Former Latina's Rising Co-Founder
Tasha James
Bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor & Licensed Chemical Dependency-Intern
Houston,Texas
Summary
Empathetic Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive experience providing trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, mental health evaluations, and psychotherapy services to adolescents and adults. Expertise in PTSD, migrant mental health, anxiety and depression, and other trauma-related disorders.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Certifications
Work History
LPHA -Triad Mental Health
The Harris Center For Mental Health And IDD
Houston, Texas
09.2019 - Current
- Counsel youth and families experiencing family conflict, school truancy, trauma history, abuse and neglect, social functioning issues.
- Provide case management and support for youth and families transitioning between services.
- Maintain continued-education and abreast of mental health and behavioral trends impacting youth and families and best treatment modalities.
- Coordinate resources and referrals for youth and families needing intensive intervention and/or higher level of care.
- Identify behaviors that necessitate interventions and/or prevention and provides
- Complete Child Adolescent Needs Assessment, treatment plans, and bridge tools used to identify and screen youth and child needs, strengths and weaknesses, and treatment goals.
- Offer individual therapy to youth referred by Harris County Juvenile Probation, Kinder Shelter, School Based Specialist, YSC Intake Department, and self-referrals.
Lead Therapist
Urban Therapy Exchange, PLLC
Houston, Texas
04.2019 - Current
- Provide crisis support and emergency care for therapy participants
- Document client information, treatment plans and client responses.
- Assist clients to better understand roles as parents, focusing on developing skills to nurture and guide children.
- Advocate for placement of patients into community-based treatment settings.
- Conduct mindfulness meditation presentations for colleagues, mentor colleagues interested in immigration evaluations, and case consultation.
- Provide tools for clients and families to communicate better and negotiate issues for improved family relationships.
- Refer clients to specialists, educational outreach programs or social service agencies for additional interventional needs.
- Consult with other therapists, public and private service agencies and university researchers to advise clients on resources available.
- Counsel individuals and families to bring awareness of problems, deal with crisis situations and develop action plans.
- Develop and implement intensive individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior and other psychosocial issues.
- Recommend therapeutic action plans and treatments based on results from behavioral assessments.
Mobile Assessor Clinician
Universal Health Services
Houston, TX
02.2019 - 02.2020
- Responsible for assessing, diagnosing psychological and substance abuse disorders , and identifying psychosocial, educational, developmental and behavioral functioning of patients (civilians and veterans) through established care finding mechanisms.
- Responsible for responding to crisis calls for clinical assessments at hospital emergency rooms and/or physician offices.
- Responsible for completing clinical assessments using DSM 5 criteria and determine inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care that meet patient's needs.
- Facilitate response services, including initial response, assessment and referral process; and designation of appropriate level of care, coordinated patient transfer, admission into services and appropriate follow up activity.
- Knowledge of Emergency Detention paperwork and processes and EMTALA.
- Maintain all preadmission and admission paperwork with accuracy, completion of all per-certification with insurance companies.
- Delivered exceptional level of service to each hospital patient/customer and their families by listening to concerns and answering questions.
- Used EPIC software to complete mental health assessment exam of patients located in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Units, and other medical units.
- Communicated with people from various cultures and backgrounds seen for mental health assessment exam.
- Provided consulting and expertise on mental health diagnosis, outpatient and, and inpatient recommendations to hospital staff.
Mobile Crisis Assessor
Westpark Springs
Houston, TX
05.2017 - 02.2019
- Responsible for assessing, diagnosing psychological and substance abuse disorders , and identifying psychosocial, educational, developmental and behavioral functioning of patients (civilians and veterans) through established care finding mechanisms.
- Responsible for responding to crisis calls for clinical assessments at hospital emergency rooms and/or physician offices.
- Responsible for completing clinical assessments using DSM 5 criteria and determine inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care that meet patient's needs.
- Facilitate response services, including initial response, assessment and referral process; and designation of appropriate level of care, coordinated patient transfer, admission into services and appropriate follow up activity.
- Knowledge of Emergency Detention paperwork and processes and EMTALA.
- Maintain all preadmission and admission paperwork with accuracy, completion of all per-certification with insurance companies.
Mental Health Clinician Grant Funded
United States Veterans Initiative
Houston , TX
12.2015 - 06.2017
- Provided professional clinical services to eligible veterans with acute history of homelessness and enrolled in GPD programs.
- Provided clinical services and conformance to policies of Readjustment Counseling Services.
- Responsible for developing comprehensive and unique goal-directed treatment plans that reflective of therapeutic intervention to address needs identified in needs assessment and complex trauma.
