Sierra Forester Email & Phone Number

East Northport, New York, United States

Senior Counselor in the Young Adult Program for a mental-health treatment residence providing 24/7 supervision to clients. I provided direct care in the realms of counseling, education, & daily supervision of 9 individuals (ages 18-25) living with severe mental illnesses.★ Evaluated & met individual client needs through counseling & education in the following areas:• Symptom Management & Coping Strategy Development• Daily Living Skills• Assertiveness & Self-Advocacy Skills• Medication Management Training• Rehabilitation Counseling• Community Integration & Resource Utilization• Socialization & Social Skills Training• Health Services• Skill Development Services★ Daily Duties:• Designed & implemented annual (Medicaid-Issued) service plans• Conducted quarterly service plan reviews, adjusting plans to adapt to dynamic therapeutic goals• Provided regular services in accordance with service plans and OMH procedures.• Provided crisis recognition, de-escalation, and conflict resolution• Supervised each client's medication management.• Retrieved, logged, & monitored clients' prescription medications for accuracy & timely renewals.• Regularly communicated with all members of the client's treatment team• Kept detailed medical and treatment records for each client• Attended client meetings in residence and community (day programs, school boards, DSS, etc.)-----★ The Way Back, Inc. is a non-profit organization which operates community based transitional residential facilities.

Kings Park, New York

Residential counselor for a nonprofit organization funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health. Responsible for delivering support, education and empowerment to clients (Ages 40-60) suffering from severe mental illness within this transitional housing setting. Provided clients with direct care in the realms of symptom management, socialization, daily living skills, assertiveness training, medication management, & goal setting to prepare clients for more independent living.★Evaluated & met individual client needs: • Completed thorough assessments to measure each client's functional ability. • Utilized a person-centered approach to create & implement annual (Medicaid-issued) service plans • Completed quarterly service plan reviews for clients, adapting treatment to each clients' progress. • Networked & coordinated with outside providers & family members regularly★Provided daily supervision to promote client safety:• Recorded detailed daily notes to monitor changes in client behavior & facilitate continuity of care.• Observed for potentially harmful environmental stimuli as well as negative affect.• Provided crisis recognition & de-escalation techniques for individualized & group mediation. • Supervised & managed clients' medication regimen to ensure accuracy & consistency.★ The Way Back, Inc. is a non-profit organization which operates community based transitional residential facilities.

Dix Hills, 11746

★ Provided 1:1 care to special needs pre-school students ages 3-5, implementing the educational & therapeutic goals set forth by their IEP plans. ★ Prepared students with developmental disabilities for more formal school environments through building self-esteem, providing positive guidance, & establishing constructive routines. ★ Communicated effectively with teachers, parents & children to foster coordination when addressing specific needs of the children.★ Daily Responsibilities: • Observe children for indications of learning disabilities or emotional troubles & get acceptable action. • Assist the full-time teacher in implementation of lesson plans & classroom management. • Create fun, motivating experience to generate the highest level of performance for each individual • Help to socialize the children & encourage individuals to participate in group activities. • Employ behavioral management techniques to keep child, self, & others safe • Encourage good behaviors using the positive reinforcement method. • Ensure that safety rules are being observed & guard against accidental injuries.★ Apply principles of learning for preschool children (from ages 3 to 5) with autism spectrum disorder: • 1:1 instructional (discrete trials), group instruction (circle time), & behavioral support. • Implement ABA techniques (such as PECS & DTT) to increase skills in language & communication, play, & cooperation★Completed trainings with the New York State Office of Children & Family Services: • Child/Infant CPR • First-Aid & EpiPen Administration • Early Childhood Education: Foundations in Health & Safety • Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Wichita, Kansas Area

• Utilized Microsoft Excel 10 hours per week to create detailed monthly sales analyses for over 30 distribution companies operating with 6 vendor companies.• Identify & propose revenue maximization strategies in response to changing market conditions.• Produce & maintain extensive reports and data visualizations of calculated sales patterns throughout the past 4 years.

Ithaca, New York Area

★"Behavioral & MRI Comparison of the Survival Encoding Effect & the Self-Referential Encoding Effect" • Focused on identifying neural correlates for processing & retrieval of intrusive memories. • Prepared IRB application materials & successfully obtained IRB approval for the study. • Managed & analyzed MRI data, heart rate variability data, & survey data collected in the lab.

Ithaca, New York Area

"Student-led 501(c)(3) independent organization designed to mitigate the harms associated with high-risk drinking while promoting student safety at Cornell University."• Completed comprehensive training in non-confrontational bystander intervention.• Monitored weekly social events to emphasize safe & responsible drinking.• Followed de-escalation & crisis-prevention protocol in emergency situations.

Delta Chapter At Cornell University

Worked within the chapter's Programming & Education Department as the director for the Ceremonies Team. As Historian, my role was to chronicle the chapter throughout the year & preserve previous years’ memorabilia.

Greater St. Louis Area

★Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars Program: • Completed SLU Law school courses through a program designed for college students from underrepresented backgrounds. • Developed professional skills through service within the community to promote equity in criminal justice. • Addressed unethical juvenile incarceration practices in America in a presentation I gave to a large conference of legal professionals.

Bachelor'S Degree, Human Development

Activities and Societies: Poster presentations at Cornell's Undergraduate Psychology Conference & Hunter College's Psychology Conference.

Master Of Science - Ms, Psychology

Undergraduate Exchange Program/Study Abroad:, Pop-Culture & Politics; Brain & Behaviour; Intro To Socio-Legal Studies; Comparative Politics