Christina Scifres
Little Elm,TX
Summary
I am a highly organized professional that is successful in managing multiple tasks simultaneously and producing positive results. I thrive on collaborating with internal and external constituents to ensure positive outcome for our students. And I am known for fostering teamwork and adapting to dynamic environments, making significant contributions to student and organizational success.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Career Readiness Coordinator/Academic Advisor
Leadership Preparatory Charter School
07.2023 - Current
- Coordinate resources and support services for students, fostering academic success and personal growth.
- Manage documentation processes to maintain compliance with educational regulations and standards consistently.
- Lead collaborative efforts with external community partners to enhance program offerings and opportunities.
- Guide students in creating graduation plans and career planning for post secondary planning.
- Implement scheduling for events and meetings, ensuring efficient use of time and resources-dual credit, college and career fairs, parent information sessions etc.
- Utilize career assessment tools to evaluate student interests, skills, and values for informed post secondary pathways.
- Help students evaluate course choices and select relevant classes to ensure their graduation plan continues in their chosen direction post secondary.
Special Education Teacher
Leadership Preparatory Charter School
10.2022 - 06.2023
- Assessed student progress through regular evaluations, adjusting instructional strategies to enhance learning outcomes.
- Coordinated services with external specialists to ensure comprehensive support for students with disabilities.
- Maintained accurate documentation of student performance and compliance with state educational regulations and standards.
- Engaged families in the educational process by providing resources and support for home-based learning strategies.
- Developed IEPs tailored to individual student needs, ensuring their academic success and personal growth.
- Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
Certified Special Education Teacher
Plano ISD
09.2020 - 08.2022
- Taught career and job skills to students with disabilities including resume writing, filling out applications, social and communication skills, and multiple job tasks.
- Collaborated with the student’s ARD team to write annual goals to allow the student to become as independent as possible at graduation.
- Coordinated and worked with multiple community agencies to coordinate job internships and paid employment for students outside of the school district.
- Established partnerships with parents to promote student success and communication.
- Assessed students for employability skills, preferences, and strengths to assist them in meeting their post secondary goals.
Program Director
Caprock Home Health Services, Inc.
02.2018 - 09.2020
- Recruit, train and evaluate home health staff to assure appropriate qualifications, values, and competency. Provide training to staff as needed as per program guidelines.
- Monitor compliance, efficiency and effectiveness of systems daily using a method that tracks all requests for services and requires staff to report disposition of those requests.
- Implements systems and procedures which include processing of all initial referrals for service by appropriate staff to assure timely completion and processing of service requests for individuals with Medicaid and state funded personal assistant services and licensed home health services.
- Oversee distribution of payroll for all attendants and staff.
- Build working relationships with the State of Texas Department of Ageing and Disabilities, Area Agency on Aging and Medicaid insurance providers on a daily basis.
Utilization Review Coordinator
University Behavioral Health of Denton
03.2016 - 03.2018
- Collaborate with treatment teams that consist of psychiatrists, RN's, therapists, and discharge planning to discuss current status of patients and the appropriate treatment and discharge plan for each individual.
- Work with different insurance companies and request additional days of inpatient stay for patients as needed based on clinical information from the treatment team and documentation.
- Assist in discharge planning of patients in aftercare which include finding RTC's (residential treatment facility), therapist and psychiatrist in the community, housing, and medical follow up appointments.
- Review the services utilized by the patients and based on their needs, refer them to appropriate services in the community.
Regional Manager of Family Services, NW Region
Alzheimer's Association, Greater Dallas Chapter
07.2013 - 10.2015
- Coordinated all details and logistics for the Denton and Collin special events (Caregiver Conferences 160+ participants, Walk to End Alzheimer's 800+). As a team, we were able to double our participants and revenue each of our events in both counties.
- Conducted educational and training presentations to the public as well as professional staff in the Northwest Region (Collin, Denton, Cook, Grayson, Fannin, Hunt and N. Dallas Counties)
- Recruited for and build up the NW Region volunteer base to participate in various opportunities to extend programs and services (Speaker's Bureau, support groups, socialization programs, health fairs etc.).
- Collaborated with team to promote and grow outreach and awareness serving as a liaison within the community networking with: agencies, health facilities, senior centers, churches, civic organizations
- Fostered excellent working relationships with community partners, Senior Living Facilities (IL, AL, MC), state agencies and volunteers within the community to increase support, education and resources.
Associate Director of Provider Services
Austin Travis County Integral Care
12.2011 - 07.2012
- Coordinated and managed internal provider services for adults and children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in state waiver programs for Travis County.
- Supported, supervised and collaborated with a team of 30 employees to coordinate services based on state funding for each client and ensure proper, quality services on a daily basis.
- Completed annual employee reviews, and HR functions for all employees. Conducted employee training and supervisory courses to employees.
