Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Timeline
Generic

Walter Santiago

Eustis,FL

Summary

Bilingual US Army Veteran and Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern with over 10 years of experience in behavioral health and child welfare. Successful conception and integration of statewide children’s mental health and substance use programs. Collaborate with multi-state agencies to enhance best practices in order to achieve positive community outcomes. Represent the State of Florida Department of Children and Families as a SAMH Office child welfare subject matter expert.

Overview

8
8
years of professional experience

Work History

Telehealth Therapist, Crisis Team Member

Fairwinds Counseling Center
Nantucket, MA
06.2023 - Current
  • Administer Biopsychosocial/Intakes for children, adolescents, and adults
  • Diagnosed mental health and substance use disorders using DSM-5
  • Develop treatment plans from diagnosis
  • Offer brief counseling and stabilization support to reinforce calm in crisis situations
  • Evaluated and document risk to client or others by gathering information
  • Provide individual therapy for children, adolescents, and adults
  • Use a variety of therapeutic interventions, including humanistic, person-centered, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, solution-focused, trauma informed, and DBT
  • Consult with interdisciplinary professionals
  • Advocate for youth and adults from a cultural approach
  • Utilize Child Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool for assessing and tracking treatment goals and outcomes
  • Collaboration with colleagues and multidisciplinary professionals
  • Consult with supervisor and colleagues for client treatment

Government Operations Consultant / Child

State of Florida, Families
Tallahassee, Florida
12.2018 - 05.2023
  • Policy and Programs Unit

Behavioral Health Consultant

BayCare Behavioral Health
Hernando, Florida
12.2015 - 12.2018
  • Facilitated over 400 mental health and substance abuse group sessions to the Severe and Persistent Mentally Ill population
  • Collaborated with five local middle schools by teaching substance use, evidence-based curriculum, to students
  • Participated in annual local wellness fairs
  • Allowed direct community engagement to provide education on mental health and substance
  • Improved connection with the Latino community by assisting to translate educational material to Spanish language
  • Successfully maintained a fifteen-client case load by constructing effective communication and empathetic relationships.

Health Consultant

  • Pilot program
  • Due to success, program was integrated throughout 67 counties
  • Assisted five county school boards with implementation of new behavioral health programs that included assisting with community outreach methodology
  • Created, implemented, and successfully managed multi-agency children’s crisis hospitalization staffing program with over 200 monthly clients staffed on a monthly basis
  • Improved regional adult substance abuse family intervention program by executing effective program and personnel auditing according to state and federal standards
  • Member of the State Review Team providing guidance on high level cases involving mental, behavioral, and substance use cases
  • Manage three statewide monthly program meetings with stakeholders and providers presenting analytics and guidance document updates to over 300 participants
  • Review and improve program guidance documents according to legislative mandates
  • Collaborated with Medicaid Managed Health Care Plans to organized over 30 statewide trainings to improve service delivery
  • Working with data analysis and web design creators to modify current SAMH state site and create educational content that will assist the community in service needs navigation
  • Assisted and co-hosted the Human Trafficking Symposium organized by Lutheran
  • Services of Florida
  • Ten honored guests provided educational sessions to over 900 participants
  • Worked with SAMH Licensing Team in yearly audits of 11 state mental health hospitals
  • Consisting of reviewing medical records, site inspection, and personnel records to ensure compliance.

Education

Master of Science - Counseling and Psychology

Troy University
12.2017

Bachelor of Arts - Sociology

Saint Leo University
08.2015

Timeline

Telehealth Therapist, Crisis Team Member

Fairwinds Counseling Center
06.2023 - Current

Government Operations Consultant / Child

State of Florida, Families
12.2018 - 05.2023

Behavioral Health Consultant

BayCare Behavioral Health
12.2015 - 12.2018

Health Consultant

Master of Science - Counseling and Psychology

Troy University

Bachelor of Arts - Sociology

Saint Leo University

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Walter Santiago