Verbal De-escalation of Extreme States – Seminars and trainings regarding the control of aggression for social services agencies
Employment History
Associate trainer and consultant – Edgework: Crisis Intervention Resources
1998 to present
Teaching Faculty – City University, Human Services and Applied Behavioral Sciences (HSABS) department
2003 to present
- Undergraduate psychology and graduate counseling courses. Specialities include: Learning Theory, Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Neuropsychology, Counseling Techniques, Psychopathology, and Psychopharmacology.
Private Counseling Practice
1998 to present
- Clients include children, adolescents, adults, couples, families in many different situations and from a variety of cultures.
- Certified in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) for trauma clients.
Program Manager of Northwest Counseling Institute-East, Seattle Mental Health – formerly Mentor Health Northwest
February 2001 to present
- Supervision and management of two outpatient therapy offices of Northwest Counseling Institute (a division of Seattle Mental Health which serves primarily families, children and adult clients). Management of clinical staff (including doctors and ARNPs), administrative staff, and volunteers/interns.
- Attend agency management meetings led by the CEO and interact regularly with other managers in order to work smoothly together as one agency and best meet the needs of our diverse population of clients.
- Serve as a liaison between our agency and the community.
Director of Clinics – Interim (until the takeover of Seattle Mental Health)
October 2000 – January 2001
- Oversee six different sites of Mentor Health Northwest, including outpatient therapy offices, children’s community outreach program, and the domestic violence offenders program.
- Report directly to the Chief Operating Officer. Attend and contribute in all upper management meetings, which included budgeting, policymaking, and other major agency decision-making.
Team Lead
December 1999 – January 2001
- All administrative and clinical supervision for an outpatient therapy office that serves primarily families, children and adult clients.
- Serve as a liaison between our agency and the other agencies located together in the Family Resource Center in Redmond (which include the Disability Association, AIDS Foundation, Hopelink, and several other non-profit community agencies) and the rest of the community.
Lead Assessment Specialist
August 1998 – November 1999
- Perform all intakes and diagnoses for new clients to MHNW. Determine service duration, type, and program assignment; make referrals into the community as necessary. Strong familiarity with managed care standards.
- As a child mental health specialist, provide bi-weekly supervision for clinicians doing intakes and crisis appointments with children.
Child & Family Therapist
June 1997 – August 1998
- Provide family therapy and individual therapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Provide school-based therapy, which included children with the educational designation of Seriously Behaviorally Disturbed.
- Facilitate various psycho-educational and process groups, which have included women’s groups for self-esteem, depression & anxiety.
After Hours Crisis Stabilization Team
May 1997 –- December 1998
- Respond to all of Mentor’s after hour crisis calls, including overnights, for a one-week period (approximately one period every 5-8 weeks).
- Responsibilities include determining the severity (triage) and type of crisis, collaborating with the physician on-call, handling hospitalizations, and de-escalating the crisis when necessary.
Grant Coordinator (Family Opportunities Grant – Northshore School District)
March 1997 – August 1998
- Perform all administrative duties in managing the King County grant (given to Mentor Health Northwest to manage and deliver services), which includes managing the budget, keeping statistical records, and writing monthly reports to the county.
- Deliver all clinical services as a part of the grant, which include social skills groups for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, an interactive parenting/children’s group, and tutoring services.
Case Manager
April 1995 – May 1997
- One of four full-time case managers at Avondale House, a Residential Facility for mentally ill adults.
- Carry a caseload of 4-5 adult residents; responsible for intake, treatment plan until discharge.
- Run therapeutic, psycho-educational, and recreational groups for all residents.
Community Support Specialist
September 1993 – July 1995
- Teach independent living skills to developmentally disabled adults and help to integrate them into the community in which they live.
- Responsible for medical and informational records of the consumers on your caseload.
Education
1999 – Behavioral Medicine, M.S. (the study of how our physical health and mental health are inter-related), during my pursuit of a PhD., Behavioral Physiology Institute
1997 – Community Counseling, M.A. (emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy), City University
1992 – Psychology, B.S., Santa Clara University
Certification
2000 – Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Washington
WAC qualified Mental Health Professional - Child Mental Health Specialist
Other Professional Work of Note
Forms Committee member – to organize and restructure all agency forms for streamlined paperwork. Independently created the entire intake assessment packet.
King County Domestic Violence Task Force – Co-trained child and family providers on treating children affected by domestic violence.
Additional Trainings: Grief and Loss, Managing Stress, Work-Life Balance, Dealing with Attention-Deficit Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Other Difficult People
