Education
Ball State University:
Master of Arts degree conferred July 1995
Major: Community Counseling
Bachelor of Science degree conferred May 1992
Major: Pre-professional Psychology
Minor: Interpersonal Relations
Clinical Interests
I have experience as a licensed mental health counselor, working in residential treatment settings, inpatient psychiatric care, corrections, and outpatient care. My practice has changed over the years, but I primarily worked with children and with individuals with disabilities. I have worked with treatment teams, bringing in a variety of treatment modalities to best serve the needs of the individual patient.
I worked for the Southeast Louisiana Veteran’s Healthcare System as a psychometrist. I administered a wide range of tests, including the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), the Word Memory Test, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, The Rey Figure Test, the California Verbal Learning Test, the Wechsler Memory Test (III and IV), The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (III and IV), the Wide Range Achievement Test, Clock Drawing, 3 Sentences, Trails, The Booklet Category Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, The Boston Naming Test, the PAI, the Dementia Rating Scale, Independent Living Scales, the TOVA test, and the MMPI-2RF. I am familiar with the strict administration guidelines for the tests, as well as how to score and report results.
I was the program coordinator for the Prism Project, to the Greater New Orleans area. This involved all development from the ground up, including community partnerships with Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans, Ball State University, The Jazz and Heritage Foundation, New Orleans Recreational Department (NORD), Autism Society of Greater New Orleans, Metropolitan Health, Young Starz of NOLA, University of New Orleans, Tulane United for Autism, and Loyola University. I also had to help raise $20,000 each year to support the program, which I did through fundraisers, grants, and donor solicitations. I obtained and managed staff and volunteers, ran criminal history checks, and created the program schedule. Beyond that, I registered participants, served as a parent liaison, and developed intervention programs for participants who needed greater support. 75% of our participants were children with autism or related developmental delays, and I individually structured the program and supports to best meet their needs.
I volunteered on the board of the Louisiana State Chapter of the Autism Society, as well as the Autism Society Greater New Orleans affiliate. As a board member, I helped to maintain a resource list for the state, as well as kept families up to date of legislative initiatives, and raised money for families and the community to obtain relevant training and resources.
Publications
An evaluation of psychometrics used in the triage of inmates, published October 2004
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
“It’s not easy being green”: Charter schools, the arts, and students with diverse needs,
published Spring 2014 Arts Education Policy Review
Activities and Honors:
Passed the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification 2015
Member in good standing of American Counseling Association (ACA)
Member in good standing of National Association of Psychometrists (NAP)
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, State of Indiana: December 1999 to present