Executive Director of Behavioral Health Services

• Oct 2022 - Present

Director Of Behavioral Health Services

• Jul 2019 - Oct 2022

-Create strategic direction for newly established Behavioral Health Services department -Responsible for recruiting, hiring, evaluating, and terminating personnel under the Behavioral Health Service department, within multiple regions in southern Illinois-Responsible for overseeing the development of indicators with appropriate data collection, aggregation and analysis, taking action and reporting results according to company quality goals and performance measures -Oversee ongoing departmental performance improvement program-Respond to accreditation and regulations of state and federal funding and accreditation bodies -Work closely with leadership to ensure achievement of company’s mission, philosophy, and guiding principles in response to the identified needs of the community being served -Consult with the Chiefs to determine a staffing pattern which will accomplish stated objectives and promote maximum level of utilization of professional and administrative personnel-Contribute to the development of the annual operating budget for the Behavioral Health Services department, with key focus on service levels and staffing requirements necessary to achieve operating and financial goals -Ensure that departmental operational processes meet best practices as well as funding regulations and accreditation standards -Develop and implement services standards that ensure safe and therapeutically appropriate services for patients and families -Participate in developing long-range objectives for the company and responsible for seeing the objectives are implemented- Tasked with evaluation, restructure, and supervision of private adoption program. Show less

Residential Supervisor

• Feb 2019 - Jun 2019

-Work collaboratively with the residential leadership team, consisting of therapists, case managers and lead milieu supervisor to design and implement effective individualized treatment plans for individual youth and treatment strategies for clients -Develop and oversee the execution of appropriate program schedules and activities. -Ensure program compliance of residential treatment staff with agency, DCFS, Medicaid, and COA policies and procedures-Provide individual, group, and family therapy as indicated by youth’s treatment plans. -Implement and ensure fidelity to the established evidence-based practices and trauma informed care models for the assigned therapeutic milieu -Supervise and train milieu and clinical staff in the proper application of evidence-based and trauma informed practices -Oversee the clinical decision making of qualified mental health practitioner staff; provide guidance and feedback on clinical interventions; approve treatment plans, assessments, and other documentation. -Provide direct supervision of residential treatment staff through in person observation, regular review of surveillance footage and one-on-one meetings-Participate in investigations of alleged abuse, neglect, and inappropriate residential treatment staff behaviors by residents aged 6 to 16 in residential treatment; through direct interviews with residents, interviews with residential treatment staff, and video surveillance review. Show less

Child Therapist

• Jan 2018 - Jun 2019

-Provide weekly clinical supervision to the team of the facility therapists -Review, edit, and sign all clinical documentation prepared in facility-Provide individual, family, and group therapy services to a caseload of 12 clients with major mental health concerns.-Utilize understanding of human behavior and motivations to develop and implement therapeutic interventions and safety protocols for clients. -Demonstrate expertise in analyzing interpersonal behavior and behavioral patterns, handling sensitive situations and predicting potential threats and risks.-Clearly communicate therapeutic needs and recommendations, as well as identified safety concerns, to non-experts both internally and externally.-Maintained consistent and comprehensive documentation of all services provided, through the electronic health record SDS-Work in concert with unit supervisor to develop programming expectations and daily scheduling for unit of 11 females with self-injury, trauma, and emerging personality disorders-Provide weekly training to staff on interacting with residents in an appropriate and therapeutically effective manner-Participate in monthly progression meetings for each client; working in concert with case managers, probation officers, legal guardians, Department of Child and Family Services, and monitoring to review progression in treatment and discharge planning-Provide weekly DBT Consultation Team and training to a multi-agency team of therapeutic professionals Show less

