Melanie Watson
Newton,KS
Summary
Dedicated Social Worker offering 15 years of assessing families and crisis intervention expertise. Offering comprehensive background in social services and supervision, as well as strong interpersonal, organizational and computer skills. Builds client rapport and assesses needs to provide appropriate resources.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Child Protection Specialist
Department Of Children And Family Services
Hutchinson, KS
10.2021 - Current
- Attended court proceedings, submitted documents and offered testimony.
- Maintained case records and legal documentation.
- Responded to claims of abuse, neglect or safety concerns.
- Developed plans to strengthen family units.
- Safety/Risk Planning
- Identifying Risks vs Safety
- Referrals to Community Resources
- Facilitate meetings with family and community
- Going beyond job description to ensure families are successful
- Timely deadlines
Residental Manager
Multi Community diversified Services
McPherson, KS
03.2020 - 07.2020
- Budgeting
- Supervision of direct care staff
- Reports
- Scheduling
- On-Call Crisis Management
- Tracking Documentation
- Accountable to Res.Director
- Employee disciplinary actions
- Employee improvement planning
- Motivating employees
- Advocating for clients and staff
Family Advocate
Kansas Family Advisory Network
Wichita, KS
08.2016 - 03.2020
- Kansas Family Advisory Network
- Implementing family-centered practice
- Assuring that relatives, kinship, foster, and adoptive resource families are considered and assessed for placement and/or support throughout the case planning process
- Facilitation of meetings with state agencies and families
- Documentation
- Attending State level child welfare meetings
- Providing Advocacy and Support to families
- Public speaking
- Developing policies
- Presentations
- Training instructor
- Community outreach
- Family Centered Treatment Methods
Residential Specialist
YOUTHVILLE
07.2015 - 04.2016
- Describes appropriate skills or behaviors to youth and provides rationales for why a youth should or should not do certain things
- Teaches youth specific social skills
- Teaches youth independent living skills and self-care habits
- Provides feedback rewards with praise and positive points for practicing and displaying appropriate behaviors and implements consequences for inappropriate behaviors
- Practices appropriate skills with youth to increase learning and maintenance (e.g Role plays)
- Serves as a role model for youth by exhibiting skills taught in th program
Tech Sexual Predator
MHDD, LARNED STATE HOSPITAL
Larned, KS
07.2012 - 09.2013
- Supervision of sexual predators
- Assist with treatment tasks/goals
- Follow all state regulations
- Documentation of resident’s daily activities
- Coordination of study groups
Residential Supervisor
NEW HOPE SERVICES
Valley Center, KS
11.2006 - 10.2007
- Supervision of direct care staff
- Tracking Documentation
- Medication tracking
- Motivating staff
- Ensuring implication of person-centered support plans
- Facilitating staff meeting
- Team building
Rural Carrier Associate
RCA, UNITED POSTAL SERVICE
Newton, KS
06.2003 - 10.2007
- Casing mail
- Delivering mail in rural community
- Following all Federal and state regulations
- Ensuring confidentiality of mail
- Identifying first class mail
Residential Team Manager
NORTHVIEW DSI
03.2005 - 11.2006
- Supervision of direct care staff
- Tracking Documentation
- Medication tracking
- Motivating staff
- Ensuring implication of person-centered support plans
- Facilitating staff meeting
- Team building
Family Support Worker
UNITED METHODIST YOUTHVILLE
Wichita, KS
01.1999 - 09.2001
- Supervision of family visitation
- Documentation
- Court reports
- Following all state and agency policies
- Transportation
- Assisting with case Planing
- Providing Resources
Education
Bachelor of Science - Social work
Wichita State University
Wichita, KS07.2019
Skills
- Documentation
- Mental Health Experience
- Microsoft Office
- Case Management
- Problem solving
- Ability to lead and organize meetings
- Experience with addictions and families
- Trained in writing policy proposals
- Experience in accessing and organizing-community support systems
- Experience with writing court reports
- Trained in NSWA codes of ethics
- Experience working with state contracted agencies
- Facilitation of Groups
- Community Organization
- Experience with Domestic Violence victims and offenders
- Experience attending state level policy meetings (4 years)
- Experience with creating and modifying curriculum (2 years)
Certification
Certified Adverse Childhood Experience Instructor
Certified Adolescent Challenging Behavior (Parent Project) Instructor.
Certified Healthy Relationships Instructor (per Children's Alliance)
Leadership Skills Certified MAPP/DT trainer
Affiliations
Caregivers Association Board- January 2020 to March 2020
Juvenile Justice Reform State Policy Meeting - January - March 2020
Member of the Harvey County Drug and Alcohol Youth Coalition Board 2017 - 2020
Timeline
Child Protection Specialist
Department Of Children And Family Services
10.2021 - Current
Residental Manager
Multi Community diversified Services
03.2020 - 07.2020
Family Advocate
Kansas Family Advisory Network
08.2016 - 03.2020
Residential Specialist
YOUTHVILLE
07.2015 - 04.2016
Tech Sexual Predator
MHDD, LARNED STATE HOSPITAL
07.2012 - 09.2013
Residential Supervisor
NEW HOPE SERVICES
11.2006 - 10.2007
Residential Team Manager
NORTHVIEW DSI
03.2005 - 11.2006
Rural Carrier Associate
RCA, UNITED POSTAL SERVICE
06.2003 - 10.2007
Family Support Worker
UNITED METHODIST YOUTHVILLE
01.1999 - 09.2001
Bachelor of Science - Social work
Wichita State University
Similar Profiles
Kaacia McdonaldKaacia Mcdonald
Eligibility Specialist 1 at Department of Children and Family ServicesEligibility Specialist 1 at Department of Children and Family Services
Catherine BertholfCatherine Bertholf
Child Welfare - Foster Care Caseworker at Department of Children and Family ServicesChild Welfare - Foster Care Caseworker at Department of Children and Family Services
Jake TerryJake Terry
Deputy Communications Director at Louisiana Department of Children and Family ServicesDeputy Communications Director at Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services
Nycole HughesNycole Hughes
Kinship Navigator Program Liaison at Department of Children and Family ServicesKinship Navigator Program Liaison at Department of Children and Family Services
Wyatt FordWyatt Ford
Lab Technician at NIARLab Technician at NIAR