Sheneka Mckenzie-sage
New York,NY
Summary
Compassionate Mental Health Professional offering a 22-year background supporting clients through crisis intervention, communication and counseling. Proficient in preparing case study reports, coordinating with community organizations and conducting motivational interviews. Efficient and accommodating professional committed to providing guidance to those in need.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Social Work Supervisor
Juvenile Rights Practice
01.2020
- Directly supervise and train social work staff, paralegals, and graduate school/college/high school interns
- Supervise and train social workers and paralegals in providing in-court expert and fact witness testimony and drafting affidavits, dispositional reports, and written assessments for the court
- Provide individualized supervision, including the monitor and review of caseloads and files
- Write performance evaluations for New York County social workers and paralegals
- Recruit, coordinate, place, and train graduate social work interns within JRP
- Created new training materials and provide ongoing training regarding implementation of the interdisciplinary model of representing children in Family Court to all New York County LAS staff, as well as collateral organizations such as the NYS Health & Hospital Corporation, on topics including interdisciplinary practice, dispositional alternatives in child protective and juvenile delinquency cases, path and outcomes of PINS and juvenile delinquency cases, field work, and file maintenance
- Lead and facilitate bi-monthly team meetings for Juvenile Services Unit (JSU) and paralegal staff
- Participate in New York County and citywide JSU and JRP managerial and supervisory meetings
- Work in conjunction with supervisory team to identify and create opportunities for advancement and growth of New York County JRP staff including providing in-service trainings, staff development, and one-on-one career mentoring
- Represent JRP on New York County Disproportionate Minority Representation Committee and provide trainings to New York County Court judges, staff, attorneys, social workers, paralegals, and investigators about disproportionate minority representation
- Represent JRP on New York County Family Court Mentoring Program Committee designed to provide opportunities to high school and college-aged clients with permanency planning goals of APPLA
- Represent JRP on citywide and internal LAS child welfare and juvenile delinquency practice committees
- Collaborate with citywide, JSU, and New York County JRP management regarding allocation of resources and staffing
- Chaired JRP supervisor hiring committee and interviewed supervisor, new hire, and intern candidates
- Created and implemented a Mentoring Program for staff of color in New York County in collaboration with the AIC and supervisory team
- Developed and instituted a new JSU and paralegal team member orientation for New York County
- Carry a reduced caseload and fulfill all Forensic Social Worker responsibilities.
Paralegal Supervisor
Juvenile Rights Practice
01.2015
- Directly supervise and train social work staff, paralegals, and graduate school/college/high school interns
- Supervise and train social workers and paralegals in providing in-court expert and fact witness testimony and drafting affidavits, dispositional reports, and written assessments for the court
- Provide individualized supervision, including the monitor and review of caseloads and files
- Write performance evaluations for New York County social workers and paralegals
- Recruit, coordinate, place, and train graduate social work interns within JRP
- Created new training materials and provide ongoing training regarding implementation of the interdisciplinary model of representing children in Family Court to all New York County LAS staff, as well as collateral organizations such as the NYS Health & Hospital Corporation, on topics including interdisciplinary practice, dispositional alternatives in child protective and juvenile delinquency cases, path and outcomes of PINS and juvenile delinquency cases, field work, and file maintenance
- Lead and facilitate bi-monthly team meetings for Juvenile Services Unit (JSU) and paralegal staff
- Participate in New York County and citywide JSU and JRP managerial and supervisory meetings
- Work in conjunction with supervisory team to identify and create opportunities for advancement and growth of New York County JRP staff including providing in-service trainings, staff development, and one-on-one career mentoring
- Represent JRP on New York County Disproportionate Minority Representation Committee and provide trainings to New York County Court judges, staff, attorneys, social workers, paralegals, and investigators about disproportionate minority representation
- Represent JRP on New York County Family Court Mentoring Program Committee designed to provide opportunities to high school and college-aged clients with permanency planning goals of APPLA
- Represent JRP on citywide and internal LAS child welfare and juvenile delinquency practice committees
- Collaborate with citywide, JSU, and New York County JRP management regarding allocation of resources and staffing
- Chaired JRP supervisor hiring committee and interviewed supervisor, new hire, and intern candidates
- Created and implemented a Mentoring Program for staff of color in New York County in collaboration with the AIC and supervisory team
- Developed and instituted a new JSU and paralegal team member orientation for New York County.
