Welcome! to Space's PsychoHealth Blog!!

In this blog, I will share my thoughts and provide some helpful nuggets of information on mental health, addiction, and anything psycho-logically relevant to one's health.  It will be positive, enlightening, humorous, and maybe even inspiring.  I invite you to comment on the information posted, as long as it is relevant and appropriate.  Offensive language or negative comments towards myself or other people will not be tolerated.  I want this to be a safe forum to share experiences, ideas, helpful tips, inspirational quotes, jokes...whatever, just keep it clean folks!  

I fully intend to splash my sarcasm, wit, humor, and sass throughout!  Those of you who know me and/or have experienced my personality know what I am talking about; those of you who haven't, well, you've been warned!  While I do not intend to offend anyone, I may inadvertently upset one or three of you.  Please let me know and I will do my best to address your concerns.  

Introduction:

I am a graduate from Montclair State University, B.A. in Psychology in 1994 and M.A. in Counseling and Human Development in 1996.  I completed my academic requirements for licensure at Monmouth University and was officially licensed in January, 1998 as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). 

In 2000, I completed the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC).  It had been increasingly more evident that people with a mental health issue have some kind of addiction component attached to it.  As a mental health clinician, I believe it is essential to have extensive knowledge and familiarity with all aspects of addiction.  

In 2005, I completed the academic requirements to get certified as a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP).  This combined both mental health and addiction treatment with direct involvement with employers and employees.  Mental health and addiction issues in the workplace contribute to billions of dollars lost by businesses due to poor work performance/attendance, workplace injuries and workplace violence.  Know anybody who has dealt with workplace issues? Hmmm...how about EVERYBODY!!  EAPs (Employee Assistance Program) are invaluable services to both employers and employees in companies that offer the service.  It is free to the employee, usually offering anywhere from 3-6 sessions paid for by the company.  That's a pretty good deal and who knows you may have me as your EAP counselor!!!  Lucky you!! 

Ok, enough about that...NOW I am going to briefly enlighten you with all the jobs and positions I have had that are relevant to what I do here! (Really any job I had is relevant, am I right?? (see EAP stuff). So I will leave off that I worked at Kay-Bee toys while in high school!)

• Rehabilitation Assistant in a vocational rehabilitation facility
• Job Coach at same voc rehab facility
• Rehabilitation Counselor (same as above)
• PACT team mental health clinician (Programs for Assertive Community Treatment: reintegrating institutionalized individuals back into the community)
• PACT team leader
• Program Director (Mobile Crisis Response Service for developmentally disabled)
• Program Supervisor/Mental Health Clinician (Access Center-phone triage for community mental health center)
• Program Coordinator ICMS (Integrated Case Management Services)
• EAP Consultant
• Private Practice since 2006

All of these jobs gave me invaluable experience, and many of the people I worked with were great mentors who helped mold me into the therapist I am today.  

I can go on and on about me but let's be honest, you probably don't give a rat's patoody! (not sure how to spell that word, but I didn't want to use some other choice words!)

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoy my future entries.  Stay tuned for the next one, it's a doozy!
.........I-I Me Me, Mine...The Case for Being "Selfish"