Lisa Garza
Mission
Summary
Professional counselor with experience in providing effective therapeutic support. Skilled in crisis intervention, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and client assessment. Strong focus on team collaboration and achieving results. Reliable, adaptable, and client-centered with genuine passion for mental health and well-being.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate
Growing Generations of South Texas
07.2023 - Current
- Maintain accurate and timely documentation, adhering to ethical standards and guidelines for professional practice.
- Implemented group therapy sessions, facilitating open communication among participants and promoting mutual support.
- Develope strong rapport with clients, fostering a supportive and safe environment for self-exploration and growth.
- Used cognitive behavior therapy to assist clients in recognizing and redirecting poor habits.
- Enhance client well-being by utilizing evidence-based therapy techniques and individualized treatment plans.
- Improve client outcomes through the implementation of effective crisis intervention strategies during high-risk situations.
- Manage caseload of diverse clients, tailoring interventions to meet their unique needs and goals.
- Provide comprehensive case management services, create treatment plans, and connect clients and families to appropriate resources.
- Build trust with at-risk populations through empathetic listening and culturally sensitive counseling approaches.
- Assist families in navigating complex systems related to mental health services and resources available within the community.
Behavior Manager/Senior Provider Representative
DentaQuest
06.2021 - 07.2023
- Independently interpret utilization reports to detect patterns and potential areas of fraud, waste or abuse
- Query data to conduct comprehensive drill down data analysis to detect patterns and trends of under and over utilization
- Investigate provider and member fraud and abuse in assigned markets
- Manage multiple clients and associated provider networks related to fraud, waste and abuse investigation
- Work with and in consultation with DentaQuest Dental Directors during the investigative process to assure accurate and defensible clinical decisions
- Responsible for the accuracy of all investigative decisions and that the decisions are clinically sound, supported by appropriate and documented authority and defensible
- Assure all audit decisions are in compliance with State Medicaid Guidelines, DentaQuest Office Reference Manual and plan benefit limitations
- Responsible for the implementation and updating of all client processes related to Fraud, Waste and Abuse
- Maintain the professional relationship with assigned client contacts related to fraud, waste and abuse investigation
- Responsible for all investigation and client related communications to providers for provision of investigative facts and findings
- Responsible for all client facing meetings related to fraud, waste and abuse
- Track all investigative cases in accurate timeline format in internal fraud tracking database
- Have the ability to independently manage workflow to meet business needs, assure contractual obligations for all clients are met and to meet departmental metrics
- Responsible for the development of interdepartmental relationships to assure all issues related to fraud, waste or abuse are identified and appropriately investigated
- Responsible for the preparation and accuracy of recovery documents for processing and assure that they are completed correctly and in a timely fashion
- Responsible for all assigned client contractual reporting requirements related to investigative activity and outcomes
- Maintain professional relationships with market assigned state Medicaid agencies
Senior Provider Representative
DentaQuest
08.2012 - 06.2021
- Maintain network participation by providing support to dentists and dental office managers to improve their understanding of all available benefit programs
- Educate providers by instructing and advising of the comprehensive policies and procedures involving all phases of the corporation's benefits and contracts through office visits and communication over the phone and email
- Promote Web applications and make sure 95% of providers are submitting claims electronically
- Recruit /contract non participating providers to join our networks
- Successfully trained and engaged 80% of the providers of the South region on how to use the portal
- Maintaining 95% EFT participation for all providers in Region 11
- Maintaining 95% for all participation in electronic EOB's for region 11
- Serve as a liaison with dental offices by answering remittance, payment, benefit, claims, and eligibility questions when necessary
- Assist in resolving elevated complaints and issues for clients, members and providers
- Organize and present information to providers and their staff by speaking before various provider organizations and representing the corporation in dental related activities
- Assist in problem resolution by identifying improvement opportunities, evaluating feasibility of programs and presenting recommendations when appropriate
- Develop and implement approaches by working with dentists and their office staff to improve the quality of information exchanged between the company and dental offices
- Resolve difficult claims issues in a timely manner by working with the appropriate internal resources to research and resolve such issues
Marketing Director
Leaps & Bounds Pediatric Rehabilitation
10.2011 - 08.2012
- Create a target list of physicians for all Liaisons and provide input in the development and implementation of marketing plans
- Report to administrator on the activity level and outcomes of activities on a regular basis, focusing on increases in volume and/or addressing issues
- Provide a link between doctors and medical care facilities to facilitate relationships
- Effectively serve the needs of patients and medical professionals, by providing physician offices with information on all services provided
- Educate referring and new offices on services offered, new studies
- Increase referral percentages/volume and word of mouth
- Increase referral percentages/volume from currently non-referring offices
- Implement new products, services and protocols in referring offices
- Effectively manage the Rio Grande Valley territory
