Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Melody James

Woodhaven,NY

Summary

Driven and compassionate Social Worker with 27 year background. Highly collaborative, organized and resourceful with excellent clinical acumen. Compassionate and driven with unfailing work ethic and passion for helping others. Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.

Overview

27
27
years of professional experience

Work History

Psychiatric Social Worker

The Child Center Of NY
10.2005 - Current
  • Complete intake, psychosocial assessments, and initial treatment plans
  • Develop and facilitate goal-oriented psycho-education and therapy groups to improve clients quality of life.
  • Provide therapeutic services and crises intervention to children, adolescents and adults.
  • Help clients develop new coping mechanisms and techniques to drive behavior modification.
  • Update treatment plans on quarterly basis with latest intervention strategies and progress notes.
  • Present clinical documentation and observations to interdisciplinary team.
  • Facilitate family therapy sessions between children, caregivers, and siblings to remediate conflict and build healthy relationships.
  • Offer supportive counseling and crisis intervention to individuals in crisis.
  • Maintain client records
  • Collaborate with mental health professionals, NYS court system, ACS and health care providers to coordinate comprehensive care for clients.
  • Work with family members to develop support networks and multifaceted coping techniques focused on client needs.
  • Utilize motivational interviewing techniques to increase client engagement in treatment.
  • Deliver individualized counseling services to clients working through issues such as mental illness, grief/loss and substance abuse.
  • Implement evidence-based interventions for substance abuse treatment.
  • Conduct comprehensive assessments of clients to develop individualized treatment plans.
  • Educate clients and families about dangers of substance abuse and addiction.
  • Facilitate group therapy sessions to meet needs of individuals with substance abuse , domestic violence, anger management, legal, mental health and parenting issues.
  • Adhere to HIPAA, OASAS, DMH/OMH compliance and regulations.

Program Director

Concord Family Services, Inc.
05.2004 - 08.2005
  • Overseen foster care department servicing 150 children between ages of 0 to 13 years of age.
  • Ensured quality of services to foster families (children, foster parents, birth parents, and pre-adoptive parents); in addition discharge services.
  • Provided administrative oversight, direct supervision and training to case workers and supervisors.
  • Monitored quality and timeliness of work.
  • Proactively ensured systematic and objective evaluation of services provided.
  • Regulated monthly internal progress/tracking reports.
  • Adhered to agency policy and procedures.

Social Worker Supervisor

St. Christopher-Ottilie (SCO)
01.1998 - 05.2004
  • Responsible for overseeing clinical, educational and independent living services in a residential program and two Agency Operated Boarding Homes for adolescent mothers and their children.
  • Provided direct clinical supervision to two Case Workers and two Case Aides.
  • Provided direct case management for seventeen teen mothers.
  • Conducted interdisciplinary team and house meetings.
  • Developed staff trainings.
  • Monitored individuals who were on trial discharge from foster care and referred to community services if needed.
  • Knowledge of ACS regulations and forms linked with NYSDSS.

Social Worker

St. Christopher-Ottilie (SCO)
04.1996 - 01.1998
  • Provided case management services for residential program for twelve adolescent mothers and their children.
  • Updated client documentation for accurate, compliant and current records.
  • Supported clients and families with empathy and compassion.
  • Advocated for clients to assure respected rights and wishes.
  • Interviewed clients and families to assess situations, limitations and issues and implement services to address needs.
  • Provided individual counseling with youths regarding anger management, conflict resolution, education, employment and independent living skills.
  • Assisted youth in developing short/long term goals to facilitate discharge from foster care.
  • Assisted clients in identifying community resources and connecting with appropriate services.
  • Represented agency at various court hearings.
  • Participated in interdisciplinary team meetings to coordinate care for clients.

Education

Master in Social Work - Social Work

New York University
New York, NY
05.1996

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Ithaca College
Ithaca
05.1993

Skills

  • Conflict De-Escalation
  • Skill-Building Assistance
  • Group Facilitation Support
  • Coaching Patients
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Intervention Strategies
  • Accuracy and Efficiency in Documentation
  • Dual Diagnosis
  • Electronic Medical Record Software (Anasazi, Welligent)

Timeline

Psychiatric Social Worker

The Child Center Of NY
10.2005 - Current

Program Director

Concord Family Services, Inc.
05.2004 - 08.2005

Social Worker Supervisor

St. Christopher-Ottilie (SCO)
01.1998 - 05.2004

Social Worker

St. Christopher-Ottilie (SCO)
04.1996 - 01.1998

Master in Social Work - Social Work

New York University

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Ithaca College

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Melody James