Passionate Mental Health Worker offering 30 years experience in Child Welfare with 16 years experience in Supervisory roles. Specialist in working with at-risk youth. Proactive leader with strengths in communication and collaboration. Strong work ethic and ability to thrive in team-based or individually motivated settings.
Skills
Unit Management and Leadership
Group Home Oversight
Administrative Duties
Exemplary Communication skills
Community Outreach
Resident Direct Care
Crisis Resolution
Policy and Procedure Implementation
First-Aid CPR
Pro-Act
Experience
03/2006 to Current
Residential Treatment CounselorSalvation Army Usa – Union City, NJ,
Assist SED residents to achieve program goals and increase independence.
Strong emphasis on communication and teamwork to identify residents' triggers and pro-actively intervene to maintain calm and immediately determine the level of assistance needed to ensure the safety of all involved.
Foster relationships with residents and worked with new residents to optimize acclimation and ease transition to new living environment.
Conduct 15-minute and unscheduled checks on residents throughout the night; immediately responding to hazardous incidents, behavioral crises, or medical needs to maintain safe milieu.
Supervise residents while participating in virtual school; giving educational assistance as well as behavioral support when needed.
Correspond with residents' teachers to ensure that residents adhere to the online school hours and rules and have access to all applications to complete school assignments.
Teach life skills; including; hygiene, room clean, chores, cooking breakfast and give positive reinforcement.
Accurately document all observations, interventions, and concerns in daily progress notes.
Utilize hands-on Pro-Act approved techniques under circumstances where the safety of residents and/or staff has been threatened and documenting all said incidents on Special Incident Reports.
03/2008 to 02/2019
House ManagerMerakey – Escondido, CA,
Management and oversight of the daily operations of 6-bed group home for teenage boys.
Oversaw the intake and discharge processes; completing all necessary documentation with residents and County Social Workers.
Researched and planned fun cultural activities that would be enjoyable for the residents.
Coordinated with community-based treatment providers to meet needs of SED residents.
Trained new employees; to include monitoring, role modeling, documentation, and coaching staff on strategies to build relations with residents.
Led weekly staff meetings for team of eight to communicate directives as well as assessed and advocated residents needs; recommending solution and strategies to improve resident care and satisfaction.
Created and submitted weekly staff schedules for Youth Counselors and found coverage in times of staff shortages to maintain appropriate staff to resident ratio as well as a safe environment for residents.
Delegated work to staff, setting priorities and goals.
Offered motivational leadership to develop and mentor team members; treating staff with fairness and respect.
Held monthly, individual meetings with employees to review performance; giving praise for achievements/goals met and delivering constructive feedback to improve weaknesses.
Completed annual performance reviews on employees.
Conducted tours of house and grounds with DCFS and CCL auditors; ensuring house was in compliance with all Title XXII guidelines.
Routinely assessed physical condition of house and grounds; coordinating with maintenance staff for needed repairs, updates, or replacements.
Attended monthly meetings with CEO and Program Director; making suggestions for how to improve the program and gaining knowledge of any new policies and procedures.
Interacted with Case Manager, Clinical staff, and external resources such as schools and community personnel.
Scheduled all necessary health appointments for residents; (i.e annual physical, dental exam, psychiatrist, and all other medical appointments as needed).
Administered psychotropic drugs and other medications to SED clients to assist individualized treatment plans.
09/2003 to 03/2006
Unit Program CoordinatorColsa Corporation – Fort Gordon, GA,
Oversaw the day to day operations of a 10 bed unit of SED female youth.
Direct supervision of a team of 8 Residential Treatment Counselors.
Led meetings every Wednesday with Counselors to educate on changes to policies and procedures and foster team building.
Ran weekly meetings with Counselors, Case Manager, and Unit Clinician to assess and advocate resident needs; recommending action steps and strategies to improve resident care and assist residents in achieving their individualized treatment plan goals.
Assisted Counselors in managing volatile situations with residents; utilizing crisis communication and de-escalation techniques.
Interviewed potential candidates for the position of Residential Treatment Counselor and made recommendations for new hires.
Conducted weekly supervisions with staff; listening to their concerns and suggestions, acknowledging their strengths and giving positive feedback as well as offering constructive criticism where necessary.
Completed initial and annual performance reviews for Counselors.
Submitted weekly staff schedules and found additional coverage when needed to ensure the unit maintained optimal coverage at all times.
Performed all delegated tasks; including maintaining records of residents' weekly allowance, monthly heights and weights, clothing allowance, maintenance logs, community outings, and cottage funds.
Provided leadership, insight and mentoring to newly hired employees to supply knowledge of residents' trauma/behaviors and various company guidelines.
05/2001 to 09/2003
On Duty SupervisorFive Acres – City, STATE,
Acting Supervisor for co-ed campus of 80 SED youth; ensuring all operations ran smoothly.
Conducted, at minimum, hourly rounds of resident units, confirming total count of residents as well as checking all campus buildings to ensure safety and compliance.
Responded to all crisis calls; demonstrating excellent crisis communication skills in diffusing and resolving volatile situations with residents; utilizing hands on, PRO-ACT approved techniques when necessary.
Logged all rounds, crisis calls, and other pertinent information as well as reviewed Special Incident Reports submitted by Counselors.
Assisted with staff coverage to help maintain adequate staff to client ratio.
Fast-paced, high pressured environment where flexibility, good judgement and quick decision making were top priorities.
Notified On-Call Case Managers, to ensure family visits were approved and conducted properly.
Communicated with On-Call Clinicians when crisis arose, which deemed a clinical assessmen,t and contacted PMRT for an assessment regarding hospitalization when necessary.
Contacted On-Call Nursing staff for evaluation of medical concerns.
Alerted On-Call Maintenance staff to ensure all serious maintenance and security issues were attended to immediately.
Education and Training
Expected in 05/1989
Bachelor of Arts: Social Work Kutztown University of Pennsylvania - Kutztown, PA GPA:
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