Clinical Services Manager

• Sep 2017 - Jan 2018

-Manage and supervise a clinical team that includes; 7 therapists, 2 case managers, 1 aftercare consultant, 1 admissions program manager, and 2 clinical rehabilitation counselor interns-Manage and assign clients to therapists on the clinical team to ensure equal case load distribution-Monitor revenue for clinical team on weekly basis, worked one on one with clinicians to establish a plan to ensure revenue expectations were met-Provide weekly individual supervision for all assigned employees -Complete internal investigations into customer service complaints reported by residents -Participate in family support team meetings, to provided clinical input and supervisory support to team members-Ensure weekly that all contractually obligated services are completed for each client-Review and sign all clinical documentation -Maintain 24 hour on-call coverage for all clinical & supervisory concerns for inpatient & outpatient programming-Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and direct the functions and mentor, motivate, and apprise the staff of an organization through subordinate supervisors. Show less

Program Manager- Pervasive Emotional Dysregulation Program

• Jul 2017 - Sep 2017

-Provided supervisory oversight for inpatient self-harm unit, partial hospitalization program, and intensive outpatient program to include: 5 therapists, 1 case manager, 1 cottage supervisor, 1 PHP/IOP program coordinator, and 11 youth care specialists-Developed knowledge of financial, budget, resource management practices and principles, and analytical and evaluative methods and techniques-Demonstrated ability to analyze, plan, and adjust work operations of one or more organizational segments to meet program requirements and objectives within available resources.-Facilitated weekly staffing meetings with inpatient unit staff and with PHP/IOP Staff-Worked in concert with therapists and case managers to ensure insurance coverage for all enrolled clients in inpatient and PHP/IOP funding-Provided clinical supervision to 5 therapists -Maintained 24 hour on-call status for inpatient and PHP/IOP programming -Provided customer service representation for inpatient programming and PHP/IOP programming-Implemented and maintained 24 hour on-call clinical rotation for 7 therapists employed by Great Circle -Assisted in the development and implementation of staff scheduling, to include working in ratio on inpatient self-harm unit when coverage was necessary-Developed knowledge of safety, security, personnel management, and EEO regulations, practices and procedures.-Utilized skills in effectively organizing and utilizing community resources within the program framework to augment the program to meet installation objectives. Show less

Program Coordinator - Partial Hospitalization/ Intensive Outpatient Program

• Apr 2017 - Jul 2017

-Developed and implemented new and expanded program schedule, to allow for greater flexibility for clients and families enrolled in the program-Oversaw program enrollment, to include maintaining current insurance authorizations for clients. -Worked in concert with campus director, program manager, case manager, and therapists to identify clients eligible for grant funding-Coordinated transportation services for all clients requiring transportation-Oversaw a staff of three full time employees-Completed supervisory inquiries and employee counseling sessions as needed -Participated in the planning and implementation of combined outpatient and inpatient programming-Provided customer service representation for IOP/PHP programming -Provided twice weekly supervisory on-call support for the Great Circle campus Show less

Residential Therapist

• Aug 2016 - Apr 2017

• Provide assessment, coaching, individual therapy, group therapy, and support to children and their families in the residential treatment cottages. • Maintain working professional relationships with nursing, psychiatry, and therapeutic treatment team to provide wrap around services for children in residential treatment. • Work in conjunction with insurance approval team to write comprehensive reviews of children to ensure continued insurance coverage of children in residential treatment. • Provide on-call emergency therapy services for children as part of the on-call rotation. During on-call treatment, work to establish clear safety planning and coaching of staff and children to deescalate dangerous situations. Additionally, make decisions of whether or not to send children to the hospital for psychiatric evaluations in the event of suicidal or homicidal behaviors. Show less

KidSquad Consultant/ Therapist

• Oct 2015 - Jul 2016

Provide assessment, coaching, therapy and support to children and their families using the Positive Behavior Supports Model. Maintain resources and provide training to early childhood education professionals, parents, and community. Provide psycho-social assessment of children to identify developmental, behavioral and social needs. Provide classroom and child specific recommendations for improved social-emotional growth. Develop and provide individualized therapy for identified children and families, to include: individual, couples, families and group counseling, behavioral intervention, play therapy or other appropriate intervention techniques and mental health crisis intervention as needed. Provide training and coaching regularly with teachers and administration regarding intervention with identified children and classroom. Provide consultation with parents of involved children on a regular and consistent basis.Develop and conduct community-wide training on social emotional topics as identified by KidSquad leadership. Establishes treatment plans, with client participation, which specify treatment structure, outcomes, goals and objectives. Provide educational workshops, classes and presentations on family life and other related topics as assigned and maintains relationship with referral sources. Maintain dependable and punctual schedule, as well as relationships with referral sources. Coordinate care when provided by multiple practitioners. Maintain client files to include appropriate documentation including assessments and therapeutic intervention plans and completes all case documentation for clinical and billing purposes. Complete all required reports, statistics, and other documentation in an accurate and prompt manner. In addition to KidSquad services, provide outpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. Show less

