Miriam Heppler
Phoenixville
Summary
Reliable employee seeking a clinical Social Work position in the NOVA area. Offering strong communication, dedication, and flexibility. A proponent of lifelong learning to provide the most effective services to clients.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
School Social Worker
Prince William County Schools
2023.08 - Current
- Enhanced student well-being by providing individual IEP counseling sessions addressing various social, emotional, and behavioral issues.
- Collaborated with teachers and administrators to develop intervention strategies for students in need of additional support.
- Collaborated with schools, family services and health care providers to determine services and aid with psychosocial assessments.
- Assisted parents in navigating the special education process, ensuring proper identification and provision of services for their children.
- Observed student behavior and developed behavioral interventions.
- Connected families with community resources to address needs such as housing, healthcare, and financial assistance.
- Monitored student attendance, documented truancy and submitted referrals per requirements.
- Conduct Sociocultural Assessments with parents and caregivers for students in the Special Education evaluation process.
- Served as a liaison between the school, family, and community agencies to ensure effective communication and collaboration around student needs.
- Conduct preference assessments for students' behavioral intervention plans.
- Conduct threat and suicide assessments.
- Served as an active member of the Student Support (intervention) Team, Special Education Team, and Mental Health Team in my respective school buildings.
- Establish rapport with students and families to gain understanding and provide support for families facing extraordinary circumstances.
- Provide resources for immigrant, refugee, and veteran families.
- Provide case management services.
- Obtain provisionary school social work licensure with the state of Virginia.
School Counselor
Pottstown School District / The Lincoln Center
2021.08 - 2023.06
- Emergency Certified elementary school counselor
- Act as mental, emotional and behavioral support for student and staff. Provide short and long term individual and group counseling sessions to meet students' therapeutic and behavioral needs
- IEP and 504 student counseling and team meetings
- Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encouraged students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals
- Collaborated with parents, school faculty and social workers to address problems and grow student success
- Assist in emotional regulation of Autistic Support students and classrooms
- Participate in: leadership team, safety team, MTSS core team, and PBIS team. Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) trained
- Collaborated with teachers to define therapy objectives and analyze progress
- Empowered students through counseling and skill-building exercises
- Reviewed and discussed new students' academic credentials, interests and educational goals
- Provided crisis intervention in response to emergencies, employing existing trust and rapport to deescalate situations
Clinical Intern
Rehab After Work/The Light Program
2022.01 - 2022.08
- Clinical intern for adult substance abuse rehabilitation program (IOP and GOP) and teen mental health (PHP, IOP, and GOP)
- Acting as group facilitator and clinical counseling intern. Facilitate intensive groups of approximately 5-10 clients per session
- Implemented DBT treatment modalities to achieve positive outcomes for patients while working under direct supervision of clinical supervisors
- Maintain strong client relationships. Increase client coping skill usage
- Performed short-term therapy, provided education and responded to crisis situations
- Treated patients with mental health issues and dual-diagnoses, including suicidality, homicidality and self-harm
- Helped clients develop new coping mechanisms and techniques to drive behavior modification
- Developed and facilitated goal-oriented psycho-education and therapy groups to improve participants' quality of life
Parenting Team Intern
One Family (IE)
2020.01 - 2020.03
- Act as agency’s intake liaison
- Receive incoming referrals for single-parent and separated parent households, regarding families in high-level conflict, resulting in child welfare concerns
- Act as initial point of contact between agency and new/returning clients
- Create positive rapport with incoming clients
- Interview and assess families’ and individuals’ needs
- Refer clients to appropriate agency programs
- Liaise with agency workers to ensure proper referral(s)
- Follow-up with clients, re-assessing needs and program effectiveness.
Ongoing Caseworker
Montgomery County Office Of Children And Youth
2018.06 - 2019.08
- Maintain caseload of 8-12 families
- Interviewing and assessing families accepted for child welfare services
- Assuring safety and protection of children. Acting in children’s best interest
- Determined eligibility and suitability for programs by performing client intake interviews and bio-psycho-social assessments
- Supervised overall client services and acted as liaison between clients, caregivers and service providers
- Engaging families throughout goal-plan process
- Providing variety of case management services, both in-home and placement
- Performed discharge planning, placement monitoring and crisis intervention
- Collaboration with external agencies and professionals to address safety concerns within family dynamics
- Addressing concerns related to substance abuse, physical, behavioral and/or mental health, domestic violence, parenting styles, etc.
- Managing difficult and hostile situations, de-escalating clients, maintaining personal and child safety
- Provided crisis intervention and case management services to child, family and legal guardians
- Case liaison between multiple team workers, including drug and alcohol counselors, mental health counselors, biological, adoptive, and foster families
- Participate in Placement Clinical Reviews
- Assessed needs of each client and recommended appropriate services and resources
- Maintained high level of client confidentiality, following strict guidelines and recommendations
- Offered support and direction to families and coordinated with court system and other community agencies for treatment
- Checked with newly placed children frequently to support comprehensive success and assimilation
Intake Casework Intern
Berks County Children And Youth Services
2017.08 - 2018.05
- Participant of Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates (CWEB) Program through University of Pittsburgh interning in BCCYS' In-Take Department
- Receive and Investigate allegations of abuse and neglect
- Interview families to assess validity of allegations and child safety within the home
- Conduct pop-up and scheduled home visits to ensure child safety
- Maintain regular contact with clients by calling and visiting clients' homes throughout investigative process
- Built solid and trusting rapport with children and families, fostering trust and communication to meet case needs
- Interview, engage and assess families needs, maintain proper documentation, provide case management services.
Recovery Support Staff
Cornerstone Clubhouse
2017.01 - 2017.05
- Gained employment with Cornerstone Clubhouse following an internship from 1/2016-5/2016.
- Assisting adults with dual-diagnosis mental health conditions (schizoaffective disorders) to increase their professional skillset including clerical work, kitchen positions, and work study programs
- Completing generalist roles in aiding clients in mental health recovery
- Complete daily in-take notes and assessments
- Oversaw individual client in work study position; promote their needs within the professional environment
- Maintain therapeutic environment, promoting client comfortability and engagement
- Collaborate with clients to complete daily tasks
- Host daily morning meetings with clients
- Collaborate with external agency to facilitate walking program among members as wellness initiative
- Promote learning environment, encouraging clients to strengthen their working skillset
Education
Master of Counseling - School Counseling
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA12.2024
Master of Social Work (MSW) - Social Work
Widener University
Chester, PA08.2022
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - Social Work
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA05.2018
Skills
- Therapy, Counseling and Confidential Services
- Crisis Intervention Strategies, Behavior Plan creation and implementation
- Abuse Identification and Child Welfare referrals
- Classroom Observation
- Student Records Maintenance
- Mental Health Referrals
- Conflict Management Education
- Maintain warm, therapeutic environment
Timeline
School Social Worker
Prince William County Schools
2023.08 - Current
Clinical Intern
Rehab After Work/The Light Program
2022.01 - 2022.08
School Counselor
Pottstown School District / The Lincoln Center
2021.08 - 2023.06
Parenting Team Intern
One Family (IE)
2020.01 - 2020.03
Ongoing Caseworker
Montgomery County Office Of Children And Youth
2018.06 - 2019.08
Intake Casework Intern
Berks County Children And Youth Services
2017.08 - 2018.05
Recovery Support Staff
Cornerstone Clubhouse
2017.01 - 2017.05
Master of Counseling - School Counseling
Gwynedd Mercy University
Master of Social Work (MSW) - Social Work
Widener University
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) - Social Work
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Similar Profiles
Susan StenforsSusan Stenfors
8th Grade Language Arts Teacher at Prince William County Schools8th Grade Language Arts Teacher at Prince William County Schools
Anthony TompkinsAnthony Tompkins
Content Team Lead at Prince William County SchoolsContent Team Lead at Prince William County Schools
Shannon DonahueShannon Donahue
Special Education at Prince William County SchoolsSpecial Education at Prince William County Schools