Amanda Hernandez, MSW
Summary
Empathetic Social Worker with over 12 years of experience interfacing with community liaisons, facilitating individual and group sessions and monitoring conditions of clients to coordinate care. Excellent communicator with knack for building lasting professional relationships.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Dialysis Social Worker
Davita Clinical Research
11.2022 - Current
- Identifies, assesses, and documents psychosocial evaluations quarterly and annually; evaluates and monitors ongoing psychosocial issues and patient goals.
- Independently conducts initial patient psychosocial assessment within 30 days of admission, and conducts an independent reassessment within. 90 days after the initial assessment.
- Participated in development of master treatment plans and updates.
- Documented clinical sessions held with patients and family members.
- Conducted individual, group and family sessions for patients as indicated in patient treatment plan.
- Documented case notes daily and coordinated follow-up for seamless case management.
- Helped clients develop new coping mechanisms and techniques to drive behavior modification.
- Formulated treatment plan strategies with multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive and continuous care plan.
- Worked with medical teams, patients and families to implement effective treatment plans.
- Completes CMS mandated and social work specific tasks.
- Independently conducts initial patient psychosocial assessment within 30 days of admission, and conducts an independent reassessment within. 90 days after the initial assessment.
- Identifies, assesses, and documents psychosocial evaluations quarterly and annually; evaluates and monitors ongoing psychosocial issues and patient goals.
- Explained medical care options to help families make informed healthcare decisions.
- Independently analyzes and provides information and facilitates referrals to community, private, state, and federal agencies based on psychosocial needs (e.g. financial programs, medication assistance programs, Vocational Rehabilitation Programs, transportation resources, mental health and chemical dependency resources, and home health/homemaking agencies).
- Complies with state and federal mandatory reporting laws such as Adult Protective Services and Child Protective Services.
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER III, MSW
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
10.2017 - 07.2022
- Built respectful and trusting relationships with clients
- Remained calm and poised in emergency and crisis situations
- Interviewed clients to obtain social histories and assess intake needs
- Collaborated with clients to develop relevant and meaningful case plans
- Documented emergency incidents or rule non-compliance
- Completed forms and reports in compliance with federal and state regulations
- Helped clients fill out job and housing applications and court documents
- Recognized crisis situations, assessing potential danger to clients and other individuals
- Implemented solutions using client-centered care protocols
- Followed strict data confidentiality rules to keep client information secure
- Reviewed results of psychological evaluations and evaluations from community providers to assess client needs
- Referred clients to supportive services to supplement treatment and counseling
- Met regularly with clients to support case plan accomplishment and reevaluate goals
- Addressed legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements
- Provided resources and linkages with supporting agencies to prevent child neglect and abuse
- Recommended temporary foster care and advised foster and adoptive parents.
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER III, MSW (CSEC)
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
02.2017 - 10.2017
- Interviewed clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing situations, capabilities and problems to determine services required to meet needs
- Provided, found, and arranged for support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, job training, counseling, and parenting classes to prevent more serious problems from developing
- Liaised between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors and other contacts to help children facing disabilities, abuse, and poverty
- Arranged for medical, psychiatric and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicated remedial measures
- Reared problems, interviewing child and family to determine whether further action was required
- Developed and reviewed service plans in consultation with clients and performed follow-ups assessing quantity and quality of services provided
- Counseled students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicated need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services
- Recommended temporary foster care and advised foster and adoptive parents
- Placed children in foster or adoptive homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers
- Provided support in such areas as grief, stress and chemical dependency
- Counseled individuals, groups, families, or communities about mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, child care, or medical care
- Maintained case history records and prepared reports
- Collaborated with Law enforcement partners from specialized Vice and Human Trafficking units are highly trained in identifying victims of commercial sexual exploitation
SOCIAL WORK RESEACH INTERN
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
08.2016 - 05.2017
- Assisted and participated in departmental strategic planning activities
- Strategic planning activities included development of strategic plan objectives, process and outcome measures, as well as strategic plan objective team meeting
- Attend focus group discussions to develop strategic plan objectives and milestones at the strategic plan objective team meeting
- Engages in and focuses on some of the core priorities for the department, including the implementation and evaluation of the shared Core Practice Model, evaluation of CAPP fidelity assessment, Child and Family Team impact study, and strategic planning.
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER II
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
08.2012 - 02.2017
- Developed and reviewed service plans in consultation with clients and performed follow-ups assessing quantity and quality of services provided
- Referred clients to community resources for services, such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, and financial assistance and provided concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply
- Addressed legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements
- Consulted with parents, teachers and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior and to implement solutions
- Counseled individuals, groups, families, or communities about mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, and medical care
- Interviewed clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing situations, capabilities and problems to determine services required to meet needs
- Reared problems, interviewing child and family to determine whether further action was required
- Arranged for medical, psychiatric and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicated remedial measures
- Evaluated personal characteristics and home conditions of foster home and adoption applicants
- Recommended temporary foster care and advised foster and adoptive parents
- Placed children in foster or adoptive homes and group homes
- Provided support in such areas as grief, stress and chemical dependency.
SOCIAL WORK INTERN
Alliance Human Services, Inc
09.2015 - 05.2016
- Assisted Foster Family Agency Social Workers with home visits and documentation
- Communicated with third-party agencies and providers for care coordination
- Followed strict data confidentiality rules to keep client information secure
- Documented emergency incidents or rule non-compliance
- Built respectful and trusting relationships with clients.
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
07.2011 - 08.2012
- Investigated referrals alleging child abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation by observing the child's well-being and living environment
- Built respectful and trusting relationships with clients
- Privately in-person; interviewing various individuals through oral and written communication; consulting with other individuals/sources
- Documented emergency incidents or rule non-compliance
- Recognized crisis situations, assessing potential danger to clients and other individuals
- Remained calm and poised in emergency and crisis situations
- Conducted home inspections and assessing prospective caregivers; monitored visitations; researched existing information in hardcopy filing systems and on various computer databases
- Completed forms and reports in compliance with federal and state regulations
- Transported clients
- Assessed a family's strengths and needs
- Followed strict data confidentiality rules to keep client information secure
- Referred clients to supportive services to supplement treatment and counseling.
Education
MASTERS IN SOCIAL WORK -
California State University
Long Beach, CA05.2017
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.S.) IN SOCIAL WORK -
California State University
Long Beach, CA05.2011
Skills
- Client Advocacy
- Patient Support
- Case Management
- Family Case Management
- Intervention Planning
- Cultural Competency
- Case Documentation
- Abuse and Neglect Investigation
- Substance Abuse Expertise
- Interdisciplinary Coordination
- Individual Counseling
- Medicaid and Medicare Paperwork
- Rehabilitation Planning
- Referral Coordination
- MS Office
- Motivational Interviewing Skills
- Psychiatric Disorders
Certification
Child Family Team Meeting Facilitator
Timeline
Dialysis Social Worker
Davita Clinical Research
11.2022 - Current
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER III, MSW
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
10.2017 - 07.2022
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER III, MSW (CSEC)
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
02.2017 - 10.2017
SOCIAL WORK RESEACH INTERN
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
08.2016 - 05.2017
SOCIAL WORK INTERN
Alliance Human Services, Inc
09.2015 - 05.2016
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER II
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
08.2012 - 02.2017
CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORKER
County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services
07.2011 - 08.2012
MASTERS IN SOCIAL WORK -
California State University
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.S.) IN SOCIAL WORK -
California State University