Compassionate Behavioral Health and Outreach Leader

Renee Armijo

Phoenix, AZ 623-***-****

**************@*****.***

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

Compassionate, dedicated, and self-motivated professional, with more than twenty years of experience in community outreach, behavioral health and over ten years of management experience. Well-developed interpersonal skills, having worked with a diversity of patient behaviors, mental illnesses, family settings and cultural backgrounds.

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

At-Risk People Advocate

Experienced Crisis Professional

Community Outreach and Resource Expert

Substance Abuse Group Leadership

Program Manager

Parole Officer

EXPERIENCE

Youth Development Institute

Milieu Coordinator 11/2025- current

Daily ensures all aspects of the therapeutic milieu are staffed, structured, and maintain daily routine within the facility. Coordinates between all levels of the facility to maintain stable milieu expectations.

Crisis response for at risk juvenile population ages 13-18. Facilitates behavioral plans to ensure safety once a crisis takes place.

Responsible for performance reviews of staff members. Participates in facility structures for progressive discipline.

Ensures therapeutic trauma informed care emanates in each interaction with each at risk teen placed in residential treatment.

Copper Springs 10/2024 – 11/2025

Patient Care Advocate/ Intensive Outpatient Manager

Initial point of contact for individuals seeking inpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment, ensuring a compassionate, professional, and trauma-informed intake experience.

Manage the reception and intake assessment area, coordinating patient admissions, verifying documentation, and facilitating communication between clinical teams, patients, and families.

Provide emotional support and guidance to individuals in crisis, helping to de-escalate situations and connect patients with appropriate care.

Collaborate with medical and behavioral health teams to streamline the intake process, reduce wait times, and enhance overall patient experience.

Maintain strict confidentiality while handling sensitive patient information, adhering to HIPAA and regulatory compliance standards.

Assist with administrative tasks, including scheduling assessments, and maintaining accurately recording patient property to ensure seamless care coordination.

New Life Center 02/2024 – 02/2025

Shelter Operations Leader

Daily operations oversight of a 110-bed residential shelter serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking, ensuring a safe, trauma-informed, and supportive environment.

Managed a 24/7 sexual violence hotline call center, coordinating crisis response, advocacy, and resource referrals.

Led a multidisciplinary team, overseeing staff development, scheduling, and operational protocols to optimize efficiency and client care.

Collaborated with community organizations, law enforcement, and healthcare providers to enhance survivor support services.

Implemented new policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, funding requirements, and best practices in victim advocacy.

Spearheaded initiatives to improve shelter services, including crisis intervention strategies, resident empowerment programs, and staff training in trauma-informed care.

Zenith Behavioral Health 3/2022 – 07/2023

Business Development, Risk Manager, Education Coordinator

Key operational leader, providing cross functional communication and coordination amongst milieu and clinical personnel. Performed risk management investigations and filed reports with state regulators.

Designed and facilitated the residential treatment center (RTC) vocational program

Developed and facilitated Aggression Replacement Therapy program

Cultivated patient care environment that promotes effective education, self-management support and timely healthcare delivery to achieve optimal quality and financial outcomes

Coached and supported staff during crisis situations and administered education and training upon crisis debrief

Ombudsman Charter Metro, Glendale, AZ 3/2020 – 8/2021

Community Outreach and Enrollment Specialist

Provide resources and council youth, assessing crisis needs and coordinated additional services Provided outreach to all potential student leads to assist with school enrollment and record retrieval.

Market to local youth organizations in surrounding areas to continually develop pipeline of prospective student leads.

Developed new student orientation program to ensure a smooth start to school’s unique hybrid platform and supervised interns seeing out daily operations of program.

Delivered food bags and necessities to students and families in need during global pandemic and in-school shut down

BLOOM365, Phoenix, AZ 8/2019 – 2/2020

Program Manager, Victim Services / Lead Advocate (LGBTQ)

Educate and activate youth, peer advocates and adult allies in the local community to uproot abuse and cultivate safe and healthy relationships.

Coordinate and deliver public awareness information by facilitating the 7-Dose Outreach Curriculum in schools on the red flags and root causes of interpersonal violence, healthy relationships and services, supports and resources available to victims and potential victims of domestic/sexual/teen dating violence.

Provide immediate crisis intervention and safety planning to teen victims who reach out for help during and after the education presentations.

Cultivate relationships with resource providers to help teen victim safety, healing, and well-being. Provide ongoing personal advocacy to teen victims, focusing on LGBTQ youth, who reach out for help, including the provision of information, referrals, resource connections and emotional support on a drop-in bases at assigned partner schools/organizations and digitally.

LA FRONTERA-EMPACT, Tempe, AZ 2/2017 – 8/2019

Children’s Urgent Response Crisis Specialist

Respond to child behavioral health crisis situations in the community for Empact Children’s Department and followed up with children and families to maintain a continuum of care, including assessments for DTS/DTO, 72-hour watch, and WRAP.

