Travis Walton
Meriden,CT
Summary
Child advocacy professional with experience in individualized service planning and family reunification. Led staff training initiatives to strengthen casework practices. Implemented collaborative problem-solving strategies to address psychological and physical needs of children.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead Children Service Worker
State of Connecticut: Department of Children & Families
East Windsor
08.2024 - Current
- Led and advised staff on care, custody, and therapeutic treatment of residents, enhancing overall resident well-being.
- Maintained therapeutic milieu by ensuring residents' psychological and physical needs were met and fostering a supportive environment.
- Executed behavior modification initiatives to improve resident outcomes.
- Write progress reports on residents in the unit.
- Facilitated meetings with unit staff and residents' families to discuss behavioral challenges and resident progress, strengthening family engagement.
- Created engaging recreational activities and programs to enhance resident well-being.
Children Service Worker
State of Connecticut: Department of Children & Families
East Windsor, CT
07.2022 - 08.2024
- Provided social services and assistance to enhance social and psychological functioning of children and families.
- Counseled and advised youth on the purpose and progress of institutionalization and progress in unit and placement plans.
- Lead group counseling sessions that provide support in such areas as grief, stress, or chemical dependency.
- Participates in maintaining a therapeutic milieu by meeting psychological and physical needs of residents.
- Teaches residents self-support skills such as basic money management, daily living habits, hygiene, etc.
- Organized and led recreational activities to foster social interactions among residents.
Behavioral Specialist
Hospital for Special Care
04.2016 - 09.2024
- Counsel children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Assisted emotionally disturbed children in identifying behavioral triggers impacting academic and vocational success.
- Administer crisis interventions to pediatric patients.
- Implement therapeutic treatment plans to assure the safety of an assigned patient.
- Managed and collected assessment data to evaluate patient needs for functional assessments, informing behavior intervention plan formulation.
- Gathered and analyzed patient response data to refine care strategies under the direction of board-certified behavioral analysts.
- Collaborate with parents and guardians in designing individualized therapeutic approaches.
- Provide care to assigned patients under the direction of a registered nurse.
Registered Behavioral Technician
BEST Academy
Wallingford, CT
01.2014 - 07.2022
- Enhanced academic and soft skills in students with Autism Spectrum Disorder by focusing on socially acceptable norms using ABA principles.
- Teach socially normed replacement behaviors in order to build a catalogue focused on soft skills such as: verbal communication, non- verbal interactions and problem-solving skills.
- Pair self with students using therapeutic techniques to enhance and reinforce the student's understanding of social interactions.
- Collect behavior data including: A-B-C, count, frequency, duration, latency, inter-response time, event, and interval-based recording.
- Advocated and collaborated with a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist to meet each student's IEP goals.
- Developed and provided coping mechanisms to support students in crisis situations, aiming to enhance their emotional regulation. to students in crisis.
- Supported increase in appropriate replacement behaviors by providing access to reinforcers.
ABA Therapist
Creative Interventions
Windsor, CT
01.2013 - 01.2017
- Provided intensive 1:1 therapy to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities.
- Implemented individualized behavior plans to increase socially normed behavior and decrease counterbehaviors.
- Developed evidence-based treatment packages that enhanced verbal and non-verbal communication skills alongside soft and academic skills.
- Collaborated with parents to foster supportive learning environments at home and school.
- Delivered training aligned with individualized treatment plans to empower parents and caregivers in supporting student progress.
- Collected, recorded, and summarized data based on observable student behavior.
Senior Counselor
LEAP (Leadership, Education, Athletics, Partnership)
New Haven, CT
09.2007 - 05.2012
- Counseled New Haven students to develop coping strategies, enhancing academic performance and social interactions.
- Managed programs and activities for student groups, fostering positive social experiences and community engagement.
- Developed and implemented thoughtfully designed activities for students with special needs such as Autism and ADHD.
- Mediated conflicts between students and parents, addressing specific needs to improve relationships and communication.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration: Marketing
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT12-2027
Skills
- Individualized service planning
- Trauma-informed care
- Family engagement
- Family reunification
- Child advocacy
- Collaborative Problem-solving
- Report writing
- Documentation management
- Team collaboration
- Staff training
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Documentation
- Communication skills
Timeline
Lead Children Service Worker
State of Connecticut: Department of Children & Families
08.2024 - Current
Children Service Worker
State of Connecticut: Department of Children & Families
07.2022 - 08.2024
Behavioral Specialist
Hospital for Special Care
04.2016 - 09.2024
Registered Behavioral Technician
BEST Academy
01.2014 - 07.2022
ABA Therapist
Creative Interventions
01.2013 - 01.2017
Senior Counselor
LEAP (Leadership, Education, Athletics, Partnership)
09.2007 - 05.2012
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration: Marketing
Southern Connecticut State University