- Coordinate meetings between key physicians and therapists to improve communication and relationships in order to increase referrals
- Conduct 'lunch and learns' in appropriate offices to educate staff and physicians on services/products/protocols
- Conduct educational programs for referring offices
- Run timely reports to accurately track referring office activity
- Respond promptly to problems identified by physicians and convey skillfully to administrators as well as respond back to physician
- Execute strategic physician marketing strategies and plans to all Community Liaisons
- Educate Community Liaisons on effect of marketing and new strategies to use to increase referrals
- Ensure to secure successfully face to face meetings with all physicians and key decision-makers in practices
- Convey effectively problems faced by department having impact on marketability and recommend potential solutions
- Comply with assigned budget, manage suitably and report timely in budget spreadsheet
- Maintain confidentiality of patients, employees, administration as well as medical staff information
- Coordinate all site tour as well as orientation for entire new hires
- Submit voucher forms with suitable receipts and details for reimbursement
- Organize travel for all marketing staff
Community Educator
Aptus Therapy Services
05.2007 - 10.2011
- Develop Office referral relationships with physicians in the Rio Grande Valley, with the goal of maximizing referral and redirection opportunities for both inpatient and outpatient services
- Created a target list of physicians, an annual marketing plan for physicians and referral sources, and provided input in the development and implementation of marketing plans for all service lines
- Report on the activity level and outcomes of activities on a regular basis, focusing on increases in volume and/or addressing issues
- Provide a link between doctors and medical care facilities to facilitate relationships
- Effectively serve the needs of patients and medical professionals, by providing physician offices with information on all services provided
- Educate referring and new offices on services offered, new studies, and advances - essentially target market
- Increase referral percentages/volume and word of mouth
- Increase referral percentages/volume from currently non-referring offices
- Implement new products, services and protocols in referring offices
- Communicate opportunities, market trends, issues to appropriate management/staff in a timely manner and on a regular basis
- Effectively manage Rio Grande Valley territory
- Coordinate meetings between key physicians and therapists to improve communication and relationships in order to increase referrals
- Conduct 'lunch and learns' in appropriate offices to educate staff and physicians on services/products/protocols
- Conduct quarterly educational dinner programs for referring offices
- Enter detailed notes for each field contact made and upload weekly
- Maintain, update and refine our sales database for all offices, referring physicians and staff/office contacts
- Run timely reports to accurately track referring office activity
Certified Counselor
Consumer Credit Counseling
04.2004 - 05.2007
- Provide financial, bankruptcy, housing, rental and credit counseling to clients and maintain confidentiality of client information
- In counseling session, create a thorough budget of clients spending and inform them of any changes that can be made to better their situation
- Provide a plan that clients can follow to better understand where they can cut spending to save for future expenses
- Consult with client to get them on a debt solver program in which their credit cards are cut and their credit is frozen until they have completed program and credit can be restored
- Re-counsel with clients as necessary in order to facilitate the self-management of their affairs, or their entry into the debt solver plan
- Follow-up with clients to make sure they are following their budget
- Contact all creditors and inform them of clients joining program
- Evaluate and follow-up debt solver cases which are not functioning as planned, including re-counseling them if necessary
- Perform routine re-counseling of debt solver cases to maximize client retention
- Motivate clients to stick to suggested budget and reach for their goals
- Make appropriate referrals of clients to community resources, which may be able to assist with client's problems and means
- Provide counseling services by phone or internet for clients who are unable to come into agency
Education
Master of Education - Counseling Psychology
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX12-2022
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX05-2020
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX05-2019
Bachelor of Arts - English
The University of Texas Pan American
Edinburg, TX05-2002
Skills
- Anxiety management
- Depression treatment
- Self-esteem building
- Relationship counseling
- Family therapy
- Grief and loss support
- Psychotherapy techniques
- Anger management
- Substance abuse counseling
- Mental health support
Certification
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) - National Board for Certified Counselors.
- Certified Credit Counselor (CCC) - National Association of Certified Credit Counselors.
Timeline
Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate
Growing Generations of South Texas
07.2023 - Current
Behavior Manager/Senior Provider Representative
DentaQuest
06.2021 - 07.2023
Senior Provider Representative
DentaQuest
08.2012 - 06.2021
Marketing Director
Leaps & Bounds Pediatric Rehabilitation
10.2011 - 08.2012
Community Educator
Aptus Therapy Services
05.2007 - 10.2011
Certified Counselor
Consumer Credit Counseling
04.2004 - 05.2007
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) - National Board for Certified Counselors.
- Certified Credit Counselor (CCC) - National Association of Certified Credit Counselors.
Master of Education - Counseling Psychology
Lamar University
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Bachelor of Arts - English
The University of Texas Pan American
Similar Profiles
Abony WilkinsAbony Wilkins
Case Specialist at Growing GenerationsCase Specialist at Growing Generations
Lin PetersenLin Petersen
Case Specialist at Growing GenerationsCase Specialist at Growing Generations
Hannah LeuchHannah Leuch
Lead Infant Teacher at Growing GenerationsLead Infant Teacher at Growing Generations