Farzana Mujtaba
Gainesville,FL
Summary
Dedicated and enthusiastic Social Worker with comprehensive knowledge of social justice issues and abilities to build trusting relationships with others and advocate for patients, families and care teams efficiently. Friendly, adaptable, empathetic, collaborative professional and successful in providing guidance to clients and satisfying solutions to complex problems.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Survivors Connect Leader
Everytown Survivors Network
01.2021 - Current
- Volunteering online program for Everytown Survivors Network for gun safety.
- Co-facilitated several 8- week course on Grief and 8- week course Trauma
- Presented during groups about "The Brain and Body Connection for Trauma".
- Continuing to co-facilitate more small groups online
- Completed training for Survivors Connect Support Group Leader
- Built rapport and helped survivors discuss their experiences with gun violence and trauma and discuss healing experiences during group.
- Maintaining safe environment to discuss traumatic events in small group online.
- Established and maintained effective communication and empathy with other survivors during grief and trauma groups.
Social Services Counselor
Tacachale (Agency For People With Disabilities)
08.2009 - 11.2023
- Built solid and trusting rapport with residents, families, workers on each home, fostering trust and communication to meet case needs.
- Helping advocate for residents become more independent and improve their quality of life.
- Educating other staff about Bill of Rights of residents
- Maintaining excellent customer service skills
- Documented data and completed accurate updates to case records on different electronic databases for at least 37 residents and assisting other colleagues when on leave.
- Attending and advocating for residents during interdisciplinary team meetings, individual support plan meetings, and other meeting concerning residents.
- Maintaining residents' central files, financial spending, monthly inventory check and maintaining contact with guardians.
- Maintain contact with guardians by writing letters one month before, two month before, one month after, six month after Individual Support Plan.
- Notifying guardians regarding incident reports, hospitalizations, and appointments for each resident on caseload. Sending letters with medical discharge information of each resident.
- Assisted families in navigating social services system, including maintaining benefits, accessing resources and connecting with other family support services.
- Maintained detailed case histories, metrics and reports to meet strict standards.
- Setting up Human Rights Advocacy Committee Meeting when needed.
- Advocating for residents twice or three times weekly if at hospital or nursing home or hospice.
- Assisting with programs, PowerPoint presentation for celebration of life of residents
- Assisted residents in finding guardians with courts, helping residents with active treatment on homes, attending activities on Tacachale campus, and working on homes when staffing is needed.
- Implemented research-based interventions and strategies to support positive behavior and social-emotional development
Internship Student
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare (MIST Program)
03.2023 - 08.2023
- Saint Leo University
- Purpose to help expecting moms or moms with babies to have safe place to live until clients could be independent.
- MIST program, infants stay with mother, allowing for crucial bonding that takes place in early months of development while allowing mother to receive treatment and remain drug-free during nursing.
- Empower women to become self-sufficient, responsible mothers who are capable of creating bright future for themselves and their children.
- Assisted clients in Mothers Intensive Supportive Treatment (MIST) program located at Sid Martin Bridge.
- Facilitated or co-facilitated several groups such as, psychoeducational group, anxiety group, criminal and addictive thinking group, voices group, and other groups as needed.
- Assisted clients who were pregnant or had babies under 12 months with addiction and co-occurring mental health concerns.
- Sorted, organized, and maintained files about groups and their schedules.
- Created curriculum for groups about empowerment, motivation of life, addiction, self-esteem, self-care, anxiety, healthy relationships, learn to voice their opinions and other information to guide clients to maintain their sobriety.
- Did several biopsychosocial, individual notes, treatment goals, and other paperwork needed for clients.
- Used Meridian Electronic Medical Record programs
- Made client referral for GED and other jobs in community and monitored clients to help follow rules and regulations in MIST program.
Internship Student
Florida Recovery Center
08.2020 - 05.2021
- Saint Leo University
- Participated in workshops and presentations related to projects to gain knowledge.
- Observed, facilitated and co-facilitated groups for clients who had substance use disorders.
- Learned about insurances, laws, and policies dealing with substance use disorders.
- Maintained safe therapeutic environment for clients during groups to help maintain their sobriety
- Intensive Outpatient Groups co-facilitated Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Also observed and helped with partial hospitalization program Friday and Sunday.
- Had individual sessions with three clients and typed notes in timely manner.
- Maintained electronic notes (EPIC) for individual and group sessions. Used BIRP notes and click notes in EPIC program.
- Managed intake sheets, drug testing, and other documents needed for process groups were ready before group.
- Technicians were helped by assisting with drug testing for girls.
- Clients were signed in, given information/packets dealing with twelve steps, hope, faith, relapse packets were given to assist with counseling needs.
- Online Training in CPR, AED, Basic First Aid, Civil Rights, Ethics Training, HIPPA, and Security Awareness were completed.
- Communicated effectively with faculty and staff and accepted critiques and suggestions for areas of improvement
- Sorted, organized, and maintained files
- Gathered, organized and input information into digital database
- Maintained therapeutic relationship with clients
Health Support Technician
Tacachale (Agency For People With Disabilities)
09.2015 - 12.2020
- Helped in physical therapy and occupational therapy clinic.
- Maintained accurate patient charts and medical records.
- Went to different homes at Tacachale to run walking programs and used Eva Walkers to walk clients on different homes.
- Assisted physical therapy to care for residents by providing personal assistance and ambulation in clinic and on homes.
- Gathered, charted, and analyzed resident history data and discussed key points with clinicians.
- Monitored, requested, and maintained inventory of residents with physical therapy items, such as, shoes or gait belt or compression socks per caseload.
