Special Education Generalist
Resume:
Neil Christensen
Teacher, Counselor, Advocate for Special Needs Populations, Musician, Lifelong Learner Denver, CO 80204
************@*****.***
Professional Summary
• Masters Degree in Early Childhood Special Education and Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Special Education.
• Committed to helping as many persons as possible through directing client and staff services.
• Committed to the application of information technologies to improve services for clients and staff.
• Dedicated to enthusiastic and dynamic collaborative teaming as a means of creating an environment to serve the needs of all clients.
Authorized to work in the US for any employer
Work Experience
Assistive Needs Teacher
Schoolforce Solutions-Denver, CO
February 2024 to May 2024
Contract Assistive Needs teacher providing individualized, classroom-based and/or team-based support to implement resources and tools for social emotional learning, mental health, mindfulness, and wellbeing of students at the elementary school level serving Jefferson County Schools. ECSE Teacher
Douglas County School District - Colorado-Castle Rock, CO March 2023 to February 2024
ECSE Teacher providing developmentally appropriate instruction, assessment and program planning for special education students with learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, autism, health impairment, and traumatic brain injury from birth to prekindergarten; monitor and evaluate student progress and behavior; research, obtain and provide instructional materials for special education services; serve as an informational resource for students, parents, District personnel and community organizations within an inclusive classroom environment.
• Participate in preparing, planning, reporting and implementing Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals and objectives for eligible students
• Monitor and evaluate progress and behavior of eligible special education students; prepare progress reports and report card grades as appropriate
• Serve as an informational resource for students, parents, District personnel and community organizations; respond to inquiries and provide information, recommendations and interpretation of student records.
• Prepare and maintain a variety of records and reports related to assigned activities and student progress and behavior; retrieve official records for parents and District personnel as requested.
• Coordinate and conduct various team meetings and implement team recommendations as assigned.
• Train and provide work direction and guidance to assigned personnel; organize and conduct in-services for parents or staff as directed.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
Office Manager
Ivy Comprehensive Care-Charlottesville, VA
March 2018 to December 2022
• Maintain and supervise medical office operations
• Communicate with clients, physicians, community partners
• Manage payroll
• Maintain office efficiency by organizing operations and procedures
• Process billing on a daily/weekly basis
• Maintain office supply inventory
• Oversee billing, coding, and collections
• Schedule appointments / communicate with patients / initiate referrals / work closely with medical doctors to better understand patient needs and community services for geriatric populations Intellectual Disabilities REACH Coordinator
Easter Seals UCP North Carolina & Virginia, Inc-Charlottesville, VA November 2015 to September 2017
REACH Coordinator providing systemic crisis intervention and prevention services for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges and/or mental illness. Coordinator consults with individuals, their families and the existing system(s) of behavioral health. Coordinator works with intellectual and developmental disability care representatives to assist with identifying signs, symptoms, triggers, setting events, reassessing the presenting problem, completing comprehensive service evaluations, developing cross systems crisis plans, and identifying and linking individuals to needed supports. Coordinator is also responsible to assess individuals for admission to REACH Crisis Therapeutic Home Services including in-home and facility based supports. Frequent and unplanned/crisis response travel required by coordinator as needed. Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Albemarle County Schools-Charlottesville, VA
July 2006 to August 2013
Classroom Instructor responsible for the creation and implementation of Individualized Education Plans of students in a self-contained setting. Duties also include community based services (trainings and IFSP services), assessment and screening practices, supervision of teaching assistants including trainings and procedural review, as well as creation of developmentally appropriate lesson plans. Clinician- Intensive In-Home
Central Virginia Community Services-Lynchburg, VA
September 2005 to June 2006
Responsibilities
Therapist performing assessment, routine evaluations, and individual as well as family therapy sessions, maintaining a case load of therapy/counseling cases, documentation of service provision, and working in a team to stabilize a child’s mental health who are at risk of removal from the home. Positive Behavior Support Coach (Regional Coordinator) Durham Public Schools-Durham, NC
December 2004 to June 2005
Behavior Specialist providing assistance to schools in developing more effective strategies in working with challenging behaviors through assisting schools in developing school wide positive behavior support plans, professional development on best practices, working with teachers to master new strategies, and providing assistance in developing individualized plans for specific students. Quality Enhancement Specialist
Family Service Network-Raleigh, NC
August 2003 to July 2004
Consultant providing technical assistance and training to child care providers and directors including assessment of children who are at risk for cognitive, developmental, social, and emotional delays. Behavior Specialist - Literacy and School Readiness Enhancement Project
(LASRE)
Child Care Services Association-Durham, NC
January 2001 to June 2003
Consultant providing intensive intervention to children and staff in order to promote positive behavioral change and student readiness for school. Services include: consultation to teachers, role modeling appropriate classroom management strategies, providing direct one-one-one intervention to children, facilitating parent conferences, coordinating support services for the family and child, and conducting trainings for staff and parents.
