Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Substance Abuse Counselor

• Mar 2016 - Present

• Conducted psychosocial assessments, treatment plans, summary plans, methadone dose adjustments, treatment contracts, transfers, discharge planning and kept updated Methasoft records on time to insure compliance with local, state and federal regulations, policies and procedures. • Maintained broad knowledge of 48 clients/week with co-occurring multiple psychiatric, medical and polysubstance diagnosis and addressed their health, housing, employment needs; court and legal affairs, social functioning and unsolved traumas. • Maintained regulatory boundaries related to clients ’compliance with take-home requirements, daily dosing, guest dosing, mandatory counseling, and fee requirements. • Help clients improve harm-reduction recovery process through Individual, Couple, Group Counseling and Case Management. • Presented cases in supervision /case conferences to address clients’ recovery progress, medical/psychiatric needs. • Maintained liaison with client’s psychiatrists/ medical doctors, social workers, probation /parole officers. • Acted as efficient liaison for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, chronic pain and cancer challenges. • Provided referrals for detox agencies, wound clinics, denture replacement clinics, inpatient/outpatient recovery programs to improve clients' physical and mental health. Show less

Counselor/Coach

• Jan 2014 - Jan 2016

* Assist clients to develop and practice harm-reduction/ total abstinence skills to prevent or overcome potential dependability - Help clients achieve and sustain Naltrexone-based treatment plan goals * Empower clients maintain daily routine / structure/ functional boundaries to control triggers caused by people, places or situations * Facilitate clients' process of replacing triggering thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Healthier thoughts will allow stabilized emotions to sustain preferred behaviors * Address biopsychosocial stressors that interfere with treatment success. • Biological stressors: genetic predispositions; chronic diseases like chronic pain, eating disorder, obesity; diabetes, cancer, heart disease, arthritis; viral diseases such as Hep C and HIV/AIDS • Psychological stressors: stress, unresolved trauma, psychological and personality traits/ disorders like Anxiety, Depression, Sleep Disorders, ADHD, OCD, Narcissistic, Anti-Social, Dependent, Avoidant Personality Disorders • Social stressors: financial and relational crisis, and loss of a loved one/job/health, divorce, miscarriage, job promotion, pressure * Assess /address coexisting codependency and process addictions like working, shopping, internet surfing, eating, sex, exercise * Re-evaluate defense mechanisms that contribute to more drinking like denial, rationalization, intellectualization, minimization, excusing, blaming, withdrawing, generalization, joking * Correct long-held, self-defeating beliefs and coach techniques to untwist self-sabotaging thinking * Reinforce client's healthier coping strategies and strengthen reignited/new passions or hobbies * Guide clients in building strong relationships and reliable/accountable social support network to nurture confidance, fulfill commiments and improve quality of life. Show less

Drug And Alcohol Counselor

• Sep 2014 - 2014

Substance Abuse Counselor

• 2010 - 2014

• Provided individual, family and group counseling for adults/adolescents suffering from existential crisis, alcoholism, chemical dependency, co-occurring process-addictions, codependency, multi-diagnosis, acute and chronic physical and psychological disorders. • Conducted comprehensive Mental Status Exams and DSM-focused assessment, diagnosis, crises intervention and treatment plans. Used ecclectic approach of 12-Step Program, Cognitive-Behavioral, Solution-focused, Existential Therapy. • Lead monthly “Family Day” psycho-education workshops on Substance Dependence, Relapse Prevention and Codependency to teach the development of healthy cognitive, emotional, behavioral, interactional/ relational skills while internalizing cognitive-behavioral restructuring and behavioral modification techniques. Show less