ALANA MCDONALD
AOD COUNSELOR CDAC III/CLINICAL CASE MANAGER/RADT/BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH SPECIALIST/PEER COACH COUNSELOR
EDUCATION
University of California, Los Angeles, CA 2022-2023 Behavioral Health Specialist Program
University of California, Los Angeles, CA 2020-2022 Substance Use Disorder Counselor Program
OPTUM/DHCS, Salt Lake City, UT 2019
Peer Coach Councilor Program
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 1999-2003 BA: PolyScience/International Relations
PAL-Peer Assistance League Program 1998-1999
CONTACT
***********@******.***
EXPERIENCE
SOBER LIVING BY THE SEA/ARCADIA HEALTHCARE 2022-present Case Manager, Behavioral Health Specialist, AOD Councilor
• Attended and participated in treatment team and staff meetings
• Created and facilitated groups, collaborated with clinical, nursing, and support staff in regards to patient needs.
• Conducted both group and one-on-one sessions with patients to provide patient coping skills, focused on addressing and better directing emotions, substance abuse issues, relapse prevention and self-care.
• Proactively assisted with FMLA, Disability and legal matters.
• Researched aftercare treatment options for clients, including finding IOP’s, Sober Livings, Sober Companions, psychologist, psychiatrists, MAT providers and so on.
AWARDS
1996-2003: Student of the quarter,
Student Pride Award,
Zonta Girl Award,
Homecoming Queen,
Most Influential Student at CdM
PTA Scholarship,
Kappa Alpha Theta Scholarship
American Cancer Society, Look
Good Feel Better Program, helped
cancer patients
(skin/hair/makeup)
Hoag Hospital, Junior Auxiliary
Program, 500 hours of volunteer
work
-Chair for 974 Tuesday nights,
UNI Sunday mornings, We Care
Sunday nights
• Researched, contacted and then set up transitional housing if needed or DUI, Parenting, Anger, or any topic.
• Completed/updated documentations, assessments, Client After Care Plans, Client Discharge Plans, Client Utilization Reviews, Client Progress Notes, Client Group Notes; always made sure to enforce strict confidentiality.
• Conducted individual clinical assessments and developed individualized recovery action plans, behavior contracts
• Educated and supported clients in implementing a wide range of relapse prevention and harm-reduction strategies.
• Provided a variety of treatment services for assigned caseload, including the initial and ongoing coordination of care, program engagement, advocacy, behavior interventions, one-on-one & group counseling, follow-up & discharges planning while working closely with treatment team.
SALVATION ARMY REHABILITATION CENTER (ARC)2021-present Substance Use Disorder (SUD) /AOD Counselor/Intern
• While fulfilling state requirements, CCAPP & UCLA ’s requirements, work with a population of people who have suffered with Drug and Alcohol Addiction and Mental Health Disorders. Offering treatment and counseling services to adult beneficiaries of a diverse population in regards to rehabilitation, addiction and substance Use Disorders.
• Conduct one on one sessions with Beneficiaries, addressing weekly concerns, making sure they are making progress in their step work and spiritual work and offering the support they need at an individual level.
• Create materials for various educational groups such as Rehab Issues, Smoking Cessation, Relapse Prevention, Boundary Work, CBT Skills, grounding modalities breathing techniques and how to Self-Care.
• Relay educational information and teach clients about sobriety and new coping tools they can use out in real world, places to work, how to go back to school, where to live, how to get a phone even!
• Offer ongoing and genuine positive regard to clients while using Motivational Interviewing techniques to get client to open up and make some progress in truly helping these individuals.
-Implementing “Look Good, Feel
Good,” Self Care Series, 2008,
2013, 2016, 2019, 2022
Skills
Computer Skills: POS, Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, QuickBooks,
ACT, Sugar CRM, Share point,
Outlook, Mac Pro, Basecamp,
SharePoint, Navision, BITS,
Internet Research, MAC and PC
friendly, BITS, SOAP notes
• Write SOAP notes in BITS system on each beneficiary and meet with treatment team weekly to discuss.
• Conducting individualized and group sessions with clients through tele-care and zoom modalities, one on one sessions, 90 & 150-day client reviews, group classes as well as processing groups.
Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) 2017-2019
Case Manager, Recovery Advocate, Proctor for various support groups and recovery meetings, Peer Coach Counselor
• Worked with all sorts of recovery platforms, including TSR support phone calls, office projects, community outreach and awareness programs.
• Advocated and attended Bill Passing at the Capitol Hill for people with Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Health issues.
• Conducted various groups teaching various ways to achieve recovery, ie, Double Trouble, SMART Recovery, Seeking Safety for Domestic Violence/IPV Survivors, Dharma Recovery, Refuge for Recovery, CODA,
• Provided clients as well as staff with “Look Good, Feel Good” Self-Care seminar teaching them how to take care of themselves while in treatment, in Recovery and/or working in
recovery-self-care is essential.
• Offered hands on self-care seminar where I offered mini-facials, cosmetic makeovers, created individualized self-care plans, provided power point, handouts, copies of SC templates for home
& left them with a little product to have so they could practice at home.
Optum Healthcare and DHCS
CPSS COACH 2018-present
• Use evidence-based treatment along with personal experiences with SUD and Mental Health Disorders to gain trust and relations with client to further help them through their time of crisis.
• Trained to work in crisis situations that happen to the addicted and the family involved.
ORANGE COUNTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MENTOR 2010-2013
• Learned & taught personal empowerment techniques and a series’ of courses allowing me to reach out and get involved with others. USC SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS TIRP OUTREACH VOLUNTEER 1999-2003
USC School of IR: TIRP-Taught about complex and controversial issues and would take those topics in local high schools to raise awareness nationally and internationally,
PEER ASSISTANCE LEAGUE Mentor 1997-1999
• PAL enabled me to use my potential to make a difference in their lives, schools and communities
• Learned to adapt the power of peer pressure to influence others positively and, ultimately, make a difference addressing issues like bullying, low achievement, at-risk youth, drop-out prevention, substance abuse prevention, teen pregnancy, suicide, absenteeism, behavior problems, and other community issues