Research and Clinical Gerontologist (in training)

I have more than 4 years of experience in social services, information technology, customer service, case management, aging services information and assistance, grief and bereavement counseling, budgeting, grant writing and knowledge of the Older American’s Act. Demonstrated experience in training, assessments of safety and both mental and physical health, and coordinated with DFCS-Adult Protective Service, Alzheimer’s Association, Social Security Administration, Must Ministries, Center for the Visually Impaired, Lions Lighthouse Foundation, North GA Community Action, Cherokee Area Transportation System (CATS), Life Advantage, Legal Aid, Visiting Nurses/Home Health Agencies, Hospice providers and Medicaid waiver programs such as the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and the SOURCE Program.

I have mental health experience in both individual and group settings. I'm an excellent problem solver and team-leader. I have strong administrative skills, able to multitask and handle a large caseload. I have excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.

EDUCATION

University of North Texas — Denton, TX 76201
Degree: Ph. D. Current Applied Gerontology

Argosy University — Atlanta, GA 30328
Degree: M.A. Degree Counseling Psychology

Kennesaw State University — Kennesaw, GA 30144
Degree: B.S. Degree Psychology/Gerontology

Gordon College — Barnesville, GA 30204
Degree: A.A. Degree Psychology

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION
Certified Grant Writer, The Grant Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology 2007


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Case Manager (Screening, Intake, On-going) 9/2004 to 3/2008
Cherokee County Senior Services, Canton, GA 40 hrs/week
Director during tenure: Paulette Haines,

Case Manager: Assessed the complex needs of an individual and arranged and monitored services including assessing the individual’s needs; developing a care plan; identifying, arranging and coordinating services; targeting recipients of home delivered meals, homemaker services, personal support services, respite care services consistent with Department of Human Resources (DHR) rules and regulations. Maintained ongoing contacts and monitored changes in the client’s condition and circumstances. Advocated on behalf of their clients. Establish good rapport and networked with agencies in the community.

Lead Case Manager: Volunteered to assist other case managers with caseloads and duties. Acted as a liaison within the organization to provide smooth communication within the entire agency. Provided guidance and support to other case managers as needed. (Acting Lead 9 hours per week on average.)

Needs Assessment: Performed geriatric depression screening, determined eligibility for home community based programs such as Meals on Wheels, Respite Services, Congregate Meals program, Caregiver Program and Homemaker Services. Eligibility for
such programs is determined by a qualifying score from the Determination of Needs Assessment and Nutritional Screening Instrument.

Plans of Care: Wrote extensive plans of care including prescribed social service interventions. Within the plan of care, a level of case management was determined based on personal and social need, amount of support and scores from assessments. The plan of care developed follows the particular client to other agencies within the Department of Human Resources (DHR) Georgia.

Data Collection: Performed annual quality assurance surveys for case management services.

Communications/Customer Service: Participated in quarterly customer service award meetings that recognize Cherokee County Employees for going above and beyond the call of duty (outside of their determined job description.) Only 20 of 900 employees are chosen to be on the committee.

Budget Analysis: Volunteered to assist with the development of Cherokee County Senior Services’ FY 2008-2011 Request for Proposal “RFP” which was successfully awarded in 2007. The RFP from the Atlanta Regional Commission awards $500,000 for the development of social programs to county-based agencies within the Atlanta Metro area.
Matthew S. Weaver, MA

Technical Assistance: Volunteered to coordinate and provide in-house training of computer programs such as Microsoft Office, Excel and Word. Assured an Internet connection, data base management and maintained an in-house network.



Bereavement Counselor Intern 1/2007 to 10/2007
Odyssey Healthcare and Crossroads Hospice, Tucker, GA 20 hrs/week
Supervisor: Brandy Mazloum, LCSW

Bereavement Counselor: Counseled individuals and groups to promote optimum mental health. Helped individuals deal with thoughts of suicide; addictions and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; problems with self-esteem; and issues associated with aging and mental and emotional health. Assisted with end of life issues and grief. Counseled bereaved families.

Customer Service: Activities included visiting, reading, taking walks, writing letters, playing music, visiting with pets.

Volunteer Services: Provided respite and support for family members. Assisted with shopping or household maintenance and allowed family caregivers the opportunity to take care of necessary errands and get some time away from the house.



COMPUTER PROFICIENCIES

MS Office: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint
Microsoft Windows
Macintosh OS X
Client Health Assessment Tool (CHAT)
Aging Information Management System (AIMS)


VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Taught computer classes at a senior living center (Lutheran Towers) in Atlanta, GA.
Led seniors in exercise classes including warm-up, weight training, water aerobics, and chair aerobics at Kennesaw State University