I specialize in counseling services for individuals, couples, and families concerning problematic substance use, depression and despair, stress and anxiety, trauma, life adjustment/transition, grief and loss, couples/family dynamics, and LGBTQIA2S+ clients.

I co-develop effective digital tools to create impactful, user-centric solutions for mental health professionals.

I specialize in developing comprehensive training materials for both online and in-person delivery, encompassing webinars, learner’s guides, trainer’s guides, slide decks, and promotional materials across various channels via print, web, and social media. I offer expert guidance and support, with a focus on mental health and substance use topics such as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), medication-assisted treatment, and suicide prevention.

I provided individual, couples, and family counseling services concerning substance use, depression and despair, stress and anxiety, trauma, life adjustment/transition, grief and loss, couples/family dynamics, and LGBTQIA2S+ clients.

I developed educational programs on evidence-based counseling skills, cutting-edge research, and standards of practice for addiction counselors. I managed a highly successful webinar series, where we trained over 15,000 professionals annually. I frequently provided face-to-face training to addiction and mental health counselors across the country and have written numerous articles, book chapters, national curriculums, and training manuals, including a chapter in the Casebook on Counseling Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Persons and Their Families. I also assisted in the adoption of new, evidence-based treatment practices, such as SBIRT with social workers and nurses and medication-assisted treatment for opioid and alcohol dependence with behavioral health providers.

I was the Technical Writer and advisor for many of NAADAC’s educational face-to-face, homestudy and online trainings on such topics as co-occurring disorders, medication-assisted treatment, Motivational Interviewing, DOT/SAP and SBIRT. I also authored and edited The Basics of Addiction Counseling: Desk Reference and Study Guide, tenth edition and numerous articles and book chapters concerning addiction-related issues.

I participated in meetings with Members of Congress and attended governmental testimonies on behalf of the addiction workforce. I supported the work of the Director of Government Relations to develop awareness of addiction and its impact on the counselor and client where we developed grassroots strategies for effecting legislative policies and responded to members’ queries regarding public policy initiatives.

During my invaluable experience at this inpatient hospital, I provided individual, group, and family therapy for adult patients undergoing detoxification from psychoactive substances or needing stabilization for active mental illness in an inpatient hospitalization setting. I also facilitated psychoeducational and growth groups with patients seeking addiction and mental health treatment services and assisted with case management by developing treatment plans and documenting daily progress.

This research position was designed to assist in executing Project MAP, a research study funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) exploring the connect among recreational methamphetamine use, HIV transmission, and men who have sex with men. I co-facilitated focus groups and conduct individual interviews with study participants, managed online recruitment for potential participants and respond to inquiries, and organized and coded transcriptions of individual interviews and focus groups.

Twice a week, I accompanied detectives in the Crime Investigation Division and police officers on "ride-alongs" during nine hour shifts where we participated in open investigations within the Homicide, Burglary and Theft, Auto, and Vice departments of the Criminal Investigation Division. We responded to 911 calls concerning drug violations, burglary, domestic disturbances, homicide, auto accidents, and sexual assault; observed interviews of suspects and victims, property searches, arrests, and SWAT interventions; assisted officers with daily and crime reports; and researched many aspects of the police force and kept daily logs of activity.