Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Trainer Co Trainer
Presentations
Languages
References
Timeline
Generic

Iris Gonzalez

Maywood

Summary

Senior Program Advisor with proven expertise in program development and stakeholder engagement at Start Early. Drove a 40% increase in services to underserved populations through effective strategic planning and quality assurance initiatives. Bilingual communicator skilled in training delivery and fostering collaborative relationships. Strategic Senior Program Advisor known for high productivity and efficient task completion. Specialized in program development, stakeholder engagement, and policy analysis. Excel at communication, leadership, and problem-solving to drive projects forward effectively. Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong work ethic, adaptability, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.

Overview

27
27
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Senior Program Advisor

Start Early
Chicago
10.2014 - Current
  • Delivered ongoing technical assistance and consultation to assigned sites on program development and staffing.
  • Collaborated with site supervisors to integrate new program components and best practices into services.
  • Developed written annual site support plans aligned with agency subcontract terms.
  • Monitored program quality and adherence to benchmarks through report reviews and status assessments.
  • Analyzed quarterly reports with site contacts to evaluate outcomes and service levels.
  • Conducted annual onsite program assessments, auditing participant records and supervision practices.
  • Provided comprehensive summaries of assessment visits for future site support planning.
  • Facilitated training sessions at Ounce Of Prevention Fund Training Institute, enhancing staff capabilities.
  • Conducted regular meetings with team members to review progress and address any issues or concerns.
  • Planned and delivered training sessions to improve employee effectiveness and address areas of weakness.
  • Assessed accurate and relevant information for fact-based decision making.
  • Coordinated with internal stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the program initiatives.
  • Maintained positive relationships with vendors by monitoring their performance against agreed upon contractual terms.
  • Advocated for the program, securing executive support and resources necessary for program success.
  • Provided leadership, insight and mentoring to newly hired employees to supply knowledge of various company programs.
  • Communicated regularly with external partners to ensure alignment of strategies and goals.
  • Implemented plans designed for individual's specific needs.
  • Analyzed data collected during the course of the program operations and reported results accordingly.
  • Implemented best practices in order to maximize efficiency of operations.
  • Participated actively in brainstorming sessions focused on improving existing processes or creating innovative approaches for delivering services more efficiently.
  • Conducted regular meetings with team members to review progress and address any issues or concerns arising from the program execution process.

Education Coordinator

Children’s Place Association
01.2012 - 01.2014
  • Coordinate and assess the operations and effectiveness of the Home-based Program and participate in programmatic planning.
  • Monitor the Home-based Education component on an ongoing basis and ensure integration with other services: disabilities, health, nutrition, etc.
  • Provide individual reflective supervision as well as individual mentoring and coaching to two full time Family Support Specialist and four full time Parent Educators.
  • Ensure appropriate and effective service delivery to families by monitoring documentation, data entry, engaging in the continuous improvement process and connecting services to program outcomes.
  • Provide guidance and training to program staff to enhance teaching strategies.
  • Schedule, coordinate and facilitate multidisciplinary staffing for children and families; communicate regularly with the program manager to receive guidance, report progress, plan new strategies, and discuss any problems that arise.
  • Utilize follow-up skills and attention to details in addition to good problem solving to provide updates and feedback on staff and program functions to supervisor.
  • Collect information, prepare and submit required reports to the Ounce of Prevention and Chicago Public Schools.

Graduate Intern

Deborah’s Place
01.2011 - 01.2012
  • Provided support to 30 women with disabilities through case management, assistance with benefits, healthcare coordination and access to education.
  • Worked collaboratively with the women to help them define their own goals, connected them to the services/resources needed to accomplish these goals.
  • Empowered each women to make their own decisions as they recover from the trauma and the turmoil of homelessness.

Bilingual Social Worker

Christopher House
01.2010 - 01.2012
  • Provide clinical social work services to children, adolescent and families with the basic goal of enhancing their abilities to function independently, as well as promote the emotional, social and physical growth of each individual.
  • Participate in clinical staffing by making observations of clients, including children and obtaining and sharing relevant family background information.
  • Work collaboratively to integrate services with other departments and staff.
  • Conduct intake screenings of new families and individual clients.
  • Make observations and assessments of children and their families, contribute to the development of the treatment plan(s) and by implement the clinical portion of the plan.
  • Provide individual, family and group therapy to children, adolescents, and their families.
  • Provide consultation to teachers and to agency staff regarding specific treatment issues.
  • Make home visit to client when appropriate.
  • Manage each case with necessary documentation including outcome evaluation data and casework activity summaries.

