Amber Wilkins
Sherman
Summary
Dynamic professional with extensive experience as a Code Enforcement Officer at the City of Durant, excelling in violation investigations and community education. Proven ability in crisis management and report writing, fostering compliance and safety. Strong decision-maker with a commitment to detail and interpersonal communication, enhancing community standards and support.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Code Enforcement Officer
City of Durant
Durant
09.2024 - Current
- Enforce city codes.
- Inspected properties for violations.
- Assessed fines for violators when appropriate according to established guidelines.
- Outlined necessary remediation plans to achieve desired compliance with applicable fire codes, laws, regulations and standards.
- Interacted with citizens in order to answer questions regarding code enforcement procedures and regulations.
- Educated property owners about local codes and ordinances, providing guidance on how to bring their property into compliance.
- Prepared written reports, memos and correspondence.
- Followed up with previous violators to confirm corrective action was taken.
Alternative Response Investigator
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Fort Worth
01.2023 - 06.2024
- Alternative Response handles cases of abuse or neglect that initially present with less immediate safety or risk issues more flexibly, engaging families, while still focusing on the safety of the children.
- Collaborated with law enforcement and regulatory agencies to support criminal investigations and legal proceedings.
- Alternative Response provides services and support to help families resolve safety issues and reduce future involvement with Child Protective Services.
- Documented facts and statements gathered from complainants, witnesses and accused persons.
- Organized and maintained files of all investigative activities.
Conservatorship Specialist
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Sherman
09.2021 - 01.2023
- Taking over cases from investigation caseworkers after children are removed from their homes and placed in care outside their homes.
- Determining each child's needs, and arranging for additional testing, evaluations, records, or further assessments they need.
- Conducting home studies of family members or family friends (kinship providers) who might care for the child.
- Making sure the people who are caring for the children have what they need, and keeping them informed about the case.
- Working with children, families, and communities to plan for a child's permanent living arrangement.
- Finding potential permanent placements for the child by meeting with parents, family members, and other people who are important to the family.
- Making sure families get services to keep their child safe, and help them keep their child at home.
- Meeting with children, parents, family friends, or foster homes in public, as well as in their own homes.
- Visiting children at least monthly to see if the child feels safe where they are living and to ensure their needs are being met.
- Participating in court hearings. This includes preparing a family before the hearings, preparing court reports, and testifying in court about the child's needs, the family's progress, and the department's efforts to achieve permanency for the child.
- Transitioning children back home and providing support to the family until the legal case is closed.
- Documenting casework activity.
- Maintaining good working relationships between Child Protective Services staff, law enforcement officials, judicial officials, legal resources, medical professionals, and other community resources.
- Participated in ongoing training to maintain license and enhance knowledge of relevant mental health topics.
- Provided support to families in understanding the court process for obtaining guardianship and conservatorship.
- Conducted home visits to assess living conditions of conservatees and investigate any reported abuse or neglect issues.
- Maintained confidentiality through stringent handling of charts and data.
IDD Crisis Intervention Specialist
Texoma Community Center
Sherman
08.2020 - 09.2021
- Help individuals with IDD who are in crisis find, housing, benefits and services.
- Complete HCS Crisis Diversions into group homes and nursing facilities.
- Help individuals get into state supported living facilities.
- Attended meetings with legal representatives such as lawyers or court appointed officials regarding cases involving clients in crisis.
- Advised caregivers on strategies for managing challenging behaviors exhibited by those under their care.
- Provided follow-up care, including referral to long-term mental health services and support groups.
- Maintained detailed and confidential client records, documenting all interactions and interventions.
- Assessed needs for psychiatric evaluation or hospitalization and made appropriate referrals.
- Delivered training sessions on crisis intervention techniques to new staff and volunteers.
- Responded to emergency situations with professionalism and adherence to ethical guidelines.
- Compiled community resources for housing to assist patients with mental health or substance abuse recovery.
PASRR Habilitation Coordinator
Texoma Community Center
Sherman
11.2019 - 08.2020
- Responsible for assessing, evaluating and identifying needs and goals of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities relating to personal outcomes, including recommendations for interventions and support services.
- This position is also responsible for providing activities in accordance with state and federal guidelines.
- Arranges and collaborates with service providers and agencies in order to link residents of nursing facilities having an IDD diagnosis or related condition with outcome-focused services.
- Habilitation Coordinators respond to all PL1 alerts and complete all PASRR Evaluations within the required time frames among other responsibilities.
- All services are delivered in compliance with Health and Human Services (HHSC) and TAC Title 26, Chapter 33.
Children's Service Worker
Missouri Children's Division
Sikeston
05.2019 - 09.2019
- I worked with children that have already been removed and are in foster placements.
- Provided advocacy for youth who are victims of abuse or neglect by connecting them with appropriate resources or legal representation when necessary.
- Conducted home visits and assessments to evaluate the safety and well-being of children living in difficult circumstances.