Behavioral Health Practitioner

• Sep 2013 - Oct 2015

Provide therapy and counseling services to address the social, emotional, behavioral and transitional issues of children and young adults with developmental disabilities and intellectual impairments or other mental health needs. Provide clinical and home-based behavioral health services to children and youth with behavioral problems and mental health disorders. Intensive clinical work with safety plans for clients with suicidal ideations and assaultive behaviors. Utilize clinical language to provide psychosocial, pre-treatment assessments, clinical notes, and discharge summaries. Communicate with a multitude of communities to provide wrap around services for clients. Provide parents with assistance in preparing for IEP program meetings including; helping parents to put problems and requests into writing, and providing strategies for meetings. Provide social skills training at the Munroe-Meyer Institute for children and adolescents with autism or related disorders. Extensive clinical experience with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum including: developmentally appropriate home-based interventions, family therapy aimed at increasing awareness of autism sensitivities within the home and community, and the utilization of community based services to increase social skills and decrease disruptive behaviors. Utilization of internship networking opportunities to increase knowledge of referral opportunities for clients; which includes observations of: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and developmental pediatrics. Maintenance of strict confidentiality standards in alignment with both HIPPA and professional ethical standards. Show less

Master Intern

• Dec 2012 - Aug 2013

Provide therapy and counseling services to address the social, emotional, behavioral and transitional issues of children and young adults with developmental disabilities and intellectual impairments or other mental health needs. Provide clinical and home-based behavioral health services to children and youth with behavioral problems and mental health disorders. Intensive clinical work with safety plans for clients with suicidal ideations and assaultive behaviors. Utilize clinical language to provide psychosocial, pre-treatment assessments, clinical notes, and discharge summaries. Communicate with a multitude of communities to provide wrap around services for clients. Provide parents with assistance in preparing for IEP program meetings including; helping parents to put problems and requests into writing, and providing strategies for meetings. Provide social skills training at the Munroe-Meyer Institute for children and adolescents with autism or related disorders. Extensive clinical experience with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum including: developmentally appropriate home-based interventions, family therapy aimed at increasing awareness of autism sensitivities within the home and community, and the utilization of community based services to increase social skills and decrease disruptive behaviors. Utilization of internship networking opportunities to increase knowledge of referral opportunities for clients; which includes observations of: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and developmental pediatrics. Maintenance of strict confidentiality standards in alignment with both HIPPA and professional ethical standards. Show less

Family Visitation Specialist

• May 2012 - Nov 2012

Responsible for transporting children to and from court ordered visitation with their parents, while also maintaining constant supervision of parents and children throughout the visit. Implemented Boys Town specific feedback to parents and children; working towards improving the relationships and functioning within the family. Coordinated visitation schedules between parents and foster parents, providing an efficient visitation schedule. Worked in concert with Nebraska Families Collaborative, ensuring that all information was reported accurately and in a timely manner. Responsible for writing detailed case notes for all visits, which were consistently cited in court. Show less

Senior Game Advisor

• Oct 2011 - May 2012

Work in concert with other managers to lead a team of six employees. Perform opening and closing procedures to ensure: store security, inventory control, and monetary management. Educate Parents about the game rating system to ensure the purchase of age appropriate titles. Mediate and resolve customer dissatisfaction within a culturally diverse environment; in order to maintain quality customer service and company reputation. Maintain a clean and cohesive store environment for the customer. Process customer transactions including: trades, returns, and warranties. Show less