RONALD SAMPSON
Summary
I enjoy helping people with mental health conditions lead more rewarding lives. I am interested in building empathetic relationships with people and helping them create healthy coping mechanisms when managing their mental health.
I also have experience in emergency a domestic shelters and transitional housing. I was employed as a Senior Housing Supervisor at the Veterans’ Men’s and Women’s’ Shelter located in New York City. I was supervising the handling of registering new clients, explaining shelter rules and policies, providing necessary amenities, and ensuring the smooth operation of the 100-bed facility.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Veteran’s Benefits Specialist
Veterans Medical Center
Coatesville, PA
12.2023 - Current
- Enroll veterans into VA Health Care Homeless Veterans Programs, Homeless Veterans Community Employment Services, Homeless Patient Aligned Team, Homeless Veterans Dental Program, HUDVASH (Section 8 Housing), Mental Health, Substance Abuse Treatment Program (In and Outpatient)
- Utilizing the Veterans Information Solutions (VIS), Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), Defense Personnel Records Information Retrieval System (DPRIRS), Veterans Health Administration Enrollment System (VES) and Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VISTA) to determine veterans’ eligibility and enrollment status into the VA Healthcare System.
Veteran Outreach Specialist
Veteran’s Center of New York
New York, NY
05.2018 - 04.2022
- Conducts veteran’s outreach services to locate and assist veterans with significant barriers to housing, mental health and substance abuse services
- Assisted clients in developing empowerment skills through self-advocacy
- Provided role modeling to clients regarding their behavior and interactions with others
- Models effective coping techniques and self-help strategies
- Provides individual support to clients and facilitates conflict resolution if needed
- Facilitates various trainings, workshops, groups and activities for clients and families
- Effectively engages and communicates with other program staff to integrate client services
- Provides advocacy according to the clients’ needs
- Coordinates activities and maintains appropriate schedules for location
- Collaborates with community agencies to identify resources
- Provides information about community and natural supports
- Participates in community activities as representative of Peer Support Services as needed
- Participated in the service, training, consultation, and other professional activities of VA health care services and functions as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team
- Used personal recovery experiences to model coping techniques and recovery tolls to coach Veterans to relevant skills need for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness
- Handled crisis interventions for Veterans and addressed other emergent situations without the benefit of specific instructions
- Informed Veterans about VA and community support and resources, including how to effectively utilize them in the recovery and wellness process.
Senior Peer Specialist
Concern for Independent Living Inc.
Brooklyn, NY
06.2016 - 08.2019
- Participated in the service, training, consultation, and other professional activities and functions as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team
- Conducted orientation for new clients to the programs' services, hours, locations, staff, and other pertinent information necessary for the Veterans to understand how to effectively utilize the program services
- Advocates for effective wellness and holistic recovery-based services that aid clients in daily living
- Assists clients in determining the steps needed to achieve their self-directed recovery goals and wellness
- Complete assignments based on comprehensive peer support knowledge and recognition by others of demonstrated superior skill and proven sound judgment
- Monitor progress and assist with the execution of the recovery and wellness plan, makes timely reports of progress, and present new areas of concern to the treatment team
- Assist in building social skills in the community that enhance community reintegration, using techniques such as role playing and social skills training
- Utilize recovery tools to coach clients on relevant skills needed for self-management of their health condition(s) and pursuit of their personal wellness
- Observe behaviors that might indicate difficulty adapting or responding to treatment
- Complete assignments based on comprehensive peer support knowledge and recognition by others of demonstrated superior skill and proven sound judgment
- Provided counseling and mentoring to support peers in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services
- Worked as a therapy aide involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery
- Monitored work of peers and veterans in checking progress and reviewing completed work for accuracy, adequacy, and adherence to instructions or procedures
- Routine work has been completed with minimal supervisory oversight and review, however close supervision will have been provided for complex and unusual tasks.
