Valarie Brown Email & Phone Number

Tucson, Arizona, United States

During the pandemic, I sought to stay productive and find a healthy hobby, leading me to complete a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) online certification course in Hatha Yoga. This certification helped me improve my personal practice and share my love of yoga with my family.In March 2024, I completed a second RYT 200-hour course in Vinyasa Yoga through Flourish Yoga. Since then, I have begun teaching community classes to help people manage stress and strengthen their emotional intelligence.

Tucson, Arizona, United States

• Successfully transitioned from working in Child Safety, to primary focus being elderly and disabled individuals on AHCCCS; Arizona’s form of Medicaid. • Developed a basic understanding of Medicare and health insurance. • Promptly contacting new members for initial intake, coordinating essential services to improve overall well-being.• Conducted assessments of elderly and disabled members in various settings (home, assisted living, nursing homes). • Coordinated and authorized services to maximize independence in the home setting. • Entered collected information with close attention to detail, achieving the highest chart audit score on the team. • Quickly adapted to new programs, providing support and guidance to teammates. • Earned "Extraordinary Performance" rating, the highest rating possible, two years in a row. • Facilitating Managed Risk Agreement (MRA) meetings to prevent placement disruptions. • Collaborated with care and medical providers to ensure member needs were met, demonstrating strong communication skills via phone, in-person, and written correspondence.• Conducted follow-ups with members, care providers, and medical staff.• Received recognition from facilities and members for strong coordination of care and efficiency.• Coordinated discharge planning with hospitals, ensuring services were set up pre-discharge and appropriate plans were in place.• Ranked first among 130+ case managers for completing initial visits and setting up services for members and tied for first in initial contacts during the 2022 assessment period.• Achieved the second fastest turnaround time for discharge planning among all ALTCS case managers in Arizona during the 2023 assessment period.• Actively engaged in leadership development, leading team meetings, sharing policy and procedure updates, running weekly supervisory reports using Excel, mentoring new case managers, and assisting in pre-chart audits for training purposes.

Tucson, Arizona, United States

• Oversaw the review of Team Decision Making (TDM) referrals and scheduled meetings as necessary.• Facilitated TDM meetings according to established policy and procedure guidelines.• Entered data into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets within a two-day deadline, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.• Managed group conversations with up to forty participants, maintaining a productive environment.• Multi-tasked by typing live summaries of meeting and writing visual aids for participant reference.• Actively listened and de-escalated tense situations, ensuring a safe environment for discussing sensitive topics.• Reviewed data and trends during weekly team meetings, contributing to strategic decision-making processes.• Acted as DCS Supervisor on three occasions, including oversight of Adoptions and Ongoing units. • Responsibilities included reading and correcting court reports, conducting clinical assessments with Child Safety Specialists (CSS), reviewing cases for closure, and providing guidance and education to CSS on DCS processes and resources. • Provided support to the section during backlog periods by conducting child welfare investigations and assisting supervisors in case reviews for closure.

Tucson, Arizona, United States

• Nominated as "Case Manager of the Year" by a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for outstanding service to a youth.• Awarded by the Child and Family Team (CFT) Celebration Committee for demonstrating best practices and dedication in engaging families and collaborating effectively with the team.• Prepared foster teenagers for the transition into adulthood, providing essential support and guidance.• Collaborated with educational and behavioral health providers via multiple channels to promote academic achievement.• Wrote thorough and detailed court reports, ensuring accurate representation of each youth's situation.• Attended court hearings to provide progress updates and advocate for the needs of the youth.• Conducted monthly in-person child contacts, assisting young adults in obtaining Arizona State IDs and opening bank accounts, while teaching financial budgeting skills.• Educated foster youth on job application procedures and assisted in securing housing arrangements.• Worked diligently to establish family connections and natural supports for youth aging out of the foster care system, fostering significant relationships for their ongoing well-being.

Tucson, Arizona, United States

• Worked towards family reunification by creating and delivering comprehensive case plans to parents, outlining clear expectations for reunification.• Ensured the safety of foster children through regular monthly contacts in their placements, promptly addressing any observed safety concerns.• Gathered ongoing updates from parents, children, family members, and service providers through in-person interviews and phone conversations throughout the case duration.• Guided parents in overcoming issues related to domestic violence, substance abuse, behavioral health, and other barriers to reunification.• Coordinated services to address Serious Mental Illness (SMI), general mental health, behavioral health, homelessness, and other disparity issues that were a barrier to reunification.• Implemented quality case management practices with trauma awareness.• Led group meetings to review progress and identify areas requiring improvement.• Maintained positive relationships with agency providers and parents, navigating difficult conversations with candor, transparency, and respect.• Prepared detailed court reports for each case every 3-4 months, providing strong testimony in open court for permanency hearings, contested dependencies, and severance trials.• Demonstrated cultural awareness by collaborating with tribal members in compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases.