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
08.2023 - 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
08.2021 - 06.2023
- 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
01.2022 - 08.2022
- 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)
01.2020 - 03.2020
- 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
06.2018 - 08.2019
- 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
08.2017 - 05.2018
- 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
01.2017 - 05.2017
- 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
08.2023 - Current
Clinical Intern
Rehab After Work/The Light Program
01.2022 - 08.2022
School Counselor
Pottstown School District / The Lincoln Center
08.2021 - 06.2023
Parenting Team Intern
One Family (IE)
01.2020 - 03.2020
Ongoing Caseworker
Montgomery County Office Of Children And Youth
06.2018 - 08.2019
Intake Casework Intern
Berks County Children And Youth Services
08.2017 - 05.2018
Recovery Support Staff
Cornerstone Clubhouse
01.2017 - 05.2017
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
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