Quality Assurance Services
Resume:
VITAE
Christa D. Smelko
Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Suite 416
Helena, MT 59601
Cell 406-***-****
Office 406-***-****
**********************@*****.*******://www.capitalcityconsultantsonline.com
LICENSURE STATUS
MONTANA: LICENSE NUMBER 400
COLORADO: LICENSE NUMBER 2989
ADDITIONAL CREDENTIALS/AFFILIATION
Montana Sex Offender Association-Full Clinical Member
Montana Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
National Registry of Health Care Providers
International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services
American Psychology-Law Society
Legal Information Institute-Cornell Law School
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT:
Capital City Consultants/Private Practice
Helena, Montana
Dates: April 2010Present1
Title: Co-Owner
Duties: Duties: I am Cofounder of a private practice that provides comprehensive mental
health services to counties throughout Montana and the greater Northwestern Region.
Among other services, sex offense specific evaluations for adult and adolescent
populations are provided to referring parties such as the courts, attorneys, and
treatment
providers. Evaluations provided range from Psychosexual Risk Assessments,
Competency (Fitness to Proceed), Sanity (Mental Disease and Defect), Violent Predator
Assessments, Death Penalty Mitigation and Clemency, Neuropsychological,
Psychological, Abel, Affinity, Parental Assessments (DN), Custody evaluations,
Guardianship, Miranda Rights/Search and Seizure, and Tort Law related matters. I also
provide consultation/evaluation services regarding Reality Impairment, Eye Witness
Testimony Issues, Child Sexual Abuse/Abuse allegations, and Developmental Disability
issues, and Conduct, Trauma and Social/Emotional assessments for young children (1-7).
Capital City Consultants provides a wide array of psychological services and a
comprehensive list of those services can be provided upon request.
Steel City Consultants/Private Practice
Pueblo, Colorado
Dates: August 2005 - Present
Title: Cofounder and currently a Professional Consultant to a private practice that
provides comprehensive mental health services to Pueblo and surrounding counties.
Psychological and forensic services include but are not limited to: Sex offense specific
evaluations for adult and adolescent populations are provided to referring parties such
as
the courts, attorneys, and treatment providers. Evaluations provided range from
Psychosexual Risk Assessments, Violent Predator Assessments, PPG, Abel, Affinity, and
Parental Risk Assessments, Custody evaluations, parental fit evaluations, assessment of
parent child interactions, parental supervision. Psychological, cognitive, personality,
neuropsychological, and risk assessments and malingering and competency evaluations.
Individual, family and group therapy, for clients across the cultural, economic,
developmental and diagnostic spectrum. Steel City Consultants provides a wide array of
other psychological/forensic services.
Shodair Children s Hospital
Helena, Montana
Dates: May 2010 Present
Title: Licensed Psychologist
Duties: Provide quality psychological services in a range of treatment settings including
the Psychiatric, Genetics, and New Born/Metabolic Follow-up departments. Provides
psychological and neuropsychological evaluations, risk assessments, and
psychoeducational training and consultation including recommendations for diagnosis,
treatment, and service delivery placement. Participates in assuring that the quality of
patient care remains high through participation in staff meetings and feedback sessions
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with family and treatment teams. Provides information and participates in peer review
process. Provides services within framework of hospital quality assurance programs.
Provides education for staff, patients, and the community on a variety of topics and
areas
of need. Assist with general program development, implementation, and oversight
including community outreach and programming. Includes travel to various satellite
clinics across Montana.
PAST PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Colorado Mental Health Institute-Pueblo: Institute for Forensic Psychiatry
Pueblo, Colorado
Dates: January 2007April 2010
Duties: To complete Restoration Reports and Competency Evaluations to expedite
progression of Observation and Incompetent to Proceed legal statuses. Identify and
interpret psychological assessments appropriate to the question of competency or
restoration and to assist in Sanity/Mental Status Examinations. Assess competency and
feigning among multi-diagnostic and difficult-to-treat individuals who are anticipating
significant legal consequences, including juveniles. Develop and deliver to court, via
expert testimony, professional opinion regarding diagnosis, personality characteristics
and legal issues. Assist in providing competency restoration and assessment training as
well as data collection pertaining to Incompetent to Proceed patients. Participate in
quality assurance reviews. Was deemed an expert witness in multiple judicial districts
and
completed over 600 competency examinations.
El Pueblo Adolescent Treatment Program
Pueblo, Colorado
Dates: May 2005-February 2007
Duties: Work within a residential treatment center including consultation and
coordination with all departments (clinical, medical, education, milieu, human
resources).
Provide crisis intervention, individual, group, family therapy and case management
services to at risk youth with diverse cultural, economic and diagnostic backgrounds.
Formulate and monitor treatment and behavioral plans. Participate in utilization reviews,
foster care reviews, individualized education plans, program development, quality
assurance and milieu programming. Facilitate meetings and provide training for clinical
and milieu staff. Network with community agencies such as Probation, Parole,
Department of Human Services, District Attorney and Department of Youth Corrections.
