Desmond Truesdale
Clarence,NY
Summary
Experienced social services professional with strong commitment to fostering positive outcomes and enhancing community well-being. Adept at providing support, advocacy, and resources to diverse populations while maintaining high ethical standards. Demonstrates collaborative approach, adaptability to changing needs, and focus on delivering impactful results. Skilled in case management, crisis intervention, and effective communication.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Early Childhood Development Specialist
Community Health Center of Buffalo
03.2026 - Current
- Conduct ECD screenings such as Ages and Stages and Social Emotional Development.
- Provide standard information to families of young children on the importance of ECD.
- Provide ECD expert consultation or brief intervention with families.
- Conduct parent workshops.
- Provide ECD expert consultation to the care teams (pediatricians, behavioral health counselors, and social workers).
- Work with the Erie and Niagara County Department of Health Early Intervention (EI) program to engage families in follow-up services.
- Connect families to needed follow-up services.
- Work with Erie and Niagara Head Start/Early Head Start Programs and other community organizations.
- Acquire and maintain sound knowledge and understanding of the ECD program requirements and outcomes, the organization, its mission, and its operational and functional processes.
- Utilize ECD best practices.
- Participate in and contribute to Quality Improvement activities and functions as needed.
- Leverage appropriate resources, experience, and skills to achieve results on time and within budget.
- Perform under minimal supervision with accountability for specific goals and objectives.
- Work with the Leadership team to develop performance improvement targets for quality, service, and efficiency.
- Foster a productive work environment and the achievement of goals through the demonstration of problem-solving skills, conflict
Domestic Violence Program Coordinator
Community Services for Every1
08.2023 - 03.2026
- Oversee the day-to-day program planning and implementation of the Domestic Violence Program.
- Serve as the primary caseworker for 12 survivors of domestic violence and their children in affordable housing building.
- Complete and finalize safety plans with each tenant.
- Conduct assessments to help survivors set goals and outcomes for self-sufficiency, safety, and community integration.
- Facilitate support groups related to power restoration and parenting through trauma.
- Provide direct supervision and support to economic empowerment specialist.
- Ensure compliance with all funding and grant requirements.
- Execute and coordinate the execution of any required deliverables of grant funded services.
Pre K Teacher Assistant
Park School of Buffalo
08.2022 - 08.2023
- Assisted classroom lead teachers with daily tasks.
- Interacted with students through developmentally appropriate play, story time, and activities.
- Assisted lead teachers with providing a learning environment that promotes the social-emotional development of children.
- Substitute taught in other elementary school classrooms as needed.
Parent Enrichment Specialist
Child & Family Services
01.2022 - 08.2022
- Facilitated weekly parenting sessions in home setting and group setting, using a strength based, family centered approach.
- Administered standardized assessments to parents participating in the program to ensure the program met each family’s individual needs.
- Held separate sessions for children that involved developmentally appropriate activities.
- Engaged families in activities that foster the growth of healthy relationships in the home.
- Ensured that parents/caregivers are able to meet the needs of themselves and their families.
- Maintain required documentation of services provided, including data entry into NYS CONNECTIONS system.
- Prepared weekly lessons for parents and children that best fit their needs and goals.
Children’s Program Supervisor
Child & Family Services, Haven House
05.2021 - 01.2022
- Provide case management for all residents with children in shelter in conjunction with the parent’s primary advocate.
- Added ASQ SE: 2 as part of the intake process for shelter children’s program.
- Held special playtime for individual families to foster relationship building and positive parenting between the parent and their child/children.
- Design, plan, and implement therapeutic, educational, and recreational activities for child residents in individual and group settings.
- Provide direct supervision to part-time recreational aides.
- Create and monitor recreational aide schedules.
- Provide thematic, short term group sessions for children that focuses on their social-emotional development.
- Implemented social-emotional learning model within children’s program.
- Interface and coordinated cases with Child Protective Services.
- Coordinate and facilitate transportation for school age children in conjunction with area schools.
- Provide child advocacy as needed.
- Provide linkage and referrals to community services as needed.
- Provide parenting education and child development information to parents residing in shelter.
- Domestic violence hotline/shelter coverage when needed.
- Facilitate trauma informed parenting group for parents in shelter.
- Facilitate trauma informed art group for children in shelter.
- One on one sessions for children in shelter on an as needed basis.
Community Parent Child Bonding Program Supervisor
Family Help Center
11.2020 - 05.2021
- Agency Representative for the Homeless Alliance of WNY.
- Agency Representative for the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence.
- Provide parenting groups to families experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, or have been displaced by domestic violence.
- Groups help parents understand their child’s development, grow parenting skills, offer parents opportunities to build their protective factors, and provide support for parents feeling isolated.
- Trained in Pyramid Model through The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL).
