Joy Ellen S.

I provide group and individual therapy in the outpatient setting.

Through active community engagement, and effective communication strategies, I rebuilt the shelter care volunteer program post COVID through a massive reshuffling. I organized an expansion of the current volunteer programs to enhance the human animal bond with previously under-resourced groups. I streamlined the orientation process through development of a shelter wide volunteer training experience to create an efficient system and further engage the community volunteer. Worked with volunteers in marginalized groups, volunteers with disabilities, and volunteers with mental health illnesses. Advocating for members of the community to experience the human animal bond. This meant often dealing with difficult and irate individuals, and the utilization of de escalation tactics and skills. I also assist in developing vocational goals for individuals with disabilities and support their inclusion shelter wide. I use my creative and technical writing skills to create professional training to be used organization wide. I was a organizational leader, and managed both staff and volunteers successfully

Newsletter editor for Aninjusticemag!

Writer, editor and essayist. My writing has appeared in Scary Mommy, Your Tango, and Mamamia. Writing focuses on mental health and wellness advocacy through works of fiction and non fiction. i also write about pop culture for fun.

I managed a 27 bed homeless shelter for adults and families. This included facilitating all intakes and exits, monitoring all case management, shelter resident safety, and communicating with other and community stakeholders to help residents through their transition into housing. Provided access to resources, advocacy and engagement. Managed staff and all shelter wide programs. Trained in Mental Health Crisis Counseling, CPR and First Aid. Counseling in substance abuse, mental health and crisis deescalation. worked closely with residents with a variety of challenging behaviors and quickly changing situations. Worked with the correctional system to interview potential residents for the homeless shelter, and to assist residents with information for their own criminal cases.

Communication specialist engaging university scholars into developing honors courses. Interviewed students, and encouraged participation in honors coursework, especially for the Department of Enlglish

I redesigned the school's website, created a school newsletter, created video shorts to promote the school, and edited their year end yearbook. Through content creation, and community engagement through public events and social media, I promoted the charter school's mission and values. Through my tenure, school enrollment doubled. I assisted as a 1:1 special education para if needed. I was trained in crisis prevention and de-escalation.

Worked directly with families who were at risk of losing custody of their children. I completed in home Parent Education Programs for families identified as needing this support. Coordinated and supervised foster children to parental visitation within the jail system. Worked with parents to help them navigate through the criminal justice system and rehabilitation program to be reunited with their children Created content for members of the board, and the community at large to highlight the agency's core mission and values, and to bring awareness to socioeconomic issues facing young people in the community. Created and organized an 8 week community event that brought families together to address concerns in their community.