Benigno Rodriguez
Brooklyn,NY
Summary
Compassionate Mental Health Supervisor with experience in managing diverse mental health teams. Strengths include exceptional leadership skills, deep empathy for patients, and comprehensive knowledge of mental health therapies. Demonstrated ability to improve treatment outcomes through innovative therapeutic approaches and team collaboration.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Psychotherapist
AthenaPsych, Inc.
New York, NY
10.2023 - Current
- Utilizes evidence-based interventions to conduct individual and group therapy sessions with adults, children, and families, in person or via telehealth.
- Develops and implements goal-oriented treatment plans.
- Completes accurate and timely clinical documentation in compliance with program and state regulations.
- Ensures all clinical notes and client information are updated and accurate within the current EHR system.
- Provide conflict resolution and crisis intervention when needed.
- Developed individual courses of treatment for each patient by evaluating goals, mental health and practical conditions.
- Engages in weekly group and individual clinical supervision to support professional development.
Assistant Director
NYC Health + Hospitals
Brooklyn, NY
04.2018 - Current
- Oversee the clinical and administrative operations of the Health Home program at Woodhull Hospital and Cumberland Diagnostic Center.
- Supervised a team of care coordinators responsible for connecting patients with persistent, comorbid mental health disorders to mental health clinics.
- Provided regularly scheduled, structured supervision to assigned staff holding a caseload of 50 patients who had comorbid disorders and who needed a higher level of care, such as Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) or Assertive Community Treatment Program (ACT).
- Co-lead group supervision to assign staff who needed additional guidance in patient documentation.
- Lead mental health team meetings to discuss high-risk patients identified as having suicidal and homicidal ideations, and who had a history of incarceration and frequent hospitalizations.
- Review, approve, and co-sign documentation, including comprehensive assessments, care plans, and group notes, to ensure that appropriate language is being used for chart reviews.
- Maintain a positive partnership with medical and outpatient mental health clinics, both internal and external to NYC Health + Hospitals, to ensure the ability for psychiatric and medical providers to extend feedback to help support patient progress and to help support interventions imperative to achieving patient goals.
- Partner with QA/QI leadership to conduct quality assurance reviews in Electronic Medical Record (EMR), e.g. Chart reviews, utilization reviews, of both patients with medical (e.g. Diabetes, asthma, and behavioral health conditions (e.g., schizophrenia and bipolar disorders) should be verified for compliance with all governing regulations and quality metrics.
- Support the development and implementation of new policies, processes, and procedures designed to improve the workflow of care coordinators assigned to Health and Recovery Plans (HARPs) patients.
- Provided training support to staff on Electronic Health Records systems, DSM IV-TR/DSM V criteria, appropriate coding, and verified staff compliance with policies and procedures.
- Additional training was provided to staff in working effectively with aggressive and suicidal patients, which included processes to minimize risk and/or further involvement with the criminal justice system.
- Attended training(s), as requested by leaders, to help foster mental health wellness among the care coordination team (i.e., fostering kindness, empathy, and burnout).
Community Liason
NYC Health + Hospitals
Queens, NY
09.2015 - 03.2018
- Managed a caseload of 50 patients with psychiatric and medical diagnoses enrolled in the Health Home program.
- Conducted outreach and wellness checks with the crisis team for patients enrolled in the Health Home program, both in the hospital and the community.
- Worked closely with the Social Work Supervisor and care team to coordinate and develop patients' comprehensive assessments and care plans.
- Assisted patients with external social support services as needed, including rehabilitation programs, outpatient mental health programs, housing, and entitlement needs.
- Refer patients to agencies if there is a higher level of care needed, internally or externally, that includes the Mobile Crisis Team, Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program (AOT), and Assertive Community Treatment Program (ACT).
- Intervened as an advocate for matters related to medication management, crises involving suicide, housing, entitlement needs, and family conflict that involved spousal, child, or elder abuse.
- Completed and maintained accurate records (e.g., goals and interventions), and reports regarding various areas of patients' health, including medical, psychiatric, housing, and medication compliance, to monitor and minimize the risk of rehospitalization.
- Contacted HARP patients' MCO, when needed, to discuss the Care Plan, APS intervention, lack of follow-up, and future scheduled medical and psychiatric appointments.
- Provided rotating on-call coverage on holidays, weekends, and evenings, as needed.
Intensive/Medical Case Manager
Care for the Homeless
Bronx, NY
02.2008 - 09.2015
- Managed the behavioral health referral process of three medical clinics in three DHS family shelters.
- Provided crisis management, supportive counseling, and trauma-informed care to children and families at risk of contact with the Administration of Children Services (ACS) due to neglect or abuse, and who struggled with alcohol or drug abuse, depression, anxiety, paranoid hallucinations, and delusions.
- Distributed Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-9), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) to identify family members struggling with depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use, and implement appropriate interventions for those patients.
- Supervised a team of case managers and outreach specialists in a medical mobile van who provided street outreach to individuals who needed support in enrolling in health insurance, and who requested HIV, depression, alcohol, and drug screening. Appropriate interventions were provided for any identified patients.
- Facilitated educational, informational, and mental health groups in areas such as financial management, depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use, and trauma-informed care.
- Facilitated a fatherhood group for fathers, both young and middle-aged, struggling with mental illness, drug or alcohol abuse, and work and housing needs.
- Assisted patients with the process of obtaining and completing documentation necessary for eligibility for Supportive Housing and Link Programs.
- Developed and maintained relationships with Medicaid agencies and managed care companies throughout New York City, and other providers serving underserved communities.
- Collaborated with partner organizations to increase enrollment in Medicaid, Medicare, and other health insurance.
- Reported and tracked goals and outcomes monthly.
- Assisted in developing policies and procedures that ensure consistent practices in the outreach and enrollment departments.
Education
Master of Science - Clinical Social Work
Fordham University School of Social Services
New York, NY05-2005
Skills
- Psychosocial assessment
- Patient documentation
- Motivational interviewing
- Crisis intervention
- Anxiety management
- Suicide risk assessment
- Tracking client progress
- Treatment Planning
- Anger management
- Client goal planning
- Safety and risk assessments
- Fluent bilingualism
- Staff supervision
Accomplishments
5/2014 - National Health Care for the Homeless Council, New Orleans
Workshop Presentation: Integrated Care Model for Homeless Mother’s with Depression:
An Intervention in the Family Shelter Clinics in NYC. Care Manager information presented.
Certification
- 2022- CASAC-T Certification
Languages
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual
Affiliations
- Chair of the Welcoming and Service Recovery Committee at Woodhull Hospital
- Active member of the Vanderveer Park United Methodist Church involved in various committees including the Bereavement team
Timeline
Psychotherapist
AthenaPsych, Inc.
10.2023 - Current
Assistant Director
NYC Health + Hospitals
04.2018 - Current
Community Liason
NYC Health + Hospitals
09.2015 - 03.2018
Intensive/Medical Case Manager
Care for the Homeless
02.2008 - 09.2015
- 2022- CASAC-T Certification
Master of Science - Clinical Social Work
Fordham University School of Social Services
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