Meredith Beard Email & Phone Number

Maplewood/Richmond Heights School District

Provide psychosocial assessment, individual, family and group counseling services to children and youth in a school setting.

Identifies and assesses academic problems through analysis of factors impinging on student adjustment including factors in the home, school, and community. Serves as a liaison between families and the school to positively promote collaborative processes in educational planning for students by encouraging parent/guardian participation in the school setting. Completes psychosocial assessments to assist in the determination of special education services. Determines and implements appropriate therapeutic strategies to effect changes in behavioral –social interactions of students and their families. Provides individual and group therapeutic counseling to students and their families. Collaborates with school staff and other school system personnel in implementing strategies to promote student learning. Maintains required clinical records and submits appropriate documents for statistical reports with adherence to program standards in school social work. Conducts home visits related to establishing communication and positive connections between the parents/guardians and school setting around identified issues. Provides crisis intervention services and conducts risk assessments on referred students.

Conducts weekly group and individual counseling sessions with approximately 95 students in grades 3-8 in underserved St. Louis City public and charter schools.Counseling sessions are primarily focused on psycho-education about feelings and coping skills regarding family transitions such as separation/divorce, incarcerated family members, grief & death, absentee parents, depression, anxiety, and trauma history.Utilizes play therapy techniques, strengths-based approach and systems approach with clients. Incorporates CBT, TFCBT, and MATCH-ADTC techniques to address individual clients' anxiety, depression, trauma and conduct problems. Partners with school counselors, principals, teachers, and parents to promote client well-being at home and school.

City Seeds Urban Farm & Saint Patrick'S Center

Created and implemented a client advisory board that involves past clients in sharing input and recommendations for the City Seeds program. Created and implemented an assessment of job training and therapeutic outcomes of the City Seeds Urban Farm program.Studied empowerment theory, strengths-based theory, relational theory, and therapeutic horticulture as they apply to interventions for substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness.

Co-facilitated group and individual sessions with children and parents affected by divorce.Utilized Pediatric Symptoms Checklist (PSC) to measure childlren's progress in pre- and post- intervention tests.Concurrently studied Group Therapy at Washington University.

Facilitated group work with at-risk teens covering topics of abstinence, community service, and social skills.Accompanied youth on trip to Advocacy Day at the Missouri State Capital and on several community service projects.Researched and implemented Best Practice theoretical frameworks and techniques for working with African American teens. Taught teens crochet skills and led them in a community service project making hats and scarves for the cause of their choice: abused children.

Santa Barbara, California Area

Managed payroll, health care plan, IRA and tax withholdings for all employeesAssisted CEO in drafting letters, emails, invoices, and reportsManaged capital purchases and generated and maintained shop inventory recordsMaintained records of business transactionsScheduled, facilitated, and documented company meetingsAnswered calls with polite and professional phone manner

Master Of Social Work (M.S.W.), Family Concentration

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Philosophy And Religious Studies

Education record