Since 2002 I have had the honor of facilitating individual and family therapy sessions. My clinical practice has included a specialized focus on children, youth, and families; interpersonal trauma; and juvenile delinquency in both community based and residential settings.
I serve as a forensic evaluator and expert witness for victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse, consultant on trauma informed care and intervention practices to child welfare organizations and adult treatment facilities, and clinical supervisor to graduate level practitioners and students.
My research focuses on the grooming behaviors of adult sex offenders, differential impact trauma has on individuals, and various interventions intended to address this. I have presented at state, national, and international conferences, and have authored peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters related to trauma and sexual aggression. The vision of my professional pursuits is to promote hope, growth, and resilience.
My mission as a social work educator is to foster inquiry, insight, cultural humility, and excitement into the thinking and professional values of the next generation of social work practitioners. It is not enough to simply bestow information. To be successful
in the profession, students must develop critical thinking skills that promote effective problem solving in a manner that empowers clients, encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, is trauma informed, and adheres to the NASW code of ethics.
Students
must anticipate, recognize, and effectively respond to changing systems, technological advancements, evolving public policies, and social landscapes. This requires provision of conceptual information, opportunities to safely practice newly developed
skills, and encouraging students to ignite, or further cultivate, their own personal motivation to develop and master the competencies necessary for social work practice.
To cultivate critical thinking, achieve the learning goals and objectives of the course, and foster development of CSWE competencies, I utilize Socratic questioning that is complimented by relevant readings, class discussion, organized visual material
handouts, activities conducted in and outside of the classroom setting, and media resources. When applicable I bring my own clinical experience into class as well as relevant guest speakers. Infusing practice examples into class discussion instills
a sense of relevancy of the material and empirical application of concepts, knowledge, and skills into direct practice.
My teaching experience is inclusive of undergraduate and graduate instruction in a traditional, hybrid, and fully online format. Course lengths have ranged from 7 to 15 weeks long. I am comfortable using various learning management systems and integrating
technology into lessons. While I have focused primarily on social work courses, I have experience teaching in other disciplines.
The majority of students I taught have been first-generation, nontraditional, and working caretakers. This requires consideration
of needs not typically present in the traditional student. Sensitivity to the learning needs of a diverse student body requires accountable flexibility, empathy, being equitable with students, and clarity in communication. I empower students to hold
themselves accountable, meet a standard of competence that is consistent with both NASW and CSWE, and work collaboratively to help them achieve more than what they realized they were capable of.
I am currently writing a book on sexual grooming.
With my colleagues, we are finalizing our evaluation of the psychometrics of the Sexual Offender Grooming Assessment (SOGA) measure we created.