DEBORAH ANN GUERRA

• Connected patients to community resources, increasing support networks and promoting overall wellbeing.
• Demonstrated cultural competency by working effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds and adapting treatment approaches to meet their unique needs.
• Maintained strict confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA guidelines, ensuring client privacy and fostering trust throughout the therapeutic process.
• Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in behavioral health case management.
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive care for clients in need of behavioral health services.
• Provided referrals to connect clients with other community resources to support mental health and well-being.
• Solved problems related to abrupt changes in discharge, coordinated updates and communicated discharge plans.
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to ensure seamless transitions from hospital to home or other care facilities.
• Supported patients in navigating complex healthcare systems by providing clear guidance on available resources and services postdischarge.
• Coordinated patient discharge planning and follow-up care.

Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) is a collaborative approach to service planning and decision making. Using the FGDM approach, CPS invites the child or youth and his or her family to join CPS staff in developing a service plan. DFPS recognizes that the best results are obtained when the child or youth and family is involved in making decisions that affect safety, permanency, and well-being. The goal for families is to increase family participation in this collaborative approach with CPS in making decisions about their safety and service plans and to engage the extended family members, and other members of the family’s support system, in this process. Collaboration strengthens the ability of extended family members and other supportive persons to provide safe and permanent living arrangements for the family’s children and youth. The goal for older youth is to increase their involvement in developing their service plans and developing their transition plans as they age out of care. Staying involved helps youth reaffirm or identify caring family and adult relationships and support systems.

As a Conservatorship supervisor, my job responsibility included but was not limited to the following: - supervising a unit of 6 caseworkers and 2 clerical staff; responsible for covering a unit within Webb, Zapata, Kleberg, Brooks, and Jim Wells Counties; planning and managing a unit based on program policies and regional objectives; managing and monitoring caseloads and budgets; consulting with staff and making decisions on case related issues; planning and facilitating staff meetings, unit meetings, and individual conferences; approving time and leave; reviewing performance data; interpreting program policy and procedures to staff; evaluating and observing unit performance through case readings and computer reports; maintaining appropriate relationships and effective communication with staff, community resources, and the general public; managing special projects; on call duties; supervising court hearings; traveling to different counties to ensure unit is maintaining performance plans; gaining knowledge in agency policies and procedures through Public Service Announcements and trainings; and perform any other assigned duties.

As a Child Protective Services Specialist, I have experiences in performing the following duties: demonstrating appropriate communication and critical thinking skills; demonstrating respect of cultural diversity; demonstrating empathy and understanding toward others; interviewing children and clients; case and time management; conducting home visits and home assessments; maintaining monthly contacts with children, foster parents, clients, and service providers; seeking community resources; providing referrals to service providers; maintaining confidential information; maintaining appropriate professional relationships with other agencies, service providers, law enforcement, medical professional, and judicial officials; documentation of contacts with individuals, monthly reports, family plans of service, evaluations on family plans, initial child plans, child plan reviews, court reports, court advisements, and case closures; primary and secondary medical consenter for children; supervise family and sibling visitations; performing emergency and non-emergency placements; traveling by plane and vehicles in order to complete tasks; administer drug tests; complete diligent searches and background checks; filing documentation and reports with judicial officials; court testimony on status hearings, permanency reviews, and trials; participated in administrative conferences; completing immigration forms and interviews in order to obtain U.S. Citizenship for foster children; performed on-call duties; mentored new employees for on the job training; and supervised unit members and court hearings in the absence of supervisor.