- Doubled the revenue services paid for by the State of Texas within 2 months of re-organizing programs and increasing efficiency.
- Worked with state and local agencies on policy and procedure changes and implementation.
- Trained agency employees and other outside agencies on Mental Health First Aid.
- Managed agency budget for both HCS and TxHML waiver programs of over 2 Million per year.
- Built relationships with community partners to ensure excellent services were provided to the persons served at all times.
Senior Services Program Manager
SPAN, Inc
04.2011 - 12.2011
- Managed and directed the senior services for the whole of Denton County Texas through SPAN, Inc. (Includes Meals on Wheels, Volunteers, Pet Programs for seniors, and Information and Referral)
- Supervised professional staff including case workers, volunteer coordinator as well as site managers which included hiring, oversight as a whole, building staff morale and developing team work.
- Collaborated with the Volunteer Coordinator to recruit and maintain over 400 volunteers and their records. Held volunteer appreciation gatherings and assisted volunteers in their schedules and built rapport with them to help with their continued contributions of their time.
- Applied for and submitted monthly CDBG grants/information to the city of Lewisville and Denton.
- Participated in annual audits by Area Agency on Aging and Dept. of Aging and Disability Services.
- Developed the most current version of the Policy and Procedures for all of the senior services as well as current job descriptions of staff.
- Participated in social services connection groups and round tables as well as committee meetings, networking with other nonprofit agencies and fundraising.
- Participated in SPAN, Inc. board meetings monthly.
Unit Director
Denton State Supported Living Center
11.2008 - 04.2011
- Served as chief administrative officer for 2 of the campus units in which 160 individuals reside and approximately 260 staff employed including professional staff, supervisory staff, direct care staff, records clerks and administrative assistants.
- Established unit goals and objectives, develops guidelines, policy and procedures, schedules, standards and priorities for achieving goals for the unit and as a whole for the state school.
- Developed and managed the unit budgets of approximately $3 million for staffing and unit needs as well as coordinate unit activities for individuals served as well as staff.
- Worked closely with Department of Family and Protective Services, State Office in Austin, physicians, psychiatrists, physical/occupational therapists, private providers in the community and other administrative staff to meet desired outcomes and goals for the individual units.
- Provided crisis intervention/on call rotation for entire center for all abuse/neglect allegations, serious injuries, exploitation. Put immediate protections in place for the individuals served. Worked with DFPS regularly to resolve A/N allegations.
- Participated as an administrative team member for campus wide management review teams, work groups to increase productivity, policy and procedure revisions and implementation, and Employee Council Member.
- Actively participated in annual ICF-MR surveys, DOJ monitor reviews, Client Rights activities/groups, Quality Improvement team as well as Quality Assurance teams.
Service Coordinator/ Team Leader
Lifepath Systems
04.2000 - 04.2008
- Managed a mixed caseload of clients with developmental disabilities for the Texas Home Living Medicaid waiver program and General Revenue Services (State of Texas funding for social services)
- Effectively advocated and linked clients with schools, employment, SSI, Medicaid, IFS, resources in the community and Crisis situations on a daily basis
- Created and implemented state mandated monthly, quarterly, and annual plans to monitor and maintain client needs with great attention to detail
- Served as the team leader for 5 service coordinators, provide training, encouragement, mentoring and resources to increase team work and individual performance
- Implemented and assisted with the building of the TxHML waiver program for Authority Service Coordination
- Managed individual budgets from 3-10K per year based on state requirements
Education
Sociology (BA) - Sociology
University of North Texas
08-1999
general -
Collin County Community College
05-1997
Skills
- Multitasking and organization
- Customer service
- Data entry
- Decision-making
- Relationship building
- Work Planning and Prioritization
- Strategic planning
- Staff management
- Event planning
Timeline
Career Readiness Coordinator/Academic Advisor
Leadership Preparatory Charter School
07.2023 - Current
Special Education Teacher
Leadership Preparatory Charter School
10.2022 - 06.2023
Certified Special Education Teacher
Plano ISD
09.2020 - 08.2022
Program Director
Caprock Home Health Services, Inc.
02.2018 - 09.2020
Utilization Review Coordinator
University Behavioral Health of Denton
03.2016 - 03.2018
Regional Manager of Family Services, NW Region
Alzheimer's Association, Greater Dallas Chapter
07.2013 - 10.2015
Associate Director of Provider Services
Austin Travis County Integral Care
12.2011 - 07.2012
Senior Services Program Manager
SPAN, Inc
04.2011 - 12.2011
Unit Director
Denton State Supported Living Center
11.2008 - 04.2011
Service Coordinator/ Team Leader
Lifepath Systems
04.2000 - 04.2008
Sociology (BA) - Sociology
University of North Texas
general -
Collin County Community College