New York City Metropolitan Area
Care and patient advocacy have come to define Shakira Andrea Gonzalez’s mission. Leveraging more than four years’ field experience, the multilingual social worker and case manager seeks opportunities to help troubled children and adults with substance abuse disorders, mental health illness and / or traumas. Twice promoted at Avondale Care Group LLC, a family-run provider and coordinator of home health aides, physician house calls, housekeeping, therapeutic specialists and durable medical equipment for seniors at home and in senior residences in New York City and Nassau County, Ms. Gonzalez managed a caseload of 300 patients, for whom she ultimately was accountable. The native New Yorker coordinated community services for seniors, ensuring home aides were scheduled and showing up for work and that insurance carriers were covering and paying for home-attendant services. She made weekly in-person house calls to patients who needed new home aides, formulated caregiver plans and connected clients to resources for psychotherapy, health insurance, food assistance and housing. At the Lehman College Counseling Center, Ms. Gonzalez creates, organizes and hosts outreach events for LGBTQ+, substance abuse and domestic violence communities featuring certification, outreach and information on these communities, fundraisers, social gatherings, parades and so forth. She created, organizes and hosts counseling groups for troubled students, providing them with referrals for mental health services off campus. The senior majoring in psychology and minoring in English made Dean’s List and President’s List in fall 2019, attaining a 3.97 GPA that term, and received $7,000 in academic scholarships to date. Fluent in Spanish and English, the Marine spouse and Lehman College Veterans Club member who coordinates community services for disabled service members at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx speaks conversational Jamaican Creole (Patois).
• Caseload of 18+ clients. • Secured benefits, entitlements, and financial management for clients. • Submitted case notes for each engagement. • Conducted weekly home visits to each client. • Linked clients to substance abuse, mental health, legal, and counseling services. • Conducted family stability and independent living links and follow-up. • Generated leases and occupancy agreements for homeless clients. • Attended weekly team meetings and supervisions. • Attended weekly trainings.
• Provide referrals to students for mental health services outside of campus. • Schedule follow-up appointments for new and current students receiving counseling. • Completed audit and registration process for new students. Select Accomplishments • Create, organize and host outreach events for LGBTQ+, substance abuse and domestic violence communities three to four times a week, open to all on campus, drawing 85 to 100 students per event and featuring certification, outreach and information on subject matter, fundraisers, parades, parties, etc. • Created, organize and host counseling groups for troubled students that meet twice weekly, two sections daily, each group featuring about 15 students.
Family-run provider and coordinator of home health aides, physician house calls, housekeeping, therapeutic specialists and durable medical equipment for seniors at home and living in senior residences in New York City and Nassau County. • Caseload of 300 clients • Human Resources: Trained and supervised new employees and interns; conducted seminars and orientations. Assisted with new hire applications. • Data analysis: Compiled and submitted daily and biweekly employee data reports to HR director. Select Accomplishments • Coordinated community services for patients: Booked appointments for physicals; helped with applications for health insurance if needed. Ensured home aides were scheduled and showing up for work, that insurance carriers were covering and paying for home-attendant services. Weekly home visits: In-person house calls to clients who needed new home aides; ask questions, supervise and formulate caregiver plans that were given to caregiver to do daily at work. • Connected patients / clients to resources for psychotherapy, health insurance, food assistance and housing: Suggest and often book appointments for those needing medical specialists.