- Provide direct supervision to two Parent Promoters.
- Trained to offer Ages and Stages Questionnaires through Help me Grow WNY.
- Work with families to build protective factors and parental support.
- Trained in Pyramid Model, a program that is geared towards the social-emotional development and school readiness of children.
- Trained in addressing Infant/Toddler Mental Health.
Children’s Program Supervisor
Child & Family Services, Haven House, Buffalo, NY
05.2019 - 11.2020
- Provide case management for all residents with children in shelter in conjunction with a primary counselor.
- Design, plan, and implement therapeutic, educational, and recreational activities for child residents on an individual and group basis.
- Provide direct supervision to part-time recreational aides.
- Create and monitor recreational aide schedules.
- Provide thematic, short term group counseling sessions for child residents.
- Implemented social-emotional learning model within children’s program.
- Interface and coordinated cases with Child Protective Services.
- Coordinate and facilitate transportation for school age children in conjunction with area schools.
- Provide child advocacy as needed.
- Provide linkage and referrals to community services as needed.
- Provide parenting education and child development information to mothers residing in shelter.
- Hotline/shelter coverage when needed.
- Facilitate trauma informed parenting group for parents in shelter.
- Facilitate trauma informed art group for children in shelter.
- One on one sessions for children in shelter.
- Complete developmental assessments for children in shelter.
- Assist with domestic violence hotline coverage as needed.
Domestic Violence Counselor
Child & Family Services, Haven House, Buffalo, NY
09.2018 - 05.2019
- Provide coverage for the crisis telephone hotline.
- Individual counseling services to adult shelter residents and conduct crisis intervention as needed.
- Retain up-to-date case files and progress notes.
- Maintain necessary records, statistical information, activity sheets, documentation, logs that are pertinent to the position and to the program to ensure the flow of communication.
- Attend program meetings regularly and initiate and engage in creative programming to benefit shelter residents or staff.
- Engage in community presentations on domestic violence.
- Model and practice sensitivity, fair treatment, and acceptance of diversity in all interpersonal interactions.
- Promote the empowerment of women as defined by the Social Work profession and Battered Women’s Movement, adhering to the principles of nonviolence and independent decision making.
- Part of Haven House outreach team: Conduct powerpoint presentations on domestic violence, its effects, the warning signs, and how to help survivors.
Recreational Aide
Child & Family Services, Haven House, Buffalo, NY
08.2017 - 09.2018
- Provide child care/ support for survivors of domestic violence.
- Organize and maintain two conducive playroom environments.
- Maintain written and verbal reports as necessary.
- Plan seasonal outings and events for families in shelter.
- Model appropriate behavior.
- Facilitated STEM group for children in shelter.
- Facilitated social emotional group for children in shelter.
Classroom Aide
Aspire of WNY. Center for Learning, Cheektowaga NY
07.2010 - 08.2017
- Provided support for teachers in special education setting.
- Assisted students with classroom activities and duties.
- Assisted other classroom staff with moving children as needed using necessary equipment.
- Provided support in physical therapy and occupational therapy departments when needed.
- Assisted with setup for school activities such as prom, holiday events, and outdoor activities.
- Worked in summer work skills program that focused on preparing children with developmental disabilities preparing for any future employment.
Education
Masters - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Capella University
05-2026
Graduate Certificate - Contemporary Theory in Mental Health Services
Capella University
07-2025
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Capella University
03-2023
Skills
- Soft Skills: Empathy, Critical thinking, Interpersonal Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self care
- Hard Skills: Advocacy, Leadership, Child Development Knowledge, Solution Focused, Trauma Informed, Early Childhood Knowledge, Understanding of Brain and Behavior, Strong knowledge of mental health
Timeline
Early Childhood Development Specialist
Community Health Center of Buffalo
03.2026 - Current
Domestic Violence Program Coordinator
Community Services for Every1
08.2023 - 03.2026
Pre K Teacher Assistant
Park School of Buffalo
08.2022 - 08.2023
Parent Enrichment Specialist
Child & Family Services
01.2022 - 08.2022
Children’s Program Supervisor
Child & Family Services, Haven House
05.2021 - 01.2022
Community Parent Child Bonding Program Supervisor
Family Help Center
11.2020 - 05.2021
Children’s Program Supervisor
Child & Family Services, Haven House, Buffalo, NY
05.2019 - 11.2020
Domestic Violence Counselor
Child & Family Services, Haven House, Buffalo, NY
09.2018 - 05.2019
Recreational Aide
Child & Family Services, Haven House, Buffalo, NY
08.2017 - 09.2018
Classroom Aide
Aspire of WNY. Center for Learning, Cheektowaga NY
07.2010 - 08.2017
Graduate Certificate - Contemporary Theory in Mental Health Services
Capella University
Masters - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Capella University
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Capella University