Lauren Gervasio
Phoenixville,PA
Summary
Seasoned Certified Peer Specialist with 6 years of experience. Spearheaded successful therapeutic initiatives, prevention strategies and educational approaches to mitigate effects of mental health conditions and substance use disorders with severe and persistent population. Excellent mentoring, advocating, documentation and crisis intervention strategies. Highly organized, proactive and punctual with team oriented mentality.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Certified Peer Specialist for Warmline/Residential
Valley Creek Crisis Center
Exton, PA
11.2020 - 06.2023
- Helped individuals connect with program resources for further support and treatment assistance.
- Modeled behaviors, educated callers and motivated change to improving life skills and coping mechanisms.
- Supported clients in understanding issues with mental health and family and friends and taking steps toward recovery by pulling from personal background in area.
- Documented and logged calls
- assessed callers for for crisis and potential risk factors
- transferred callers for immediate risk to crisis staff
- used reflective listening, motivational interviewing and problem solving skills with callers
- utilized the WRAP tool with callers
- facilitated groups and ran activities in residential setting
- Assisted clients with determining goals, planning steps and reaching treatment objectives.
- Modeled behaviors, educated residents and motivated change to improving life skills and coping mechanisms.
Certified Peer Specialist
Fellowship Health Resources
Phoenixville, PA
08.2017 - 07.2021
- Maintained strict data confidentiality and privacy on all information related to individuals.
- Shared details regarding recovery and wellness principles focused on helping others struggling to stay focused on personal recovery journeys.
- Assisted others through dynamic relationships built on trust and utilized effective listening and interpersonal skills.
- Interacted with family members of individuals and shared information regarding available community support services.
- Delivered compassionate care to increase comfort and psychological, social and spiritual well-being.
- Developed strategies to promote team building and collaboration.
- Fostered relationships with consumers that encouraged self-awareness and emotional expression.
- Performed counseling interventions to address issues through conflict resolution and situational adjustment to depression, anxiety, and physical or substance abuse.
- Worked with care team to assess client needs and discuss collaborative treatment efforts.
- Discussed history and symptoms and evaluated potential clinical interventions .
Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Chester Springs Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
Chester Springs, PA
03.2015 - 05.2019
- Offered animals ample exercise opportunities through walks and play activities.
- Fed animals twice and three times daily and refilled water dish for fresh water supply.
- Adhered to all pet care plans, medication requirements and dietary restrictions while providing care.
- Developed long-term relationships with clients and bonded with animals through regular contact.
- Provided seamless communication to inform pet owners of visits and pet status.
- Monitored medication administration as directed by pet owners and vet.
- Provided adequate attention and consistent oversight to vacationing pets to promote high level of care.
- Calculated payments by keeping accurate daily log of time spent with dogs, detailing activities and services provided.
Home Health Aide
Age In Place Home Care
Plymouth Meeting, PA
02.2014 - 03.2015
- Monitored client's well-being, safety and comfort under direction of physician.
- Supervised medication administration, personal hygiene and other activities of daily living.
- Helped transition patient between bed, wheelchair and automobile to provide safe mobility support.
- Delivered high level of assistance with cooking, meal preparation and shopping.
- Managed various daily job tasks, including patient transportation and appointment scheduling.
- Facilitated best care by developing strong and trusting rapport with patient.
- Furnished personal care to clients within private home settings and championed patient independence and well-being.
- Mopped floors, vacuumed, washed dishes and performed other household chores to assist clients.
- Ran errands for clients and transported to appointments to maintain wellness and support daily living needs.
- Helped clients stay happy and healthy by providing mental and emotional support.
- Planned optimal meals based on established nutritional plans.
- Assisted elderly clients with personal hygiene and other daily activities, including bathing, dressing and incontinence care.
- Monitored client behaviors and emotional states, reporting concerns to supervisor and documenting information in files.
- Documented client progress in charts and logbooks.
- Conducted games and other activities to engage clients and provide mental stimulation and entertainment.
- Fostered independence in disabled individuals while closely monitoring safety at all times.
- Improved patient outlook and daily living through compassionate care.
- Maintained patient hygiene by administering bedpans, urinals, baths and shaves.
Crisis Counselor
Valley Creek Crisis Residential
Exton, PA
06.2023 - present
- Developed safety plans to minimize crisis risk and intervene with specific procedures.
