20+ Years of Experience
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 20 years of experience in assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illness, and other behavioral issues that impact children, adults and families. I am trained in Trauma Focused–Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and hold a Child & Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) trainer’s certification and also CANS/ANSA trained and certified.
In addition, I am certified in the Nurturing Parenting (NP), Aggression Replacement Training and Thinking for a Change (T4C) cognitive-behavioral treatment and curriculum-based models. I am currently a faculty instructor at Kennesaw State University. My specialty is and will always be “working with children and families.”
My Personal “Ministry”
My work has spanned all areas of the field from the foster care and adoption, residential care facilities, therapeutic schools, outpatient treatment to non-profit community- based intervention centers. Although I recently moved from this role, I have spent the last 11 years of what I refer to as my personal “ministry” as the Clinical Director of a community-based mental health service agency, dedicated to collaborating with and helping to enhance the skills of seasoned clinicians working with underserved populations; and most of all training, supporting and nurturing new and passionate clinicians who share our mission. I am currently working with the same agency in the role of Director of Programs and quality improvement, in the development of new clinical programs and nurturing relationships with community partners in the Metro Atlanta area.
Schools of Thought
When approaching and assessing Mental health, substance abuse and all social and personal problems, I tend to take an eclectic approach, which draws from several different schools of thought and allows me to focus on and adapt to each client’s individual needs. However, my primary focus has been on Cognitive Behavioral, specifically TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused), Solution Focused and Reality Based Theories of practice combined with resource linkage and community collaborations.
Cognitive behavioral theories provide great flexibility in treatment interventions in that it targets both cognitive (the thinking that drives feelings and eventually behaviors) and behavioral problems that emerge too often by decreasing them and enhancing greater self-control, realty choices and better functioning families. In the diverse, oppressed population we serve, solution focused and reality-based theories in their own ways, both help to empower clients to draw from already developed resources and strategies to continue to assist them to function successfully.
My belief is that with the assistance and guidance of the clinician and a team of collaborators, the family should be able to take the role of the expert and be responsible for setting and reaching their goals.