Provide cognitive and psychological/personality testing to assist with differential
diagnosis. Assisted in program development and overseeing/implementing services for
the dual diagnostic program for the developmentally delayed. Supervise internship and
practicum students.
St. Mary Corwin
Pueblo, Colorado
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Dates: September 2003April 2006
Duties: Psychiatric Liaison for the Emergency Department and medical units. Provide
assessment, referrals to outpatient resources or inpatient hospitalization, crisis
intervention, support during trauma cases, and brief individual and family counseling. At
times it is necessary to work closely with the Pueblo Police Department and the
Department of Human Services as well as other referral agencies.
Creative Innovations, Inc.
Phoenix, Arizona
Dates: August 2000August 2002
Duties: Provided home based, individual, couples, family and substance abuse
counseling to juvenile delinquents age 8-18. Conducted intake assessments and
psychological evaluations. Conducted crisis intervention, life skills training,
vocational
rehabilitation, career planning, and parenting skills. Provided case management and
treatment services including consulting with schools and social services. Designed and
implement treatment plans, coordinated services, maintained appropriate records, and
participated in court proceedings for pre-adjudicated and adjudicated children and
adolescents. Participated in outreach services and program development.
Southwest Behavioral Health Centers
Scottsdale, Arizona
Dates: July 1998- August 2000
Duties: Conducted individual, group, family, and substance abuse counseling to
chronically mentally ill women age 18-80 in a residential treatment facility. Provided
crisis intervention, life skills, and pre-vocational training. Also provided case
management and treatment services. Designed and implemented treatment plans.
Screened potential residents. Coordinated services and created and maintained
appropriate records. Facilitated outreach programs, evaluation research, and program
administration.
Lovaas Program Therapist
Residential Counseling Service
Rockford, Illinois
Dates: January 1998June 1998
Duties: Implemented behavior modification techniques to teach life skills,
communication, and social skills to autistic children. Assisted in designing treatment
plans and coordination of services.
POST DOCTORAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:
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St. Mary Corwin
Pueblo, Colorado
Dates: September 2003-April 2005
Duties: Work with a multidisciplinary treatment team in a hospital setting. Conduct
clinical assessments, referral and treatment recommendations, and crisis intervention for
medical and psychiatric patients. The position often requires working as liaison between
the two populations and the multiple team members. Provide consultation and evaluative
services for psychological, neuropsychological, and cognitive testing. Provide education,
assessment, treatment recommendations, and referral sources as well as facilitate support
groups for diabetic patients and their families. Other services include individual,
family,
and group therapy, case management, and program development for the inpatient
behavioral health unit.
Devereux Cleo Wallace- Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Dates: October 2003-June 2004
Duties: Work within an adolescent residential treatment center. Provide individual,
family and group therapy for culturally and economically diverse patients across the
developmental spectrum with a range of diagnostic impressions. Assisted in program
development and implementing services for the dual diagnostic program for the
developmentally delayed. Provide crisis intervention, life skills training, vocational
rehabilitation, intensive sexual offender and survivor of traumatic experiences, and
substance abuse counseling. Act as a consultant to assist in appropriate school and
classroom placement for adolescents with emotional, developmental, and behavioral
difficulties. Attend foster care reviews and assisted with Individualized Education Plan
meetings. Coordinated outpatient services and discharge planning. Served as an
advocate for adolescents in the legal system (work with probation officers and attend
court hearings). Was afforded the opportunity to participate in program development and
quality assurance reviews. In addition, supervised practicum students individual and
family cases, performed on-call duties, pre-certification and re-certification for
insurance
benefits (utilization reviews), head treatment plan reviews, behavioral support plans,
staff
training, milieu programming, and assisted in triaging patients.
GRADUATE and PRE-DOCTORAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:
Pre-Doctoral Internship Program in Clinical Psychology
University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute
Salt Lake City, UT
Dates: August 2002- August 2003
Duties: Worked within a multidisciplinary setting on the child, adolescent, and adult
inpatient units and child and adolescent day treatment programs. Provided individual,
family and group therapy for culturally and economically diverse patients across the
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developmental spectrum with a range of diagnostic impressions (Mood disorders,
Psychotic Disorders, Personality Disorders, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Mental
Retardation, Neurological Disorders, etcetera.) Provided crisis intervention, life skills
training, vocational rehabilitation, and substance abuse counseling. Conducted
psychological, psycho educational, cognitive, and neuropsychological assessments.
Acted as consultant to assist in appropriate school and classroom placement for children
and adolescents with emotional, developmental, and behavioral difficulties. Attended
foster care reviews and assisted with Individualized Education Plan meetings.
Coordinated outpatient services. Was afforded the opportunity to participate in program
development and attend various committees including the Utilization Review committee
and Ethics committee. In addition, supervised practicum students individual and family
cases, performed on-call duties, and assisted in triaging patients. Provided case
management and outpatient therapy to individuals and families.
