Brooke Prendergast, LMSW

• Manage caseload of 50-60* clients by interviewing children, family members and collateral contacts to formulate and document comprehensive social work assessments based off client interactions
• Conduct interviews, emergency assessments, and social work evaluations needed to assess for safety and mental health concerns
• Created service plans and provided appropriate referrals to outside agencies to mitigate concerns and empower children/ families
• Support clients through written reports and presentations on client struggles, encourage just results to lead to obtain better outcomes in and out of court

• Collaborated effectively with agency staff such as attorney, paralegals and exec team to ensure that needs and desires of clients are considered and met when possible

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• Attends meetings and or meets with individuals in community/home
• Conduct assessments, create service plans and make referrals
• Assist attorneys in developing (SW) position, advocacy needs of case
• Testify in court as needed
• Provide updates to AFC as needed and follow up on next steps as needed
• Maintain info for review by Director of SW, Supervisor and Executive Team
• In Consultation with AFC, assure that the needs/desires of clients are considered and met when possible
• Collaborate with AFC's and other advocates to determine best strategy for clients based on their needs
• Work as part of advocacy team on behalf of clients
• ***advocacy and collaboration with the legal team leads to clients obtaining better outcomes in and out of court room
• Execute remote ongoing case management migration to electronic data base throughout COVID-19 pandemic to enhance case management personnel efficiencies through indexing electronic entry****
• Compose and facilitate staff trainings as member of social work training committee
• C2C.....

• .......to effectuate mission to provide voice for children in legal proceedings including custody, visitation, paternity and neglect cases
• SW is critical component of the interdisciplinary approach comprised of attorneys, paralegals, support staff, volunteers and community-based collaterals
• Collaborated, recommended,
• Evaluated, executed, encouraged*****

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• Provided client-centered advocacy through attending ACS field office conferences, crisis management and home visits as needed.
• Observed and supported clients during in-person family court proceedings at Kings County Family Court in which staff attorneys represent parents.
• Researched and connected parents to community-based resources for mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, housing and public assistance issues.
• Motivated and encouraged engagement recommended in courses referred and prepped clients for court-mandated program participation. Monitored quality of service providers.

• Highly competitive internship program for second-year MSW students. Extensive training in strengths-based client advocacy.
• Collaborated with staff attorneys to provide effective client-centered representation.

• Provided school-based trauma-informed counseling, crisis-intervention and emotional support to students.
• Conducted biopsychosocial assessments with students and parents to identify strengths, needs and resources.
• Developed short and long-term goals for clients. Tracked and documented progress.
• Interacted with teachers to recommend, plan and implement interventions for at-risk students and clients.