Cheryl Nelson
Littleton,MA
Summary
Empathetic counselor with 25 plus years of expertise providing clients with emotional and psychological support. Skilled in developing rapport within a respectful and safe environment to facilitate therapeutic results utilizing appropriate treatment modalities and interventions to meet the needs of individuals. Passionate about helping people manage mental health and improve quality of life.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Better Help
990 Villa Street, CA
2022.10 - Current
- Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Worked well in a team setting, providing support and guidance.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Strengthened communication skills through regular interactions with others.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Cultivated interpersonal skills by building positive relationships with others.
- Identified issues, analyzed information and provided solutions to problems.
- Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
School Counselor
Lunenburg Public Schools
Lunenbury, MA
09.1996 - 06.2021
- Maintained positive relationships with students, faculty, alumni and administration.
- Reviewed and discussed new students' academic credentials, interests and educational goals.
- Provided crisis intervention in response to emergencies, employing existing trust and rapport to deescalate situations.
- Used data to monitor students' progress and recommend solutions for improvement.
- Identified and addressed concerns of incoming students and parents.
- Regularly met with enrolled students to confirm success and identify problem areas.
- Collaborated with teachers to define therapy objectives and analyze progress.
- Gathered necessary paperwork and applications for students to initiate enrollment process.
- Developed new student orientation programs to build excitement around transfer and enrollment.
- Implemented career counseling path mandated by state, working with parents and students to implement new parent-teacher conference approach.
- Empowered students through counseling and skill-building exercises.
- Used standardized assessments to evaluate abilities, interests and characteristics of different students.
- Worked with individuals to help understand and overcome personal, social or behavioral problems affecting educational or vocational situations.
- Helped students develop organizational, time management and study skills.
- Delivered supportive and knowledgeable counseling to students with academic or personal concerns.
- Identified issues that hindered student academic achievement.
- Collaborated with parents, school faculty and social workers to address problems and grow student success.
- Counseled students regarding course and program selection, class scheduling and registration and career planning.
- Conducted individual and group counseling sessions.
- Prepared students for later educational experiences by encouraging exploration of learning opportunities and perseverance through challenging tasks.
- Planned and promoted career planning presentations, work experience programs and career workshops.
- Taught classes and presented self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.
- Collaborated with teachers and administrators in development, evaluation and revision of school programs and in preparation of master schedules for curriculum offerings.
- Taught lessons to students and faculty regarding issues such as bullying and drug abuse.
- Identified cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encouraged students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
- Provided alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes to teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.
Community Based Clinician
Center For Family Development
Lowell, Massachusetts
02.1995 - 08.1997
- Educated family members and caregivers on patient care instructions.
- Evaluated patient histories, complaints and current symptoms.
- Advocated for and strived to protect health, safety and rights of patient.
- Communicated with healthcare team members to plan, implement and enhance treatment strategies.
- Established appropriate course of treatment and implemented interventions.
- Provided patients with detailed information about symptoms, causes and treatment expectations.
- Applied knowledge of Psychiatric Health and skills in diagnosing Mental Health issues to determine most likely root causes.
- Evaluated patient concerns, histories, appearance and responses to form picture of current health state.
- Teamed with other physicians, specialists and health care providers to provide well-rounded care for complex cases.
- Identified serious conditions and emergency situations and immediately referred to hospital for prompt care.
- Administered high level of care to patients using active listening and open-ended questioning.
- Conferred with specialists to obtain expertise on patient conditions and referred individuals in need of additional care.
- Engaged with other professionals to impart knowledge and discuss best treatment courses.
Home Based Clinician
MSPCC
Worcester, MA
09.1993 - 02.1995
- Worked with medical teams, patients and families to implement effective treatment plans.
- Documented case notes daily and coordinated follow-up for seamless case management.
- Coordinated program referrals for community-based resources.
- Organized clinical documentation, treatment plans, and referrals.
- Completed psychosocial evaluations and needs assessments.
- Provided ongoing counseling to help patients deal with conditions and processes
- Updated treatment plans on monthly basis with latest intervention strategies and progress notes.
- Preserved and prepared reports and treatment records.
- Delivered social work services to parents and children with families involved with Department of Social Services in home settings.
- Quickly learned new skills and applied them to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.
- Carried out day-day-day duties accurately and efficiently.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Worked flexible hours; night, weekend, and holiday shifts.
- Performed duties in accordance with applicable standards, policies and regulatory guidelines to promote safe working environment.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
Clinical Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Better Help
Mountain View, CA
10.2022 - Current
- Cultivated interpersonal skills by building positive relationships with others.
- Paid attention to detail while completing assignments.
- Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Identified issues, analyzed information and provided solutions to problems.
Education
Master of Science - Counseling
Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA05.1992
Skills
- Abuse Identification
- Needs Determination
- Classroom Observation
- Behavior Counseling
- Course Counseling
- Student Records Maintenance
- Educational Problem Identification
- Career Planning Presentations
- Mental Health Referrals
- Interview Skills Instruction
- Conflict Management Education
- Self-Help Education
- Listening Actively
- Confidential Services
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- School Administration
- Crisis Intervention Strategies
- Individual and Family Support
- School Safety
- Conflict Mediation
- Therapy and Counseling
- Policy and Procedure Improvement
- Professional Referral Networks
- Suicide Prevention
- 504 Plans
- School Policies
- Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
- Administration Collaboration
- Peer Counseling
- Class Schedule Preparation
- Orientation Programs
- Internship Opportunity Referral
- Administration Required Reporting
Timeline
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Better Help
2022.10 - Current
Clinical Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Better Help
10.2022 - Current
School Counselor
Lunenburg Public Schools
09.1996 - 06.2021
Community Based Clinician
Center For Family Development
02.1995 - 08.1997
Home Based Clinician
MSPCC
09.1993 - 02.1995
Master of Science - Counseling
Fitchburg State University