Sara McConnell-Tiano
Pine Bush,NY
Summary
Program Coordinator and Instructor with a dual background in therapeutic horsemanship and mental health practice operations. Experienced in Natural Lifemanship principles, with proven leadership of small clinical teams, program logistics, instruction, participant engagement, and administrative systems that support high-quality, compliant care. Trauma-informed, detail-oriented, and collaborative, with a strong focus on participant experience and safety.
Overview
1
1
Certification
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Intake Coordinator
Thompson Counseling Services
New Paltz, NY
03.2026 - Current
- Coordinated intake processes, ensuring timely and accurate client information collection.
- Developed and maintained client databases, improving data accuracy and retrieval efficiency.
- Facilitated communication between clients and therapists, enhancing service delivery and client satisfaction.
- Managed scheduling for initial assessments, optimizing therapist availability and reducing wait times.
- Trained new staff on intake procedures, fostering a knowledgeable team environment.
- Streamlined referral processes to external resources, increasing access to additional support services for clients.
- Led initiatives to enhance intake workflow, resulting in improved operational efficiency and client experience.
- Maintained strict confidentiality of patient information, adhering to HIPAA guidelines and company policies.
- Answered phone calls and provided new clients with required paperwork to initiate service.
- Developed digital marketing campaigns utilizing SEO and social media strategies.
Program Coordinator & Instructor
Victory Hill Therapeutic Horsemanship
Port Jervis, NY
03.2025 - 04.2026
- Manage all aspects of program scheduling, logistics, and day-to-day operations
- Provide direct support to participants and families using a trauma-informed, inclusive approach
- Independent training of the program's equines utilizing the operant conditioning model groundwork and desensitization
- Managed and assisted hands-on with all equine and animal care including feeding, grooming, medication administration (both preventative and responsive,) and farrier assistance and supervision.
- Instructing multiple special needs riders at a time during therapeutic riding lessons while prioritizing safety and comfort.
- Facilitate EAL lessons and activities while ensuring participant safety, engagement, and individualized support
- Monitored program environments and audited equipment to maintain safety standards and best practices
- Engaged volunteers and provided training and supervision.
- Aided fundraising campaigns through direct involvement, contributing to financial sustainability
Practice Manager
Clearwave Mental Health
07.2023 - 03.2025
- Supported growth of newly opened practice through outreach to local psychiatric and medical providers and facilities
- Organized networking events at practice featuring live lectures and demonstrations to enhance community knowledge of clinical TMS
- Working directly with our medical director and attending clinical rounds to discuss clinical operations and policy
- Managing team of 6 clinical technicians including onboarding, on-site training, staffing and scheduling, and skill building 1-on-1 meetings
- Managed team of 6 clinical technicians, overseeing onboarding, training, staffing, scheduling, and skill-building meetings
- Directly administering TMS therapy to patients by utilizing the cloudTMS system
- Interviewing, onboarding and overseeing the training of MD residents and interns completing electives and rotations at our practice
- Processed new patient intakes and submitted prior authorizations to insurance providers
- Acting as a medical technician to our in-house nurse practitioner.
Nutrition Assistant
Sun River Health WIC
11.2021 - 07.2023
- Assisting Qualified Nutritionists with providing nutritional services to women, infants, and children of low income households
- Performing certifications during appointments to qualify households for benefits
- Certified households during appointments to ensure eligibility for benefits
- Recording changes in participants households, health and wellness, and updating records in statewide EHR system (NYWIC)
- Managed foster care cases with trauma-informed care practices using trauma informed care practices
- Handling foster care related cases using trauma informed care practices
- Working closely with my team to ensure quality of care and communication with our participants, including sensitivity checks with one another regarding race, LGBTQ status, and religious rights
- Taking and recording inventory of medical supplies, breast pumps, and overall site conditions.
Paraprofessional- AUP
Broome-Tioga BOCES- Crossroads Program at W.A. Olmsted Elementary
10.2020 - 11.2022
- Working with special needs students, including crisis intervention with students with behavioral and physical mobility disorders
- Ensuring that all IEP requirements are met during the school day
- Supported special needs students through crisis intervention, addressing behavioral and physical mobility challenges
- Monitored and ensured compliance with IEP requirements throughout the school day
- Escorting students to and from busses upon arrival and to all special classes and services
- Documented and submitted reports on students' academic progress and daily schedules
Education
Associate's Degree - Liberal Arts
Broome Community College
Binghamton, NY01-2015
Skills
- EHR Navigation/Scheduling & Appointment Coordination
- HIPAA Compliance
- Nonprofit marketing
- CPT and ICD 10 Coding
- Trauma Informed Care
- Conflict Management/Crisis Intervention
- Special Needs Support and Education
- Equine Welfare, Training and Handling
- Fundraising and Campaign Organization
- Nonprofit Networking, Marketing, Fundraising
- MS Office (Excel, Word, Publisher, Calendar, etc)
- Workflow Management and Improvement
- Staff Development, Performance Metrics, KPIs
- Working with foster families, veterans, first responders
Accomplishments
- Became clinically certified in the direct clinical administration of Transcranial-Magnetic Stimulation
- Interviewed, onboarded, and managed a team of 6 technicians, and created and implemented training materials to support growth and education. Provided performance reviews and documented individual progress within their perspective roles.
- Assisted in expansion of the practice by creating and providing clinical TMS training to two newly contracted MD clinicians to the practice’s on-site team
- Managed and acted as preceptor for clinical rotations of two medical students OMS3 and OMS4 prospectively, as well as two Psychiatric residents PGY4
- Successfully completed ESMHL workshop prerequisite and Equine-Assisted Learning & Therapeutic Riding hours for certification.
Certification
- Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, 04/01/21
- Life Space Crisis Intervention, 01/01/20
- Adult, Child and Baby First Aid/CPR/AED- American Red Cross, 4/15/2025 -4/2027
- ESMHL (Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning)- PATH Intl.- 2026
- CTRI (Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor)- PATH Intl.- 2026
Timeline
Intake Coordinator
Thompson Counseling Services
03.2026 - Current
Program Coordinator & Instructor
Victory Hill Therapeutic Horsemanship
03.2025 - 04.2026
Practice Manager
Clearwave Mental Health
07.2023 - 03.2025
Nutrition Assistant
Sun River Health WIC
11.2021 - 07.2023
Paraprofessional- AUP
Broome-Tioga BOCES- Crossroads Program at W.A. Olmsted Elementary
10.2020 - 11.2022
Associate's Degree - Liberal Arts
Broome Community College
Promotions
- Accepted internal promotion from Associate Practice Coordinator to Practice Coordinator in July, 2024.
- Accepted internal promotion from Practice Coordinator to Practice Manager in October, 2025.