Community-based Instructor
Autism Society Of North Carolina-Raleigh, NC
October 2001 to January 2002
Community-based skills training instructor for persons with developmental disabilities. Responsible for teaching children and adults with autism important skills related to self-sufficiency, recreation and leisure, domestic, independence and community living.
Applied Behavioral Analysis Instructor / Special Education Teaching Assistant Charlottesville City Schools-Charlottesville, VA
August 1998 to May 2000
Teaching Assistant acting as a "shadow" for a child with autism, linking home ABA program with school IEP program in order to promote collaboration among professionals and generalization of acquired skills. Education
M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education
University of Virginia - Charlottesville, VA
2001
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
James Madison University - Harrisonburg, VA
1997
Skills
• Supervising experience
• Crisis Intervention
• Epic
• Mental Health Counseling
• Leadership
• Autism Experience
• Conflict Management
• Documentation review
• Curriculum Development
• Case Management
• Intake Experience
• Meeting Facilitation
• Conflict management
• Behavior management
• Program management
• Negotiation
• Google Suite
• IT
• Presentation Skills
• Child & family counseling
• Individual / group counseling
• Classroom Management
• Analysis skills
• Behavioral health
• Teaching
• Behavioral therapy
• Case management
• Working with people with autism
• Working with people with developmental disabilities
• Program development
• Special education
• Windows
• Individual / Group Counseling
• EMR systems
• Personal assistant experience
• Social Work
• Successful in assessment in order to monitor client progress over time • Experience in Crisis Prevention and Stabilization using positive behavior support and approved de-escalation strategies / Trainings (Annual Autism Conference, Foundations of ASD, IPOP, COPA, National Inclusion Conference, Initial Behavioral Supports,) - MANDT and TOVA certification – Community based / Intensive Home Therapy – PBS Coach (Coordinator) – ECERS evaluator - Classroom 2.0 - Advanced use of education and assistive technology. / Use of Microsoft Office and various EMR programs in reporting data to various state agencies. (9 years)
• LMS
• Crisis Management
• Child & Family Counseling
• Customer service
• Management
• Behavioral Therapy
• Google Docs
• Pediatrics
• Research
• Mentoring
• Data collection
• Databases
• Curriculum development
• Mental health counseling
• Patient monitoring
• Technical support
• Office management
• Customer support
• CPT coding
• Special Education
• Tutoring
• Behavioral Health
• Meeting facilitation
• Program Development
• Medical coding
• Human resources
• Developmental Disabilities Experience
• ATS
• Program Management
• Social work
• Behavior Management
• Applied behavior analysis
• Medical scheduling
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Continuous improvement
• Crisis management
• Crisis intervention
• Presentation skills
• Classroom management
Certifications and Licenses
PBIS Certification
May 2005 to Present
FBA, BIP, De-escalation, Effective Relationships, Classroom Management, Cultural Diversity, Effective Consequences, Discipline Process, Crisis Intervention, Positive Behavioral Support. Special Education Certification
Teaching Certification
First Aid Certification
QMHP Certification
CPI Certification
Additional Information
Key Qualifications
• Certification in Early Childhood Special Education
• Experience working with a diverse population of families, children, and community partners.
• Proven record of accomplishment in setting goals and motivating students, clients, and professionals to meet mutually agreed upon outcomes.
Special Skills, Training, Certifications, Contributions
• Successful in the application of digital portfolio assessment in order to monitor clients progress over time
• Travelled extensively across the United States for 15+ years Other Interests
• Trained concert Pianist and Composer / Sound Technician / Producer / Advocate for Musicians and Concert Venue Sound Engineer Enthusiast
• Sports: Tennis, Scuba, Alpine Mountaineering
• Writing: poetry (unpublished manuscript Bounds of Reality / fiction (short stories / prose). Published Glide magazine 2003 Illuminating Like Lightening (short story)
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