Ave Aldridge
Summary
I am a Mental Health professional with skill leading situation-specific counseling. I also have expertise in working with children and adults in crisis.
I am an observant individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills builds meaningful relationships with clients and families. Additionally, I am experienced in working with clients from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, offering crisis intervention to help individuals navigate through traumatic experiences.
I pride myself in being an empathetic professional with hands-on experience providing quality psychological services to children and adults. I am skilled in identifying, assessing and diagnosing mental health and emotional issues; developing and implementing treatment plans and providing counseling to obtain maximum results for patients.
For years I have functioned as a respectful Case Manager with proven track record of helping clients improve mental health and well-being through evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Skilled in selecting and utilizing appropriate treatment modalities and interventions to meet needs of individuals. Passionate about helping people manage mental health and improve quality of life. Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
Work History
Qualified Mental Health Professional
Choice Behavioral Health
01.2019 - 03.2021
- Documented client progress in confidential files.
- Provision of one on one support in various settings for clients.
- Encouraged clients to express feelings and discuss what was happening in day-to-day life in order to help each person develop insight into personal experiences and relationships.
- Provided clients with recommendations to community resources.
- Worked collaboratively with other mental health professionals to provide consistent care and minimize diversion.
Mental Health Quality Services Specialist/ Admin.
Guilford County Mental Health
01.2007 - 12.2012
- Credentialed provider agencies based on the Sate of North Carolina and Medicaid Standards
- Monitoring of agencies to ensure compliance
- Preparation of court briefs, and other documentation surround credentialing and monitoring of agencies
- Served as team lead for 6 other employees
- Collaboration with other state and local entices
Case Manager III
Guilford County Mental Health
10.1998 - 12.2006
- Coordinated services with other agencies, community-based organizations, and healthcare professionals to provide useful benefits to clients.
- Developed and implemented comprehensive case management plans to address client needs and goals.
- Assisted clients in navigating housing, legal services and public benefits to gain access to valuable resources.
- Monitored clients' progress and tracked client services to provide crisis interventions.
- Partnered with physicians, social workers, activity therapists, nutritionists, and case managers to develop and implement individualized care plans and documented patient .interactions. and interventions in electronic charting systems.
- Collaborated with an interdisciplinary team to determine timely delivery of services.
- Developed comprehensive discharge plans to transition clients to appropriate service providers in community.
- Identified care needs of individual patients and coordinated responses based on physician advice, insurance limitations, and procedural costs.
- Provided evidence-based therapeutic interventions and crisis management to clients to lessen negative on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Social Worker 1
Guilford County Department Of Social Services
11.1990 - 10.1998
- Updated client documentation for accurate, compliant and current records.
- Interviewed clients, families, or groups to assess situations, limitations and issues and implement services to address needs.
- Supported clients and families with empathy and compassion during difficult times.
- Advocated for clients to assure respected rights and wishes.
- Assisted clients with navigating and accessing social services such as housing and medical care.
- Conducted home visits to assess living environment and facilitate access to necessary resources.
- De-escalated stressful situations through individual and family crisis interventions.
- Formulated treatment plan strategies with multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive and continuous care plan.
- Monitored clients' progress and adapted treatment plans to meet changing needs.
- Helped clients develop new coping mechanisms and techniques to drive behavior modification.
Mental Health Rehabilitation Therapist
Davidson County Mental Health Youth Services
11.1987 - 10.1990
- Documented client progress in confidential files.
- Performed client assessments and developed treatment plans.
- Provided clients with recommendations to community resources.
- Utilized meditation and visualization to support clients in meeting therapeutic goals.
- Consulted with other staff members regarding treatment plans as deemed appropriate by team leader.
- Observed and monitored client behavior and responses to treatment.
- Worked collaboratively with other mental health professionals to provide consistent care and minimize diversion.
- Coordination of summer camp programs, supervision and transportation for program activities.
- Provided comprehensive case management services, assisted withe creation of treatment plans, and connected clients and families to appropriate resources.
- Provision of behavioral supports in the alternative school environment.
- Encouraged patients to discuss experiences in group and individual settings.
Social Worker 1
Davidson County Mental Health Youth Services
11.1986 - 11.1987
- Updated client documentation for accurate, compliant and current records.
- Interviewed clients, families, or groups to assess situations, limitations and issues and implement services to address needs.
- Supported clients and families with empathy and compassion during difficult times.
- Advocated for clients to assure respected rights and wishes.
- Formulated treatment plan strategies with multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive and continuous care plan.
- Helped clients develop new coping mechanisms and techniques to drive behavior modification.
- Assisted clients with navigating and accessing social services such as housing and medical care.
- De-escalated stressful situations through individual and family crisis interventions.
- Conducted home visits to assess living environment and facilitate access to necessary resources.
- Monitored clients' progress and adapted treatment plans to meet changing needs.
Teaching Parent
Davidson County Mental Health Youth Services
03.1985 - 11.1986
- Delivered personalized behavioral, and emotional support to individual students to enable positive learning outcomes.
- Supervision of Teaching Parent Assistants.
- Documentation of client interactions, incident reports, communication logs and progress toward goals.
- Implementation of behavioral support plans
- Maintaining the home and budgets for the home.
- Provided on call support for the home.
- Collaborating with an interdisciplinary team to develop and implement care plans, and behavioral plans for clients.
- Provision of transportation to services and appointments.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science/Criminal Justice
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC05.1982
Skills
- Community Reintegration
- Mental Health Support
- Crisis Intervention
- Case Documentation
- Patient Evaluation
- Community Mental Health Programs
- Client Goal Planning
- Tracking Client Progress
- Safety and Risk Assessments
- Sustainable Systems
singing, gardening, serving in the community
I enjoy singing in the music department in my local church. Gardening is my happy place that brings me solace and peace. Most of all I enjoy serving the needy in our community serving as an associate minister in my local church and the director of "Feeding Wisdom" a local food pantry designed to eradicate hunger in our community.
Timeline
Qualified Mental Health Professional
Choice Behavioral Health
01.2019 - 03.2021
Mental Health Quality Services Specialist/ Admin.
Guilford County Mental Health
01.2007 - 12.2012
Case Manager III
Guilford County Mental Health
10.1998 - 12.2006
Social Worker 1
Guilford County Department Of Social Services
11.1990 - 10.1998
Mental Health Rehabilitation Therapist
Davidson County Mental Health Youth Services
11.1987 - 10.1990
Social Worker 1
Davidson County Mental Health Youth Services
11.1986 - 11.1987
Teaching Parent
Davidson County Mental Health Youth Services
03.1985 - 11.1986
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science/Criminal Justice
North Carolina State University