Leigh M. Williams
Aurora,CO
Summary
Seasoned School Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor and Clinical Director specializing in individual and group counseling to help resolve issues affecting education and home life of students. Dedicated professional with strong background in providing evidence-based counseling services to individuals, couples and families. Skilled in developing treatment plans, conducting assessments and documenting progress. Committed to advocating for mental health and well-being of clients.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
3
3
Certification
Work History
Special Education Mental Health Director/School Psychologist
Cherry Creek School District
05.2022 - Current
- Study analytic data covering students, teachers and school operations to formulate improvement plans.
- Keep 11 middle schools in full compliance with IDEA established policies, legal requirements and evaluation procedures
- Train assessment team psychologists and BCBA's on effective special education psychological evaluation and behavior modification.
- Coordinate special education services through frequent principal collaboration and consultation.
- Allocated special education staff and addressed requests for additional allocations throughout school year.
- Evaluate students in area of cognitive, social emotional, and adaptive on high profile cases.
- Collaborate with administration staff to develop functional budgets within allocated funds.
- Conflict and dispute resolution over IEP process
- Coordinated staff evaluations for special education personnel.
- Supervise 7 BCBA's and BCBA coordinator
- Supervise 6 districtwide assessment psychologist and one social worker.
- Supervise 1 special education assessment and affective needs liaison (licensed school psychologist and LPC).
- Built positive and productive relationships with students, parents, educators and community resources
- Completed required documentation and reports for compliance and treatment planning
- Led staff and faculty training and development to support program objectives
- Utilized formal and established testing protocols to evaluate educational, emotional and behavioral needs of students
- Compiled and interpreted students' test results along with information from teachers and parents to diagnose conditions and assess eligibility for special services
- Collaborated with educators, school administrators and external professionals in development of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
- Resolved problems, improved operations and provided exceptional service
- Demonstrated high level of initiative and creativity while tackling difficult tasks
- Identified issues, analyzed information and provided solutions to problems
Licensed Professional Counselor
Canyon Pines Counseling
09.2022 - 09.2023
- Implement evidence-based therapeutic interventions to promote positive behavior change.
- Provide education on mental health topics and resources to clients.
- Specializes in using DBT, CBT, ACT, and art based therapeutic techniques
- Assessment and treatment of racial trauma and victims of racial discrimination
- Developed treatment plans to have clients build self resilience and wellness
- Use cultural humility and training n HEARTS to address symptoms of trauma
- Address unique challenges of individuals identified as gifted, twice exceptional or identified with disability
- Support cultural identity and multiple intersectionalities with transformative equity lens and therapeutic relationship
- Listened to clients' concerns and provided encouragement and support
- Adapted counseling techniques to best suit individual needs of each client
- Acted as client advocate to coordinate required services or resolve emergency problems in crisis situations
- Assessed patient behavior, moods, and other responses to determine correct diagnosis and devise treatment plans
- Developed individualized counseling plans for clients to incorporate short-term and long-term goals
- Guided clients in developing skills and strategies for dealing with problems
Director of Clinical Training and School Support
Cherry Creek School District
07.2019 - 05.2022
- Administers advanced assessments when needed and consults on complex cases.
- Carries small caseload for charter school assessment.
- Supervise three mental health feeder coordinators, districtwide assessment team psychologists, districtwide psychologist float, districtwide social worker float, school psychologist or school social workers placed in charter schools, grant funded school health positions, mental health coordinator providing mental health induction and mental health orientation, and mental health coordinator responsible for tracking mental health Medicaid billing.
- Assist school administrators with evaluation of school psychologists or school social workers as secondary evaluator in assigned feeder areas.
- Co-supervise mental health offices administrative assistant.
- Oversee mental health internship placement and monitor work of school psychologist internship coordinator and school social work coordinator.
- Manage department budgets and federal grants, including equitable allocation of staffing across buildings and programs, and recruitment and retention of School Psychologists and School Social Workers to ensure that students will continue to receive quality educational services.
- Oversee Medicaid and evaluation assessment purchases for mental health team.
- Manage training and professional development of school psychologist and school social workers which includes consultation/collaboration, data-based decision making, legal/ethical issues, trauma-informed practices, social emotional learning/mental health services to develop life/social skills and provide interventions/instructional support to enhance academic skills.
- Manage implementation of districtwide social emotional programming and restorative practices.
- Resolve concerns around practice issues for school psychologists and school social workers in assigned feeder.
- Serve as resource to principals, school psychologist, and school social workers, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Serve as district resource for racial trauma.
- Collaborate with building principals, executive directors, and other district administrators.
