Katie McSpadden
Gilbert,AZ
Summary
Dedicated clinical therapy professional focused on improving patient wellbeing through compassionate and knowledgeable support. Strong communication and problem-solving abilities with a curious and detail-oriented mentality.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Adult Therapist
Private Practice
Gilbert, Arizona
04.2023 - Current
- Manage a private practice of 50 clients
- Utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance and an Internal Family Systems informed approach
- Trained in Exposure Response Prevention therapy and lead approximately 10 sessions a week using this treatment modality
- Ensure up to date clinical documentation is enter into health record in a timely manner
- Follow all local and federal laws, as well as policies set forth by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health
Manager, Behavioral Health Utilization Management
Arizona Complete Health
Tempe, Arizona
05.2020 - 04.2023
- Managed 3 teams for a total of 35 people
- Direct supervisor for 7 staff, completing all admin tasks and career development tasks
- Focused on staff engagement and satisfaction to decrease turn over, maintaining a 94% satisfaction rate, 9% higher than Corporate
- Improved to less than 10% turn over rate
- Increased production compliance from 45% to 99%
- Led the team through the acquisition of 2 new lines of business and a merger with another Medicaid provider
- Implemented National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards and prep authorizations for accreditation audit
- Rigorously adhered to NCQA, AHCCCS and Medicare policies and contracts
- Teamed with all departments in the health plan to ensure that behavioral health utilization management is actively engaged in problem-solving
- Regular reporting to all stakeholders multiple times a month
Supervisor, Behavioral Health Utilization Management
Arizona Complete Health
Tempe, Arizona
02.2020 - 05.2020
- Supervisor 14 employees, managing timesheets, staff one to ones, and performance evaluations
- Train staff and colleagues on relevant topics to enhance efficiency
- Run daily census reports and task counts to help guide work flows
- Apply creative solutions to barriers that hinder turn-around times and compliance
- Create work flows and processes as needed to support team productivity
- Partner with case management staff and providers to meet common goals
- Support member well-being through timely and accurate case reviews
- Host twice weekly rounds with staff and medical directors to address discharge planning for members
- Adhere to AHCCCS policies and contractual obligations
- Fidelity to Centene's mission and vision
Clinician, Juvenile Detention
Arizona Juvenile Detention
Phoenix, Arizona
04.2016 - 01.2020
- Conduct brief, solution-focused therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy for youth struggling with such issues as substance abuse, anger management, self-regulation, depression and anxiety
- Conduct weekly group therapy sessions on an array of topics
- Provide crisis intervention and de-escalation for detained youth
- Create and facilitate weekly group sessions
- Work closely with families and providers to address the needs of the youth
- Train staff on adolescent mental health, trauma, and the Prison Rape Elimination Act
Faculty Associate for the School of Social Work
Arizona State University
Phoenix, Arizona
08.2013 - 12.2017
- Create engaging curriculum and assignments related to human development, diversity and oppression
- Strengthen students' writing ability through the use of consistent and detailed feedback
- Maintain consistent office hours and availably to respond to student concerns or questions
Crossover Youth Court Coordinator, Juvenile Court
Arizona Superior Court
Phoenix, Arizona
07.2015 - 04.2016
- Worked with youth who are involved in the foster care system and the juvenile justice system
- Coordinated the Juvenile Court's efforts to decrease negative outcomes and increase positive outcomes for specific youth populations
- Teamed with school officials to address issues within this specific population and combat crossover into the court system from the school system
- Analyzed current court policies and procedures, examining for efficiency, intended and unintended outcomes, and potential trouble areas
- Created and implemented new court protocols based on analysis and evidence-based practices
- Collaborated with the probation department to provide specialized services and case management to dually involved youth
- Hosted monthly teleconference calls with stakeholders
Status Offense Specialty Court Coordinator, Juvenile Court
Arizona Superior Court
Phoenix, Arizona
09.2013 - 07.2015
- Managed the day-to day needs of the Status Offense Specialty Court, including scheduling, client contact, and records
- Authored an original curriculum for children ages 8-17 regarding juvenile offenses and how to avoid interacting with the juvenile court
- Presented an original curriculum over 30 times, reaching over 2000 students
- Collected pertinent data regarding juvenile offenders, status court, and citation court
- Assessed the needs and risks of affected families and juveniles and provided them with resources
- Conducted original research on numerous topics
- Liaised with probation, child welfare, the judiciary, and court administration to ensure consistent adherence to best practices
- Participated in numerous work groups such as, alternatives to detention and disproportionate minority contact
- Created and presented training information to attorneys, judges, and community members, both locally and nationally
Social Worker in Permanency Support Services
Casey Family Programs
Phoenix, Arizona
08.2012 - 09.2013
- Managed a caseload of 20-30 foster youth and assist them in finding permanent placements and gain independent living skills
- Engaged family finding endeavors to locate family and other significant adults in the youth's life
- Hosted family group conferencing to create a youth and/or family-centered plan for the youth
- Addressed barriers to permanency
- Co-chaired the Youth Advisory Board for foster youth
Child Protective Services Specialist III
Child Protective Services
Phoenix, Arizona
06.2011 - 08.2012
- Managed 42 cases involving youth or teen mothers who are in the foster care system
- Met with clients, discussed and assessed their needs, and provided appropriate referrals
- Provided individual trainings on various parenting and life skills issues
- Advocated for the rights and needs of clients
- Documented all client interactions and summarized individual case progress in biannual court reports