Graduate Clinical Experience
Arizona State Hospital
Phoenix, Arizona
Dates: September 2000August 2001
Duties: Provided individual, group, family, sexual abuse/trauma and substance abuse
counseling to seriously mentally ill children, adolescents and adults with behavioral and
affective difficulties in an inpatient setting. The primary population consisted of
children
and adolescents age 4-18 from culturally and economically diverse backgrounds. Areas
addressed consisted of Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Autism Spectrum disorders,
Attention/Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant/Conduct Disorders, Mood
Disorders, Psychotic Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and Trauma/Post Traumatic Stress
Disorders. In addition, individual therapy was provided for children and adolescent
sexual perpetrators. Worked with a multidisciplinary team in the formulation and
implementation of treatment plans, case management, and crisis intervention.
Administered and interpreted integrative diagnostic psychological, neuropsychological,
and psycho educational evaluations and risk assessments. Assessed and educated
juvenile delinquents court ordered for restoration to competency. Conducted discharge
planning and facilitated research and program development. Formulated and conducted
the adolescent sexuality and abandonment and loss groups.
Glendale Elementary School District
Glendale, Arizona
Dates: November 1999- May 2000
Duties: Worked with a multidisciplinary team in the formulation of individualized
education and treatment plans for culturally and economically diverse students age 5-12.
Specifically, discussed strengths and weaknesses of individual children and methods to
increase academic achievement and decrease disruptive behaviors within the classroom
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setting. Administered and interpreted integrative diagnostic psychoeducational
evaluations. Facilitated a social skills group for Behavior Modification and Self-
Contained Classes. Discussed relevant issues regarding individual student s social/
emotional status, cognitive abilities, and therapy needs. Assessed for sexual and
physical
abuse. Participated in an outreach program to assist families in need. Provided
individual therapy and family therapy.
Adobe Mountain Juvenile Corrections Center
Phoenix, Arizona
Dates: June 1999- November 1999
Duties: Worked with juvenile offenders age 7-18 in a medium security facility providing
individual and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, and assessment of
psychological issues and educational needs. Worked with a multidisciplinary team in the
formulation of individualized education and treatment plans for the juveniles. Conducted
psychological, neuropsychological, and risk assessments. Participated in staff meetings
to determine the social/emotional status of the juveniles and set tentative discharge
dates
and aftercare planning. Assisted in formulating alternative housing and assessing
probation issues regarding juveniles pending release. Co-facilitated groups for
adolescent
sexual perpetrators and trauma/abuse victims.
Arizona School of Professional Psychology
Phoenix, Arizona
Dates: June 1998August 2003
Duties: Teaching assistant for various clinical courses including psychological
assessment. Provide instruction as well as grading assignments and tests.
Janet Wattles Mental Health Center
Rockford, Illinois
Dates: January 1998- June 1998
Duties: Provided individual and group therapy to adult mentally ill clients in an
outpatient facility. Facilitated several outpatient groups including an intensive day
treatment program and Dialectical Behavior Therapy Groups for clients diagnosed with
Borderline Personality Disorder. Supervised outings and assisted with case management
within the community.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT:
Colorado Mental Health Institute
Pueblo, Colorado
2008 -2009
Duties: Co-facilitated the development of the Practice Guidelines for Forensic
Psychiatric
Evaluation of Competency to Stand Trial. Also, co-facilitated in the development and
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implementation of quality assurance and programmatic changes within the Court Services
Department and oversight of new employees entering the department.
Shodair Children s Hospital
Helena, Montana
2010Present
Duties: Co-facilitate the restructuring and ongoing development of the Newborn
Screening and Metabolic Follow-Up Clinics. Provide guidance for the utility and
implementation of neuropsychological evaluation for the Genetics and Metabolic
departments.
CURRENT VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP POSITIONS:
RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES:
EDUCATION
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Argosy University, Phoenix, Arizona
(Full APA Accreditation)
August 2000- August 2003
Degree: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Minor: Forensic PsychologyGraduated Magna Cum Laude
Honors: Dean s List
Arizona School of Professional Psychology, Phoenix, Arizona
(Full APA Accreditation)
June 1998-August 2000
Degree: Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology
Minor: Forensic PsychologyGraduated Magna Cum Laude
Honors: Dean s List
Rockford College, Rockford Illinois
August 1996- May 1998
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Graduated Magna Cum Laude; inducted into Psi Chi Honors Society
Honors: Dean s and President s List
RESEARCH
Shodair Children s Hospital:
Dates: January 2011 - Present
Biomarin PKU 016 study
Duties: Conduct psychological assessments throughout a clinical trial of Kuvan,
assessing for neurocognitive improvements with initiation of the medication for
individuals diagnosed with Phenylketonuria.
Rockford College:
Rockford, Illinois
Dates: January 1998- May 1998
Duties: Assisted in conducting research regarding the mind/body connection with
physical ailments such as asthma. Recruited participants and collected and analyzed data.
Doctoral Dissertation:
Juvenile Adjudicative Competency: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Ongoing Education and CEU s, and References available upon request
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