Jennifer N. DiSilvestro
Social Work
Jupiter,FL, NY
Summary
Enthusiastic Director with over 15 years of increasingly responsible positions demonstrating a capacity to manage, evaluate and develop recommendations to enhance programs and meet client needs. Successful at bringing out best in cast and crew and eager to contribute to team success. Excellent reputation for creative innovation, resolving problems and improving client satisfaction. Eager to contribute to team success through hard work, attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Director
Alpert JFS
West Palm Beach, FL
03.2017 - Current
- Mentoring 4 Kids Program works to achieve a healthy future for children ages 6‐18 who are being raised in single parent families. This free, non‐sectarian program pairs children who have experienced loss of parent with same gender adult volunteers who provide guidance support and friendship through shared outings in the community.
- Responsible for overseeing and assessing mentoring program to support client and program success.
- Assess, interview and screen clients and volunteers for program eligibility; connect youth with appropriate mentors to help them succeed.
- Provide ongoing supervision and support for over 20 volunteer mentors and their mentees; foster collaboration through ongoing communication, assess and recognize match successes and facilitate conflict resolution mediation
- Manage program budget and allocation of funds; revised program policies and procedural manual and ensure implementation
- Conduct program outreach and formed partnerships with various community agencies; facilitate orientation sessions for recruitment
- Connect and refer youth to community resources, as needed.
- Prepare confidential written assessments and quarterly reports for funders; evaluation and analysis of program.
- Event planning.
- Provided ongoing direction and leadership for program operations.
- Improved success of program by making proactive adjustments to operations.
- Interviewed and hired program outreach coordinator with expertise in recruitment and outreach to increase clients we can serve
- Identified costs involved for program activities, needs to keep in line with departmental budget.
- Resolved client issues quickly, increasing client retention rate.
- Interview, screen and oversee team of over 20 volunteers and 1 program outreach coordinator.
Developed Peer Mentorship Program
The Center For Developmental Disabilities
Woodbury, NY
01.2016 - 10.2016
- Outside of job responsibilities, initiated and was granted approval to develop and coordinate a new peer mentorship program for special education school to support student success
- Reached out to local high school and established partnership for program
- Represented school and met with leaders from both schools to plan program
- Researched and created flyers and program form/policies for the program start‐up
- Develop and facilitated series of special trainings for the high school students to initiate the program and recruit peer mentors.
- Coordinated with both schools to prepare for program start‐up in October 2016
- Developed curriculum and lesson plans to achieve objectives of each course.
- Planned and implemented staff development and in-service training programs to enhance knowledge and skills.
School Social Worker
The Center for Developmental Disabilities
Woodbury, NY
11.2015 - 10.2016
- The Children’s Day Program is a 12 month educational program serving children ages 5‐21, who have an educational classification of Autism, Intellectual Disability or Multiple Disabilities
- Outside of job responsibilities initiated, developed and coordinated new peer mentorship program in collaboration with a local high school to support student success; recruited, developed and facilitated trainings for high school students to nurture involvement in program and teach disability sensitivity
- Build relationships with all levels of school personnel, students, families and school districts
- Admissions – Process intake packets by school districts regarding prospective students; follow‐ up on referrals; assess students for enrollment into school program along with clinical team
- Clinical ‐ Provided mandated individual and group counseling; responsible for confidential written reports/assessments of students such as psychosocial reports, IEP goals and recommendation
- Training facilitator ‐ Develop and facilitate special trainings for staff development, parents and students
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams of school psychologists, teachers and administrators to create and implement Individualized Education Plans.
