Wanda Smith
Silver Spring,Maryland
Summary
To address complex psychosocial issues affecting mental health through social work intervention. Emphasis of service delivery is in the areas of therapy, crisis intervention, case management, training, education and community outreach. Invested Social Worker dedicated to forming trusting relationships and advocating for best interest of clients. Expertise in Mental Health, Gerontology and Developmental Disabilities. Respectful and compassionate professional offering 30-year background serving community by providing guidance for clients in need.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Social Worker
AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH PROGRAM
Rockville, Maryland
06.2021 - Current
- Operates within the mission of the African American Health Program to address the health discrepancies of the African American and Black community of Montgomery County with emphasis on social work intervention in the area of mental health.
- Educate families, or groups to assess situations, limitations and issues and implement services to address needs.
- Educate families on available community resources connecting them with essential services such as housing assistance, financial aid, or healthcare providers.
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with community resources for successful referrals.
- De-escalated stressful situations through individual and family crisis interventions.
- Advocate for clients to assure respected rights and wishes
- Developed and facilitated support groups, promotion healthy coping skills and to build supportive communicative client networks.
- Helped clients with recognizing and managing mental health concerns through evidence-based interventions.
- Supervised social work interns, providing direction on best practices in social work and contributing to their professional growth as practitioners.
- Conduct electronic mental health screenings in the community
- Advocated for clients to assure respected rights and wishes.
- Assisted clients with navigating and accessing social services such as housing and medical care.
- Collaborated with other professionals to plan and coordinate care for clients.
Medical Social Worker
HUMAN TOUCH HOME HEALTH CARE
Silver Spring, Maryland
12.2020 - 06.2021
- Serve Kaiser Medicare Advantage patients, recently discharged from hospital and long term care facilities.
- Completed psychosocial evaluations and needs assessments
- Connected patients with community resources, ensuring access to essential services such as housing, healthcare and financial assistance.
- Explained medical care options to help families make informed healthcare decisions.
- Conducts interviews and completes psychosocial assessments of patient
- Document visits and complete psychosocial assessment in agency’s data base,
- Maintained detailed documentation of client progress, adhering to strict confidentiality guidelines in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
- Provided emotional support to patients and families during critical health situations, promoting coping mechanisms and resilience.
- Worked with medical teams, patients and families to implement effective treatment plans.
- Assessed risk factors of patients and made referrals for further services.
- Developed individual treatment plans and provided counseling to patients.
Adult Protective Services Supervisor
FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Fairfax, Virginia
12.2017 - 12.2020
- Provides oversight for adult protective services plans and assigns caseloads, monitors case outcomes and ensures maintenance of client case files; maintains liaison with community resources impacting services provided to clients; and authorizes expenditures from state and local funding sources
- Works with other supervisors in Adult and Aging Division to ensure that staff, the community and other human service providers are working to provide a holistic program of adult and aging services
- Handled customer complaints, resolved issues, and adjusted policies to meet changing needs.
- Evaluated employee performance and coached and trained to improve weak areas.
- Increased team productivity by implementing efficient workflows and setting clear expectations for staff members.
- Mentored newly hired employees on operating equipment and safety and developed training manual to use for reference.
- Enhanced communication within the team by holding regular meetings and encouraging open dialogue among all members.
- Collaborated with other departments to achieve organizational goals, fostering teamwork across various functions.
- Conducted performance evaluations for staff members, identifying areas of improvement and guiding professional development plans.
- Maintained database systems to track and analyze operational data.
Social Worker III (Aging, Disability, and Caregiver Resources/ADCR)
FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Fairfax, Virginia
12.2007 - 12.2020
- Assists the community in accessing services for seniors and individuals with disabilities offered through the Adult and Aging Unit, Department of Family Services
- Offers telephone consultations on caregiving needs, completes Uniform Assessment Instrument (1-4), and makes referrals for home care, long term care screenings and volunteer services
- Perform short term case management through assisting individuals in applying for burial benefits and participates in unclaimed body investigations
- Manages the Crisis Hotline for Adult Protective Services
- Receives and assesses the validity of Adult Protective Services reports, consults with APS Supervisors for assignment for investigations
- Oversees the needs of the unit, discuss and assist with case dilemmas, advises staff on routine work tasks, trains new staff, assist with technical issues, communicates with supervisors from other units on work issues and resources, attends management meetings and completes other agency tasks, as assigned
- Conducts workshops and presentations on Senior Services offered through the Area Agency on Aging and Adult, Disability and caregiver unit.
- Interviewed clients, families, or groups to assess situations, limitations and issues and implement services to address needs.
- Educated families on available community resources, connecting them with essential services such as housing assistance, financial aid, or healthcare providers.
- De-escalated stressful situations through individual and family crisis interventions.
- Maintained accurate case documentation, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and facilitating informed decision-making by team members.
- Conducted home visits to assess family dynamics, providing guidance on effective communication strategies and conflict resolution techniques.
- Collaborated with other professionals to plan and coordinate care for clients.
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with community resources for successful referrals.
