Katherine I. Taylor
Program Director (Housing First)
Mechanicville,NY
Summary
Talented Program Director skilled in handling administrative, operational and outreach program functions. Wears many hats to accomplish dynamic objectives. Ready to apply 5 years of experience to new professional challenges with growth-oriented organization.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Housing First Coordinator/Program Director
Housing First and ESSHI
07.2019 - Current
- As Housing First coordinator, work with individuals and their families to locate and access suitable housing
- Once housing is obtained, work with individuals to provide long term rental assistance and support services
- Receive client referral from CE coordinator or from another agency, sit down with client to complete first intake into HMIS and if referred from another provider put that client into Coordinated Entry database system
- I would collect all necessary documentation from client, look up client’s medical history from PSYKES database to ensure client is eligible for program, once all proper documentation is collected and verified, calculate client’s affordability based on client’s income and within guidelines of county’s FMR
- Once paperwork followed compliance with HUD regulations then client would begin looking for apartment within his/her calculated affordability
- Once apartment was selected, set up meeting with landlord to conduct first HUD Inspection
- Once client moved in, I would come monthly to do HFI (check on clients, make sure apartment were being well kept, if there were any apartment issues, ensure clients were being taken care of properly and in timely manner, if client needed any further services I.E
- Case management, employment services, ext
- Would make sure to connect clients to proper individuals to aid them)
- Would attend monthly meetings as follows, SNC Continuum of Care members, Coordinated Entry meeting to go over current client waitlist for housing, I am on several communities with our partners in the COC
- When I was promoted to Program Director of one of our newest programs, the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) along with running the Housing First Program I had to house 18 new clients referred through SPOA with SUD and SPMI diagnosis within 2 months, which I successfully carried out
- Also, as Program Director I had to supervise several staff and make sure all staff were completing proper documentation into the RISE AWARDS Database system and working on service plans with our clients
- Internships
- Coached employees through day-to-day work and complex problems
- Participated in workshops and in-service meetings to enhance personal growth and professional development
- Used job-related software to draft and finalize written correspondence and documentation
- Tracked records, filed documents and maintained communication between clients to manage office activities
- Provided backup to front desk to step in to assist with various tasks whenever employee was absent or at lunch
- Gathered and organized materials to support operations
- Coordinated individual duties after careful evaluation of each employee's skill level and knowledge
- Resolved issues through active listening and open-ended questioning, escalating major problems to manager
- Hired, managed, developed and trained staff, established and monitored goals, conducted performance reviews for staff
Shelters Of Saratoga, SOS
09.2017 - 12.2017
- Homeless Shelter
- Helped in behavior management for a 36-bed homeless shelter providing guest advocacy, counseling services, and enforcing guest accountability
- Guest intakes into the agency with case managers along with inputting case notes into the agency database system
- Administered breathalyzers and drug screens to enforce the zero-tolerance policy
- Helped in managing guest activity to ensure compliance with all social service requirements for housing funding
- Became very proficient with HMIS
- I would go out in the field with the outreach coordinator to several different encampments to provide aid and services to the individuals that lived outside the shelter.
- Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations
- Organized and detail-oriented with a strong work ethic
- Adaptable and proficient in learning new concepts quickly and efficiently
- Developed strong organizational and communication skills through coursework and volunteer activities
- Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships
- Managed time efficiently in order to complete all tasks within deadlines
- Paid attention to detail while completing assignments
- Passionate about learning and committed to continual improvement
- Self-motivated, with a strong sense of personal responsibility
- Used strong analytical and problem-solving skills to develop effective solutions for challenging situations
Unity House, Violence Shelter
Troy, NY
02.2017 - 05.2017
- Responsibilities intern were to follow directions of supervisor
- Went on home visits with case managers to do follow-ups with clients in their home setting
- Input individuals’ documentation into agency database system
- Provided support services and counseling to individuals dealing with domestic violence
- Sat in on intakes with caseworker's along with filing and organizing confidential documentation for individuals served.
Day Habilitation Assistant
Saratoga Bridges
06.2014 - 01.2016
- Provide direct support to individuals with developmental disabilities whether in house or out in the community
- Implemented clients individual service plans, provided supervision, training and aided individuals in developing basic skills in safety along with helping them develop proper social behaviors while out in the community
- Administering medication, providing supervision and aid to individuals in developing competency in personal hygiene such as bathing, toileting, dressing and grooming
- Attended and took part in mandatory OPWDD approved training
- Trained in SCIP (Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention)
- Transitional Services Association/ RISE Housing and Support Services
Shift B Supervisor
CVS Pharmacy
02.2013 - 06.2014
- Duties included greeting customers, supervision of staff, end of day shift cash count and stocking merchandise
- Operational duties included cycle counts, merchandising, changing signage on shelves and unloading supply truck every week to be distributed throughout store
- Helped store management meet standards of service and quality in daily operations
- Trained new employees and delegated daily tasks and responsibilities
- Enforced company policies and regulations with employees
- Completed store opening and closing procedures and balanced tills
- Established effective employee schedules and delegated tasks to take advantage of individual abilities and meet expected demands
- Resolved customer complaints and issues and offered thoughtful solutions to maintain customer satisfaction
- Conducted routine inspections to check quality and compliance with established specifications
Direct Support Professional
Schenectady ARC
02.2012 - 01.2013
- Implemented daily goals of clients, along with social, recreation and volunteer activities
- Aid participants with eating meals, personal hygiene tasks, community outings and more
- Medical certification was required
- G-Tube certified and trained in SCIP (Strategies for Crisis Intervention and prevention-Revised) I was responsible for making sure I gave the clients the best quality of life I could offer.
