My name is David and I am a clinical social worker and licensed addiction counselor. Working with families struggling with domestic violence, substance abuse and generational poverty have given me a deep respect for their resiliency, resourcefulness, stamina and strength.  I am a practicing and seasoned Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker since 2001. For the past twenty-three years of postgraduate work, I have experience with older adolescents as well as adults of all ages.  Due to witnessing my patient’s family confront the stigma, shame, guilt, isolation and burden, I have a sense of mission, compassion, and heart as a result.

Below are some of my experiences, both educational, practicum and career:

Practicum Experience:

As master of social work student, my training deeply drew from family therapy theory and gaining a keen understanding of how the environment can reciprocally affect a person.  I also gained a deep respect for how impaired attachment and developmental miles can affect others emotional and cognitive functioning [Attachment and Object Relations theory], so I tend to look through the lenses of attachment and developmental milestones regardless of what age my patients are.

 Provident Counseling, Belleville, Illinois, Concentration practicum working with court mandated abuse and neglect cases

 St. John’s Mercy Medical Hospital, Creve Coeur, St. Louis, Clinical Social work foundation practicum on dual diagnosis child, adolescent, and adult inpatient and outpatient units [as well as partial and day programs]

Work Experience:

In some of my work with children in Comprehensive Mental Health Centers working with at-risk families on assistance on government assistance:

•  Home and school-based therapist with Intensive, hands-on experience and knowledge with special needs classrooms, and emotionally handicapped and learning-disabled children.

• I use a strong family approach with my young adults with pervasive developmental disorders such as Autism/Asperger’s, I am highly collaborative, supportive, as well as deeply rely on the ongoing feedback by family members as well as other community resources/support both to get feedback.

• Inspired, organize, support, build, and lead family advocacy group for children with learning disabled/ behavioral/ attention issues for 6 years.  History of focus on advocacy and support for parents with children of learning/ attention, and behavioral problems.

In addition, I have had the privilege of working at Joint Base McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst, New Jersey as a contracted civilian as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. In this setting, I:

• Worked with active-duty Army Navy Marine, and Air Force service members and their families, I gained an understanding of military culture and sensitization to the urgency of stressors. I also worked with partners/families dealing with effects of mental health and trauma of service members. 

• Kept caseload of high-risk patients dealing with severe MH issues such as suicidality, psychosis, personality disorder, bipolar mania, unipolar depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety as well as chronic issues related marital, family of origin stressors, generational poverty, substance abuse issues, as well as chronic mental and physical related disabilities that sometimes lead to the service member medically retirement/ administratively separation.