A bit about me...
Snippets
Life may not always be a bowl of cherries, but we work with what we've got! This was a precious "day of plumbs" for my daughter and me.
Family is everything. Every kind of family counts.
Walking is my own best therapy.
Curriculum Vitae
Master of Science Degree in Psychology
Counselor, advocate, and supervisor in human
service agencies and non-profit community-based organizations with a commitment
to strengthening families and individuals through collaborative approaches to
mental, emotional, economic, and community health
16 yrs experience data management for child,
adult, and family education and human services programs, grant reporting and
contract compliance, monthly and daily reporting, including budget, payroll,
and fiscal program reporting
18 yrs experience in designing curriculum and training workshops
for youth and adults in job readiness, literacy and language acquisition,
including train-the-trainer workshops in learning styles and teaching methods, cultural
awareness, and trauma informed therapeutic approaches for individuals with an
array of mental health and developmental disabilities, as well as socioeconomic
and substance abuse challenges
Career Experience
Gulf Coast Center for Mental Health,Substance Use Recovery, Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver
Program Reporting Coordinator, Service Coordinator
March 1, 2014 -Feb 29, 2016Maintain updated information and provide coordination and support for reporting requirements of 12 state and federally funded programs designed for Mental Health, Substance Use Recovery, and Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities through federal grants generated through the 1115 Medicaid Transformation Waiver equaling a budget of 25 million dollars over a period of 5 years. Strategize and implement data collection, data preparation, and data evaluation in partnership with a doctoral level researcher, project evaluator, and statistician. Assess and disseminate information to internal management for follow-up with operational staff regarding guidelines and contract compliance requirements of project grants. Submit collected data using proper official protocols and required digital data collection tools and software. Responsible for coordination and final submissions of all narrative components of data reporting for the Medicaid Transformation Waiver as well as all written communications to collateral agencies, including Texas Health and Human Services and the University of Texas Medical Branch. Monitor project performance-based metric progress on and on-going basis, and assist in strategies for successful achievement of project goals.
Provide case management and coordination of services to adults and children with developmental disabilities with a caseload of 50 clients. Create and maintain Individual Service Plans for clients, evaluate and document service delivery for in foster care, personal care homes, and rehabilitation programs within the community, and provide on-site training.
Parents and Children Together - PACT Honolulu, Hawaii
Program Supervisor
April 25, 2012- June 5,
2013
Supervise,
coordinate, and provide family coaching, behavioral assessments, and highly
detailed narrative documentation for clients referred by the Department of
Human Services and Child Protective Services. Supervise
staff and educate staff and collaterals, such as social workers, teachers, and parents
in child development and special needs associated with trauma-affected children
and adults, as well as with children and adults with developmental disabilities,
mental health diagnoses, and substance use challenges. Participate in
multidisciplinary team meetings and coordinate with service providers including
social workers, psychiatrists, and funders to ensure the proper and timely
fulfillment of client treatment needs. Maintain digital database and clinical
records. Assess and evaluate staff and
client progress. Facilitate in-house and community outreach meetings with
clients and collaterals to establish linkages with care providers. Provide
crisis intervention and management. Assist in recruitment, interviewing, and
training processes for new visitation specialists.
Westbury Community
Hospital
Case Manager,
Utilization Review Manager, Patient Advocate
June 10, 2013 - October 21, 2013Review patient admission data and clinical documentation to ensure compliance relating to medical necessity and case documentation; when appropriate, interview clients, significant others, and consult with existing out-patient team; consult with medical and treatment staff regarding patient diagnosis, medical justification, length of treatment, and case documentation; assess records for appropriate level of care and treatment, aftercare, and discharge planning for patients; advocate for required patient treatment with medical providers. Review treatment guidelines and administration of therapeutic care to insure financial coverage within acute patient psychiatric hospital. Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and provide input for the delivery of recommended treatment approaches. Coordinate with service providers including social workers, psychiatrists, and insurance providers to ensure the proper and timely fulfillment of client needs. Provide patient education; provide post-care follow-up; and coordinate integrated services with other health care providers. Serving adolescents, adults, children, and elderly clients along with their families and collaborating agencies.
Aloha Family
Therapy, Honolulu, Hawaii
Counselor, Educator
January 1, 2010- May 16, 2013
Provide resilience-based counseling and education, provide referrals,
diagnose and conduct client needs assessments, develop and document client
treatment plans, maintain all client records; present community parenting and
family education classes, function as a community liaison and family resource. Conduct
client assessments and develop, implement, and coordinate services, and monitor
and evaluate individualized treatment plans. Maintain
the confidentiality of proprietary information and any client medical,
financial, or personal information, records, and data to which there is access. Maintain and
enhance knowledge of current clinical practice, strategies, and developments
through participation in AAMFT; attend related seminars, workshops, and
conferences; and review available literature. Prepare and submit accurate, timely billing records as required.
Salvation Army Family
Treatment Services, Honolulu, Hawaii
Women's Way Therapist
Intern
June 2012-June 2013Provide counseling to mothers with children undergoing treatment for addiction recovery, and facilitate or co-facilitate weekly group therapy sessions for mothers and participating family members. Develop client treatment plans and provide case management support to clients, under regular supervision of a doctoral level clinician and within a team of professionals. Provide life skills, education, community resources, and innovative program design with a focus on drug and alcohol addiction recovery, trauma-informed parenting skills, child wellness education. Identify the need for and assist with basic reading, math, and computer literacy skills. Maintain the confidentiality of proprietary information and any client medical, financial, or personal information, records, and data to which there is access.
Houston Galveston Institute
Family Therapist InternMay 1, 2008- December 10, 2010
Provide counseling to individuals and facilitate weekly group therapy sessions using post-modern therapeutic approaches, such as Narrative, Solution-Focused, and Collaborative therapy as a graduate student. Develop client treatment plans and provide case management support to clients and families receiving services. Provide group counseling to young adults at the Covenant House for homeless youth experiencing a variety of socioeconomic, mental health, and emotional challenges. Provide weekly counseling to couples and families at Oak Ridge North Community Primary Care Clinic with a team of graduate students and under the supervision of a doctoral level clinician.
Heights Learning Center, Literacy Volunteers of America
Executive Director, Program Director, TeacherSeptember 6, 1996 - December 10, 2010
Collaborate with service providers to provide necessary community resources to clients. Facilitate monthly and quarterly board meetings, committee meetings, and stakeholder meetings, and present program performance reports, financial reports, and updates. Assess, counsel, develop and implement research-based life skills, vocational, and academic curriculum for individual clients with various mental health and educational needs. Manage and analyze program and client data in a national database in cooperation with University and Community College adult education programs. Facilitate all aspects of paid employee recruitment, interviews, supervision, training, annual evaluations, and payroll. Coordinate and represent organization in all public relations, special event planning, fund raising, volunteer, and client recruitment, training, orientation, and graduation ceremonies. Teaching involved classrooms of 30-100 adults with various learning requirements in the areas of language acquisition, math skills, literacy, life skills, G.E.D., and job readiness, as well as individual adults and mothers with children in smaller classroom settings and 1:1 individualized tutoring sessions. Manage and delegate facility safety and maintenance requirements.