Benjamin Zimmerman

- Assisted in development of crisis plans, care plans and interventions.

- Documented client progress and maintained permanent records of activity according to agency's established methods and procedures.

- Contributed to program's ongoing evaluation of client’s mental illness symptoms and individuals in service’s response to treatment.

- Shared observations and concerns with WISe Team Members for consultation and direction and took appropriate action.

- Provided direct services to clients on an individual, group and family basis in community settings to teach symptom-management techniques and promote personal growth and development by assisting individual in services to cope with internal and external stresses and move ahead with their goals.

- Worked with WISe Youth and Family Partner to identify family support, peer support or other system and community resources to assist the youth and family with exercising their voice in the CFT process

- Worked with Mental Health Professionals and other clinicians to maintain alignment of care plan and treatment plan

- Maintained rigorous program fidelity requirements to include facilitating monthly Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings, monthly and quarterly CANS assessments.

- Transportation, resume and application assistance.

- Provided ongoing evaluation, mentoring, encouragement, problem solving, side-by-side services, skill teaching, support, and environmental adaptations to assist individual in services with activities of daily living.

- Helped clients to access reliable transportation (obtain driver's license / car insurance, arrange for cabs, use public transportation, find rides).

- Assisted and supported clients in effective utilization of personal primary care physician, dentist, prescriber and eye doctor, if applicable.

- Met expected productivity standards and completed necessary financial/billing information for the organization to receive payment.

- Organized and led individual and group social and recreational activities to help clients structure their time, increase social experiences, and provide opportunities to practice social skills.

- Coordinated with system partners including schools, juvenile justice, etc.

• Provided intensive wrap-around case management services including intake, assessment, service- and care planning, crisis intervention, advocacy, therapeutic case management, and referral, for Host Home-eligible youth experiencing homelessness, housing precarity, living in systems of care.
• Coordinated care with care team including advocates, peer counselors, mental health counselors, front-line staff and administration.
• Recruited, screened, trained and supported host households in accordance with relevant RCWs and in-house best practices and personally developed reference-check processes and interviews.
• Developed in-house Host Home protocols and compliance regimes in concert with program administrator. Consulted with community partners and sought client input to continuously shape these protocols to be trauma-informed, strength-based, client-centered, and justice-driven.
• Facilitated and led care team meetings with clients, partners and stakeholders, to include family reconciliation efforts.
• Maintained up-to-date case records with case activity status.
• Linked clients with social services, health care providers, community partners, legal aid, and governmental agencies to help claim or reclaim individual autonomy and pursue goals.
• Developed trusting relationships with social services, health care providers and governmental agencies.
• Maintained logs and electronic client records following department and agency policies for effective monitoring.
• Adhered to ethical principles and standards to protect clients' confidential information, dignity, privacy and autonomy.
• Prepared and facilitated power-point presentations and discussions of the host home program for a variety of audiences.
• Helped develop, manage and staff 'Resource Window' as a vector of community outreach and relationship building with at-risk youth, housing-precarious youth, and the community at large.
• Provided therapeutic case management guided by a trauma-informed, client-centered, strength-based philosophy which employed motivational interviewing.
• Provided ongoing on-site support at HOPE center ("The Loft") which temporarily houses minor youth experiencing homelessness.
• Provided aftercare services for exited youth.
• Participated in internal and external (interagency) case conferencing for clients.
• Provided case management for clients with SUDs, SPMI, complex trauma, eating disorders, etc.
• Assisted in training youth advocates.

• Using calm, patient and encouraging approach with youth which foregrounds youth's resilience, individuality, dignity, capacity for responsibility and self-advocacy, and potential; youth-led and youth-directed advocacy.
• Directing activities to promote growth in mental, emotional and educational areas.
• Modeling positive behavior for youth by providing leadership and positive interactions with all youth, staff and partners.
• Encouraging positive and sustainable change, goal-setting and skill development through motivational interviewing techniques and compassionate listening.
• Communicating in multiple formats and modalities with care coordination, frontline staff and youth administrator to advocate for youth health needs and interests.
• Helping maintain a safe, clean living environment.
• Encouraging teamwork and responsible communal living by example.
• Cooking and cleaning as needed.

• Assisted "clients" (my parents) in diagnosed cognitive decline with daily personal care activities.
• Identified emergent health and home safety concerns and developed solutions in collaboration with and pursuant to the advice of various health care and social service providers.
• Attended various appointments (as advocate and note-taker) in cardiology, neurology, forensic psychology, psychiatry, anti-coagulation, dentistry, optometry; utilized general durable power of attorney to facilitate scheduling of numerous necessary medical procedures, provide critical information to doctors and implement recommended care.
• Managed all aspects of medications and developed strategies to circumvent under- and over-dosage dangers.
• Checked mail, shopped for groceries, handled bill payments, trouble-shot technological challenges (such as email).
• Kept detailed records of patient care, medication administration and changes in health or other conditions.
• Recorded and reported changes in "client" health or behavior. Shared appropriate information with doctors. Developed strategies for safe, healthy living based on meticulous journaling with regard to changes in health, hygiene, behavior.
• Trained new caregivers in client needs and caregiving standards. Developed detailed home care plan with multiple agencies.
• Liaised between doctors and patients about care plans, progress and changing health conditions.
• Enlisted the support of other family and close family friends to build networks of backup support around health- and home care needs.

Shared responsibilities for training, mentoring, and managing employees while overseeing front-of-house operations, assisting with quality control and security, developing branding and social media presence, and providing high-quality hospitality services to guests at high-volume, iconic tavern/eatery with eclectic clientele.

Helped strategize and plan for Whitman College Philosophy Department "Storytelling Project" with Professor Thomas Davis. Acted as project liaison to Washington Odd Fellows Home Activities Department. Helped match Whitman students with Odd Fellows residents for project. Helped monitor and facilitate subsequent relationships.

Provided comprehensive journalistic coverage of high-profile Whitman College Athletic programs for the school's athletic website under two different Sports Communications Directors, and handled extensive writing responsibilities during a Director-less period (2013-14). Cultivated close, professional, reporter/student-athlete and reporter/coach relationships with Whitman students and coaches. Writing produced for Whitman also appeared in Walla Walla Union-Bulletin and on ncaa.com. Pitched and published Whitman-centric stories to d3hoops.com.

Oversaw all day-to-day operations of national-award winning sports section for Pulitzer-Prize winning morning daily newspaper. Managed and developed all full-time, part-time and freelance sports staff. Planned all sports coverage, 365 days per year. Planned special section coverage. Managed staff schedule, free-lance budget, section space allocation. Edited all stories written by staff while producing content exceeding full-time reporter volume in a deadline-driven environment. Supervised story development and shaped departmental storytelling philosophy and ethos. Collaborated with copy desk and advertising department on special projects. Hiring and recruitment lead for multiple full-time sports writer positions; two moved on to national or major metro publications. Cultivated hundreds of professional working relationships with high school and college coaches, administrators and student-athletes. Won numerous regional awards for news-, column- and features writing.