Hi, I’m
Michelle Wolsky
San Diego,United States
Summary
Expressive Arts Therapist and seasoned social service provider with extensive experience working with youth at risk and their families, the neurodiverse, and the chronically homeless. I have five years of experience facilitating the expressive arts (utilizing visual arts, writing, music, drama, and dance) with youth in foster care and neurodivergent individuals. Excellent client evaluation skills and the ability to locate and promote appropriate community services for clients. Skilled in expressive arts therapy, crisis intervention, prevention and early intervention, and trauma informed care. Fluent in Spanish with a proven ability to quickly establish excellent working relationships with clients and their families.
Overview
25
years of professional experience
Work History
New Village Arts
Teaching Artist
01.2023 - Current
Job overview
- Develop lesson plans surrounding various types of art, history and culture.
- Prepare and gather materials for detailed lesson plans.
- Facilitate group sessions and provided one-on-one support.
- Plan and execute activities to promote skill and talent development.
Foster Care, San Diego Youth Services
Bilingual Clinical Case Manager
06.2018 - Current
Job overview
- Provide assessment, risk assessment, crisis intervention, client plan development and case management
- Visit each foster home on caseload weekly and provide supportive services to youth, including the expressive arts
- Assess foster parents needs related to meeting treatment objectives and provide support and assistance in developing appropriate parenting techniques and emotional climate
- Advise and support foster parents on compliance of CCL regulations
- Monitor foster family homes to ensure compliance with governing rules and regulations
- Maintain professional relationship and contact with placement workers, case managers, therapists, teachers, advocates, attorneys, psychiatrists, doctors, dentists and other child welfare professionals
- Maintain case documentation and client files including treatment plans, progress notes, quarterly reports and incident reports
- Maintain records of all referrals, intake and placement activities
- Respond to youth and their families during a crisis or urgent matter, including outside of normal business hours.
Sharp Coronado Hospital
Intern Expressive Arts Facilitator
01.2019 - 07.2021
Job overview
- Performed individualized assessments and treatment plans with patients in order to optimize social/emotional and physical capacity, based on patients health and cognitive abilities.
- Performed individual interventions utilizing the expressive arts such as visual arts, writing, movement, theater and music, within a clinical focus for patients at bedside.
- Empowered patients with limited cognitive and expressive capacities to advocate for needs by promoting a greater range of communication skills.
- Engaged in coordination of care with patient's nurses and social worker to improve patient outcomes.
- Maintained comprehensive documentation of client's presentation, interventions, and response in order to provide optimal quality of care.
- Engaged in ongoing education and consultation in the expressive arts in order to consistently improve clinical skills for the benefit of patients.
San Diego Youth Services
Housing Specialist
01.2015 - 06.2018
Job overview
- Provided oversight for the housing and leasing aspect of transitional aged youth housing program (Take
- Wing)
- Conducted program orientation for prospective youth
- Oversaw intake and interview procedures for youth moving into the program
- Conducted outreach to youth and community organizations serving youth
- Coordinated trips to affordable housing locations and educated youth on housing search skills
- Organized and coordinate monthly self-care groups, and other activities and outings
- Facilitated and mediated problems that involve violation of program rules by youth
- Michelle Wolsky - page 1
- Conducted office administration and data base management.
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego
Social Services Hospital Reentry Prevention Case Manager
04.2013 - 01.2015
Job overview
- Collaborated with and maintain linkages with Scripps Mercy Hospital Social Workers and hotel management to assess patient eligibility
- Utilized motivational interviewing techniques to conduct bio-social assessments
- Provided comprehensive case management services to mentally and/or physically disabled clients of diverse age, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds
- Case management services included case plan development, crisis intervention, assessments, and referrals
- Generated weekly and monthly statistical reports for review by Program Director
- Updated log sheets for tracking and evaluating program effectiveness.