- Work with Executive Director and Directors of Equity, Culture, and Community Engagement to promote social justice and inclusive excellence.
- Work with Adaptive Programs Principal around issues for Expulsion School and Foote Center mental health programming.
- Collaborate with various support personnel to support behavior planning options and interventions based on sound research for targeted and intensive needs and to develop educational options and interventions based on cultural humility and evidenced based practices for students who are at risk or children with identified disabilities.
- Collaborate with administration, parents/guardians, and parent/guardian groups involved with special populations programming around social emotional learning and mental health support.
- Work with Special Education Advisory Committee, providing experience and perspectives around mental health issues.
- Develop positive working relationships with community agencies and mental health resources for culturally and linguistically minoritized populations and LBGTQIA+ identified populations. Monitor all JICHR-substance use referrals and manage all substance use community partnerships.
Advanced Academics Affective Needs Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
06.2018 - 06.2019
- Provide training and consultation on twice exceptional students' needs
- Complex functional behavioral assessment and analysis for students with Autism, SED, and OHI
- Administer cognitive and social emotional testing for twice exceptional students when specialized instruments and advanced analysis is needed
- Administered formalized cognitive and social emotional testing for academic acceleration and gifted identification (pre-k-12)
- Developed and presented presentation on mental health needs to gifted parent community
- Developed presentation with out of district placement coordinator for Department of Human Services on special education and gifted education
- Administer formalized gifted measures such as PCA, GRS P, GES, etc.
- Training in Art therapy techniques
- Consultation on IEP process and procedure
Secondary Special Education Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
06.2016 - 06.2018
- Administer cognitive and social emotional testing when specialized instruments are needed
- Provide training and consultation on twice exceptional student's emotional needs
- Present training on functional behavior assessment and behavior improvement plans to staff
- Provide clinical consultation to school psychologists and school social workers in district
- Conduct CPI trainings
- Provide guidance on how to administer cognitive testing and social emotional testing to school psychologists and school social workers in district
- District crisis response provider trained in PREPARE model
- Assist building teams in developing crisis and safety plans
- Provide training on IEP process and procedures
- Facilitate middle school and high school students needing more restrictive placements
- Assist middle school and high school special education teachers in developing programming for students with significant emotional and behavior needs
- Assist special education teachers in understanding gifted learner's emotional needs
- Assist school psychologist and school social workers in understanding needs of students with ASD
- Assist special education teachers in understanding executive functioning needs
- Advanced level training in trauma and eligible to receive certified trauma specialist certification
Elementary Special Education Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
07.2015 - 06.2016
- Conducted CPI trainings (Initial basic training and refresher trainings).
- Assisted buildings in developing crisis and safety plans based on nonviolent crisis intervention
- Trained district mental health staff working with elementary students with emotional needs. Administered cognitive and social emotional testing when building mental health staff were unable to test or needed specialized instruments
- Administered testing on high profile out of district placement cases
- Presented training on functional behavior assessment and behavior improvement plans to parents
- Provided training on IEP process and procedures
- Facilitated students being placed in more restrictive programs
- Participated in meetings with out of district placement providers to return students to public school programs
- Trained staff on completing threat assessments and suicidal assessments
- Provide guidance on evaluating students for significant emotional needs and distinguishing between social maladjustment
School Psychologist
Overland High School Cherry Creek School District
06.2014 - 06.2015
- Conduct initial CPI trainings
- Administer cognitive and social emotional testing
- Conduct Functional Behavior Assessments and BIPS for students with Severe Needs (Fragile X, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Dual Diagnosis student)
- Provide social skills groups to children with Severe Needs
- Suicidal Assessments
- Danger Assessments
- Facilitate meetings and present extensive data on behavior on several cases with contentious parents
- Train building staff on twice exceptional programming (students that are gifted and have disability)
- Attend state training on twice exceptional programming and assist district in developing affective education model for twice exceptional students
- Attend 504 meetings and advise counselors of criteria for 504 eligibilities
- Assist teams in determining initial special education disability
- Coordinate mental health services with outside agencies
- Child abuse reports
- Develop protocol for concussion management with nurse
Mental Health Affective Needs Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
07.2013 - 06.2014
- Completed manifestation meetings (504 and IEP) for district as student was being considered for expulsion or requested manifestation facilitator run meeting due to high profile case plus typed all prior written notices for these meetings.