Director of Social Work
THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY
- Current
- Responsible for the overall administration, management, and casework practice of the Juvenile Services Unit ("JSU") in New York City's five boroughs
- Supervise and manage JSU supervisory and social work staff
- Oversee the social work hiring and evaluation processes
- Conduct orientation and training of new social work staff
- Recruit, coordinate, place, and train social work interns
- Coordinate and track the social work continuing education program
- Develop the management skills of JSU's supervisory staff
- Provide case and resource consultation
- Develop and implement social work practice standards, forms, procedures, and organizational systems
- Liaise with JRP and Legal Aid administrative staff on social work and JSU issues
- Prepare social work reports and documents
- Collaborate on senior management discussions and committees
- Contribute to personnel issues and decisions
- Represent JRP at external meetings, task forces, and conferences
- Partner with JRP's training Directors, Appeals Unit, and Special Litigation and Law Reform Unit.
Assistant Social Work Supervisor
Juvenile Rights Practice
08.2014 - 01.2020
- Directly supervise and train social work staff, paralegals, and graduate school/college/high school interns
- Supervise and train social workers and paralegals in providing in-court expert and fact witness testimony and drafting affidavits, dispositional reports, and written assessments for the court
- Provide individualized supervision, including the monitor and review of caseloads and files
- Write performance evaluations for New York County social workers and paralegals
- Recruit, coordinate, place, and train graduate social work interns within JRP
- Created new training materials and provide ongoing training regarding implementation of the interdisciplinary model of representing children in Family Court to all New York County LAS staff, as well as collateral organizations such as the NYS Health & Hospital Corporation, on topics including interdisciplinary practice, dispositional alternatives in child protective and juvenile delinquency cases, path and outcomes of PINS and juvenile delinquency cases, field work, and file maintenance
- Lead and facilitate bi-monthly team meetings for Juvenile Services Unit (JSU) and paralegal staff
- Participate in New York County and citywide JSU and JRP managerial and supervisory meetings
- Work in conjunction with supervisory team to identify and create opportunities for advancement and growth of New York County JRP staff including providing in-service trainings, staff development, and one-on-one career mentoring
- Represent JRP on New York County Disproportionate Minority Representation Committee and provide trainings to New York County Court judges, staff, attorneys, social workers, paralegals, and investigators about disproportionate minority representation
- Represent JRP on New York County Family Court Mentoring Program Committee designed to provide opportunities to high school and college-aged clients with permanency planning goals of APPLA
- Represent JRP on citywide and internal LAS child welfare and juvenile delinquency practice committees
- Collaborate with citywide, JSU, and New York County JRP management regarding allocation of resources and staffing.
Forensic Social Worker
Juvenile Rights Practice
01.2003 - 08.2014
- Manage caseload of children, ranging in age from 0-21, with varying degrees of needs
- Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including attorneys for the children, paralegals, investigators, and other collateral providers to assess the needs of the children and effectively advocate on their behalf
- Interview subject children in child protective, juvenile delinquency, custody, visitation, termination of parental rights, voluntary placement, and Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS) proceedings
- Advocate for children and families both in Court and in out-of-Court conferences and settings
- Investigate allegations of abuse and neglect through child and family interviews and consultation with agency workers and other service providers
- Assess clients' wishes and family/client needs
- Conduct home, foster care agency, residential facility, and hospital visits
- Provide crisis intervention, short-term counseling, and familial mediation
- Draft affidavits, dispositional reports, and written assessments to the Court
- Provide both factual and expert court testimony
- Review and evaluate service plans and agency records
- Refer clients to appropriate agencies for ongoing services and evaluate appropriateness of other agencies' interventions
- Create service and dispositional plans for clients
- Conduct trainings in JRP New York County for new staff hires
- Supervise junior social work staff, as well as social work interns, college interns, and high school interns
- Serve as field instructor for Graduate Social Work interns from Columbia University School of Social Work, Fordham University Graduate School for Social Service, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, and Adelphi University for Social Work on child protective cases
- Monitor Graduate Social Work students' progress, write their evaluations, and collaborate with their field placement staff.
Clinical Social Worker
THE ASSOCIATION TO BENEFIT CHILDREN
01.2002 - 01.2003
- Provided individual and group counseling and advocacy for children and families in crisis
- Conducted home assessments utilizing various treatment modalities
- Researched, compiled, and presented clinical data during monthly updates
- Presented public educational seminars regarding September 11th and trauma responses to various community service organizations, school, hospitals, and religious affiliations
- Assessed, counseled, and monitored at-risk youth and their families.