Catholic Charities Diocese of
Social Services Food Resource Center Program Coordinator
10.2011 - 04.2013
Job overview
- Supervised daily operations of food distribution process and documented services provided for 1,600 people monthly
- Updated menus daily and created social services resource packets for clients seeking assistance other than food
- Received and processed financial and in-kind donations and sent out thank you letters
- Assisted in tabulating data and completing statistical reports for Program Director
- Regularly supervised government commodity distribution for central San Diego and submitted outcome reports to San Diego Food Bank and Feeding America
- Recruited, trained, and coordinated 300 volunteers to perform distribution duties
- Co-coordinated holiday programs to serve 200 families within the local community
- Accessed client's needs, and assisted clients to meet or satisfy those needs
- Processed county aid applications for clients.
Costa Rica, Centro Educativo Playa Chiquita
English Teacher
01.2007 - 08.2011
Job overview
- Taught English to fifty children in a Waldorf based school, from first to fourth grade
- Created and carried out lesson plans
- Wrote progress reports for each child along with their grades at the end of each term
- Held parent/teacher meetings
- Taught English to fifteen employees at the Tree House Iguana Verde Foundation
- Taught individual and group classes to nearly 100 people within the community monthly.
Raizes de Amor
Program Director
12.2003 - 01.2007
Job overview
- Afterschool program in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
- Created and coordinated arts- based after school activities, classes, and programs such as singing, drumming, painting, dance, arts & crafts, games, a library, tutoring, and life skills management for 200 children monthly
- Promoted arts-based program throughout the community to create awareness
- Managed behavior by setting clear rules and providing positive reinforcement
- Michelle Wolsky - page 2
- Maintained and organized facility for overall program effectiveness
- Received, logged, and organized art donations for program use.
Peace Corps, La Patronato Nacional de la Infancia Talamanca, PANI
Volunteer
08.2002 - 01.2004
Job overview
- Created, coordinated, and facilitated an arts based after school program for the youth of Puerto Viejo
- Co-facilitated a parent teaching workshop (Escuela para Padres) to fifty parents
- Participated in a teen pregnancy and drug abuse prevention program for forty adolescents in the Surety and Patino communities
- Created an arts-based youth group for twenty children in the community of Volio.
Sweeney Youth Homes
Child Care Provider/School
10.1998 - 07.2002
Job overview
- Was responsible for the care, supervision, and protection of forty (6 at a time) emotionally disturbed adolescent boys, including the population of conduct disorder and sex offenders
- Developed and coordinated educational field trips to inspire residents and reintegrate them back into the community
- Transported the youth to and from school and assisted them with their homework
- Responsible for behavioral management and writing daily reports for each client.
Education
Peace Corps Volunteer - Peace Corps
The European Graduate School
Master's degree from Expressive Arts Therapy
UC, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
Bachelor of Arts - BA from Psychology
Skills
- Expressive Arts Therapy
- Treatment planning
- Needs assessment
- Ability to build rapport quickly
- Ability to communicate with compassion and empathy
- Innovative Teaching Methods
- Therapist Collaboration
- Group Activities
- Active Listening
- Behavioral Improvement
Languages
Spanish
Full Professional
Timeline
Teaching Artist
New Village Arts
01.2023 - Current
Intern Expressive Arts Facilitator
Sharp Coronado Hospital
01.2019 - 07.2021
Bilingual Clinical Case Manager
Foster Care, San Diego Youth Services
06.2018 - Current
Housing Specialist
San Diego Youth Services
01.2015 - 06.2018
Social Services Hospital Reentry Prevention Case Manager
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego
04.2013 - 01.2015
Social Services Food Resource Center Program Coordinator
Catholic Charities Diocese of
10.2011 - 04.2013
English Teacher
Costa Rica, Centro Educativo Playa Chiquita
01.2007 - 08.2011
Program Director
Raizes de Amor
12.2003 - 01.2007
Volunteer
Peace Corps, La Patronato Nacional de la Infancia Talamanca, PANI
08.2002 - 01.2004
Child Care Provider/School
Sweeney Youth Homes
10.1998 - 07.2002
Peace Corps Volunteer - Peace Corps
The European Graduate School
Master's degree from Expressive Arts Therapy
UC, Santa Barbara
Bachelor of Arts - BA from Psychology
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