PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, California State Prison Los Angeles, CA

Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program                                                                                                          January 2021 – Present

·    Conduct substance use disorder screenings and psychosocial assessments for chronic care managed patients in the criminal justice system

·    Make recommendations for level of care placements based on assessment results.

·    Completes suicide screenings and crisis risk assessments to identify at-risk patients and implement appropriate interventions and referrals.

·    Discharge coordination and pre-release services to develop re-entry plans using American Society of Addiction Medicine assessment.

·    Coordinate and consult with Addiction Specialist, the Primary Care Team, Mental Health, and other rehabilitative programs in the formulation and adjustment of individual treatment plans of assigned patients.

·    Review patient files, gather data, and complete reports and other required documents.

·    Participate in patient care conferences and prepare and present patient summaries to other professionals.

·    Coordinate community placement with community partners and the Classification and Parole Representative.

·    Offer interdisciplinary consultation to clinical and custody staff.

·    Participate in curriculum development and continuous quality improvement initiatives to support ongoing program development

Amanda J. Feldman, LCSW, Los Angeles, CA

Psychotherapist                                                                                                                                                                       March 2017 – Present

·    Conduct initial assessments with unstructured clinical interview, therapeutic measures, and suicide risk screenings.

·    Provide individual psychodynamic therapy for adolescents, young adults, and families and Emotionally Focused Therapy with couples.

·    Participate in didactic trainings and seminars for continuing education requirements for licensure and monthly peer consultation group.

·    Make psychiatric referrals for clients seeking medication evaluation and treatment.

·    Consult with multi-disciplinary team of other treatment providers such as psychiatrists, educators, and community-based programs.

Penny Lane Centers, North Hills, CA                                                                                                                                    June 2015 – August 2020

Juvenile Justice Therapist at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, Sylmar, CA                                                                            December 2017– August 2020

·    Interviewed incarcerated youth, family members, and other stakeholders (e.g., probation staff, attorneys, school personnel, medical professionals) to obtain mental health history, nature of legal involvement, risk factors, and current functioning in the detention facility.

·    Completed comprehensive assessments of new admissions, readmissions, and transfers assigned to my caseload.

·    Used DSM-V to formulate mental health diagnoses and co-occurring substance abuse disorders.

·    Developed care coordination plans outlining duration of treatment, frequency of sessions, treatment goals, and treatment recommendations.

·    Provided mental health counseling using a variety of treatment methods (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma-informed interventions, evidence-based practices such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Seeking Safety) to support clients in achieving treatment goals.

·    Performed direct client care activities: individual, family, and group therapy sessions; crisis intervention techniques; case management services; and discharge planning for aftercare treatment.

·    Received clients’ Mental Health Request Forms and responded to self-referrals to assess and evaluate service needs.

·    Recorded daily progress notes in clients’ charts and completed all records and other forms according to Department of Mental Health (DMH) contract compliance requirements for my agency in the delivery of client care.

·    Consulted with DMH clinicians, supervisors, and psychiatrists to determine enhanced supervision level needs (suicide watch) for high risk youth who posed a danger to self or others.

·    Attended weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings with other entities (i.e., DMH, Department of Probation, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Department of Education, Juvenile Court staff/legal team, Health Services) to evaluate the nature of problems related to client behavior and functioning, and to monitor clients’ treatment progress.

·    Provided consultation services (via written court reports and treatment summaries or face-to-face conferences) to other members of clients’ multi-disciplinary teams to increase skills in understanding behaviors that pertain to mental health problems, engaging in appropriate interactions with juvenile detainees, and responding effectively to the needs of clients’ mental health concerns.

·    Attended monthly department meetings and in-service trainings on topics for professional development in social work, psychotherapy and correctional issues, and the application of mental health knowledge for identifying and treating problems encountered in the juvenile justice system.

·    Participated in weekly individual supervision to improve therapeutic treatment methods for challenging cases.

Interim Utilization Review Analyst                                                                                                                                    August 2019-October 2019

·    Assigned to teams of therapists to review documentation in accordance with the compliance standards of our agency’s contract with DMH.

·    Offered feedback for therapists to modify initial assessments and care coordination plans in meeting the treatment needs of their clients.

·    Ensured therapists’ documentation supported differential diagnosis; maintained clinical loop between diagnoses, treatment goals, and treatment recommendations; and clearly explained the client’s need for treatment.

·    Supported therapists with initiating and documenting mandated reports of child abuse evaluated during assessment phase.

·    Assessed and evaluated therapists’ professional development in the area of quality assurance of client records.

Outpatient Therapist                                                                                                                                                                 June 2015– June 2017

·    Conducted clinical intakes to determine medical necessity for mental health treatment.

·    Completed biopsychosocial assessments of new case assignments to obtain family, social, employment, medical, substance abuse, and mental health treatment history.

·    Administered, scored, and interpreted outcome measures to make differential diagnosis and evaluate impairments in functioning.

·    Opened clients’ charts and submitted daily progress notes to maintain up-to-date records.

