Brett Borden
Cedar Rapids,IA
Summary
Strong classroom management with experience in behavior disorders and inner-city schools. Effective leader with experience working with students and adults of all ages, with and without disabilities. Over eight years of childcare experience and over three years in the mental health field. Proven capable and conscientious about students and families. Strong communication style with an eye for problem-solving. Over 4 years of employee management experience in the mental health field.
Professional with a strong background in outreach and community engagement, ready to drive effective programs and initiatives. Adept at fostering team collaboration and achieving impactful results, adaptable to changing needs. Skilled in communication, planning, and relationship building, bringing a reliable and results-focused approach to every project. Focused on delivering measurable outcomes and continuous improvement.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Outreach Supervisor
Successful Living
05.2023 - Current
- Directly supervised 10 to 15 Outreach SCL Counselors weekly.
- Met with Outreach Counselors every week to ensure quality services and documentation were completed.
- Reviewed case notes regularly and made sure they were ready for billing monthly.
- Developed and maintained caseloads for Outreach Counselors and Interns. Making sure that the counselor’s calendars were updated weekly.
- Provided Direct communication with Case managers regarding client issues.
- Responsible for development and monitoring of client goals and action steps for effective achievement.
- Maintained availability throughout the work week in the office to serve as the primary contact for staff/student’s issues.
- Served as a contact for all Outreach clients and case managers and assisting in completing social histories, releases of information, functional assessments, and all other paperwork required for keeping client files updated to meet Chapter 24 and agency compliance.
- Recruited volunteers to support program activities, fostering a sense of community involvement and ownership over initiatives.
- Cultivated relationships with community leaders to establish trust, rapport, and open lines of communication.
- Maintained meticulous records on client interactions, ensuring efficient follow-up communication when required.
- Improved collaboration between departments by organizing cross-functional team meetings for project planning.
- Adapted outreach strategies in response to shifting community needs or program goals as needed during project timelines.
- Streamlined outreach processes, resulting in improved efficiency and greater impact on target populations.
- Mentored junior staff members within the organization on best practices in effective community engagement techniques.
- Organized training workshops for staff members, ensuring they were equipped with the necessary skills to perform their roles effectively.
- Participated in community events to promote services and engage with public.
- Increased community engagement by developing and implementing strategic outreach initiatives.
Counselor
Successful Living
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Outreach Counselor for individuals with various mental health issues in the community.
- Followed ISP plans with individuals and assisted them with following through on their individual goals.
- Transported Clients on community outings to medical appointments, grocery stores, community integration activities, and other errands around the Iowa City and Coralville Communities.
- Helped train other Outreach Members in documentation training.
Direct Coordinator
Equality Through Community
04.2021 - 12.2022
- Direct Coordinator for the “hourly services” outreach program from April 2021-December 2021.
- Coordinated all services for members in the community to ensure a high level of care for each individual served.
- Scheduled 3 to 5 team members on a weekly schedule to make sure all clients had services.
- Attended service meetings monthly for each hourly client in the community.
- Created service plans for each hourly client as needed throughout the year.
- Promoted to Service Director in January 2021 in charge of two houses under the daily program.
- Supervised monthly schedules for two houses and made sure that employees knew what they were working.
- Pushed for a high level of documentation from DSP’s consistently and to make sure that monthly billing could be done in a timely manner.
- Tasked all DSP’s to put forth a high quality of care for all and every client served.
- Trained all DSP’s on how to do correct documentation for services, technical programs used, company policies and procedures, and boundaries training.
Associate Coordinator
Discovery Living
01.2019 - 01.2021
- Associate Coordinator in a home for individuals with various disabilities.
- Supervised 10 direct care professionals on a regular basis.
- Took care of all needs for the house and the members who lived there including taking them to appointments, cooking for the house, cleaning their house, and taking care of all of the members daily needs consistently.
- Supervised training of all new staff and made sure they were up to date with all protocols of the house.
- Picked up and organized all medications for members.
- Transported all members to and from appointments regularly.
- Demonstrated high level of leadership on a regular basis to inspire staff regularly.
- Developed a deep love of working with individuals with different types of disability and making sure they were living the best life possible.