Patient Care Coordinator/Claims Analyst
MAGELLAN HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
01.1998 - 01.2002
- Coordinated mental health and substance abuse care for a leading behavioral health organization that serviced over one million clients nationally
- Provided intermediate counseling for patients and family members
- Triaged emergent care for crisis calls received
- Liaised between clients and clinical staff, and provided appropriate aftercare referrals for over five hundred social service agencies, hospitals, and mental health providers nationally
- Researched and processed mental health and substance abuse claim inquiries
- Coordinated claim policy and procedure with external insurance vendors.
Education
Master of Social Work - Children and Families
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SERVICE
New York, NY08.2002
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY
Norfolk, VA05.1997
Skills
- Behavioral Health
- Client Advocacy
- Multicultural Competence
- Family Support
- Individual Assessment
- Child Welfare
- Service Integration
- Mental health counseling
- Mental health awareness
- Individual Counseling
- Fundraising strategies
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Problem-Solving
- Problem-solving abilities
- Time Management
- Multitasking Abilities
- Excellent Communication
- Organizational Skills
- Attention to Detail
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Decision-Making
- Team Collaboration
- Effective Communication
- Active Listening
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Reliability
- Interviewing skills
- Professionalism
- Strategic Planning
- Relationship Building
- Task Prioritization
- Staff Training
- Written Communication
- Written and verbal communication
- Goal Setting
- Client Needs Assessments
- Service planning
- Professional Demeanor
Selected Presentations Panels
- National Association of Counsel for Children 46th National Child Welfare Law Conference, July 2023, Black Women Speak: Is it Secondary Trauma or Just Trauma? Our Professional Experience with STS and the Need to Support Wellness for BIPOC Advocates
- Practising Law Institue, July 2023, Working with Client with Disabilities
- LAS JRP New Hire Training, June 2022, Field Visits; Case Recording
- The New York Center for Children Panel Discussion, June 2022, The Impact of Vicarious Trauma on Providers
- LAS JRP Training, October 2021, PINS
- National Association of Counsel for Children 44th National Child Welfare Law Conference, August 2021, A Social Work Perspective: Recognizing Systemic Racism in the Child Welfare System
- LAS JRP Training, June 2021, Child Welfare Update Regarding New NY Marijuana Laws
- LAS JRP Training, January 2021, What To Do If Your Client Gets Arrested
- LAS JRP Training, January 2020, Client Interviewing; Early Intervention; and Attorney/Client Relationship
- New York County Family Court Disproportionate Minority Representation Committee Seminar, 2016, Turning Theory Into Practice
- National Juvenile Defender Summit, October 2016, Talking to Kids About Sex, Taking the Right Tone with Kids in Juvenile Sex Cases
- LAS JRP Core & Module Training, October 2014-Present, Interviewing the Child Client
- LAS JRP Intern Training, 2011-Present, Interdisciplinary Practice; Interviewing the Child Client; Path of a Child Protective Case; Path of a Juvenile Delinquency Case
Certification
- Certified in Evidence-Based Interventions for Complex Trauma, 2019
- Qualified as an Expert Witness in the area of Social Work, 2005-Present
- Certified SIFI Field Instructor, 2005
- New York State Department of Education Licensed Master Social Worker, 2003
Professional Committees
- NY State Mandated Reporting Working Group, 2024-Present
- LAS Recruitment Strategy for AIC and Hiring Managers Committee, Member, 2022-Present
- LAS Telecommuting Committee, Member, 2022
- LAS Legislative Workgroup, Member, 2020-Present
- New York State Mentoring Program, NYC Family Court Mentoring Coordinator, 2018-2024
- New York County Family Court Juvenile Delinquency/PINS Mental Health Committee, Member, 2018-2019
- NYC ACS-Advocates New York County Family Court Engagement Workgroup, Member, 2018-2019
- NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Mental Health Juvenile Justice Committee, Member, 2017-2018
- LAS JRP Trauma Advocacy Project, Member, 2015-Present
- New York County Family Court Disproportionate Minority Representation Committee, Member, 2014-Present
- National Association for Social Workers, Member, 2013-Present
- Fordham University School of Social Work, Field Instructor, 2005-Present
Timeline
Social Work Supervisor
Juvenile Rights Practice
01.2020
Paralegal Supervisor
Juvenile Rights Practice
01.2015
Assistant Social Work Supervisor
Juvenile Rights Practice
08.2014 - 01.2020
Forensic Social Worker
Juvenile Rights Practice
01.2003 - 08.2014
Clinical Social Worker
THE ASSOCIATION TO BENEFIT CHILDREN
01.2002 - 01.2003
Patient Care Coordinator/Claims Analyst
MAGELLAN HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
01.1998 - 01.2002
Director of Social Work
THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY
- Current
Master of Social Work - Children and Families
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SERVICE
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY
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