Child Protective Service Specialist II
Child Protective Services
Phoenix, Arizona
06.2010 - 06.2011
- Investigated reports thoroughly by utilizing in person interviews, as well as various record searches
- Maintained professional and positive interactions with clients
- Held case staffings to ensure better outcomes for clients
- Prepared court documents, referrals, and detailed case notes in a timely manner
- Testified in court regarding the details of investigations
- Carried-out all supervisory tasks when assigned as acting supervisor
- Assessed familial risk factors according to agency and state policy
- Promoted to Child Protective Specialist III within a year of hire
Lead Tutor
Campfire Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
08.2009 - 06.2010
- Executed the objectives of the No Child Left Behind Act
- Liaised between the administration and the tutors to accomplish agency goals
- Created child specific curriculum at multiple schools
Youth Outreach Specialist
Wingspan
Tucson, Arizona
10.2008 - 05.2009
- Staffed the youth drop-in center
- Facilitated a variety of support groups
- Led informational workshops and panel discussions on the gay community, homeless youth, and relationship violence for community agencies and schools
- Managed the center's volunteer database, communication, and scheduling
- Collected data and composed monthly reports for agency grants
- Promoted to Associate Coordinator after 3 months of work
Youth Programs Associate Coordinator
Wingspan
Tucson, Arizona
07.2007 - 10.2008
- Staffed the youth drop-in center
- Facilitated a variety of support groups
- Held daily check-ins for program involved youth
- Managed a caseload of over a 125 youth
- Organized youth-led advocacy campaigns
- Worked independently to develop and manage the Homeless Youth Project
- Contributed to the Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless (TPCH) caucus
- Co-Chaired TPCH's Youth Committee
- Presented at local and state conferences on youth homelessness
- Built strong networks of interagency resources
- Coordinated and led over 100 trainings to service agencies on youth homelessness
- Composed quarterly reports for funding sources in accordance with grant guidelines
- Led a 40 hour training on Services Understanding Relationship Violence (SURV)
- Created curriculum for SURV and hosted the training four times a year for professionals
Education
Masters - Social Work
Arizona State University
Phoenix, Arizona05.2010
Bachelor of Arts - Latin American Studies with a focus in Public Health
University of Texas
Austin, Texas07.2003
Skills
- Documentation requirements
- Group therapy facilitation
- Service referral coordination
- One-on-one support
- Group therapy coordination
- One-on-one sessions
Certification
- Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), 07/13, superseded by LCSW August 2019
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), 09/19, 08/25, No history of board actions on either license
Volunteer Experience
- Intern, Governor's Office for Children Youth and Families, Division for Women, Phoenix, AZ, 08/09, 05/10, Evaluated all quarterly grant reports for compliance with grant guidelines, Composed talking points for Governor Jan Brewer regarding relationship violence, Participated in work groups proposing legislation to address relationship violence, Tracked all legislation involving women, children, and relationship violence, Contributed to a work group on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) implementation
- Volunteer, Nuevo Mundo Bilingual High School, Guayaquil, Ecuador, 05/09, 07/09, Taught high school students and created curriculum for the nursery school children
- Intern, Child Protective Services, Tucson, AZ, 08/08, 05/09, Monitored on-going cases in CPS, ensuring that the families were supported in accomplishing their case plan goals, Kept up-to-date case notes describing all interactions with the families and authored detailed court reports, Addressed client issues utilizing appropriate and varied social work methods
- Crisis Counselor, Center Against Sexual Assault, Tucson, AZ, 07/07, 01/09, Answered after hours crisis line calls, Provided crisis management, de-escalation, and a variety of community referrals to clients
- Health Education Resource Volunteer, United States Peace Corps, Kisumu, Kenya, 09/03, 09/05, Offered a life skills training course at numerous village schools, Implemented village-wide teacher training on HIV and related health issues, Initiated public forums focused on HIV awareness, prevention and treatment, Created after school programs for local orphans and managed their sponsorship program, Worked with local governments to expand community health education, Assisted local self-help groups with small business plans, income generating projects, and grant writing
Trainingscertificates
- Trauma Competency, Arizona Trauma Institute, Mesa, AZ, 03/18, 18 hours of course work in Trauma Competency, focusing on an empowerment and resiliency structure
- Exposure Response Prevention, NOCD, Chicago, IL, 07/23, 20 hours of training and 12 weeks of coaching for Exposure Response Prevention Therapy
Timeline
Adult Therapist
Private Practice
04.2023 - Current
Manager, Behavioral Health Utilization Management
Arizona Complete Health
05.2020 - 04.2023
Supervisor, Behavioral Health Utilization Management
Arizona Complete Health
02.2020 - 05.2020
Clinician, Juvenile Detention
Arizona Juvenile Detention
04.2016 - 01.2020
Crossover Youth Court Coordinator, Juvenile Court
Arizona Superior Court
07.2015 - 04.2016
Status Offense Specialty Court Coordinator, Juvenile Court
Arizona Superior Court
09.2013 - 07.2015
Faculty Associate for the School of Social Work
Arizona State University
08.2013 - 12.2017
Social Worker in Permanency Support Services
Casey Family Programs
08.2012 - 09.2013
Child Protective Services Specialist III
Child Protective Services
06.2011 - 08.2012
Child Protective Service Specialist II
Child Protective Services
06.2010 - 06.2011
Lead Tutor
Campfire Arizona
08.2009 - 06.2010
Youth Outreach Specialist
Wingspan
10.2008 - 05.2009
Youth Programs Associate Coordinator
Wingspan
07.2007 - 10.2008
- Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), 07/13, superseded by LCSW August 2019
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), 09/19, 08/25, No history of board actions on either license
Masters - Social Work
Arizona State University
Bachelor of Arts - Latin American Studies with a focus in Public Health
University of Texas
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