meg susong

Project manager of the annual needs assessment of Travis County child care centers to strategically guide and increase effectiveness of future early childhood work - Participated in advocacy work by building relationships with city officials and community partners to assess and implement the strategies of the School Readiness Action Plan (SRAP) - Collaborated with all members of the Success By 6 team in the development of program evaluation tools to guide implementation of direct service programs and advocacy efforts

Provided guided support and intervention to students based on educational and behavioral goals - Coordinated with school staff, mental health professionals, and student guardians to offer a positive and safe learning environment

* Created curriculum for lessons based on student ability * Instructed private and group lessons for students 18 months of age to adult * Collaborated with parents through verbal and written feedback to assist children in strengthening swimming and water safety skills

* Direct service role in person-centered approach to assessment, planning, service delivery, and service coordination for people experiencing substance abuse and serious mental health conditions * Facilitated group discussion sessions and individual sessions to support clients in developing resilience and achieving recovery goals * Researched funding opportunities and strategies to expand the program to offer a street-based peer outreach component to increase access to recovery services * Authored application to receive state licensing and funding

* Developed a manual for the positon in order to train staff and supervisor on job-related duties * Generated educational materials on animal care and fundraisers * Provided daily administrative support to veterinary staff by addressing customer concerns, running financial reports, and collecting client-and-patient data

* Water Safety Instructor certified by the Red Cross for over 6 years * Red Cross Trained and Certified for Water Park Lifeguard, CPR/AED & First Aid * Responsible for overseeing 30 certified Water Safety Instructors (WSI) and over 50 water safety aides, as well as coordinating and assigning schedules, assessing performance, and communicating information to supervisors * Involved in the day-to-day operations of swim lessons, including interacting with parents and patrons regarding feedback on the program and instructors, ensuring lessons ran smoothly, necessary materials were available, and registering participants * Responsible for dealing with patron complaints and questions along with on-the-spot changes (such as bad weather, equipment breakdown, or accidents in the pool) * Taught one-on-one swim lessons covering basic swim technique to preparing for competitive swim and dive competitions * Co-taught swim lessons with new instructors and aides to assist in further training them under the Red Cross program

* Assisted in creating and starting a new swim program for children under 12 years (designed to be skill-focused verses age-focused) and an aerobic/water safety program for mothers and their young children * Prepared children for swim team through the Stroke Clinic program by recreating the swim team experience (using specific techniques and workouts) * Taught children, adults, and parents of children under 3 basic swim techniques * Provided feedback to groups and one-on-one conversation with parents * Provided private, one-on-one swimming lessons.

I run the agency-wide program, requiring me to organize and maintain a balance of outreach, community involvement, and assistance while ensuring the confidentiality and safety of all involved. Since volunteering as the coordinator at the beginning of this year, I restarted the initiative, crafted promotional and educational materials, and began partnering with local pet organizations such as Emancipet in order to provide basic medical care and increase the number of human and animal clients our program can serve. My current projects include: - development of two mini-campaigns aimed at positioning SafePlace’s program as a groundbreaking, unique initiative to potential clients, donors, and partners; - creating and organizing the Pet Foster Program portion of SafePlace’s 2014 5K event along with apply for grants and running an online fundraiser; - interviewing former shelter clients with pets and client advocates on staff in order to better position the program to effectively address human and animal need.

* Responsible for day-to-day operations, including assisting students and other public members, working on the expanding library, and maintaining the physical center’s resources through restocking supplies, responding to emails and telephone calls, as well as * Created content for fliers and pamphlets distributed by the center * Served as the primary contact and coordinated bringing several speakers to campus sponsored by the center

Activities and Societies: Member, Phi Alpha Honor Society