Joseph N. Perry II, MPH, LCSW

Site: Lee Arrendale State Prison

The mental health counselor provides mental health counseling, completes psychosocial assessments, and performs mental health evaluations for offenders residing inside the prison. The counselor meets with offenders who are on suicide precautions to assess risk and develop coping strategies. The counselor utilizes a variety of mental health therapy techniques and treatment planning to reduce mental health symptoms while observing and reporting out on barriers and progress.

The Social Worker Care Manager for the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) Program incorporates mental health into the interdisciplinary patient aligned care team providing brief intervention services to Veterans experiencing depression, PTSD, anxiety, substance and use inside the primary care clinic. This care manager helps the patient to understand symptoms, treatment, and ways in which the patient can increase self efficacy in these areas. Care managers also track the patient's treatment, progress, and concerns, and coordinates any adjustments needed with the patient's primary care team.

The Human Services Specialist II, for the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team, provides psychosocial treatment to individuals from various ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. This social worker provides intensive outreach and engagement services for a caseload of individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness (such as Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder). This includes crisis intervention, mental health counseling, problem solving, wellness planning, medication psycho-education, family partnership meetings, family counseling, and more. The Social Worker also completes quarterly, annual, and comprehensive needs and psychosocial assessments for managed care plans to demonstrate need for continued services. The social worker assists clients with applying for benefits and community resources.

A Social Worker Case Manager inside the Emergency Department at INOVA Fairfax Medical Campus, responds to all full and modified activation traumas, reports CPS and APS concerns, liaises with law enforcement and SANE Nurses regarding sexual assaults presenting in the emergency room, provides/evaluates biopsychosocial impact on patient plan of care, evaluates patient ability to progress throughout the continuum of care. The social worker assists patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability, terminal illness and death. This social worker works collectively in communication with physicians, nursing, and other members of the multi-disciplinary care team to effect timely and appropriate patient management, and provides discharge planning and continuity of care for assigned patients in the acute and post-acute setting.

At the Alexandria Residential Treatment Center, the Clinical Social Work Intern conducts intake screenings and assessments, administers medication, writers accurate and timely progress notes, runs treatment groups, provides individual counseling, and participates in discharge readiness planning with residents. 

The Community Services Program Manager (Diversion Case Manager), at the City of Alexandria's Office for Community Services, manages a caseload of residents deemed at-risk of homelessness and performs homeless shelter screenings for individuals and families at imminent risk of homelessness. This worker is an integral part of the continuum of care (CoC) making appropriate referrals for city residents who are housing insecure, as well as special populations, such as Veterans (HUD-VASH) or those fleeing intimate partner violence and abuse. This worker also coordinates the Rent Relief program aiding Seniors age 65+ and/or those with disabilities with rent subsidies monthly and provides emergency assistance to individuals and families seeking help with utilities, evictions, and prescriptions. The worker works in partnership with other community based services such as the Alexandria Detention Center, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA), Child and Family Services, and mental health and substance abuse services. This mid level position also sits on the City's Housing Crisis Response Workgroup Committee, Landlord Engagement Committee, Shelter Appeals Committee, and Case Staffing Committees.

As a Resident Monitor for Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless Veterans Safe Haven Program. the worker assists Veterans with problem-solving, daily living and life skills tasks while providing social support for Veteran concerns. The resident monitor administers medication prompting and works in tandem with the social worker and house manager to provide a therapeutic and thriving environment for veterans experiencing homelessness.

At Howard University, under the HIV Substance Abuse and HIV Outreach Program (HU SHOP), and in conjunction with the Student Health Center, the Peer Health Educator facilitates programming in on-campus housing, on-campus facilities, and the surrounding community to educate the Howard University student population about sex education, substance abuse, and healthy lifestyles. The Peer Health Educator performs outreach activities in the LGBT community and Wards 7 & 8 of Washington, DC, while promoting routine HIV Testing for the purpose of knowing one's status.