Sarah Ganzer

• Diagnosed patients by using DSM-IV criteria and documented using guidelines.
• Identified and processed difficult health and mental health diagnoses with patients and families
• Assist patients in developing and achieving realistic goals, improving patient outcomes by implementing evidence-based therapeutic interventions to improve overall wellbeing.
• Provide Specialty level skill Palliative Social Work expertise on Palliative Care and Hospice Care Unit
• Advocate client needs and enhanced collaborative care by coordinating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams ensuring adequate representation and access to necessary resources.
• Take on Leadership role in collaborating with medical teams, patients and families to implement effective treatment.
• Strategic development in organizing and directing palliative care social work presence across disciplines within hospital setting.
• Enable smoother transitions between levels of care by effectively communicating with referring providers about client progress and treatment recommendations.
• Facilitated family meetings to discuss patient care plans.
• Expand professional knowledge through ongoing continuing education and training opportunities in the field of clinical social work.

• Collaborative Care Provider in providing direct counseling services to diverse patient caseload of 45-60 patients within interdisciplinary team to offer patients complete care in individual and couples counseling sessions, crisis intervention, mental health assessments, and treatment planning and review.
• Treated patients with variety of issues including grief, bereavement, health problems, family issues, personality disorders, mood disorders with a specialty in short term therapy to treat anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorders, including collateral sessions with family members and outside providers in order to provide comprehensive care to patients
• Adjusted to telehealth workflows during COVID-19 and provided individual and family therapy to new and existing patients
• Acted as liaison between Regional Director’s program guidelines and clinicians
• Organized and facilitated meetings with Program team across all organization sites
• Supported and coached program staff in implementing workflows at their site locations
• Collaborated with Director of Process Improvement & Analytics to compile monthly data metrics and find gaps in data.

• Integrated into assigned primary care site as Collaborative Care Provider to provide short-term individual counseling and telephonic check-ins to acaseload of 60-75 patients with anxiety and/or depression diagnoses from diverse backgrounds using Evidence Based Practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Problem Solving Treatment and Motivational Interviewing
• Established psychosocial assessments, quantitative measures of mental health screenings, treatment plans, progress notes while using collaborative documentation within electronic medical record, EPIC
• Identify risk and provide crisis intervention, comprehensive risk assessment, and safety planning for patients with increased risk for suicide or self-harm
• Facilitate collaboration with interdisciplinary treatment team made up of supervising psychiatrist, primary care providers, nurses, and medical office assistants to offer patients comprehensive care in warm hand-offs, individual and couple counseling sessions, and monthly team meetings
• Fulfill responsibilities as Mental Health Service Corps Behavioral Health Clinician by attending quarterly trainings, weekly group supervision, additional clinical supervision, submitting weekly clinical hours, and report operations to Practice Engagement Specialist.

• Contact insurance companies to verify coverage and obtain authorization for services for substance abuse treatment agency
• Process all agency insurance payments and organize records of payments for organization
• Create payment reports to track reimbursement productivity, present status at monthly financial meetings, identify and implement improved systems

Establish rapport with clients in order to provide positive treatment environment

• Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Maintain safety by following procedures of agency and HIPPA
• Manage walk-in intake services and complete financial intake with clients/families.

Engaged potential patients to the counseling center through psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention and on-going therapy

• Provided patient-centered individual therapy to a population of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds with a variety of mental health diagnoses using a combination of techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, supportive psychotherapy and psychodynamic approaches
• Collaborated with providers of other disciplines (psychiatrists, primary care doctors) to allow for complete integrated care for patients
• Organized and supervised staff and implemented new workflow for biannual OMH required, Patient Characteristics Surveys and presented results
• Complied survey data and developed comprehensive report for Spring 2018 Patient Perception of Care Questionnaires
• Partnered with administrative team to adapt AIMS Collaborative Care Program to facility for patients with depression and anxiety diagnoses, created appropriate documents and workflows, and presented new guidelines in staff meeting.

• Assessed for client’s needs upon admission
• Collaborated with patients and patient’s families in developing discharge plans and participated in facilitation of referrals for discharge planning needs including but not limited to rehabilitation programs, case management services additional support from the community
• Provided emotional support to patients and patient’s families during their hospital stay
• Assumed social worker’s tasks on orthopedic and spine unit, neurological unit and emergency room
• Participated in daily multi-disciplinary team meetings involving physicians, psychologists, nurses and social workers.

• Facilitated group sessions of children ages eleven to fourteen on the Autistic Spectrum and their siblings to promote social understanding and interaction
• Provided 1:1 services to engage individuals who needed more encouragement in group setting
• Initiated and maintained ongoing communication with parents toward individual client’s progress
• Established network of parents toward providing ongoing support for children and parents to continue after group ending.

• Facilitated support groups for second grade students with unconventional family situations
• Supported students on the Autism spectrum during play time to encourage proper social interaction
• Instruct weekly class workshops on promoting good mental health in students
• Delivered evidence based curriculum promoting positive social skills in the classroom
• Conducted observations in elementary school setting to evaluate progress, contribute to Individual Educational Plans.