La'Keshia Allen
Covington,LA
Summary
Dedicated and hardworking Social Worker with a strong commitment to serving children in desperate need of unconditional love and shelter.
Compassionate and driven with strong work ethic and passion for helping others.
Skillful in documentation, case management, and client advocacy.
Motivated to complete the MSW program.
Eager to secure a position serving formerly incarcerated individuals in reentry programs, as well as those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Child Placement Worker
Methodist Foster Care
10.2022 - Current
- Assessing, developing, and executing a plan to achieve permanence for the child including return to the family, adoptions, transfer of custody, independent living, or other alternative plans.
- Providing services to a caseload of children removed from their homes by court order, voluntary surrender, or voluntary placement agreement and placed in a foster home or a more restrictive setting.
- Overseeing the placement to ensure the child's well-being, assessing the probability of return, and planning for the child's permanence.
- Participating in the implementing Methodist Foster Care's recruitment plan for certifying perspective foster families.
- Preparing and conducting extensive orientation and training for potential foster and adoptive homes.
- Examining and evaluating information gathered about families, housing and environment in relation to provider criteria and licensing regulation for certification of perspective foster homes.
- Completing home studies.
- Upon completion of written home studies, recommending approval or denial of certification for perspective foster homes based on a combined evaluation and assessment process.
- Re-evaluating for continued annual re-certification for foster homes.
- Developing and implementing corrective action plans to correct deficiencies.
- Maintaining a listing of all foster homes in area and recommending appropriate resources to workers placing children.
- In addition, for Therapeutic Foster Families:
- Having the first face-to-face visit with a child and therapeutic foster care parent on the day of the child's placement or the following work day.
- Having another face-to-face visit with the therapeutic foster parent or child within 10 calendar days of a foster child's placement.
- Having telephone contact, on a weekly basis with at least one of the specialized foster care parents of each child on the specialized child placement worker's caseload.
- Visiting a therapeutic foster care parent a minimum of two times a month with at least one visit being in the foster home.
- Visiting the foster child face-to-face in the foster home without the foster parent being present a minimum of two times a month with at least one visit in the therapeutic foster care home and one visit outside the foster home.
- Carrying a caseload of not more than 12 therapeutic foster care children, taking into account the required responsibilities other than the case management of a child in foster care; the additional support, contact, and preparation needed by a therapeutic foster care home, due to the extent of the needs of the child served; and the intensity of services provided to the child and the child's family.
- Conduct a quarterly case consultation.
- Identifying the support needed by the foster family, including a plan for respite care.
- Recommending and preparing an aftercare plan for a child, prior to discharge from therapeutic foster care, to ensure a successful transition.
- Documenting quarterly case consultations and revisions to foster children's service plans as determined by the case consultations.
- Performing other duties as required.
Support Coordinator
Easterseals Louisiana
03.2022 - 09.2022
- Assisted families, particularly adult and aging populations, in accessing and securing services appropriate for person's specific needs.
- Completed monthly home visits/phone calls and monitoring of services monthly/quarterly progress reports.
- Conducted and completed annual planning documents.
- Planned, scheduled, and coordinated meetings with participants and services providers.
- Leveraged technology to develop plans of care and to participate in assessment certification training.
- Responded to participant changes in needs, completing/submitting appropriate paperwork.
- Researched, accessed, and linked services.
- Communicated and worked with service providers to ensure appropriate service provision.
- Maintained all responsibilities and requirements in regard to incidents and reporting.
- Met with supervisor for weekly supervision, consultation, and discussion of participant needs.
- Attended and participated in weekly staff meetings.
- Attended and participated in required training.
- Completed intake work as needed.
- Carried caseload of approximately 45 cases or more.
- Provided needed assistance or fills in for other Support Coordinators as needed and/or requested.
Patient Access Representative
Ochsner Health System
04.2010 - 03.2022
- Provided excellent customer service.
- Proficient with handling high volumes of calls.
- Utilized Epic to create, activate, and complete patient scheduling, messages, consults, and clinic registration.
- Efficiently and accurately gathers and inputs patient/guarantor demographic and financial information.
- Explained insurance benefits and co-pays.
- Facilitated communication between patients and various departments and staff.
Social Work Intern
Discovery/Renew Family Resource Projects
08.2021 - 12.2021
- Gained professional and client exposure.
- Provided continuum of family preservation and support services, such as Parenting Education, Family Skills Building, Visit Coaching, Kinship Navigator services, and Domestic Violence services, to families receiving services from Department of Children and Family Services.
Quality Life Specialist
St. Anthony's Gardens
07.2017 - 10.2019
- Attended to residents' needs.
- Provided assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs).
- Monitored and documented residents' condition and ADLs.
- Provided quality care for residents.
- Transported residents.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Social Work
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA12.2021
Certification - Medical Office Specialist
Delta College
Covington, LA01.2008
Skills
- Advocacy
- Attention to Detail
- Case Management
- Clients' Assessment
- Communication Skills
- Collaboration
- Computer Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
Languages
English
References
References available upon request
Timeline
Child Placement Worker
Methodist Foster Care
10.2022 - Current
Support Coordinator
Easterseals Louisiana
03.2022 - 09.2022
Social Work Intern
Discovery/Renew Family Resource Projects
08.2021 - 12.2021
Quality Life Specialist
St. Anthony's Gardens
07.2017 - 10.2019
Patient Access Representative
Ochsner Health System
04.2010 - 03.2022
Bachelor of Arts - Social Work
Southeastern Louisiana University
Certification - Medical Office Specialist
Delta College