health First Aid trainings to increase community capacity to identify, understand, and respond to mental illness.

Bronx, Ny

• Managed weekly group intake sessions for all incoming youth (ages 16 – 24); conducted 30-minute biopsychosocial intake interviews with new participants to solicit information about home environment, education, employment, and health.• Maintained caseload of 15 clients and helped them set and achieve educational, employment, and personal goals.• Researched, created and implemented voter registration and engagement project to increase civic participation at BYC.• Taught weekly yoga class and led a one-time 30-minute mindfulness workshop.• Created intake process manual to formalize organizational processes of enrolling new participants in services.

West Haven

• Provided direct assistance to caseload of 15 veteran clients seeking criminal pardons by compiling and submitting applications and preparing clients for hearings at the CT Board of Pardons.• Implemented needs assessment to analyze re-entry priorities for clients at the Veteran’s Unit of Cybulski State Prison.• Wrote grant proposals and successfully obtained over $200K in grants to improve operations and conduct research.• Planned and oversaw two annual fundraisers—cycling event that raised $211K and gala that raised $130K.• Served as liaison with Board of Directors and developed 3-year strategic plan to increase budget by 25% and expand geographic footprint.• Recruited, hired, trained and supervised 5 interns.

Master Of Social Work (Msw), Clinical/Medical Social Work

Master Of Public Health (Mph), Health Policy And Management

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Political Science

Activities and Societies: UChicago Democrats, UChicago Yoga Club

Bachelor Of The Arts; Bachelor Of The Arts, Political Science; South Asian Languages/Civilizations

Senior B.A. Thesis: A Comparison of Gandhian Politics with the Mass Politics of Anna Hazare