- Attended hearings with victims to provide emotional support.
- Identified potential signs of mental health issues in children and referred them to appropriate specialists for further evaluation.
- Worked with care team to assess client needs and discuss collaborative treatment efforts.
- Collaborated with families to develop an understanding of cultural values that may impact their interactions with one another or outside entities.
- Educated parents on child development topics such as nutrition, hygiene, education planning and age-appropriate activities.
- Informed victims about legal processes and timelines.
- Responded promptly to emergency situations involving children or adolescents in order to ensure their safety.
- Counseled parents on proper child-rearing choices.
- Used job-related software to compose or prepare correspondence, case notes and technical reports
- Identified appropriate community resources and provided referrals for services.
- Facilitated meetings between families and other professionals to ensure effective communication and collaboration.
Investigator
Department of Family and Protective Services
Dallas
04.2016 - 09.2016
- Investigated allegations of child abuse or neglect.
- Made home, school, and daycare visits to interview children.
- Interviewed adults accused of these acts.
- Went to court to take legal actions against parents who were abusing or neglecting their children.
- Placed children into placements with family members, and foster homes.
- I took detailed information and provided detailed day-to-day reports of interactions with clients.
- Maintained organized records of all information and material pertinent to open investigations.
- Adhered to departmental policies regarding investigations and reporting procedures.
- Maintained detailed case log of all cases assigned to monitor progress and completion.
- Organized and maintained files of all investigative activities.
- Followed up on leads obtained through interviews or other sources.
- Managed caseloads efficiently, prioritizing tasks and meeting strict deadlines in high-pressure environments.
Community Living Support Specialist (Child Advocate)
Texas Initiative Programs, INC
Fort Worth
07.2015 - 04.2016
- Work with at risk children who have behavioral disorders to help them with social skills and coping skills.
- Attend courts when needed to testify for the child, complete daily paperwork that involves encounter service logs, non-medical transport logs, progress notes, and weekly invoices, transport children to and from therapy appointments, and use a curriculum with the kids based on their individual needs.
Security Officer/Administration
The Hockaday School for Girls
Dallas
02.2012 - 07.2015
- Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees and visitors, work the front desk and utilize the Raptor Vsoft System to screen for child predators, patrol the campus, secure the grounds and am responsible for the safety and security of all who enter the school.
- Detect suspicious activities and watch for criminal acts and rule infractions, write reports on property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons and unusual occurrences.
- Monitored and reported suspicious activities to local authorities, warned offenders about rule infractions and violations and verbally evicted violators from premises, denied entrance to the building to unauthorized persons, secured all doors in the office and main building after hours.
Education
Bachelor's - Criminal Justice
Kaplan University
Davenport, IA02.2014
Skills
- Behavioral health
- Developmental Disabilities Experience
- Autism Experience
- Multi-line Phone Systems
- Case Management
- Surveillance
- Patient monitoring
- Crisis Management
- Social Work
- Documentation
- Crisis Intervention
- CPR/
- Child Protective Services
- Customer service
- MS Office
- Security
- Conflict Management
- Experience with Children
- Theft prevention training
- Criminal law knowledge
- Electronic surveillance
- Culturally-sensitive
- MS Office proficiency
- Strong work ethic
- Crisis intervention training
- Report writing
- Arrest procedures
- Strong decision maker
- Conflict resolution techniques
- Customer Service
- Investigation documentation
- Problem Solving
- Stationary surveillance
- Oral and Written communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Manage and Organize Information
- CPR/First Aid certified
- Trained in defensive tactics
- Code enforcement
- Property inspection
- Safety assessment
- Case management
- Legal documentation
- Community education
- Conflict resolution
- Interpersonal communication
- Critical thinking
- Detail orientation
- Time management
- Team collaboration
- Violation investigation
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Stress management
- Courtroom testimony experience
Certification
- QMHP Certification
- QIDP Certification
- AED Certification
- CPR Certification
- Food Handler Certificate
Personal Information
Willing To Relocate: Anywhere
Accomplishments
- Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.76 GPA
Timeline
Code Enforcement Officer
City of Durant
09.2024 - Current
Alternative Response Investigator
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
01.2023 - 06.2024
Conservatorship Specialist
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
09.2021 - 01.2023
IDD Crisis Intervention Specialist
Texoma Community Center
08.2020 - 09.2021
PASRR Habilitation Coordinator
Texoma Community Center
11.2019 - 08.2020
Children's Service Worker
Missouri Children's Division
05.2019 - 09.2019
Investigator
Department of Family and Protective Services
04.2016 - 09.2016
Community Living Support Specialist (Child Advocate)
Texas Initiative Programs, INC
07.2015 - 04.2016
Security Officer/Administration
The Hockaday School for Girls
02.2012 - 07.2015
Bachelor's - Criminal Justice
Kaplan University
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