Detour... to real estate sales and I love it! Working for a broker who is dynamic and a change-maker in the industry. Truly appreciate that I can put my life's training as a therapist to work in a new field.

All of my responsibilities contribute to the promotion of human/animal interaction for the purpose of enhancing positive mental and physical health for both. I am EAGALA, EMDR and ART certified and presently am completing steps necessary to obtain Bond-Based Choice dog training certification as prescribed by Jennifer Arnold with Canine Assistants.

I worked with various Physicians, Workman's Compensation Companies and Home Health Agencies located in, and around the St. Louis area to help meet the psychosocial, physical, and financial needs of their patients and families. The majority of my caseload involved individuals over the age of 65 and/or their significant others looking for guidance on how to navigate through the inevitable layers bureaucracy one encounters when trying to figure out how to best access and maximize their benefits within both state and federal governments. In addition, provision of education and validation of challenges met during life's transitions are all a necessary part of the Community Case Manager's role.

I help with complex family situations which have arisen from a decline in a patent's physical and/or cognitive health status. Working within the time limitations requested by Medicare HMO's calls for expeditious actions and linkage with all available community resources in order to maximize patients' levels of independence while maintaining the least amount of risk for life- altering injury. Communication between all those invested in the patient's overall health plays a key role in securing successful outcomes.

Provided a wide range of advocacy and support services to individuals diagnosed with life-limiting illness and bereavement care to their significant others. Through a collaborative interdisciplinary team approach, worked with patients and their caregivers on goals which focused on comfort and maximizing quality of life, assisted with linkage to area resources and navigation through bureaucratic systems, intervened in crisis situations, offered ongoing education to patients and caregivers as well as to members of a multidisciplinary team, external customers, and service providers, taught accepted alternative therapeutic techniques to help manage pain, anxiety, grief, or other stress-related symptoms, addressed end-of-life needs most often related to care-giving, financial issues, physical, emotional and spiritual issues. Anticipated, monitored, and provided for pre-bereavement coping concerns, and ongoing reactions, especially as they pertained to complicated and prolonged grief issues.

Managed a caseload of 17-25 patients with challenging medical conditions, fragile family dynamics and a multiplicity of psychosocial issues and concerns. Assessed inpatients and their families to determine emotional, financial and after-care needs. Coordinated with internal and external case managers, attorneys, Risk Management and Security to anticipate and resolve complex, often catastrophic healthcare needs while respecting cultural and religious values and complying with laws and hospital policies on end-of-life, power of attorney and/or legal guardianship.● Facilitated family conferences with physicians, patient-relations representatives, palliative-carestaff, hospice workers and hospital ethicist as appropriate.● Worked in close collaboration with Pastoral Care, Burn Recovery Support Group and hospitalpsychologists to assist patients and family members with post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and grieving issues.● Assisted physicians in completing Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and FamilyMedical Leave Act (FMLA) documents for families.● Supervised colleagues and George Warren Brown practicum students working towardsprofessional licensure and MSW degrees, respectively.