- Assisted physical therapist or occupational therapist with active treatment in clinic and on each home.
- Helped residents perform tasks and programs with treadmill or EZ stander or training bike or puzzles and other manipulatives to improve gross and fine motor skills.
- Monitored patient vital signs, physical management programs, and other indicators of health.
- Maintained record of appointments at clinic and on homes for each physical therapist.
- Cleaned and sterilized instruments, equipment and surfaces.
- Excellent customer service to interact with residents and provide active treatment,
- Assisted residents performing tasks or programs, i.e., running on treadmill or residents standing in EZ Stander or Motormed bike, in Physical Therapist or Occupational department Therapist department for resident’s treatment
- Attends every meeting at physical therapy and occupational therapy clinic,
- Monitors physical management programs and equipment on assigned homes, assists with wound care, and writing down data for each resident when programs are completed.
- Sanitized and changed pillows, gave residents drinks,
- Filing paperwork and maintain supplies and orders needed and other tasks so physical therapy clinic can run smoothly,
- Ordering shoes and compression socks for residents on caseload
- Setting up for next appointment in physical therapy clinic and occupational therapy clinic.
- Assisted residents in improving fine motor and gross motor skills.
- Maintained accurate resident charts and medical records
- Educated patients about procedures, answered questions, and provided comforting words to control anxiety and enhance procedure results
- Monitored patient vital signs and other indicators of health
Rehabilitation Therapist
Tacachale (Agency For People With Disabilities)
01.2010 - 01.2015
- Rehabilitation Therapist (RT) is professional supervisory position.
- RT plans, conducts, monthly self-determination meetings
- Attends, initiates, and participates in variety of therapy programs for each resident on residential homes,
- Attends, creates center wide activities on Tacachale campus for Facility 8
- Established and created monthly calendars for each home
- Created schedules for each resident to have trips or outings in Gainesville or other places in community
- RT attends interdisciplinary team meetings to confer with team members about well being of residents
- RT prepares complete residents with Disabilities progress reports, and annual summaries and recommendations, professional reports, instructional materials, and monitors resident progress,
- Ran progress so each resident was busy doing leisure time activities on each home or on campus or in community.
- Inputted data in PPS program, maintained program books for each resident on caseload.
- Evaluated diagnostic data to determine eligibility and needed services
- Consulted with interdisciplinary teams to enhance coordination of care, establish medical clearance and determine optimal timing of further interventions
- Did paperwork and went shopping for each residents to have proper clothes, bedding, television, shoes, and other items.
- Evaluated and screened patients to determine needs and provide necessary support
- Mobilized case management system to document service delivery and case progress
Teacher
Loughman Oaks Elementary School
08.2006 - 06.2008
- Fourth grade teacher, pre-k ESE teacher, and k-2 ESE teacher.
- 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.
- Participated in parent teacher conference to discuss developments of students and increase support.
- Conducted evaluations to measure performance and progress of students, providing guidance for areas requiring improvement.
- Graded and evaluated student assignments, papers, and course work.
- Incorporated exciting and engaging activities to achieve student participation and hands-on learning.
- Kept students on-task with proactive behavior modification and positive reinforcement strategies.
Education
Masters - Social Work
Saint Leo University Online
08.2023
Masters - Elementary Education
University of Phoenix Online
05.2005
Certificate in Massage Therapy -
Florida School of Massage
Gainesville, FL07.2004
Bachelor of Arts - Communication and Science Disorders
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL12.2001
Associate of Arts degree -
Santa Fe Community College
Gainesville, FL08.1997
Skills
- Computer Skills:
- Microsoft Word, Excel, I-Connect and PowerPoint, PPS at Tacachale, EPIC at UF
- Health, Zoom, Client database
- Communication skills:
- Ability to communicate with people with ease using good work
- Ethics, honesty, and integrity
- Excellent customer service skills
- Self-motivated and fast learner
- Active Listening
- Fluent in English and Persian
- Dependable and Responsible
- Flexible and Adaptable
Additional Information
- Researching in the Agronomy Department and Department of Prosthodontics
- Worked as a Babysitter for several families
- Worked at B'nai Israsel Day School (Afterschool teacher)
- Worked as a Cashier at Winn Dixie, Worked at Publix as a cashier and in the Deli department
- Worked as a Barista at Java Hut and HUB bookstore at UF campus
- Worked as a typist and editor for Professor Dr, Bahaudin Mujtaba (Business Administration professor) and Dr. Alcine Potts (Psychologist)
- Volunteered at the Feeding homeless, Ronald McDonald's house, and Peaceful Paths programs
- Volunteered with different nursing homes, and vocal eyes program at University of Florida (UF)
- Volunteered with the Parent Teacher Association for elementary, middle, and high schools.
Timeline
Internship Student
Meridian Behavioral Healthcare (MIST Program)
03.2023 - 08.2023
Survivors Connect Leader
Everytown Survivors Network
01.2021 - Current
Internship Student
Florida Recovery Center
08.2020 - 05.2021
Health Support Technician
Tacachale (Agency For People With Disabilities)
09.2015 - 12.2020
Rehabilitation Therapist
Tacachale (Agency For People With Disabilities)
01.2010 - 01.2015
Social Services Counselor
Tacachale (Agency For People With Disabilities)
08.2009 - 11.2023
Teacher
Loughman Oaks Elementary School
08.2006 - 06.2008
Masters - Social Work
Saint Leo University Online
Masters - Elementary Education
University of Phoenix Online
Certificate in Massage Therapy -
Florida School of Massage
Bachelor of Arts - Communication and Science Disorders
University of Florida
Associate of Arts degree -
Santa Fe Community College
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