Candace Lightheart
Clinical Social Worker
Charlotte,NC
Summary
Passionate clinical social worker and addiction specialist with extensive experience in community mental health, perinatal mental health, medical social work, child welfare, and addiction research. Skilled in project management and systems coordination, with a dedicated focus on stepping into a leadership role within maternal mental health and addiction recovery.
Overview
1
1
Certification
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team (START) Clinical Services Coordinator
Orange County Department of Social Services
08.2025 - Current
- Designed clinical processes, structures, and documentation to implement START service model in Orange County, ensuring alignment with best practices.
- Conduct research on required and best practices for clinical informed consent, information sharing practices, record keeping, and operational workflows.
- Coordinated outreach to community treatment providers to foster collaboration and improve service access for clients.
- Develop client and provider-facing START educational materials.
- Develop comprehensive clinical assessment templates and screening protocols.
- Participate in statewide START implementation activities, technical assistance meetings, and learning collaboratives.
Owner and Therapist
Lightheart Therapy Practice, PLLC
03.2023 - Current
- Managed clinical business development, administration, marketing, and direct therapy services to enhance private practice operations.
- Handled EHR setup, client documentation, and insurance billing workflows to ensure efficient practice management.
- Directed daily practice operations, aligning clinical workflows with patient care standards and business objectives.
- Developed intake, scheduling, and documentation procedures to improve client access and record accuracy.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Duke Health
07.2023 - 08.2024
- Provided short-term, skills-based therapy and care coordination in an outpatient setting for Duke employees, nursing students, and graduate students.
- Coordinated behavioral health care, including substance use disorders, and facilitated bi-weekly collaborative care team meetings to enhance treatment integration.
- Assisted in developing clinical program for brief therapy services targeting perioperative stress management to improve patient coping strategies.
Outpatient Therapist & Clinical Program Coordinator for Orange County Department of Social Services
Carolina Outreach
06.2021 - 06.2023
- Conducted comprehensive clinical assessments, delivered individual and family therapy, and managed case services to support client needs.
- Coordinated client referrals, intake processes, and staffing to ensure seamless service delivery for clients referred by Orange County Department of Social Services.
- Tracked and submitted quarterly client outcome data, and developed standard operating procedures manual for clinical care, billing, and data reporting for Orange County Department of Social Services.
UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic Social Work Supervisor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
05.2020 - 05.2021
- Provided individual and group clinical supervision to a team of social work practitioners.
- Provided medical case management, behavioral health counseling, and crisis intervention to clinic patients living with HIV/AIDS.
- Collaborated with legal and virtual care teams to establish the clinic's first virtual group therapy services.
UNC Horizons Social Work Practitioner
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
05.2020 - 02.2021
- Facilitated telehealth SACOT groups, supporting pregnant and parenting mothers in overcoming substance abuse challenges.
- Provided counseling, assessments, treatment planning, and case management, enhancing care delivery in the perinatal clinic.
- Completed initial intake assessments and comprehensive clinical assessments, ensuring accurate treatment pathways for residential and outpatient clients.
Senior Clinical Research Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Addiction Research Center
03.2016 - 05.2020
- Coordinated daily operations of mobile health study predicting alcohol use lapse, ensuring adherence to protocols and participant engagement.
- Supervised and trained associate research specialists and undergraduate assistants on data collection and participant recruitment, enhancing compliance and data quality.
- Supervised and trained associate research specialists and undergraduate assistants on data collection, participant compliance, and recruitment.
- Created standard operating procedures for study visits and developed the center's first clinical crisis intervention protocols.
- Established dedicated recruitment team, achieving enrollment and retention goals three months ahead of schedule.
- Submitted protocol changes and continuing review reports to the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Social Worker
SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital & St. Mary’s Hospital
06.2014 - 01.2016
- Coordinated treatment and discharge planning for patients in medical/surgical units, NICU, PICU, Emergency Department, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine as part of an interdisciplinary team, enhancing continuity of care.
- Conducted comprehensive psychosocial assessments with patients and caregivers, effectively connecting families with vital hospital and community resources.
- Supported mothers in Maternal and Fetal Medicine unit by completing assessments for those with histories of postpartum depression, mental health concerns, or substance use, facilitating appropriate interventions.
Community Referral Coordinator at SSM St. Louis University Hospital
St. Louis Integrated Health Network
03.2013 - 05.2014
- Coordinated health services for uninsured and underinsured patients with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in St. Louis City and County, enhancing access to essential medical care.
- Educated uninsured patients about primary, specialty, behavioral health, and urgent care services, facilitating appointment scheduling with FQHCs to improve healthcare access.
- Coordinated experiential learning activities for first-year medical students in the Students as Coaches-Navigating the St. Louis Health Care Safety Net elective, enriching their understanding of community health resources.