·    Provided direct service work in school, home, and community settings to youth and families experiencing a range of mental health difficulties such as adjustment disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, conduct disorders and co-occurring substance abuse problems.

·    Engaged families – biological, kinship, adoptive, and foster – and other concerned parties in supporting clients’ treatment goals and progress toward minimizing the impact of stresses from trauma histories such as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, domestic and community/gang violence, traumatic grief and loss, and neglect on mental health and social functioning.

·    Conducted weekly individual or family psychotherapy sessions using interventions from Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Managing and Adapting Practices, and Seeking Safety.

·    Co-facilitated weekly group therapy with adolescent females involved with Probation and DCFS residing in a local group home.

·    Implemented crisis intervention techniques to de-escalate clients in emotional distress and determined level of care needs.

·    Developed safety plans or contacted emergency intervention teams for clients experiencing suicidality or homicidality in efforts to either prevent or evaluate need for hospitalization and stabilization.

·    Consulted with multi-disciplinary teams (i.e., psychiatrists, case managers, DCFS social workers, adjunctive service providers, probation officers, group home staff, school personnel), to advocate for clients’ mental health needs and apply mental health principles in working with shared clients.

·    Attended monthly in-service trainings for professional development of effective intervention with population served by the agency.

Lower East Side Family Union, New York, NY

Case Planner                                                                                                                                                                             May 2014-May 2015

·    Practiced solution-based case management with youth and families involved in the child welfare system for referral and linkage to community resources and enrollment in other treatment sources in order to prevent foster care placement or aid with family reunification.

·    Obtained historical information about child welfare involvement from collateral contacts at New York State’s Administration for Children’s Services.

·    Conducted school and home visits to assess client and family functioning in various environmental settings.

·    Provided consultation services to adjunctive treatment providers to identify minimize impact of various stresses affecting family functioning.

·    Utilized crisis intervention techniques during stressful family events to restore stability and prevent hospitalization.

·    Modeled parenting skills and behavior management techniques to address mental health problems affecting family dynamics.

·    Coached families using effective interventions from New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services Locating and Engaging Fathers Toolkit to assist local districts in involving fathers in family treatment planning.

·    Attended weekly supervision with a Licensed Psychologist and monthly staff meetings to review data and improve strategies and methods of service provision to clients of the agency.

FEGS Health and Human Services, New York, NY

Social Work Intern at New Visions Charter High School                                                                                                   September 2013 – May 2014

·    Communicated with school personnel throughout the assessment to gather information on students’ academic and social functioning.

·    Provided counseling to at-risk high school students using cognitive-behavioral therapy, affect regulation techniques, motivational interviewing, and adolescent decision-making theory.

·    Provided crisis intervention for acute problems, such as disruptive behavior and various emergencies that arose in the school setting.

·    Planned curriculum to co-facilitate an adolescent women’s support group focused on social skills, self-esteem, and interpersonal functioning.

·    Assisted with programming planning and implementation of a positive youth development model into school curriculum.

·    Administered research questionnaire to teachers and students for needs assessment of mental health problems in school culture related to bullying.

·    Instructed teachers and school administration on utilization of behavioral and mental health principles and problems in the classroom.

·    Attended quarterly professional development trainings in substance abuse, grief counseling, family violence, healthcare policy, and crisis intervention for disaster mental health.

Presbyterian Senior Services, New York, NY                                                                                                              September 2012 – August 2013

Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator at Pelham Fritz Senior Center                                                                                    May 2013 – August 2013

·    Provided geriatric therapy to seniors coping with developmental tasks of aging such as acute illness and chronic health issues, isolation from family members, and loss of significant others.

·    Outreached to community healthcare agencies to establish partnerships in identifying and treating mental health problems for homebound and at-risk elderly in the community.

·    Led topic-focused workshops and life skills groups to help seniors improve healthy functioning in activities of daily living.

·    Provided case management services to assist elderly clients with securing community healthcare resources and benefits.

Social Work Intern in Kinship Caregivers Program                                                                                                           September 2012 – May 2013

·    Worked with grandparent-headed kinship foster families using therapy methods from family systems for individual and family sessions.

·    Offered case management to link families to home health, employment, financial, and educational resources, community support services, and social welfare benefits.

·    Coordinated monthly town hall meetings to discuss youths’ and families’ reactions and attitudes about mental health and social problems among residents in the building.

·    Collected research data with NYU McSilver Institute for needs assessment of mental health problems to include in grant proposal for improving therapeutic treatment methods utilized in kinship foster care.

·    Participated in case presentations with multi-disciplinary treatment team of other providers in the agency.

·    Developed extracurricular activities for after-school program offered to residents and other local youth from the community.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CERTIFICATIONS

·    C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles: Jungian Psychology in Clinical Practice

·    CSEC 101 & 102

·    Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy

·    Dialectical Behavior Therapy

·    Seeking Safety

·    Managing and Adapting Practices (MAP)

·    Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

·    SafeTALK Suicide Alertness

·    Domestic Violence Training for Child Welfare Workers

·    Solution-Based Casework