Associate Director

Christopher House
01.2000 - 01.2010
  • Provide training, direction, reflective supervision, and guidance to staff of six full time and 3 part time employees and 3 volunteers.
  • Coordinate and promote the integration of TAPPS with other programs and services within agency; maintain referral system and network of community and professional contacts; market and promote agency services.
  • Prepare subcontracts and detailed narrative reports for external partners.
  • Perform assessment of new participants and determine eligibility.
  • Monitor data collection and preparation of reports and coordinate with external partner’s database.
  • Develop, monitor and control program budgets, including compliance with contractual obligations.
  • Increase services to underserved at-risk population by 40% and expanded into new communities.
  • Provide community outreach services on topics including prevention and signs of child sexual abuse; facilitate multiple domestic violence support groups.

Lead Parent Educator

Christopher House
01.1998 - 01.2000
  • Provided support and guidance to Parent Educators and maintained a caseload of up to eleven families enrolled in the Home Visiting program.
  • Provided weekly home visits including preparation of parenting education and support, modeling, and interactive parent-child activities.
  • Provided case management and advocacy support to parents and their families: utilized community resources and linkage to support families’ growth and goal achievement.
  • Administered Denver Development Tool Screening for 0-3 years.
  • Promoted, educated and assisted participants with family planning, breastfeeding and baby basics and pregnancy options; promoted client self-sufficiency and confidence.

Education

Master of Social Work -

Chicago State University
Chicago, IL
01.2012

Bachelors of Science - Social Work

Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL
01.2008

Skills

  • Bilingual communication
  • Effective time management
  • Organizational planning
  • Networking and collaboration
  • Cultural competency
  • Program development and evaluation
  • Quality assurance
  • Stakeholder engagement and management
  • Strategic planning
  • Performance monitoring
  • Team collaboration
  • Problem solving and analysis
  • Data analysis
  • Training delivery
  • Attention to detail
  • Policy implementation
  • Interpersonal skills and relationship building
  • Multitasking and prioritization
  • Continuous improvement

Certification

  • Certified Illinois Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
  • Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)
  • Birth Doula Trained
  • Healthy Families America Peer Reviewer, Certified
  • Chicago Abused Women Coalition, Domestic Violence Training, 40-hour Certification
  • Community Counseling Center of Chicago (C-4) Mental Health: First Aid Certificate
  • Family Administer Neonatal Activities (FANA) trainer
  • Parent as Teachers (0-5yrs) curriculum, Certified
  • Ages and Stages and Social-Emotional Questionnaire
  • Heart to Heart: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention curriculum, Certified/Trainer
  • Baby Talk Curriculum, Certified
  • Substance/Alcohol Abuse Studies, 9 credit hours completed

Trainer Co Trainer

  • Adolescent Development and Parenting
  • Community Based Family Assessment Neonatal Activities (CB FANA)
  • Video Intervention (DTSP)
  • Parent Group Services Learning Community
  • Doula Service Learning Community

Presentations

  • Home Visiting For Homeless Family- Integrating Home Visiting Services, Ounce of Prevention- Bilingual Training, 06/01/16
  • Domestic Violence- Intervention Strategies for family Support programs, Zero to Three 20th National Training Institute, 10/01/08
  • Responding to the Needs of Pregnant and Parenting Teens, The Night Ministry Conference, 10/01/10
  • The Impact of Doulas on Teen Parents, Prevent Child Abuse Illinois Conference, 10/01/06
  • Engaging and Retaining Teen Participants, Erickson Institute Seminar, 02/01/07

Languages

English
Professional
Spanish
Professional

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Senior Program Advisor

Start Early
10.2014 - Current

Education Coordinator

Children’s Place Association
01.2012 - 01.2014

Graduate Intern

Deborah’s Place
01.2011 - 01.2012

Bilingual Social Worker

Christopher House
01.2010 - 01.2012

Associate Director

Christopher House
01.2000 - 01.2010

Lead Parent Educator

Christopher House
01.1998 - 01.2000

Master of Social Work -

Chicago State University

Bachelors of Science - Social Work

Northeastern Illinois University

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Iris Gonzalez