Kelly L. Paluso
Salt Lake City,Utah
Summary
Well-qualified professional Licensed Clinical Social Worker adept at coaching team members in a collaborative effort with internal departments as well as community partners. Working with homeless youth and their supports through a joint approach. Good communicator and relationship-builder with exceptional skills in planning, resolving conflicts and solving diverse problems. Proficient at getting to the root of problems and helping patients develop effective coping skills for different life situations, triggers and traumas. Dedicated clinical therapy professional focused on improving patient wellbeing through compassionate and knowledgeable support. Strong communication and problem-solving abilities with a dedicated and detail-oriented mentality. Licensed in Utah.
Overview
3
3
years of professional experience
Work History
Milestone Transition Living Program Therapist
Salt Lake County Youth Services
Salt Lake City, Utah
05.2023 - Current
- Utilized emerging Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Narrative Therapy as treatment approaches.
- Maintained progress notes and documentation for client records.
- Delivered appropriate therapy based on diagnosis and individual needs.
- Performed comprehensive assessments for each client.
- Managed caseload of multiple sessions weekly using various types of therapies and approaches.
- Conducted mental health counseling using evidence-based practice and clinical models.
- Led group therapy for youth with focus on self-advocacy and empowerment.
- Facilitated and obtained appropriate authorizations for care.
- Understood and followed oral and written directions.
- Worked successfully with diverse group of coworkers to accomplish goals and address issues related to services needed for the youth served.
- Prioritized and organized tasks to efficiently accomplish service goals.
- Demonstrated leadership by making improvements to work processes and helping to train others.
- Identified needs of clients promptly and efficiently.
Medical Social Worker Women and Child
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
01.2022 - Current
- Hospital Social Worker for the Women and Children's Floors to include Labor and Delivery, Post-Partum, Women's Specialty Care, Newborn Intensive Care Unit, Nursery, Maternal Women and Children Unit.
- Maintains thorough case history records and wrote detailed reports.
- Document services and collected required data for evaluation.
- Coordinate psychosocial assessments, and progress notes.
- Maintains confidential case documentation.
- Guides clients in development of skills and strategies for dealing with individual problems.
- Works Closely with other Hospital Departments to ensure seamless patient care.
Psychiatric Crisis Worker
Centura Health
Salt Lake City, UT
09.2020 - Current
- Provides emergency crisis response services by phone.
- Helps clients to identify and develop coping techniques.
- Provides suicide risk assessment and prevention for clients.
- Maintains clinical documentation of client interventions.
- Apples abilities in techniques like active listening and collaborative problem-solving to make positive impact.
- Offer counseling and stabilization support to reintroduce calm in crisis situations.
- Develops safety plans to minimize crisis risk and intervene with specific procedures.
- Collects and documents information from clients about concerns and available contextual details.
- Assesses risk to client, loved ones or general public through established evaluation procedures.
- Helps callers and texters to crisis hotlines by providing individualized and caring support.
- Helps clients deal with substance abuse, mental illness and other concerns by delivering personalized counseling support.
- Educates family members and helped each support clients by improving coping techniques.
- Compiles community resources for housing to assist patients with mental health or substance abuse recovery.
Medical Social Worker
Valeo Hospice
Salt Lake City, UT
12.2020 - 07.2023
- Maintains confidential case documentation.
- Maintains thorough case history records and wrote detailed reports.
- Maintains timely and accurate documentation and patient charting.
- Coordinates psychosocial assessments, treatment plans and progress notes with planning of end of life care.
- Guides clients and their family members on how to cope with grief.
- Assist families to understand, accept the hospice medical recommendations.
- Work with families to utilize resources that are available to them through family and community.
- Communicate with multi-disciplinary hospice team members regarding patients current condition.
- Participates in the development of patients plan of care.
- Ability to establish good working relationship with families, patients, third party agencies and fellow staff members.
- Provide crisis intervention and bereavement counseling to families.
DCFS Program Manager
State of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Jan2016 - 04.2023
- Supervising Permanency Caseworkers in the Transitioning to Adult Living (TAL) and Aftercare Services Groups
- Lead Caseworker – Mentoring Permanency Caseworkers
- Permanency Casework to keep children with their families when safely possible by assessing their needs and the needs of their families
- This process may include assisting the family members to be connected to available resources, and conducting in-home services of appropriate intensity and duration
- My duties include working toward reunification of children who have been removed from their homes whenever possible or find enduring safety and permanency for them through alternative options
- To accomplish this, caseworkers work closely with the subject matter experts, are provided with regular professional supervision, and complete the DCFS Practice Model Training while performing the following tasks:
- Sex Abuse and Severe Abuse Social Worker – Casework to work closely with Law Enforcement and the families including the victim in services needed to address their trauma
- Certified in Forensic Interviewing with victims of child sexual abuse and severe abuse
- Investigating reports of abuse, exploitation, and/or neglect; assessing risks, strengths, barriers; and determining appropriate actions governing a client's situation
- Writing and implementing child and family service plans
- Coordinating and referring services to children and families offered by community resources, placement providers, collateral agencies, the courts, and community partners
- Presiding over visits between parents and children, monitoring behavior, reporting observational notes and concerns to appropriate professional/clinical staff, and updating case files
- Conducting in-home visits
- Testifying in court or hearings regarding actions, findings, procedures, and protocols
- Preparing detailed case documentation that includes: intake records, investigation summaries, risk assessment social summaries, needs assessments, service plans, case history, and activity logs.
Education
Master of Social Work -
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California08.2019
Skills
- Team Collaborating
- Coaching Caseworkers/Team Members
- Managing Timely Documentation/Organization
- Results Driven
- Performance Tracking
- Understands Court Processes
- Relationships with Community Partners
- Multitasking
- Internal Department Alliances
- Uphold Policies and Procedures
- Managing Work Flow
- Accessibility
- Encourage Team Member Growth
- Provide Resources for Caseworker to effectively perform their job duties
- Provide Feedback
- Active Listening
- HIPAA Compliance
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Case Management
- Family Education and Communication
- Documentation and Reporting
- Community Outreach
- Conflict Resolution
- Discharge Plan Development
- Crisis Intervention
- Therapeutic Assessment
- De-escalation Techniques
- Social Work
- Licensed Therapist
- Psychological Assessment Assistance
Additional Information
- License: , Licensed Certified Social Worker 10356366-3502
Timeline
Milestone Transition Living Program Therapist
Salt Lake County Youth Services
05.2023 - Current
Medical Social Worker Women and Child
University of Utah
01.2022 - Current
Medical Social Worker
Valeo Hospice
12.2020 - 07.2023
Psychiatric Crisis Worker
Centura Health
09.2020 - Current
DCFS Program Manager
State of Utah
Jan2016 - 04.2023
Master of Social Work -
University of Southern California
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