Assist in crisis planning for individuals returning home from hospitalization.

Works to identify and establish working child & family team and develops and oversees family progression towards goals.

Provide training and assists to develop team members in aiding families with appropriate services and referrals for families in a timely manner.

Provide families with crisis plans and safety planning for the home environment.

Conduct risk assessments, crisis intervention, individual and family services

Triage crisis calls from the community including individual, family, educational, legal, administrative, case management, behavioral management service, hospital nursing staff, and on-call Clinical Coordinator.

Assist family to develop transitional plan for decrease in crisis response services

Dedicated Recovery Coach

Encourage, assist and support members throughout the processes of assessment, service planning, and service delivery. Develop and facilitate a variety of peer group activities that support addressing mental health symptoms and concerns

Advocate and articulate members’ current psychiatric needs to medical and clinical staff, as well as hospital step down agencies

Conduct risk assessments, crisis intervention, individual and family services

Provide group therapy for skill development to foster attainment to treatment goals

Develop working relationships with out-of-home service providers, such as psychiatric hospitals and act as a liaison between providers and clinical staff.

OASIS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, Chandler, AZ / Casa Grande, AZ 11/2010 – 1/2017

Interim Milieu Manager

Maintain appropriate staff-patient ratios in relationship to census and patient acuity.

Oversee continued training of staff to support professional development, and skills/competencies relevant to the Milieu’s therapeutic environment and direct client care behavioral health needs.

Ensure that quality services are provided and that proper procedures are followed.

Assist the clinical management team in the development and implementation of program strategies. Assist in the development, scheduling and facilitation of patient groups and activities as needed. Oversee staff performance management that includes communication and documentation relevant to areas of performance improvement, corrective actions, time and attendance.

IOP Case Manager/Marketing

Created and followed standard of practice for referral intake coordination in BHIF and Acute Hospital

Collaborated with social workers to process new patient referrals

Provided Suicide Prevention training on behalf of OBH for schools and other youth-based organizations

Ran IOP substance abuse adult groups

Ran general mental health groups with adolescents using the Living in Balance curriculum

Maintained case notes and coordination of care contacts

Continued marketing for OBH IOP program

Provided continued support for patients and family members during IOP treatment and post-discharge

Community Liaison

Reviewed referrals for acute placements with social workers in the Phoenix Metro/ Tucson Metro areas.

Determined if any E.R. patients were suitable for RTC placement, and coordinated admission with parents, social workers and admissions department.

Organized all LGBTQ sensitivity trainings for all Oasis staff members.

Presented at various behavioral health networks to update and provide information regarding current services offered at Oasis.

Enhanced community relationships to improve referral frequency.

Represented Oasis at several conferences and marketing events relating to human trafficking in Maricopa and Pima counties.

Partnered with community members and organizations to serve human trafficked victims.

Developed the Oasis youth leadership program in conjunction with MCESA.

Marketed for IOP services within the Chandler School District, various East Valley hospitals, and other IOP referral sources in the Phoenix Metro area.

Milieu Coordinator

Scheduled Behavioral Health Technicians, on all shifts, for all programs, providing appropriate staff-patient ratios.

Supervised daily shift overlap to ensure proper transfer of information pertaining to patients, schedule, and staff assignments. Focus includes review of patient 1:1 status, safety precautions and contraband searches.

Provided Training and orientation of all personnel under direct supervision.

Ensured all that all staff monitor patients continuously and maintain a safe, protective environment for the patients.

Ensured staff members monitor and document patient participation in program activities, as well as patient systematic behavioral assessment.

Administered performance evaluations to behavioral health technicians.

Assisted patients in developing life skills and enhancing social skills.

Implemented treatment plan interventions as assigned by therapists.

ADDITIONAL RELAVENT EXPERIENCE

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONS Tucson/Phoenix, AZ (1998-2003)

Center Case Manager/Parole Officer; Youth Program Officer III; Mental Health Program Manager; Transitional Case Manager; Youth Correctional Officer II; Youth Correctional Officer I; Youth Officer Cadet

EDUCATION

Psychology and Criminal Justice; Estrella Community College, Glendale, AZ

Psychology and Criminal Justice; Carroll County Community College, Westminster, MD

CERTIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Kempe Center Trainer Training: Prevention of Abusive and Sexual Behavior Problems in Childhood and Adolescence; Child and Family Team Facilitator Training; Coaching Leadership Series; Cultural Competency Training; Suicide Prevention Training; Youth Management Service Training; Youth Rights/Due Process Training; CPI Training; Ethics Training; First Aid and CPR Certified; Fingerprint Clearance Card

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Demonstrably proficient in MS Word, MS Teams, MS Excel, and MS Office Suite.

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