Mental Health Therapist II
FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Fairfax, Virginia
12.2000 - 02.2007
- Coordinated and monitored services for recipients of the Intellectual Disability Waiver
- Conducted long term care screenings, developed Person Centered Plans, and monitored plans to ensure satisfaction of services
- Conducted site visits, attending Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings, participated interagency FAPT meetings and served as a member of the Human Rights Committee
- Worked with group home staff, relevant agencies to investigate potential APS complaints.
- Maintained detailed documentation of client progress, effectively communicating with other healthcare providers as necessary.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to provide holistic care for clients, addressing physical, emotional, and social needs.
- Coordinated care with primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and other relevant healthcare providers to ensure seamless continuity of care for clients.
Case Manager Coordinator
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (Department of Human Services)
District of Columbia
06.1999 - 12.2000
- Oversees the implementation of ongoing services recommended under the Individual Habilitation Plan, (IHP), for individuals with mental retardation, mental illness and developmental disabilities
- Serves as a member of the interdisciplinary team in the development of the IHP
- Communicates and coordinates services with families, attorneys, advocates, day program vendors, ICF/MR vendors, group homes and related agencies
- Conduct monthly audits on Group Homes and ICF/MR facilities to assure safety of residents and compliance with regulations mandated by the Federal Government and District of Columbia.
- Conducted thorough assessments of client needs, strengths, and risks to inform appropriate interventions and support services.
- Facilitated multidisciplinary team meetings for comprehensive care planning and improved client satisfaction.
- Improved client outcomes by developing and implementing individualized case management plans.
- Monitored progress towards goals regularly, adjusting case management plans as necessary for optimal success.
- Managed high caseloads effectively while maintaining close attention to detail and accuracy in documentation.
- Ensured compliance with federal, state, and agency regulations through meticulous record-keeping practices.
- Attended continuing education trainings and maintained Social Work certification to promote more effective service delivery.
- Developed and implemented comprehensive case management plans to address client needs and goals.
Clinical Manage/Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP)
VOCA CORPORATION
District of Columbia
05.1994 - 06.1999
- Oversee and manage the operations of 2 ICF/MR, according to regulations mandated by the District of Columbia and the Federal Government
- Supervise professional and Para-professional staff in service delivery to clients
- Conduct hiring interviews, completed performance evaluations, trained, counseled and developed direct care staff
- Consulted with professional clinicians to address client’s individual needs, to ensure assessments were completed and services monitored in accordance with the IHP
- Developed and implemented the Individual Habilitation Plan (IHP) for individuals with mental retardation, living within an Intermediate Care Facility for Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR)
- Coordinates and Services as a member of the interdisciplinary team, to assess develop, and monitor the IHP
- Conducts audits on ICF/MR facilities in the District of Columbia, Ohio, New Jersey and Delaware
- Addressed plans of corrections from conditions sited on state audits and assisted Group Homes and ICF/MR to return to compliance with state regulations.
- Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
- Worked effectively in fast-paced environments.
- Worked well in a team setting, providing support and guidance.
- Assisted with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.
- Worked flexible hours across night, weekend, and holiday shifts.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Strengthened communication skills through regular interactions with others.
- Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills while managing multiple projects.
Education
Master of Social Work -
University of Maryland At Baltimore
Baltimore, MD06.1998
Bachelor of Science (Social Work) -
California State Polytechnic University
Pomona, CA12.1978
Associate of Arts - General Studies
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino, CA06.1976
Skills
- Compassionate
- Case Management
- Client Advocacy
- Conflict Resolution
- Social Services
- Multidisciplinary team collaboration
- Risk Assessment
- Intervention Planning
- Case Documentation
- Client Confidentiality
- Client Needs Assessment
- Cultural Competency
Certification
Licensed Graduate Social Worker – Maryland
Affiliations
Member of the National Association of Social Workers-Maryland Chapter
wandajanice@gmail.com, wsmith@mcfarlandassociate.com
Activitiesandawards
- Mental Health First Aid trainer
- STI/HIV taskforce – Montgomery County Health Department
- Black Woman’s Discussion on HIV –Montgomery County Health Department
- Opiod/Narcan Taskforce –AAHP
References
References Furnished Upon Request
Additional Information
Mental Health First Aid trainer
Kaiser Permanente Health Navigator (Charitable Health Access Program)
Member of Linkage to Care (STI/HIV) Montgomery County Health Department
Member of Black Women Sexuality Discussion Group Montgomery County Health Department
Diabetes Life Coach
Taskforce on Opioids and Substance abuse taskforce (AAHP)
Timeline
Social Worker
AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH PROGRAM
06.2021 - Current
Medical Social Worker
HUMAN TOUCH HOME HEALTH CARE
12.2020 - 06.2021
Adult Protective Services Supervisor
FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT
12.2017 - 12.2020
Social Worker III (Aging, Disability, and Caregiver Resources/ADCR)
FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT
12.2007 - 12.2020
Mental Health Therapist II
FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT
12.2000 - 02.2007
Case Manager Coordinator
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (Department of Human Services)
06.1999 - 12.2000
Clinical Manage/Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP)
VOCA CORPORATION
05.1994 - 06.1999
Master of Social Work -
University of Maryland At Baltimore
Bachelor of Science (Social Work) -
California State Polytechnic University
Associate of Arts - General Studies
San Bernardino Valley College