Debra Smith
Huntington,WV
You will recognize your own path when you come upon it because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.
Sara Teasdale
Summary
Conscientious professional with extensive experience advocating for social and economic well-being of children and families. Skilled at providing guidance, support and assistance. Strong communication and management skills and committed to inspiring parents to learn more about their child's development.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Case Management Counselor
Prestera Center
Huntington, WV
03.2024 - 10.2024
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
- Passionate about learning and committed to continual improvement.
- Managed time efficiently in order to complete all tasks within deadlines.
- Organized and detail-oriented with a strong work ethic.
- Proved successful working within tight deadlines and a fast-paced environment.
- Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
- Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills while managing multiple projects.
Interim Service Coordinator
River Valley Child Development Services
02.2020 - 12.2023
- Communicated respectfully and thoughtfully with parents and guardians by remaining sensitive to different families' cultures, values and needs.
- Provided information on developmental milestones to coach families on incorporating modeled interventions into children's daily routines.
- Constructed age-appropriate goals and outcomes to assist children with special needs and developmental delays.
- Provided community resources and education to families to increase knowledge and advocacy skills.
- Assisted families in choosing practitioners based on child's developmental needs.
- Documented data and completed accurate updates to case records.
- Facilitated family meetings to ensure communication and collaboration between family members.
Education Specialist of Cabell
SCAC, Head Start
07.2019 - 01.2020
- Wayne, Lincoln and Mason counties, Training new staff, observing staff and classrooms,managing classroom setups, conducting screenings on children, approving/ monitoring; lesson plans, observation documents,parent conferences
- Input data into Child Plus, run reports
- Collect data for School Readiness reports and meetings
- CDA candidate advising
- Substituting when needed
- Attend Home-Based socializations if necessary.
Teacher
SCAC, Head Start
02.2019 - 07.2019
- Worked cooperatively with other teachers, administrators, and parents to help students reach learning objectives.
- Incorporated multiple types of teaching strategies into classroom.
- Communicated frequently with parents, students, and faculty to provide feedback and discuss instructional strategies.
- Supported student physical, mental, and social development using classroom games and activities.
Child Protective Service Worker
WV DHHR
08.2018 - 12.2018
- Create safety plans, input data, record and document.
- Visited homes, inspected surroundings and interviewed family members
- Responded to claims of abuse, neglect or safety concerns
- Completed comprehensive assessments of families to identify needs and develop treatment plans
Supervisor/ Lead Teacher
Okaloosa County
07.2016 - 05.2018
- Started as a lead teacher and was promoted to site supervisor
- Oversaw day-to-day activities that took place at the center; conducted hourly ratio count of children in all the rooms, data collection for attendance and meal counts for USDA
- Ran staff meetings and fire drills
- Coordinated center events
- Substituted as needed.
- Coordinated field trips for classes and wrote detailed itineraries for student safety.
Education
Master of Arts - Organizational Leadership
01.2025
Certificate in Early Childhood Program Administration -
05.2018
BA - Early Childhood Development
08.2010
Cum Laude
Skills
- Highly motivated, organized, handles deadlines and time management very well Passion for helping serve children and families in communities
- Family Service Plans
- Team Leadership
- Records Preparation
- Client Advocacy
- Building Rapport and Trust
- Proficiency in Office Programs
Professional Accomplishments
In the winter of 2023 I wrote an article that was published online to the West Virginia Early Childhood Provider Quarterly magazine.
In the spring of 2023 I was a presenter at the Early Childhood Celebrating Connections Conference in Charleston, WV.
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Timeline
Case Management Counselor - Prestera Center
03.2024 - 10.2024
Interim Service Coordinator - River Valley Child Development Services
02.2020 - 12.2023
Education Specialist of Cabell - SCAC, Head Start
07.2019 - 01.2020
Teacher - SCAC, Head Start
02.2019 - 07.2019
Child Protective Service Worker - WV DHHR
08.2018 - 12.2018
Supervisor/ Lead Teacher - Okaloosa County
07.2016 - 05.2018
Marshall University - Master of Arts, Organizational Leadership
Northwest Florida State College - Certificate in Early Childhood Program Administration,
Ashford University - BA, Early Childhood Development
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