About Me

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I'm a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) with over 20 years of experience helping individuals, families, and organizations navigate mental health challenges and career transitions.

Professional Experience

Over 20 years of comprehensive experience in mental health counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and disability services across government, private, and nonprofit sectors.

Recent Positions

Residential Support Specialist | 2025
Provide direct support services to individuals with disabilities in residential settings, ensuring quality care coordination and community integration. Apply clinical expertise to individualized service planning and behavioral support.

Workforce Analyst | 2022-2025
Conducted monitoring and oversight of federal Background Check Program, ensuring policy compliance for 50,000+ applicants annually. Served as product owner for $1 million IT program, performed risk assessment and data analysis, and developed evaluation criteria for applicant suitability determinations.

 
Contracting Officer Representative / Vocational Counselor | 2020-2022
Dual role providing vocational rehabilitation services to military personnel and veterans while serving as contracting officer representative. Conducted vocational assessments, developed employment plans, and coordinated return-to-work services for service members with disabilities. Gained specialized expertise in military transition counseling, PTSD and TBI vocational considerations, and VA benefits navigation.

  
Quality Assurance Monitor/Supervisor and Vocational Counselor | 2010-2020
Note: Employment included brief gap 2012-2013 for positions listed below, then returned to agency

Provided comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services including vocational assessments, career counseling, job placement, and disability employment planning for individuals with physical disabilities, mental health conditions, intellectual disabilities, and chronic health conditions. Advanced to supervisory and quality assurance role, overseeing counselor performance, ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining program quality standards. Developed expertise in:

• Vocational evaluation and assessment
• Transferable skills analysis and labor market research
• Job development and employer relations
• Case management and service coordination
• District and federal vocational rehabilitation regulations

 
Remote Vocational Counselor | 2012-2013
Provided remote vocational counseling services including assessments, career exploration, and employment planning for clients with disabilities. Conducted telephonic and video-based vocational evaluations, demonstrating early expertise in telehealth service delivery.

Crisis Clinician (LPC) | 2012-2013
Provided crisis intervention, mental health assessment, and stabilization services in acute care setting. Conducted psychiatric evaluations, safety assessments, and developed crisis treatment plans for individuals experiencing mental health emergencies. Specialized in dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.

Early Career: Mental Health & Substance Abuse Case Management (2004-2010)

Community Mental Health Settings
Case Manager | 2004-2010
Various positions across community mental health centers and substance abuse treatment facilities

Provided intensive case management, counseling, and care coordination for diverse populations including:

• Adults with serious mental illness (SMI) including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression
• Individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (dual diagnosis)
• Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
• Adolescents and young adults (ages 16-25) in crisis and residential treatment settings
• Low-income populations navigating Medicaid and Medicare systems

Core responsibilities included:

• Crisis intervention and de-escalation
• Benefits coordination and entitlement assistance
• Housing and employment support
• Medication monitoring and psychiatric collaboration
• Family education and support
• Treatment planning and progress documentation
• Coordination with residential facilities, and community providers

Settings and program models:

• Outpatient community mental health clinics
• Supported housing programs
• Dual diagnosis integrated treatment programs

This foundational experience established deep expertise in working with complex, high-need populations and navigating fragmented service systems—skills that directly inform current integrated mental health and vocational services.

Key Competencies Developed Across Career

Mental Health Expertise:

• Crisis assessment and intervention
• Dual diagnosis treatment (co-occurring disorders)
• Trauma-informed care
• Case management and care coordination
• Psychosocial rehabilitation
• Individual and group counseling

Vocational Rehabilitation Expertise:

• Comprehensive vocational assessment
• Career counseling and planning
• Disability employment services
• Labor market analysis and research
• Job development and placement support
• Transferable skills analysis
• Veterans’ vocational services

Data & Analytical Skills:

• Workforce and labor market analysis
• Statistical evaluation and research methodology
• Quality assurance and program evaluation
• Data-driven decision making
• Regulatory compliance monitoring

Populations Served:

• Adults with mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, bipolar, schizophrenia, SMI)
• Individuals with physical disabilities
• Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
• People with learning disabilities and ADHD
• Individuals with substance use disorders
• Veterans and military personnel
• Adolescents and young adults in transition
• Workers' compensation and disability insurance claimants

Credentials:

• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) - North Carolina
• Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) - Nationwide