Chicopee, Massachusetts, United States
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Certified Health and Well-Being Coach, Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and US Army Veteran. Social Worker, healthcare administrator, and teacher/instructor for over twenty-five years, predominantly serving veterans, active duty military, and families within Departments of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Veterans Affairs, and the Coast Guard. My scope of practice is providing prevention and intervention services in multiple areas including trauma, substance use disorder and addiction, and integrated mental healthcare in medicine. My passion is the application of holistic practice, which helps people engage a life of recovery and healing, combined with the administrative overhaul of healthcare environments to promote best practices. I thrive in environments where I can teach, mentor, lead, and learn, while surrounding myself with high-achieving mentors who continue to share and support my goal of service delivery in accordance with best practices across a micro to macro continuum. My talents include cultivating a healthy work environment that supports balance between self-care and high productivity. I enjoy the process of researching requirements to create policies, consistent with realistic workplace expectations, regulations, instructions, and accreditation standards. My employment history is diverse; therefore, I have an appreciation for the procedures and policies of several agencies and workplace environments. I often choose high visibility and/or programs in early stages of development and am successful when leaving behind a well-developed model for others to maintain, regardless of my time with any agency. I have honed skills derived from experience with multiple agencies through years of service supporting warfighters from every conflict since WWII. This, combined with decades of clinical practice and an Ivy League education has resulted in human behavior expertise, especially as it relates to military members, veterans, federal civilians, and their families. It continues to be an honor and privilege to serve in multiple capacities and it is my goal to ensure the health and well-being of those I stand beside in service to our country. Because of my diplomacy, ethical principles, integrity, and experience I would be successful in a strategic level position for progressing and improving programs, and/or an environment where I may share my leadership skills to contribute to the motivation, competence, and expertise of staff I lead.
• As the Integrated Prevention Chief, oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive violence prevention program, which includes hiring, professional advancement, coaching, and mentorship of a prevention workforce. • Utilize qualitative and quantitative data from various repositories, such as the Defense Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS), to apply a public health approach to violence prevention in collaboration with the Community Action Network (CAN) and agency representatives. • Facilitate and guide the planning, direction, and organizational activities for the Integrated Resilience Office, leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of all prevention and resilience efforts. • Serve as the key subject matter expert, ensuring that all installation prevention partners, leadership, and the community understand the risk and protective factors associated with various forms of violence from a social ecological perspective. • As the installation strategic advisor on holistic and integrated prevention, develop strategic plans to integrate prevention programs, reduce risk, promote protective factors, and enhance resiliency through initiatives like Comprehensive Airman Fitness and Total Force Fitness. • DoD Credentialing Program for Prevention Personnel (D-CPPP): Apr 2024
• As a member of an interdisciplinary team, aimed to maximize musculoskeletal and mental health readiness by optimizing mission and human performance through systemic risk mitigation strategies. • Analyzed current risk data from various repositories and developed an operational plan for embedment based on reported and derived data, prior to embedding into units across the UK tri-base area. • Engaged unit members in observation, surveys, interviews, focus groups, education, and training to provide leadership with comprehensive and tailored reports containing evidence-based recommendations for optimizing psychosocial functioning and mental health. • Focused on social determinants of health, mental health and well-being, substance use, access to care, deployment, and redeployment, and other factors affecting readiness during the embedment process. • Facilitated training across the Tri-Base area on topics such as Emotional and Social Intelligence, Emotionally Intelligent Conversations, and Organizational Stress and Trauma, tailored to various levels of leadership and personnel. • Maintained clinical proficiency and current credentials through weekly direct patient/client care in the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) program as a group therapy facilitator.
• As the Director of Social Services, led the delivery of social work services for 17,000 White Mountain Apache Tribal Members and 4,000 Native Americans, addressing various medical, mental health, and psychosocial concerns. • Mentored and supervised a team of master’s level social workers and administrative staff, collaborating closely with hospital teams, including the US Public Health Service, to provide care and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Updated and revised departmental policies, developed performance improvement projects, prepared for Joint Commission surveys, and enhanced clinical documentation to improve service delivery. • Provided therapeutic interventions, conducted biopsychosocial assessments, and developed evidence-based recovery plans to improve mental health and mitigate social problems for clients seeking higher-level care. • Engaged in culturally humble community outreach, collaborating with other Tribal programs to deliver comprehensive care, including addressing substance use disorders, mental illnesses, and suicide prevention through partnerships with Apache Behavioral Health Services and Rainbow Treatment Center.
• Envisioned and designed innovative graduate-level curricula for the Master of Social Work program at the US Army-University of Kentucky, Army Medical Center of Excellence, covering topics like Psychopathology, Substance Use Disorder, Poverty, and Social Welfare Policy. • Integrated military-specific experiences into courses, addressing issues such as combat trauma, family violence, and substance use disorder, to prepare Army and Air Force Officers for Behavioral Health responsibilities. • Provided education on military programs and policies, including Family Advocacy (FAP) and Substance Use Disorder Clinical Care (SUDCC), alongside training in clinical documentation, biopsychosocial assessments, and evidence-based interventions. • Offered academic advising, leadership, mentorship, and coaching to ensure the success of military social work officers, and facilitated the transition to virtual learning platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. • Participated in program evaluation, research activities, and academic writing, and facilitated training on trauma, substance use disorder care, and mental health disorders, both within the Medical Center of Excellence and in the private sector community.
• Assisted Coast Guard members, civilians, and families in accessing Employee Assistance Program services through marketing, service presentations, and consultations with commands and unit leadership. • Coordinated and facilitated training on suicide and sexual assault prevention, workplace violence prevention, organizational stress and trauma, mental health, and financial readiness for over 2,000 members across twenty-three states. • Created and submitted reports and statistical data to leadership, provided coverage for sexual assault reports, and refined services based on current literature, including the implementation of Psychological First Aid (PFA). • Conducted brief counseling sessions, assessed for family and intimate partner violence, sexual assault, substance use disorders, and other mental health concerns, and performed risk assessments and interventions during workplace conflicts. • Facilitated education and training on emotional and social intelligence, emotion regulation, suicide prevention, unit cohesion, and professionalism, and assisted senior members with leadership training and theoretical framework development.