Clinical Experience

Principal & Founder
CFR Mediation Services
Chicago, Illinois
1/07 – present
Full service mediation/alternative dispute resolution (ADR) company. Providing divorce mediation, business & workplace conflict resolution, workplace training, and consulting services throughout the United States.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Private Practice
Chicago, Illinois
9/97 – present

• Provide psychotherapy and coaching to individuals, couples, and families.
• Certified Family Mediator. Mediate all issues related to relationship and family.
• Collaborative Divorce Professional
• Collaborate with attorneys to reduce the effects of trauma in court proceedings
• Complete life history reports and child observations for forensic psychologist in child custody evaluations

Medical Writer/Guide
About.com, a New York Times Company
10/06 – 10/07
Designed website covering the mental health diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. Researched, wrote, and published online content for site.

Adjunct Faculty
University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Adams School of Social Work
Chicago, Illinois
8/01 – 12/02
Taught an introductory baccalaureate social work class: Contemporary Social Work, to undergraduates of the university. Curriculum focused on social work history, values and ethics of practice, introduction to social problems, fields of practice, and the ecosystems perspective.

Care Manager
Magellan Behavioral Health
Chicago, Illinois
6/99 – 1/03

• Developed multi-disciplinary program to integrate intensified case management of “high risk patients” into current practice.
• Initial and ongoing training for new and existing team members
• Clinical case review and application of utilization management criteria for patients seeking higher levels of behavioral healthcare for an at-risk account.
• Clinical oversight of complaint resolution and retrospective case reviews.
• Compiled weekly and monthly reports
• Audited clinical team compliance with protocols

Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder
MAUDE, Inc
Chicago, Illinois
1/98 – 12/00

• Business Development, Research, Marketing, and Strategic Planning
• Provide consulting services to non-profit social service agencies with annual budgets of $700,000 to $5 million
• Program development and implementation
• Clinical and administrative audits
• Accreditation preparation (JCAHO, CARF, COA)
• Designed, developed and implemented Quality Improvement Systems
• Educated clinical and administrative personnel through clinical trainings, seminars, and consultations

Interim Clinical Supervisor
Trilogy, Inc
Chicago, Illinois
9/97 – 12/97
Provided clinical supervision to direct staff and program supervisor of a case management program serving the chronically mentally ill.

Crisis Services Supervisor
Trilogy, Inc
Chicago, Illinois
9/96 – 9/97

• Managed the Crisis Services program for a non-profit social service agency serving the adult chronically mentally ill population. Responsible for the provision of 24-hour crisis services for chronically mentally ill adult day program, as well as emergency mental health services for the community. Services included two crisis phones lines, site-based crisis services, respite program, and ancillary emergency psychiatric services.
• Oversaw a staff of 30 clinical personnel including full-time and contractual staff. Duties included hiring/firing, clinical supervision, training, mentoring, and evaluation.
• Instructed agency personnel in physical crisis prevention (CPI)
• Co-wrote the Utilization and Review manual for a pilot behavioral health managed care company serving the Illinois Medicaid population. Designed and implemented the intake, triage, and case management services for the company during its Initial implementation period.

Care Manager
ComPsych, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
8/95 – 9/96

• Clinical care reviews for all levels of behavioral health care for EAP and HMO clients via consultation with providers.
• Conducted risk assessments and monitored cases for needed intervention
• Provided assessment, solution-focused counseling, and referral for telephonic EAP program
• Provided individual therapy and marital counseling to clients of agency.

Mental Health Specialist
Bluegrass Regional Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board
Richmond, Kentucky
10/94 – 8/95

• Provided individual and family counseling to varied clientele in rural area, including the chronically mentally ill and substance abuse populations.
• Conducted risk assessments of jail inmates and hospital emergency room patients.
• Implemented the site’s first EAP contract and integrated into community mental health agency setting.
• Provided clinical oversight to paraprofessional staff.

Crisis Counselor
Bluegrass Regional Mental Health/Mental Retardation Board
Lexington, Kentucky
1/94 – 10/94

Domestic Violence Counselor
YWCA Spouse Abuse Center
Lexington, Kentucky
6/92 – 6/94

Crisis Counselor
Rape Crisis Center
Lexington, Kentucky
9/90 – 12/91

Clinical Presentations

Mediation as an EA Service: First Line Intervention to Interpersonal Conflict
Employee Assistance Professionals Association
2010 Annual World EAP Conference
Tampa, Florida
September 2010

Accreditation and Your Agency
Haymarket Fall Conference
Chicago, Illinois
September 2000

Preparing your Agency for Managed Care
NASW Annual Spring Conference
Chicago, Illinois
April 1999

Education

Master of Social Work
August 1994
University of Kentucky, College of Social Work

Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
December 1991
University of Kentucky, College of Social Work

Post Graduate Education includes:

• Divorce Mediation Skills Training, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
• Collaborative Practice Basic Training, Chicago Illinois
• Group Psychotherapy
• Brief & Solution Focused Therapy
• Crisis Incident Stress Debriefing