Michelle Atzmuller
Gembrook,Victoria
Summary
Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong work ethic, adaptability, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Therapeutic Foster Parent
Uniting Home Based Care
Dandenong, Victoria
01.2006 - Current
- Maintained detailed records of all interactions with clients including progress notes and incident reports.
- Collaborated with mental health professionals to ensure that prescribed medications were administered correctly and consistently monitored for effectiveness and side effects.
- Facilitated weekly family meetings to discuss household rules and expectations while providing support for any issues that may arise during these conversations.
- Developed positive relationships with birth families and other involved parties, such as caseworkers and therapists.
- Researched community resources available to families such as food pantries or clothing drives.
- Provided transportation for appointments or activities when necessary.
- Served as an advocate for children in their placements through active participation in discussions about their future plans .
- Provided a safe and nurturing home environment for children in foster care.
- Enforced consistent discipline techniques according to agency guidelines while addressing any emotional outbursts appropriately.
- Created individualized behavioral plans with goals to meet the needs of each child.
- Participated in meetings with caseworkers, attorneys, psychologists, social workers, teachers, counselors and other professionals as needed to discuss issues related to the child's well-being.
- Organized recreational activities within the community such as sports teams or after school programs that promote physical activity.
- Maintained regular communication with the caseworker regarding progress on the behavioral plan.
- Educated children on personal hygiene habits including brushing teeth twice daily, bathing regularly and wearing clean clothes every day.
- Supported children's educational development by ensuring they attended school regularly, providing tutoring if needed, and attending parent-teacher conferences when appropriate.
- Actively participated in continuing education courses relevant to therapeutic foster parenting practices.
- Taught basic life skills such as time management, money management, cooking skills and laundry skills.
- Encouraged children to participate in age-appropriate activities both inside and outside of the home.
- Assisted in completing homework assignments and school projects to support child's education.
- Investigated reports or indications of abuse, neglect or exploitation of at-risk adults, adolescents and children.
- Collaborated with state agencies and benefits coordinators to develop individualized plans for each case.
Case Manager
Salvation Army Eastcare
Croydon, Victoria
01.2004 - 01.2006
- Provided case management services including intake, assessment, crisis intervention, advocacy, referral and monitoring of families.
- Monitored client progress through regular follow-up contacts.
- Assessed clients' needs, developed service plans and monitored progress towards goals.
- Maintained accurate case records and documentation according to agency guidelines.
- Counseled clients on available resources within the community that could help meet their needs.
- Facilitated communication between clients, families, caregivers, social services and other agencies to ensure client needs were met.
- Maintained up-to-date case records with case activity status.
- Developed individualized care plans with input from clients and their families.
- Developed trusting relationships with social services, health care providers and governmental agencies.
- Participated in regular team meetings and in-house training sessions to boost group effectiveness.
- Provided referrals to appropriate health care providers or other community resources.
- Provided crisis intervention support for clients in emergency situations.
- Compiled reports on cases and submitted them to supervisors as required.
- Linked clients with social services, health care providers and governmental agencies to help claim or reclaim individual autonomy.
- Assisted individuals with eligibility for available benefits.
- Adhered to ethical principles and standards to protect clients' confidential information.
- Maintained logs and electronic client records following department and agency policies for effective monitoring.
- Participated in interdisciplinary team meetings to discuss treatment options.
- Coordinated transportation services for clients who lacked access to reliable transportation.
- Educated clients about mental health conditions, medications and self-care techniques.
- Assisted with applications for government benefits such as Medicaid or Social Security Disability Insurance.
- Collaborated with medical professionals to coordinate treatment plans for clients.
- Coordinated support services and optimized communication between healthcare workers and patients.
- Transitioned clients to different providers based on progress or needs.
- Collaborated with healthcare team to improve care quality, reduce costs and gauge patient progress.
Education
Diploma of Youth - Youth Work
10-2001
Skills
- Child Development Knowledge
- Documentation and Reporting
- Safety Planning
- Positive Reinforcement
- Educational Support
- Behavior mirroring
- Community Resources
Affiliations
- Outside the home we love attending BasketBall games and watching all types of sport at venues and on tv
References
References available upon request.
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Timeline
Therapeutic Foster Parent - Uniting Home Based Care
01.2006 - Current
Case Manager - Salvation Army Eastcare
01.2004 - 01.2006
Chisholm Institute - Diploma of Youth, Youth Work