- Provided clinical counseling to Veterans and significant others with highly complex and diversified psychological/sociological problems to include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse disorders.
- Provided individual, open to family, and group therapy for Veterans and significant others.
- Provided crisis intervention, stabilization and follow-up for Veterans and significant others.
- Provided follow-up evaluations of clients to determine whether Veterans have received all appropriate services and provides additional services or referrals as required.
- Provided vocational, educational, benefits, and related counseling, guidance, and referral to Veterans and their significant others.
- Develop and determine appropriate community referral resources to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Maintain knowledge of Veterans' rights, benefits, and programs.
- Counseling services to combat veterans from all eras, veterans sexually traumatized while on active duty, and families of service members killed on active duty
Community Youth Services Specialist
Harris County CPS
Houston, TX
09.2013 - 09.2014
- Counseled and assessed students and families experiencing acute crisis .
- Served as on-going liaison between students, school district counselors, and administrative school personal to address academic related problems, emotional, developmental and psychological concerns, parent/child conflict, and truancy related issues etc..
- Responsible for assessing and determining immediate treatment for students experiencing suicidal and/or homicidal ideations, self-harming behaviors, and substance abuse.
- Managed intensive caseload 20-30 clients
Bilingual Forensic Interviewer
Harris County The Children's Assessment Center
Houston, TX
09.2009 - 09.2013
- Forensically interviewed children and adult victims and/or witnesses of abuse or neglect, homicide, sexual abuse, human trafficking, and child death cases.
- Conducted approximately 1500 forensic interviewers.
- Testified as an expert witness on forensic interviewing.
- Mentored and trained new hires.
- Completed forensic interviews for local police departments, in-and-out state for police departments, Texas Rangers, ORR, FBI, Homeland Security, District Attorney's Office of Harris County Metro Police, Children's Protective Services, Immigration and Naturalization Services.
- Cross-trained as Bilingual Forensic, Bilingual Extended Evaluator, and Getting Started Group Facilitator for Spanish Speaking Non-Offending Caregivers.
Bilingual Child Sexual Abuse Investigator IV & Family Based Services
Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
Houston, TX
12.2002 - 09.2009
- Served as liaison to social service agencies, schools, local law enforcement agencies, and attorneys regarding reports and investigation activities of child abuse and neglect cases.
- Maintained objectivity and empathic understanding in dealing with families living in stressful and crisis situations while providing community resources (i.e., therapy and counseling, monetary funds, and Crime Victims applications.
- Responded quickly to acute crisis situations involving children suspected of abuse and neglect.
Education
Master of Science - Education And Counseling
Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, TX 08.2004 - 05.2006
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 08.1998 - 12.2002
Skills
Adaptability
Self-Motivated
Leadership
Analytical Problem Solving
Patient documentation
Psychosocial assessment
Treatment planning
Crisis Intervention
Social perceptiveness
Mental Health & Trauma Expert
Facilitating counseling sessions
Mental health evaluations
Psychiatry and mental health
Mental health awareness
Certification
2021: Intermediate Trauma Therapy Certificate, Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Interests
Melanin and Mental Health Podcast Guest
National Latina Day Campaign
La Super Comadre Radio Show Guest
Your Natural Hairapist Guest Panelist
Co-Host of Latina's Rising Radio Show
Host/Moderator of Mental Health Panels for Latina's Rising
Pro Bono Forensic Evaluation (Asylum Cases) for private and public entities
Pro Bono Psychotherapy
Houston Urban Nutcracker Volunteer
Sam Houston State University Charter School Volunteer
Timeline
LPHA -Triad Mental Health
The Harris Center For Mental Health And IDD
09.2019 - Current
Lead Therapist
Urban Therapy Exchange, PLLC
04.2019 - Current
Mobile Assessor Clinician
Universal Health Services
02.2019 - 02.2020
Mobile Crisis Assessor
Westpark Springs
05.2017 - 02.2019
Mental Health Clinician Grant Funded
United States Veterans Initiative
12.2015 - 06.2017
Community Youth Services Specialist
Harris County CPS
09.2013 - 09.2014
Bilingual Forensic Interviewer
Harris County The Children's Assessment Center
09.2009 - 09.2013
Master of Science - Education And Counseling
Prairie View A & M University
08.2004 - 05.2006
Bilingual Child Sexual Abuse Investigator IV & Family Based Services
Texas Department of Family & Protective Services
12.2002 - 09.2009
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Sam Houston State University
08.1998 - 12.2002