- Applied abilities in techniques like active listening and collaborative problem-solving to make positive impact.
- Assessed risk to client, loved ones or general public through established evaluation procedures.
- Offered counseling and stabilization support to reintroduce calm in crisis situations.
- Collected and documented information from clients about concerns and available contextual details.
- Responded to crisis situations when severe mental health and behavioral issues arose.
- Listened to personal stories, asked probing questions and offered knowledgeable advice for different situations.
- Collaborated to set goals and outline steps to achieve objectives.
- Assisted clients with developing relevant skills to improve functionality in social, educational and vocational situations.
- Encouraged development of relevant skills to help overcome specific concerns.
- Coordinated resources to support clients and help each achieve targets.
- Compiled personal information and compared against professional knowledge to determine needs and optimum strategies for success.
Education
Early Childhood Education
Delaware County Community College
Media, PA09.1998
Telecommunications
Ohio University
Athens, OH09.1994
Liberal Arts
Raritan Valley Community College
Somerville, NJ09.1992
Skills
- Organization
- Communication abilities
- Coaching and mentoring
- Planning and coordination
- Client goal planning
- Clinical documentation
- Collaborative documentation
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Relationship-building skills
- Issue resolution abilities
- Recovery assistance and support
- Counseling
- Tracking client progress
- Documentation-daily note taking
- Client goal planning
- Microsoft Suite CARe
- Documentation-daily note taking
- Client goal planning
- Microsoft Suite CARe
- Problem resolution
Affiliations
Fellowship Health Resources activities
Making a Difference Award recipient- Awarded due to exceptional work as a Certified Peer Specialist and the use of the agency's Prism model. As well for leading a women's group in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation day program by empowering and teaching life skills.
Committee member of Change Management Team- Included creating an Instagram account to educate and raise awareness for mental health and peer support. Posting weekly excerpts of recovery story and various daily posts.
Committee member for the Common Ground Leadership Team- Worked along side committee members to organize, educate and integrate the agency's staff and consumers with resources from the online recovery program called Common Ground founded and created by Patricia Deegan. Also participated in monthly case studies with Patricia Deegan and 3 other organizations.
Committee member of the Happiness Committee- Included sending out monthly emails of recognizing staff members that have done exceptional work. Also provided morale boosters such as candy for holidays to staff members.
Group leader in Psychiatric Rehabilitation day program-Lead and facilitated a women's group and multi sex large group. Taught different topics weekly.
Certification
Certified Peer Specialist-Pennsylvania Certification Board
Certified Peer Specialist-Mental Health Partners
Certified Forensic Peer Specialist-Drexel University
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide prevention training
Mental Health First Aide
First Aide/CPR
Additional Information
Leader for Celebrate Recovery- facilitated open share groups and step study classes from 2017-present at Christ Community Church in West Chester Pa.
Mental Health Support Group-Hopeful Minds- facilitated a mental health support group located at Hope Community Church in King of Prussia, Pa from 2016-2020. Also facilitated at Christ Community Church 2023-present.
Sunday School leader-Kidzrock at Christ Community Church in West Chester Pa from 2022-present
Youth Group Leader- worked with teenagers in a group and one on one church setting for Hope Community Church in King of Prussia, Pa from 2015-2016.
Youth Group Leader-worked with teenagers in a group and one on one church setting for Bethany Collegiate Presbyterian Church In Drexel Hill Pa in 2000-2002.
Youth Group Leader-worked with teenagers in a group and one on one setting for Rhawnhurst Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pa in 1998-1999.
Youth Group Leader-worked with teenagers in a group and one on one church setting for Narberth Presbyterian Church in Narberth Pa from 1995-1997.
Timeline
Crisis Counselor
Valley Creek Crisis Residential
06.2023 - present
Certified Peer Specialist for Warmline/Residential
Valley Creek Crisis Center
11.2020 - 06.2023
Certified Peer Specialist
Fellowship Health Resources
08.2017 - 07.2021
Dog Walker and Pet Sitter
Chester Springs Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
03.2015 - 05.2019
Home Health Aide
Age In Place Home Care
02.2014 - 03.2015
Early Childhood Education
Delaware County Community College
Telecommunications
Ohio University
Liberal Arts
Raritan Valley Community College