Supervisor of Foster Care Home‐finding Program
SCO Family of Services
Brentwood, NY
08.2011 - 06.2015
- Supervised, trained and advised unit responsible for recruiting and licensing foster homes, training foster parents as well as matching and placing children in care in appropriate certified foster care
- Effectively oversaw, managed, trained staff, provide supervision, performance evaluations
- Lead meetings to pro‐actively resolve issues with staff and clients
- Facilitate workshops, including ongoing orientations and trainings for foster parents
- Promoted to training coordinator for all 3 agency sites after taking initiative to organize and collaborate with outside agencies for additional special trainings
- Liaison between staff and foster parents; build strong cooperative relationships
- Assessed eligibility for admissions into foster boarding home program; conducted home visits and interview assessments, background checks, safety assessments and written home‐ studies
- Assess needs of foster children referred for placement/re‐placement and secure placement
- Responsible for recruitment and certification of foster homes
- Responsible for maintaining records and assuring compliance with regulations, including workload in state system and meet various time sensitive deadlines; conduct internal audits.
- Interviewed individuals and families to assess needs and provide informational resources.
College Field Instructor
SCO Family of Services
09.2014 - 05.2015
- Interviewed, hired, trained and supervised 2 intern students with specific skill sets to fill positions in the foster care recruitment and home licensing department.
- Selected appropriate assignments, advised students, developed learning goals and objectives, evaluated students’ performance and managed issues or concerns
- Provided students with opportunities to engage diverse client populations and systems to apply theory to practice, conduct assessments and problem solve with a team approach.
- Increased students’ awareness of environmental, organizational and economic influences and enabled them to advocate on behalf of clients, especially those at risk
- Monitored day-to-day activities of the students noting areas needing improvement and implementing plans for rectification.
Therapeutic Caseworker
SCO Family of Services
Brentwood, NY
02.2005 - 08.2011
- Assessed needs of each client and recommended appropriate services and resources.
- Determined eligibility and suitability for programs by performing client intake interviews and bio-psycho-social assessments.
- Maintained high level of client confidentiality, following strict guidelines and recommendations.
- Offered support and direction to families and coordinated with court system and other community agencies for treatment.
- Performed discharge planning, placement monitoring and crisis intervention.
- Provided crisis intervention and case management services to child, family and legal guardians.
- Coordinated with courts and community agencies for supportive services.
- Managed caseload of family screening and investigation, child removal, permanency planning, and family resource support.
- Worked with children diagnosed with emotional, mental and behavioral disorders and delivered high-quality case management and therapy to patients.
- Participated in court proceedings by making recommendations for permanency planning and providing expert testimony.
- Created treatment or service plan meeting each client's individualized needs.
Education
NYS Licensed Master Social Worker -
NYS
New York11.2014
Registered Clinical Social Worker Inter, FL - Clinical Social Work
FL
Florida10.2017
NYS School Social Worker Certification –provisional -
NY
New York08.2015
Master of Social Work -
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY05.2011
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC08.2004
Skills
- Employee Coaching and Motivation
- Recruiting and Interviewing
- Screening Processes
- Flexible and Adaptable
- Collaboration
- Conflict Resolution
- Self-motivated professional
- Excellent work ethic
- Decision Making
- Good listening skills
- Performance Tracking and Evaluations
- Managing Operations and Efficiency
- Project Management
- People Management
- Budget Management
- Team Leadership
Additional Information
- Phi Sigma Tau ‐ International Honor Society in Philosophy November, 2002
- Phi Eta Sigma ‐ National Honor Society April, 2001
Timeline
Program Director
Alpert JFS
03.2017 - Current
Developed Peer Mentorship Program
The Center For Developmental Disabilities
01.2016 - 10.2016
School Social Worker
The Center for Developmental Disabilities
11.2015 - 10.2016
College Field Instructor
SCO Family of Services
09.2014 - 05.2015
Supervisor of Foster Care Home‐finding Program
SCO Family of Services
08.2011 - 06.2015
Therapeutic Caseworker
SCO Family of Services
02.2005 - 08.2011
NYS Licensed Master Social Worker -
NYS
Registered Clinical Social Worker Inter, FL - Clinical Social Work
FL
NYS School Social Worker Certification –provisional -
NY
Master of Social Work -
Stony Brook University
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy
University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
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