Jennifer Dowling, LCSW-C
Chevy Chase,MD
Summary
Dedicated Social Worker and therapist provides exceptional professional care and implements appropriate interventions primarily for children and their families. Utilizes variety of resources to identify unique needs and assist vulnerable populations. Adept at establishing strong rapport with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Successful at helping clients unravel physical, mental and emotional layers to identify root causes of problems and develop strong coping skills for diverse scenarios. Proficient in case management and interdisciplinary collaboration with passion for leaving positive impact on clients' lives.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Therapist
Woodbourne Residential Treatment Program
02.2005 - 06.2007
- Provided weekly trauma-informed individual therapy to adolescent males, adjudicated for having committed sex offenses
- Provided family and group therapies to clients to assist with psychological and psychosocial issues with emphasis on issues related to sexual offending behaviors, trauma, major mood disorders and psychosocial and environmental stressors
- Worked with clients to develop Strength-Based Assessments and Individual Treatment Plans to identify strengths and problem areas, formulate diagnostic impressions and develop treatment goals to assist in rehabilitation and recidivism prevention
- Documented all interactions with clients in weekly case notes and Quarterly Strength-Based Assessments and Treatment Plans, set psychosocial IEP goals with interdisciplinary team, including clients and their families, psychiatrists, teachers, probation officers and residential staff
- Attended court, as necessary, to provide clinical evaluations of clients’ progress and make recommendations regarding treatment
- Completed quarterly J-SOAP assessments.
Social Worker
Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland, The Back to Basics Program
04.2003 - 02.2005
- Provided intensive therapeutic and case management services to low-income families living with HIV and AIDS in Baltimore City
- Provided weekly individual and family therapy to clients to assist with psychological and psychosocial issues with emphasis on issues related to HIV status, including acceptance of HIV/AIDS diagnosis, major mood disorders and grief and loss issues
- Worked with clients to develop Strength-Based Assessments and Individual Treatment Plans to identify strengths and problem areas, formulate diagnostic impressions and develop treatment goals to improve self-defeating or maladaptive behavior patterns and enhance client’s quality of life
- Provided outreach and referrals to engage clients in needed services, including HIV education, specialty medical care, psychiatric care, parent training, home management, domestic violence prevention, legal services (including Advanced Directives and Last Will), anger management training, and other services as needed
- Assisted homeless clients in obtaining housing through a variety of subsidized housing programs including Shelter Plus Care, Housing Assistance Program, Section Eight, Rental Assistance Program and transitional housing programs, including Paca House and Pratt House
- Made frequent home visits to clients to provide therapy, education, support and advocacy services
- Documented all interactions with clients in monthly case notes and Quarterly Strength-Based Assessments and Treatment Plans.
Social Worker
Trinity Foster Family Agency
08.2000 - 02.2001
- Provided case management services to foster children and their foster families
- Conducted monthly home visits to monitor children’s foster care placements and subsequently documented all contacts
- Provided in-home support and training services to foster parents, including resource allocation, behavior management training, attachment training, and related training topics
- Maintained consistent contact with County Social Workers by documenting and submitting Quarterly Assessments for each foster child and maintaining telephone contact as necessary
- Facilitated and monitored natural parent visits between foster children and their natural family members.
- Monitored clients' progress to adjust treatment plans accordingly.
Therapist
Creative Innovations, Inc.
02.2000 - 06.2000
- Provided intensive in-home family preservation services to families at-risk for separation from their children due to allegations of abuse or neglect
- Provided crisis, individual, family and marital therapies for at-risk individuals and their families
- Conducted intake interviews with families and generated assessment reports that included applicable diagnostic impressions, crisis assessments and initial treatment plans
- Assisted families in developing family preservation treatment goals and subsequently documented and monitored participating families’ progress towards treatment goals
- Conducted weekly home visits to ensure children’s safety and to provide communication and negotiation skills, parenting skills training, home management skills, job readiness training, and linkages to community resources.
- Referred clients to other specialists, institutions or support services as necessary.
Social Worker
Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland, Therapeutic Foster Care Program
06.1998 - 12.1999
- Provided case management services to foster children with special needs, particularly prenatal drug exposure and HIV
- Provided intensive reunification services to birth family members of children in foster care, including substance abuse counseling, individual and family therapy
- Completed quarterly assessments of birth family members, including diagnostic impressions of birth parents and worked with these parents to develop and implement treatment plans to identify strengths and problem areas and create goals for changing destructive behavior patterns and accomplish tasks associated with court recommended treatment plans for reunification with foster children
- Allocated resources for birth parents including: housing; in-patient substance abuse treatment; HIV specific medical care and support; and assistance with medical Health Management Organizations
- Attended and participated in meetings and court proceedings pertinent to the care of foster children, including medical appointments, ARD meetings, Foster Care Review Board Hearings, and interdisciplinary treatment team meetings
- Facilitated adoption proceedings of special needs children when reunification efforts were not successful
- Conducted interviews with prospective adoptive and foster families and subsequently documented findings and recommendations in home study reports
- Conducted monthly home visits to monitor children’s foster care placements
- Developed and implemented numerous foster parent training groups with emphasis on attachment and loss issues for special needs children in foster care and their foster care givers
- Developed a foster care aftercare program and wrote a grant proposal for a three-year pilot program to support birth families after reunification has occurred
Social Work Intern
Kennedy Krieger Institute, Therapeutic Foster Care Program
09.1997 - 05.1998
- Provided case management services to foster children with special needs and their foster and birth families, including resource allocation and client advocacy
- Attended and participated in meetings and court proceedings pertinent to the care of foster children
- Conducted monthly home visits to monitor child’s foster care placement
- Coordinated and facilitated Individual Service Plan meetings and subsequently documented treatment plans
- Co-facilitated foster parent training group.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to optimize client care and improve overall wellbeing.
Education
MSW - Clinical, Families and Children
University of MD, Baltimore School of Social Work
Baltimore, MD05.1998
Bachelor of Science - Social Work & Psychology
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Catonsville, MD05.1997
Skills
- Individual and Group Counseling
- Family therapy
- Positive client experiences
- Building rapport
- Compassionate
- Referrals and networking
- Crisis Intervention Techniques
- Multicultural Competence
- Therapeutic Plans
- Psychosocial assessment
- Documentation requirements
- Client Confidentiality
Certification
Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical, Maryland, 13020
Special Training
- Completed J-SOAP (Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol) Training 2005
- Completed California NASW Human Sexuality Workshop, October 2000
- Completed Chemical Dependency Training and Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Courses at American Behavioral Studies Institute in Santa Ana, CA in December 2000
- Completed Grant Writing Course at Goucher College Continuing Studies Program, 1999
- Attended numerous HIV/AIDS care conferences
- Completed Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale Training (CAFAS), 1997
Timeline
Therapist
Woodbourne Residential Treatment Program
02.2005 - 06.2007
Social Worker
Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland, The Back to Basics Program
04.2003 - 02.2005
Social Worker
Trinity Foster Family Agency
08.2000 - 02.2001
Therapist
Creative Innovations, Inc.
02.2000 - 06.2000
Social Worker
Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland, Therapeutic Foster Care Program
06.1998 - 12.1999
Social Work Intern
Kennedy Krieger Institute, Therapeutic Foster Care Program
09.1997 - 05.1998
MSW - Clinical, Families and Children
University of MD, Baltimore School of Social Work
Bachelor of Science - Social Work & Psychology
University of Maryland Baltimore County
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