- Attended all meetings and training on a consistent basis and was never late.
Direct Service Professional
Chatham Oaks
01.2014 - 01.2019
- Direct Service Professional in a rehabilitation home for clients with mental health disabilities.
- Transport clients on a daily basis to and from their errands in order to fulfill their living needs.
- Work hand in hand with the site coordinator of the house to make goals for all clients in their habilitation home.
- Demonstrated people and relationship/social skills on an everyday basis in order to connect with clients and encourage them in their life choices.
- A passion for serving the people of the rehabilitation home in order to help them eventually succeed on the next step of their life living on their own.
Substitute Teacher
Iowa City, West Liberty, and Solon Community School District
01.2010 - 01.2014
- Substitute teacher for grades K-12 in all subject areas, including art, science, social studies, math, and English.
- Worked in a community with many Spanish speaking students including an all Spanish-speaking classroom.
- Worked in inner city schools and behavioral disorder classrooms including an alternative school with troubled youths who required very strict attention.
- Demonstrated interest in Special Education and working with special needs students. Worked both as teacher and associate in many classrooms with children who required special attention.
- A passion for teaching and reaching out to the youth in a community Volunteered at an after-school drama program for a local school to help students gain the same passion I have for the arts.
Education Coordinator/Floor-Team Member
The Iowa Children’s Museum
01.2010 - 01.2014
- Education coordinator/floor-team member, assisting children and their families with an emphasis on play as learning.
- Created educational activities including games, art, and literacy experiences.
- Maintained educational exhibits.
- Developed and facilitated day camps in subjects of theater, literature, woodworking and art.
- Exhibited great customer service skills with a commitment to building relationships and resolving customer complaints.
- Facilitated outreach to enrich the lives of students in the community through art projects, games, and literacy. Traveled to libraries, schools, and conferences in order to reach kids and families who may not have the opportunities to get to the museum.
- Interacted with children as costumed characters for reading stories aloud, exhibit grand openings, and special museum celebrations.
- Facilitated a preschool program for teaching music, math, and literacy skills.
Student Teacher
Maryville High School
09.2009 - 12.2009
- Taught both speech and drama classes.
- Assisted with the Forensics program including after school practices and weekend events. Coached a student who made it to the national competition.
- Attended all teacher in-service workshops with professional staff.
- Provided student feedback to parents at conferences.
- Served on the Iowa City Community Theater Board from 2014-2016.
- Served on the Playtime Poppy Board in Cedar Rapids from 2015-2016.
- Qualified speech coach and judge with two all-state speech students in the Iowa City area.
- Glenwood High School “Fine Arts Student of the Year” for 2005.
- “Northwest Missouri State Theater Student of the Year” for 2008 and 2009.
- Helped create a drama program called “Leadership Through Drama” to help children develop self-esteem through theater arts.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Education - Speech/Theater
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO01.2009
Associate of Arts - theater
Iowa Western Community College
01.2007
Skills
- Community engagement
- Training facilitation
- Volunteer recruitment
- Policy advocacy
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Time management
- Problem-solving abilities
- Reliability
- Team collaboration
Accomplishments
- Used Microsoft Excel to develop inventory tracking spreadsheets.
- Supervised a team of 16 staff members.
Certification
- Over 30+ hours of mental health training
- CM - Certified Medication Manager Certification
- QPR Gatekeeper Training
Timeline
Outreach Supervisor
Successful Living
05.2023 - Current
Counselor
Successful Living
01.2022 - 01.2023
Direct Coordinator
Equality Through Community
04.2021 - 12.2022
Associate Coordinator
Discovery Living
01.2019 - 01.2021
Direct Service Professional
Chatham Oaks
01.2014 - 01.2019
Substitute Teacher
Iowa City, West Liberty, and Solon Community School District
01.2010 - 01.2014
Education Coordinator/Floor-Team Member
The Iowa Children’s Museum
01.2010 - 01.2014
Student Teacher
Maryville High School
09.2009 - 12.2009
Associate of Arts - theater
Iowa Western Community College
Bachelor of Science in Education - Speech/Theater
Northwest Missouri State University
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