Education & Experience

My background is as follows: I acquired my BSW from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale as well as my MSW. During my time in graduate school, I was humbly selected as one of the Fellows in the very first Trauma Behavioral Health Fellowship at SIUC. There I acquired training in TF-CBT and an internship working with Tri County Special Education- where I provided individual counseling for caseload of students with IEPs as a related service; provided individual counseling to students without IEPs. Provided crisis intervention services to students in need; assisted in providing school wide crisis intervention as needed. Completed Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) for students with IEPs; Helped coordinate/carry out the plans with his/her teachers. Assisted in completing Social Developmental Studies for students with IEP’s, which included the use of social/emotional assessments such as the Conner’s ADHD Rating Scales, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-2, and Handled the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 (BASC-2), Co-facilitated the Social-Emotional Girls Counseling Group. Provided individual and group counseling to elementary students as indicated in their IEPs and CO-Created curriculums and worked with students on anger management, impulse control, social skills, and understanding emotions. Immediately after completing my masters and the Trauma Fellowship I eagerly accepted a position at The Fellowship House in Anna Illinois. There I embodied the role of a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. I later explored the world of forensics and worked for IDHS. I was employed at the maximum-security state hospital Chester Mental Health Center. Where I did extensive casework by performing in the role of a Treatment Coordinator. I was a member of the performance Improvement team for Habilitation for the Mentally Ill and Developmentally Disabled. There I was responsible for implementing individualized treatment plans for forensic and behavior management recipients in a maximum-security setting, along with tracking and evaluating them. I worked on a forensic unit where we worked to get patients fit to stand trial. We served patients with various legal statuses of NGRI, UST and G2. We accepted patients from all 102 counties, sent to the facility by the courts, for the purpose of fitness restoration. I also worked on the civilly committed/ non-civilly committed unit- where I proved extensive casework and treatment planning regarding complicated and challenging behaviors. I then moved into community-based government programs with Blue Cross and Blue Shield (via the CRS group). In this position I was responsible for conducting home health assessment and meeting several Government Contractual guidelines with a caseload of 81 members. Contacting identified members to inform and educate them on health care programs to address their personal health plan needs. Engaged in discussion of adherence to personal health plans. I responded to inquiries from members and supported the clinicians in the Medical Management department with their provider and member activities. I conducted medical management and health education programs for customers on government healthcare programs. I was responsible for gathering, analyzing, and providing data for regulatory reports. I was responsible for representing the company to members. Albeit I returned to forensics to employ my new skills and for personal self growth. I felt the need to courageously dive back into corrections as a qualified mental health professional (QMHP). There I was responsible for providing clinical screenings and assessments for treatment needs of the individual in custody referred by medical, counseling, security, or other staff. I provided clinical supervision for the center’s crisis team. This included provision of the quarterly crisis team training and consultation to team members on all crisis interventions. I provided crisis intervention counseling, brief therapy and group therapy as indicated by the department. I provided consultation on mental health issues to the center medical staff. I provided staff training to center personnel on mental health issues including the function of the crisis team and how to access its services. I monitored the provisions of crisis services to include a review of documentation of accuracy, completeness and fulfillment of the center directives and procedures. I monitored the clinical conditions and treatment needs of the special individual in custody population (i.e., guilty but mentally ill or individual in custody receiving antipsychotic medications) as determined necessary, by the IDOC directive of local policy. I maintain the required documentation on all mental health contacts to include submission of a monthly summary report to the agency chief of mental health services. When applicable I provide psychological services for those individuals in custody who need to be transferred to mental health facilities services include work up and any court hearing testimony needed. I provided services in compliance with all administrative directives and department rules. I provide staff training in areas related to mental health issues such as signs and symptoms of mental illness management of mentally ill individuals in custody, crisis interventions and related topics. I provided reentry psychoeducation services that the mentally ill individuals in custody returned to the community upon discharge. I participated in behavioral health ground rounds as directed. I was the behavioral health tech clinical supervisor, the trans gender coordinator. The behavioral health management unit backup coordinator. The point of contact for Wexford Health Sources regarding sensitive information and its disclosure to our team and administration. I was a member of the restrictive housing committee and ticket review for seriously mentally ill individuals in custody, in accordance with the Rasho Lawsuit. I later became the Clinical Director for SATTC specializing in trauma treatment. To sum it all up: I have 11 years of experience with managed care, patient assessments and patient education, 5 years Management Experience. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP). I am also trained in Trauma Informed Care, Wrap Around Services and Transgender care via WPATH and a certified Trauma Focused Mental Health Law Enforcement Instructor. TF-CBT (trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy) and most recently I am immensely grateful to say I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and have applied for Certification.