- Conducted initial CPI trainings and refresher courses certified CPI trainer
- Assisted buildings in developing crisis and safety plans based on nonviolent crisis intervention
- Trained district mental health staff
- Administered cognitive and social emotional testing when building mental health staff were unable to test or needed specialized instruments such as Emotional Disturbance Decision Tree or Adolescent Anger Rating scale
- Administered testing on high profile out of district placement cases
- Conducted functional behavior assessments and behavior plans on intense cases
- Facilitated SARB meetings when district truancy specialist was on medical leave
School Psychologist
Cherry Creek School District
07.2006 - 06.2013
- Complete initials and re-evaluation comprehensive assessments on yearly basis for special education services and placement. Comprehensive assessments refer to formal cognitive, and social emotional testing. When necessary adaptive assessments were also completed.
- Progress monitor monthly and write informal annual reports for students with direct mental health service hours on IEP's.
- Provided SED teachers with 29-point framework to develop STAR program. Skill Training for Academic Readiness (STAR) is comprehensive service program for students with emotional needs.
- Teach two affective education classes weekly using research-based curriculum such as Second Step, Why Try, and Peace for kids.
- Created evaluation and assessment tools to document effectiveness of Why Try and other curriculums I used
- Developed mental health referral process in conjunction with school social worker. Collaborated with social worker to develop Horizon mental health referral form.
- Provide individual and group counseling to students who are not on IEP's based upon counselor referral.
- Facilitated groups on anger, relational aggression, family issues, racial inequity, social skills, anxiety, depression, school adjustment etc. Provided individual counseling on self-injury, depression, anger, self-regulation of mood, organization, parent child conflict, relationship management, eating disorders, sexual abuse, rape, pregnancy, anxiety, gender identity issues, and LGTBQ issues.
- For two years in addition to being school psychologist in building was special education building coordinator where I assumed various additional duties such as accepting or denying all incoming students with IEP's. Leading departmental meetings for special education team. Working with district directors on budget and staffing matters. Training new case mangers on IEP process and procedures.
- MTSS building coordinator
- Developed mentoring program – EMS (Elective Teachers Mentoring Students)
- Developed for Dean 504 checklist and internal procedures to meet district as well as federal mandates
- Worked under direction of District Secondary SED coordinator to teach several of district middle schools how to provide services to students with emotional needs
- Presented various trainings and in services on functional behavioral assessment, TIER II and TIER III social emotional interventions, responding to bullying, child abuse and neglect
- Student council sponsor
- Developed annual student staff dodge ball tournament as part of PBIS events
- Presented on special education services to new families at Horizon show case
- Trained in Smart Girl curriculum
- Developed affective education curriculum for gifted and talented students in conjunction with counselor
- Developed pre and post- test based upon ASCA (American School Counselor Association) model to evaluate effectiveness of gifted and talented curriculum and TIER II interventions
- Presented twice at Colorado Society of School Psychologists on social emotional interventions. Presentations were on TIER II and TIER III Social Emotional Interventions and Using racially supportive group to develop leadership and increase academic skills.
- Danger assessments and suicide
- For 2012-2013 school year, directly supervise and train school psychologist intern
- Facilitate and document all manifestation determination meetings
- Develop behavioral contracts
- Conduct functional behavioral assessments and develop behavioral plans based upon this data
- Attend monthly mental health team meetings and participate in middle school mental health discussions
- Participated in Cherry Creek School District Social Emotional Learning committee and help developed district SEL measurement tools
- Trained in PREPaRE
- Participate and present at weekly Professional Learning Teams
- Developed with Horizon speech language pathologist executive function reference tool for general education teachers
- Developed informal rating of classroom performance for RTI process
- Partnered with former Horizon COSA / grade administrator to develop grant proposal on training teachers how to present affective education lessons.
- Obtained grant for 400.00 dollars from Cherry Creek foundation.
- Worked with current Horizon special education coordinator who is math learning specialist to implement Math interventions in special education math lab classes.
- Developed ISMP and safety plans.
- Partnered with school social worker and received grant to provide affective education to at risk students
Social Caseworker
City And County Of Denver
11.1999 - 06.2005
- Colorado Department of Human Services child welfare ongoing social casework (children and adolescents) experience in intense environment
- Able to investigate abuse and neglect allegations in accordance with Volume Seven Regulations and Colorado Children's Code
- Participated in team decision making meetings and very familiar with model for case management and treatment planning
- Trained in wrapround services, crisis intervention and stabilization
- Linkage to community mental health, legal aide, insurance and housing resources
- Permanency planning for children
- Foster parent training and therapeutic foster home supervision
- Adolescent day treatment service coordinator and collaboration with utilization manager to manage services provided by residential treatment facilities
- Familiar with community board and services to developmentally disabled adolescents and adults
- Expert witness in child welfare
- Worked with children in process of termination of parental rights to adoption
- Consulted with foster parents to determine and provide appropriate interventions
- Connected families to community resources
- Developed and implemented individualized treatment plans for clients
- Monitored clients' progress to adjust treatment plans accordingly
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with community resources for successful referrals
- Conducted home visits to assess clients' home environment and provide support
Mental Health Counselor
Aurora Mental Health
05.1998 - 11.1999
- Led counseling group to discuss topics such as eating disorders and relationship issues.
