Education

Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), 1994

Graduate Degree: Hunter School of Social Work 1997 with a focus in Group Work.

Psychotherapy Experience

I was privately supervised for 10 years for psychotherapy. I also participated in a peer group for 4 years for counseling, networking, and advocating for patients.

Psychiatric Experience

I managed a housing program for people with mental illness. This entailed helping individuals manage their daily lives by connecting them to programs and resources in the community. The goal of the program was to promote independent living.

I ran an Early Intervention Program for babies born to 3 years old with developmental delays. I oversaw the daily operations of the program, coordinated with state officials, and completed assessments.

For many years I worked on a locked psychiatric unit for teens and adults. During this time, I provided assessment, diagnosis, counseling, family support, family counseling, facilitated the discharging of patients, and provided education to families and individuals. When necessary, I coordinated transfers to specialty programs and state hospitals.

Neuro-Behavioral Experience

I worked for 3 specialized Neuro-Behavioral Rehabs. Part of my work was to assess people who suffered from Traumatic Brain Injuries and/or Dementias, and had behavioral issues as a result.

A large part of this work was to connect with their family members, offer support, counseling, and link them to resources. On average, it would take anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 years to get patients admitted and get their funding in place. During this time, I continued working with their care teams and their families to get everything stabilized for all involved parties prior to admission.