Education
Rutgers College – BA Psychology
Rutgers School of Social Work – MSW
Certifications
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- Certified School Social Worker
- Advanced Trainer Nurtured Heart Approach®
Work Experience
20 years as Founder and Director of Positive Culture Change
20 years as an instructor for the School of Social Work- Continuing Education Department at Rutgers University
10 Years Clinical Supervisor for 9 bed group home
9 Years Executive Director of a 62 Bed Residential Treatment program
12 Years training New Jersey Juvenile Justice Staff
1 Year as State Director of Residential Placements in NJ
8 Years as Assistant Executive Director for a large Residential facility and special education school
1 Year as the Executive Director of the Legacy Training Institute
Accomplishments
- Transformed a residential program for at risk youth riddled with licensing violations and grew it to a highly respected 63 bed facility
- Wrote numerous statewide policies governing the residential placement process in New Jersey and co wrote the first Specialty Bed program RFP for the state of New Jersey
- Created the curriculum “Creating Safe and Respectful Environments” for the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission and delivered training to all of New Jersey’s County Youth detention centers and the state secure facility. This very successful training curriculum is now in its 7th year of operation
- Has been a frequent guest lecturer at The College of New Jersey Criminal Justice Department and Montclair Social Service department
- In 3 years turned a struggling alternative high school for at risk and highly aggressive youth into a model school with high academic performance and zero youth terminated from the program in over four years
- Has created champion teams in over 15 states to initiate and facilitate organizational change
- Has consulted and provided hundreds of training experiences, delivered presentations and keynote addresses at numerous conferences throughout the country