Housing Specialist
Veterans Men’s Shelter
New York, NY
06.2014 - 05.2016
- Utilizing the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) - Client Assistance and Re-housing Enterprise System (CARES) complete family’s intake assessment, service plan/independent living plan, housing, next step conferences/transfers, incident reports, progress notes, etc
- Utilizing the DHS Client Assistance and Re-housing Enterprise System (CARES), review accessible information from Human Resource Administration, Administration for Children Services, Department of Probation, Department of Homeless Services, etc
- Utilizing the DHS Client Assistance and Re-housing Enterprise System (CARES) ensure that all information is updated in system in a timely fashion as required by DHS
- Initiate, develop, and maintain relationships with housing resources and advocacy groups such as NYCHA, HPD, Section 8, Supportive Housing, and other organizations to share information on current and future housing resources and to assure that clients transition to permanent housing and reduce the length of time families are homeless
- In collaboration with Relocation Support Program staff, coordinate and conduct Housing Empowerment Workshops to empower residents in their search for permanent housing and to provide information on housing
- Monitor the submission and processing of clients’ housing applications to ensure clients’ timely access to all appropriate housing options
- Research housing resources to increase clients’ housing options
- Assess clients’ housing history and other relevant factors to assist caseworkers in the development of individual service plans
- Ensure the timely collection, preparation, and analysis of re-housing information to generate routine and as-needed reports, to evaluate program performance and to facilitate short and long-term planning for both individual clients and for re-housing services
- Guide and prepare clients for interviews with landlords, building managers and tenant groups to ensure that they can represent their interests in the search for permanent housing
- Assist clients in viewing and inspecting available housing, both public and private, to ensure they are relocated to appropriate and code-compliant housing.
Peer Specialist
Praxis Housing Initiative Inc.
New York, NY
07.2012 - 08.2014
- Serving the LGBT+, HIV\AIDS Community
- Participated in the service, training, consultation, and other professional activities and functions as a fully vested member of the multidisciplinary team
- Met with clients one-on-one and in bipolar disorder groups
- Shared personal story with clients regarding own diagnosis, disease management, and recovery
- Helped clients complete Wellness Recovery Action Plans to help manage bipolar disorder symptoms
- Advocates for effective wellness and holistic recovery-based services that aid Veterans in daily living
- Assists Veterans in determining the steps needed to achieve their self-directed recovery goals and wellness
- Monitor progress and assist with the execution of the recovery and wellness plan, makes timely reports of progress, and present new areas of concern to the treatment team
- Provided counseling and mentoring to support peers in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services
- Worked as a therapy aide involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery
- Monitored work of peers and veterans in checking progress and reviewing completed work for accuracy, adequacy, and adherence to instructions or procedures
- Routine work has been completed with minimal supervisory oversight and review, however close supervision will have been provided for complex and unusual tasks
- Providing counseling to support peers in mental health and/or addiction recovery, a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services
- Possessed the ability to work with general instructions for the performance of routine duties and detailed instructions and/or training in performance of the non-routine functions and special assignments
- Possessed the ability to perform non-routine work
- Possess ability to solve new and changing problems.
Education
Some College (No Degree) - Substance Abuse Counselling
St. Joseph College,
Brooklyn, NYSkills
- Terrific interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong understanding of ethics and client confidentiality
- Compassionate and empathetic regarding mental health issues and recovery
- Intake Experience
- Motivational Interviewing
- Individual / Group Counseling
- Case Management
- Hospital Experience
- Excellent Computer Skills
Accomplishments
- 2017 Certification in PEER SPECIALIST New York State Peer Specialist Academy
- 2014 Certified Drug and Alcohol Counsellor– St. Joseph College, Brooklyn NY
- 2020 Member of the National Association of Peer Specialist
- Marines – Staff Sergeant – Honorable Discharged – Service Connected – Combat Veteran
Certification
- 2017
Timeline
Veteran’s Benefits Specialist
Veterans Medical Center
12.2023 - Current
Veteran Outreach Specialist
Veteran’s Center of New York
05.2018 - 04.2022
Senior Peer Specialist
Concern for Independent Living Inc.
06.2016 - 08.2019
Housing Specialist
Veterans Men’s Shelter
06.2014 - 05.2016
Peer Specialist
Praxis Housing Initiative Inc.
07.2012 - 08.2014
Some College (No Degree) - Substance Abuse Counselling
St. Joseph College,
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