- Observed and monitored client behavior and responses to treatment.
- Guided clients in effective therapeutic exercises integrated from Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
- Worked collaboratively with other mental health professionals to provide consistent care and minimize diversion.
- Assessed mental health services need for children and families, evaluated presenting problem using bio psychosocial model and completed paperwork with guardian of child(ren).
- Presented cases to clinical team for therapist assignment.
- Referred for further diagnostic/developmental screening when appropriate.
- Utilized therapeutic play, books, artistic mediums, and sand play to assist children in resolving emotional issues.
- Worked with children in process of termination of parental rights to adoption.
- Consulted with foster parents to determine and provide appropriate interventions.
- Worked with reunified families to assist them in coping with issues stemming from out of home placement (separation/loss, attachment, aggression, impulse control)
- Worked with ethnically diverse families using multicultural counseling modalities.
- Connected families to community resources.
- Referred to staff psychiatrist and collaborated on medication management/progress of client.
- Developed and facilitated group for children who have witnessed domestic violence.
- Consulted with supervisor and informed her of clinical, ethical, and legal issues involved in client caseload as well as intakes.
- Provided home based therapy services (individual and family).
- Worked with county departments of human services on child abuse cases.
- Attended clients' IEP staffing and collaborated with multidisciplinary team for educational placement.
- Co-facilitated parenting/family support group. Monitored clients' application of therapeutic skills by visiting school, consulting with teacher, and observing clients in classroom
- Displayed sensitivity to cultural and linguistic needs of clients and families served
Licensed Professional Counselor
Evans Counseling
Denver, CO
12.2023 - Current
- Managed caseload of diverse clients, tailoring interventions to meet their unique needs and goals.
- Implemented evidence-based therapeutic interventions to promote positive behavior change.
- Assessed patient behavior, moods, and other responses to determine correct diagnosis and devise treatment plans.
- Guided clients in effective therapeutic exercises integrated from Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
- Utilized cultural responsive framework and modality to support healing and recognition of strength based attributes.
- Displayed sensitivity to cultural and linguistic needs of clients and families served.
- Designed safe and supportive environment for clients to discuss issues.
- Supported individuals dealing with mental health and emotional issues.
- Determined clients' risk of self-harm or other dangerous behaviors.
Education
EdS - School Psychology
University of Northern Colorado,
Greeley05.2006
Master of Arts - Marriage And Family Therapy
University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO05.1999
Bachelor of Arts - psychology
University of Missouri Columbia,
Columbia MO05.1992
Skills
- Youth Development
- Classroom Observation
- School Policies
- Emotional Support
- Group Counseling
- Mental Health Assessments
- Data Collection
- Team Leadership
- Suicide Prevention
Certification
Licensed School Psychologist
Licensed Professional Counselor
National Certified Counselor (NCC)
National Certified School Psychologist (NCSP)
National Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
Affiliations
National Association of School Psychologists
Colorado Society of School Psychologists
National Board of Certified Counselors
Timeline
Licensed Professional Counselor
Evans Counseling
12.2023 - Current
Licensed Professional Counselor
Canyon Pines Counseling
09.2022 - 09.2023
Special Education Mental Health Director/School Psychologist
Cherry Creek School District
05.2022 - Current
Director of Clinical Training and School Support
Cherry Creek School District
07.2019 - 05.2022
Advanced Academics Affective Needs Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
06.2018 - 06.2019
Secondary Special Education Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
06.2016 - 06.2018
Elementary Special Education Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
07.2015 - 06.2016
School Psychologist
Overland High School Cherry Creek School District
06.2014 - 06.2015
Mental Health Affective Needs Coordinator
Cherry Creek School District
07.2013 - 06.2014
School Psychologist
Cherry Creek School District
07.2006 - 06.2013
Social Caseworker
City And County Of Denver
11.1999 - 06.2005
Mental Health Counselor
Aurora Mental Health
05.1998 - 11.1999
EdS - School Psychology
University of Northern Colorado,
Master of Arts - Marriage And Family Therapy
University of Colorado Denver
Bachelor of Arts - psychology
University of Missouri Columbia,
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