Experience

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  Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System

  • Temple, Texas

  • Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

    • May 2016 - Present
    • Temple, Texas

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  Central Counties Services

  • Temple, Texas

  • Qualified Mental Health Practitioner

    • Jul 2012 - Apr 2016
    • Temple, Texas

    Qualified Mental Health Practitioner and Case Manager providing menatl health counsleing and life skills to individuals suffering from major depression, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia.

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  Department of Veterans Affairs

  • Rating Veteran Service Representative

    • May 2011 - May 2012

    Screen veteran case files and determine disability rating criteria using a variety of programs used by the Veterans Administration.

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  Texas Veterans Commission

  • Family Employment Assistance Counselor

    • Oct 2009 - Apr 2011

    • Provided career counseling services to an annual average of 350 veterans and their family members. • Conducted interviewing, needs assessments, and counseling work through case management services to identify employment barriers. • Once needs and barriers are identified, used a wide variety of theoretical career counseling approaches and resources (Veterans Administration, Texas Workforce Commission, local area support agencies) to overcome barriers and meet the needs of Veterans and their family members. • Assisted Veteran and family member job seekers with resume writing, job searches, and interview techniques.• Administered, scored, and interpreted O*NET Career Exploration assessments to include Ability Profiler, Interests Profiler and Work Importance Profiler.• Performed veterans’ career transition work as it pertains to the Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines (REALifelines) with special emphasis to family members and primary care givers of service members enrolled in the Wounded Warrior Program at Fort Hood.• Provided full range of employment, training (resume writing and interviewing skills) and placement services to meet the needs of veterans and their families.• Advocated on behalf of the Veteran and their family to employers and various support agencies. • Performed complex (journey-level) Veterans employment work utilizing the WorkInTexas.com portfolio.• Assisted Veterans in applying for Chapter 30 (Montgomery G. I. Bill), Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation), Chapter 33 (Post 9-11 G. I. Bill), and Chapter 35 (Transfer of Entitlements) Educational Benefits through the Veterans Administration.• Advised Veterans and family members of benefits and makes referrals to appropriate agencies.• Performed monthly outreach to employers and veteran’s organizations to promote awareness of Texas Veterans Commission.

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  University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

  • Belton, Texas

  • Student Counselor Intern

    • Aug 2008 - Dec 2010
    • Belton, Texas

    • Served as a graduate level student counselor intern (non-paid position) providing over 300 hours of direct face to face clinical therapeutic counseling.• Provided outpatient care by identifying, assessing, diagnosing, and treating a wide variety of psychological problems (i.e., suicide ideation, phase of life issues, grief, substance abuse, loss, PTSD, etc.) using a various theoretical approaches, principles, procedures, and counseling techniques. • Administered, scored, interpreted results from several assessment tools including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-3, Wide Range Achievement Test 4, and the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test.• In collaboration with clients, developed treatment plans in order to reach mutually agreed upon goals to resolve psychosocial problems. • Conducted intake interviews and mental status exams to assess client's presenting problems and risk of suicidal/homicidal ideation in order to better meet their needs.• Documented progress using case management procedures. • Using a multidisciplinary team approach, collaborated and consulted with social workers, dependency counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, to insure client advocacy, empowerment, quality care, and active involvement to achieve mutually agreed upon treatment goals. • Briefed staff, faculty and graduate students on the Suicide Intervention Model as used in LivingWorks, Inc., Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).• Submitted a proposal to conduct Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training workshops for graduate level counseling students.

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  US Army

  • Sergeant Major

    • May 1986 - Aug 2008

    • Served as the senior command chaplain assistant in support of the command chaplain providing pastoral counseling and religious support to Soldiers and their families.• Served as operational planner on two division and one corps level battle staffs.• Trained and supervised over 300 soldiers in religious support operations stateside, Germany and in a several combat zones (Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq). • Certified as a Master Trainer in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST); planned and conducted over 50 ASIST workshops in garrison and combat environments.• Advocated on behalf of Soldiers with chain of command, unit chaplains, and mental health case managers to ensure referrals to appropriate helping agencies, access to treatment, services, and continued care to improve spiritual, emotional, and psychological well-being. • Served as an Observer/Controller at the Combat Maneuver Training Center, Hohenfels, Germany providing relevant observations on unit’s tactical and operational planning, preparing and execution tasks.• As a Combat Developer with the US Army Combined Support Command, served as a Observer/Controller for the Force XXI Army Warfighting Exercise gathering data on Religious Support Operations using the Force XXI Battle Command-Brigade and Below (FBCB2), version 1 system.• Reviewed and updated Training Support Packages (TSP) bringing all training materials in line with current US Army doctrine.• Served as instructor/writer for the US Army Chaplain Officer Basic Course instructing over 100 Chaplains and Chaplain Candidates in basic soldier tasks in accordance with the Military Standards of Qualifications (MQS) including wear of the US Army uniform, drill & ceremonies, basic combat survival skills, military decision making process, operational planning, and officer leadership tasks.• Served as small group leader for Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course training over 200 enlisted personnel.