HEATHER O’MALLEY
Folsom,CA
Summary
Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 10+ years of experience advancing equitable outcomes for justice-involved, system-impacted and low-income populations through holistic, client-centered care. Expertise in program implementation, staff coaching, and cross-system collaboration. Proven ability to build partnerships, support multidisciplinary teams, and implement wraparound service models that address the underlying drivers of legal system involvement.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Mental Health Clinician – CalVet VSSR Pilot Program
Nations Finest
08.2023 - Current
- Manage a caseload of ~20–25 Veterans experiencing chronic homelessness, delivering integrated clinical and case management services to support housing retention and long-term stability
- Coordinate care across VA programs (HUD-VASH, GPD, SSVF), property management, and community providers, ensuring continuity of care across systems
Counselor Lead
Project Avary
08.2022 - 09.2024
- Facilitate weekly virtual groups serving 8–12 youth impacted by parental incarceration, promoting emotional regulation and resilience
- Provide coaching and mentorship to 3–6 junior counselors and peer leaders, improving program consistency and leadership development
- Support implementation of trauma-informed programming tailored to system-impacted youth and families
Clinical Care Coordinator
Bay Area Community Services
07.2022 - 08.2023
- Managed a caseload of 50+ high-acuity clients, including individuals participating in mental health court and diversion programs
- Coordinated care for a forensic caseload by working directly with public defenders, probation officers, and court teams to support compliance and improved legal outcomes
- Conducted comprehensive assessments and developed service plans addressing behavioral health, housing instability, and criminogenic needs
- Delivered individual, family, and group interventions alongside intensive case management and resource linkage
- Coordinated discharge planning and transitions of care across housing, healthcare, and legal systems
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary and justice system partners to reduce barriers to treatment engagement and support successful community reintegration
Residential Therapist
Summitview Child & Family Services
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Provided specialty mental health services to youth in a residential setting with complex behavioral and emotional needs
- Developed and implemented treatment plans in compliance with county and regulatory standards
- Maintained accurate clinical documentation and supported program quality and compliance
Clinical Social Worker (Safety)
California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR/CCHCS)
01.2019 - 01.2021
- Delivered clinical services within a correctional setting, including crisis intervention, risk assessment, and individual/group psychotherapy
- Conducted comprehensive psychological assessments and developed treatment plans for high-risk, justice-involved individuals
- Collaborated with custody staff and interdisciplinary teams to support treatment engagement and institutional safety
- Participated in discharge planning and reentry-focused coordination to support successful transition to the community
Mental Health Clinician
A Better Way, Inc.
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Provided mental health services to justice-involved youth inside Solano County Juvenile Detention, and in the community, in collaboration with juvenile probation
- Conducted biopsychosocial assessments and developed treatment plans targeting behavioral health and criminogenic factors
- Delivered individual, group, and family interventions, including reentry and reunification services
- Coordinated care with probation officers and stakeholders to support successful reintegration outcomes
Education
Master of Science - Social Work
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA08-2018
Bachelor of Science - Criminology & Criminal Justice
Portland State University
Portland, OR06-2015
Skills
- Program Management & Implementation
- Coaching & Staff Development
- Justice-Involved Populations
- Community Partnerships & Resource Development
- Cross-System Collaboration (VA, Corrections, Probation)
- Training Facilitation
- Case Management & Wraparound Services
- Crisis Intervention
Affiliations
- Justice Ambassadors Policy Fellow (2024–2025)
- Anti-Recidivism Coalition – Ally (Since 2018)
Certification
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), California
LEADERSHIP & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE
- Coach and mentor junior staff and peer leaders, strengthening service delivery, confidence, and consistency across programs
- Facilitate structured groups and trainings, adapting content to meet participant needs and improve engagement outcomes
- Build and maintain partnerships with community organizations, legal system stakeholders, and service providers to expand resource access
- Support implementation of multidisciplinary, wraparound service models across housing, behavioral health, and community systems
- Contribute to program operations, including engagement strategies, workflow improvements, and service delivery alignment
- Apply systems-level insight from correctional, probation, and community-based settings to inform program development and client support strategies
FORENSIC EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHT
Extensive experience supporting justice-involved individuals across correctional settings, juvenile probation, and mental health court and diversion programs, with direct collaboration alongside public defenders, probation officers, and multidisciplinary legal teams to improve outcomes through holistic, wraparound services.
Timeline
Mental Health Clinician – CalVet VSSR Pilot Program
Nations Finest
08.2023 - Current
Counselor Lead
Project Avary
08.2022 - 09.2024
Clinical Care Coordinator
Bay Area Community Services
07.2022 - 08.2023
Residential Therapist
Summitview Child & Family Services
01.2021 - 01.2022
Clinical Social Worker (Safety)
California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR/CCHCS)
01.2019 - 01.2021
Mental Health Clinician
A Better Way, Inc.
01.2018 - 01.2021
Master of Science - Social Work
University of Southern California
Bachelor of Science - Criminology & Criminal Justice
Portland State University