Experience

Sun Prairie Area School District

• United States
• Primary and Secondary Education
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Special Education Assistant

  • Aug 2021 - Present



Belmont Health and Rehabilitation

• Madison, Wisconsin Area

• Director of Activities and Volunteer Coordinator

  • Sep 2014 - Jun 2021

  Belmont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a 90-bed skilled nursing facility specializing in long-term, short-term rehab and memory care. At this facility, I coordinate, plan and assist with the implementation of a variety of meaningful therapeutic recreational activities and music therapy sessions for seniors of all abilities and stages of life. Each month, a comprehensive calendar that encompasses all dimensions of wellness is developed and implemented giving our Residents a balanced activity program. We work with outside community members, schools, churches and vendors in our volunteer program which may include weekly or monthly visits by our volunteers. With each Resident, I specialize in documentation, assessments and MDS 3.0 imput to ensure that our residents are provided with a variety of activity programming suitable for their likes, dislikes and needs. I oversee a monthly budget which includes any donations that come from families and outside community members. We are an approved facility for the Music & Memory program which brings personalized music to our Residents with memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer's disease or other cognitive losses.



HIGHVIEW HILLS BY WALKER METHODIST

• United States
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Life Enrichment/Activities and Volunteer Coordinator

  • Feb 2012 - Jun 2014

  Highview Hills is a 153-apartment Assisted Living facility in the south metro consisting of Seniors Living with Services, Memory Care and Care Suites. At Highview Hills, I coordinate, plan and implement a variety of meaningful therapeutic recreational activities and music therapy for seniors of all abilities and stages of life. I also develop three monthly calendars and 3 weekly calendars (Memory Care, Care Suites and AL/IL), conduct group programs as well as 1:1 visits, coordinate schedules between all employees, volunteer orientation and schedules, coordinate large whole-house events (i.e. holiday parties, dances), work with all departments, and work within a given monthly budget for departments including Life Enrichment and Marketing/Customer Service. Within my department, I also conduct interviews for potential employees as well as 90-day and annual reviews. Since hire, we have been able to grow our Activities/Life Enrichment department from 1 full-time employee to 1 full-time and 3 part-time employees to provide quality programming for Residents of all abilities. Through our Walker Methodist Foundation Board, my proposal for $10,000+ grant was approved to go to our Residents for a new outdoor gazebo for our Memory Care unit, new appliances for our Memory Care kitchen for Residents to join in with baking and cooking programs, large print electronic computerized machines and other items.



Woodbury Senior Living

• Woodbury, MN

• Music Therapy & Recreational Therapy

  • Oct 2003 - Feb 2012

  At WSL, I coordinated and implemented meaningful activities (group and 1:1) for 72 residents in long-term care and memory care. I had proficient use and knowledge of MDS 3.0/CAAs, PointClickCare, assessments and documentation. I would assist all departments with planning, scheduling and implementing with whole-house events and day-to-day activities. I attended and contributed to weekly care conferences with Residents and family members, Interdisciplinary Team meetings, in-services/trainings (co-lead Music Therapy trainings), and Resident assessments (initial, quarterly, annual, significant changes and as needed). I served on the Eternal Butterfly Program Committee which developed an end-of-life program for seniors who were actively dying. I worked with fellow Music Therapists with individual/1:1, small specialized groups and large cognitive and social group sessions/programs. Also, I assisted our lead Music Therapist as needed who developed an accredited 6-month internship program. Some activity programs I lead included This Day In History, Exercise/Fitness, Manicures, Cognitive Music Therapy (Name That Tune, Music Jumbles, Musical Hangman, etc.), Word Puzzles/Scattergories, Handbell Choir, Worship Services and Hymn Sing, Special Events, Sewing Angels (charity blankets) and many more. Creative thinking, patience, time management and organization were key to this position.