Foster Care Supervisor
Seamen’s Society for Children and Families
06.2011 - 06.2012
- Facilitated individual and group clinical supervision for team of six caseworkers, enhancing referrals, planning, and casework counseling for children and parents in foster care system.
- Cultivated collaborative relationships with case managers, supervisors at Administration of Children’s Services (ACS), ACS attorneys, mental health and substance abuse treatment partners, school guidance staff, and foster parents to support comprehensive care.
- Supervised foster care case management, ensuring compliance with ACS and agency permanency requirements.
- Reviewed case plans, court reports, and progress notes for accuracy, consistency, and timely completion.
- Guided casework staff through family engagement, placement stability, and service coordination.
Research Project Coordinator
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
05.2008 - 05.2011
- Coordinated data collection with adolescent substance users for Learning Effective Approaches to Prevention (CASALEAP), enhancing research quality and participant engagement.
- Served as liaison for community health center research partners and NYC public high schools and social service referral partners, facilitating collaboration and resource sharing.
- Conducted biopsychosocial assessments to determine eligibility for study and suitability for outpatient mental health treatment with families across all five NYC boroughs.
- Introduced caregiver and adolescent study participants to community-based mental health service providers and assisted families in scheduling and attending initial treatment sessions.
- Coded individual and family therapy sessions to assess utilization of family-based, cognitive-behavioral, motivational interviewing, and substance abuse therapeutic techniques, informing treatment strategies.
Community-Based Case Manager II
Midtown Catholic Charities
08.2007 - 04.2008
- Delivered case management services to pregnant women and parents of newborns, enhancing support for families during critical early years.
- Established resource center, store, and support group for teenage mothers, fostering community connections and access to essential resources.
- Coordinated monthly workshops educating clients on prenatal health and infant-toddler development, promoting healthier parenting practices.
Foster Care Case Manager
Missouri Alliance for Children and Families
05.2006 - 08.2007
- Delivered clinical case management and crisis intervention for children and adolescents in foster care, ensuring tailored support for individual needs.
- Testified and submitted detailed reports in court to inform permanency planning decisions, facilitating successful outcomes in adoption, kinship placement, group-home placement, and parental reunification.
Education
Master of Social Work (MSW) -
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis01-2005
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology
University of Missouri-St. Louis
St. Louis01-2001
Skills
- Clinical Specializations: Career Stress & Burnout, Maternal Mental Health, Substance Use & Co-occurring Disorders, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Evidence-Based Treatments: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT - Full Model), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Modular Approach to Treating Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Conduct concerns (MATCH-ADTC)
- Program & Leadership Skills: Clinical Program Development, Implementation, Administration & Research, Staff Supervision & Training, EHR Management & Documentation
Clinical documentation
Clinical assessment
Care coordination
Quality improvement
Healthcare administration
Certification
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | North Carolina License #C015458, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS) | North Carolina License #26625, Principles in Management and Supervision Certificate | UW-Madison|2018, NASW Clinical Supervision Certificate | NASW-NC|2024, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional (PMH-C)| Post Partum Support International|2026, NC Maternal Mental Health Matters Fellow| University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill | 2026 Cohort
PUBLICATIONS
Hogue, A., Dauber, S., Henderson, C.E., Bobek, M., Johnson, C., Lichvar, E., & Morgenstern, J. (2015). Randomized Trial of Family Therapy Versus Nonfamily Treatment for Adolescent Behavior Problems in Usual Care. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 44(6), 954-969.
Timeline
Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team (START) Clinical Services Coordinator
Orange County Department of Social Services
08.2025 - Current
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Duke Health
07.2023 - 08.2024
Owner and Therapist
Lightheart Therapy Practice, PLLC
03.2023 - Current
Outpatient Therapist & Clinical Program Coordinator for Orange County Department of Social Services
Carolina Outreach
06.2021 - 06.2023
UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic Social Work Supervisor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
05.2020 - 05.2021
UNC Horizons Social Work Practitioner
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
05.2020 - 02.2021
Senior Clinical Research Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Addiction Research Center
03.2016 - 05.2020
Social Worker
SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital & St. Mary’s Hospital
06.2014 - 01.2016
Community Referral Coordinator at SSM St. Louis University Hospital
St. Louis Integrated Health Network
03.2013 - 05.2014
Foster Care Supervisor
Seamen’s Society for Children and Families
06.2011 - 06.2012
Research Project Coordinator
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
05.2008 - 05.2011
Community-Based Case Manager II
Midtown Catholic Charities
08.2007 - 04.2008
Foster Care Case Manager
Missouri Alliance for Children and Families
05.2006 - 08.2007
Bachelor of Arts - Anthropology
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Master of Social Work (MSW) -
Washington University in St. Louis