- Administered medication as directed by physician
- Maintained clean, safe, and well-organized patient environment
- Updated patient files with current vitals, behaviors, and other data relevant to treatment planning
- Led patient or group recreational activities for enhanced patient outcomes
- Assisted disabled clients to support independence and well-being
- Assisted clients with daily living needs to maintain self-esteem and general wellness
- Monitored progress and documented patient health status changes to keep care team updated
- Researched community resources and services to provide accessibility and assistance to clients
- Educated clients and family members on relevant topics to support independent living
- Transported clients to medical and dental appointments to provide support
- Assisted with crisis intervention to de-escalate challenging behavior and maintain peaceful encounters
- Guided patients to restroom to support bladder and bowel relief requirements
- Recorded status and duties completed in logbooks for management
- Replaced bandages, dressings, and binders to care for wounds and encourage healing
- Provided compassionate and patient-focused care to cultivate well-being
- Cooked meals and assisted patients with eating tasks to support healthy nutrition
- Built and maintained rapport with clients and family members to facilitate trusting caregiver relationship
Senior Youth Care Specialist
Northeast Parent and Child Society
09.2001 - 02.2009
- Worked as a youth care specialist hired to oversee improving the welfare of children and young persons by completing the following duties
- Being present at intake meeting with the team leader and the child’s case worker
- Being responsible for implementing all guidelines and responsibilities of each child in the dorm
- Completing the certification for TCI (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention) training and eventually became a trainer of trainers for TCI
- Reporting incidents and proper documentation of all goals and responsibilities set forth for the children by their caseworker
- Finally, help keep the overall wellbeing of all children in the dorm.
- Completed clear and concise documentation of youth behavior and actions
- Liaised with parents of youth and community leaders to organize youth empowerment programs and activities
- Utilized system model to teach youth life skills in accordance with individualized treatment plans
- Attended treatment team meetings to discuss youth's mental and behavioral progress
- Aided with crisis intervention by redirecting negative behaviors and offering peer counseling
- Lead individualized and group counseling sessions with children and families
- Documented data and completed accurate updates to case records
- Intervened in crisis situations and counseled children experiencing emergencies and disruptive incidents
- Collaborated with school personnel, parents and mental health providers to maintain comprehensive and integrated approach to student services
Seasonal Cashier
Hewitt’s Garden Center
01.1997 - 01.2001
- Worked closely with shift manager to solve problems and handle customer concerns
- Restocked and organized merchandise in front lanes
- Operated cash register for cash, check, and credit card transactions with excellent accuracy levels
- Greeted customers entering store and responded promptly to customer needs
- Welcomed customers and helped determine their needs
- Helped customers complete purchases, locate items, and join reward programs
- Stocked, tagged and displayed merchandise as required
- Built relationships with customers to encourage repeat business
Bagger
Hannaford
11.1996 - 01.1997
- This was a part-time job while attending High School.
- Returned unwanted merchandise and retrieved specially requested products
- Assisted with maintaining clean and organized store appearance
- Collected and returned all hand baskets and shopping carts to proper place for new customer use
- Bagged customer purchases while paying mind to industry best practices
- Worked together with cashiers to guarantee customer satisfaction
- Greeted guests entering and exiting store to foster customer satisfaction
- Retrieved grocery carts and baskets from lot and various site locations
- Provided product knowledge to help customers select best products
- Directed weekly product cycle counts and corrected errors in warehouse inventory system
Education
HS Diploma -
Duanesburg Central High School
Delanson, NY2000
AS Degree - Human Services
Hudson Valley Community College
Troy, NY2018
BHS Degree - Community and Human Services
Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, NY12.2024
Skills
- Skills Summary:
- Have effective communication skills, along with inner strength when it applies to empathy for client’s wellbeing
- Try to use Critical Thinking when interacting with clients
- Have knowledge and training in De-escalation, Diversity, Conflict Management, Harm Reduction, Trauma Informed Care, Sexual Harassment and Workplace Violence
- Support personal growth and development, client rights, abuse prevention, ethics, HIPPA mandating reporting
- Experience in greeting individuals and identifying their needs and providing services as required
- Experience in providing support and development of recent programs (Housing First and ESSHI) and aiding clients with overcoming barriers
- Have excellent active listening skills, troubleshooting skills, problem solving, leadership and management skills
- Have been a member of the COC and CE for almost 5 years, working well with other agencies in and around Saratoga County
- Staff Supervision
Certification
- I have 5 years knowledge in the use of the HMIS database system (Homeless Management Information System)
- Certified HUD Inspector
Timeline
Housing First Coordinator/Program Director
Housing First and ESSHI
07.2019 - Current
Shelters Of Saratoga, SOS
09.2017 - 12.2017
Unity House, Violence Shelter
02.2017 - 05.2017
Day Habilitation Assistant
Saratoga Bridges
06.2014 - 01.2016
Shift B Supervisor
CVS Pharmacy
02.2013 - 06.2014
Direct Support Professional
Schenectady ARC
02.2012 - 01.2013
Senior Youth Care Specialist
Northeast Parent and Child Society
09.2001 - 02.2009
Seasonal Cashier
Hewitt’s Garden Center
01.1997 - 01.2001
Bagger
Hannaford
11.1996 - 01.1997
HS Diploma -
Duanesburg Central High School
AS Degree - Human Services
Hudson Valley Community College
BHS Degree - Community and Human Services
Empire State College
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