Deborah F. Toth-Dennis 109 Water Land Ct. Frederick, Maryland H C ohanakepola@prodigy.net

Transcription

1 Deborah F. Toth-Dennis 109 Water Land Ct. Frederick, Maryland H C ohanakepola@prodigy.net Summary of Qualifications and Accomplishments A mother of 1 biological son, 1 stepson, 3 permanent placement foster children with varying degrees of physical, health, mental health, behavioral, substance abuse, and educational challenges. Grandmother of 7 grandchildren, with varying degrees of hearing impairments, health challenges, and one grandson diagnosed with cancer. 29 years of successful personal and professional experience with child and family support and service array development, in special education, health, mental health, violence and resilience, substance abuse prevention and treatment, transitioning, transformation, and youth, family, and community strength based strategic assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability. Developing and implementing systems of care that are sensitive, aware, and reflective of the strengths and challenges of the cultures and diversity of populations being served, provide family and professional training and support, youth and family outreach, involvement, and leadership, comprehensive community based service array, and youth, family, professional, and community partnerships (collaboration). Curriculum development, training, training trainers/youth and family leaders, technical assistance, outreach, referral, strength based strategic planning, sustainability, system transformation, practice to science assessment, support, and research with youth, families and professionals in multi-agency environments to include Health, Mental Health, Education, Substance Abuse, and Juvenile Justice, just to name a few. Developed and directed almost from inception, Hawaii Families As Allies (HFAA), a leading statewide (six islands and three office), grassroots, family-run, non-profit organization on a local and national level. Successfully collaborated with Hawaii Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division in writing, receiving, and implementing a five year, eighteen million dollar grant for the Hawaii Ohana Project, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, Center for Mental Health Services. Active member and advisor on several community and national Committees and Boards. Key Stakeholder in the assessment, planning, development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of Systems of Care, reflecting family, professional, and community input and involvement. Collaboratively developed the Crosswalk for System of Care Grant Sites. Participated as a Native Hawai`ian family/professional representative for the Native Hawai`ian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) population in the development of the Cultural Competency Guidelines and Training for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. NHOPI representative on the Cultural and Linguistic Competency Committee for Children s Mental Heath. Areas of Expertise Diversity, cultural awareness, sensitivity, and protocols Multitask project management Community-based evaluation and service development Diverse youth, family, professional, and community outreach and involvement Planning, developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining successful, diverse comprehensive, community, strength based Systems of Care Strategic and sustainability planning Infrastructure and system assessment, development, and sustainability Organization development and sustainability Curriculum development and training Training trainers/youth and family leadership

2 Areas of Expertise (cont d) Page 2 Conflict resolution/mediation Youth at risk Violence and resilience School and home crisis intervention Positive behavior interventions Co-occurring disorders Transition Transformation Communication Spokesperson training Strength-based assessment, service coordination and development Wraparound Process training and facilitation Comprehensive System of Care Technical Assistance Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Positive Behavioral Interventions Individual Education Program Development (IEP) Youth and family advocacy Evidence-based science to service, and practice to science, practices for successful youth and family outreach, involvement, support, and leadership. Professional Experience Reflections of Diversity, LLC. Frederick, MD 2002 Present Owner/Consultant Contracted Consultant for Center for Mental Health Services Federal Site Visits. Contracted Consultant for Technical Assistance with the Center for Mental Health Service, 2002 Guide for Applications (GFA) for Community Systems of Care Cooperative Agreements. Contracted Faculty for Vanguard, Communications Academy, Spokesperson Training. Contracted Peer Mentor with American Institutes for Research, Technical Assistance Partnership, Technical Assistance contract with the Center for Mental Health Services to provide national technical assistance and training, specializing in cultural diversity, youth, family, professional, and community outreach, involvement, and organizational development, for the Children s Mental Health Service Grantee Sites. Contracted Technical Assistance Coordinator for United Advocates for Children of California, Statewide Family Networks, Technical Assistance contract with the Center for Mental Health Services. Contracted Consultant for Mentoring and Training of selected Peer Mentors for American Institute for Research, Technical Assistance Partnership contract for Center for Mental Health Services. International Consultant for youth, family, and community outreach and involvement, and System of Care development to Guam and other Pacific Islands. National Consultant for Comprehensive Community-Based Systems of Care infrastructure development, youth and family involvement, culturally diverse services, collaboration, and youth, family, and professional training, to various communities in Arizona, Connecticut, Oregon, North Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Hawai`i, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, New York, D.C., California, North Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Maine, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina, Catawba Nation (Native American Indian Reservation), Delaware, and Nevada. Contracted by American Institute for Research to develop a strategic planning tool, Crosswalk for System of Care Grant & Cooperative Agreement Sites. Consultant to IQ Solutions, Inc. for contract development and implementation. Advisor to IQ Solutions, Inc. staff for Federal contract on completion of Report to the President on Children s Mental Health. Native Hawai`ian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) representative on the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Committee for Children s Mental Health.

3 Professional Experience (cont d) Page 3 `Ohana Kepola Consultants North Potomac, MD Consultant Consultant Peer Mentor with American Institutes for Research, Technical Assistance Partnership, to provide national technical assistance specializing in cultural diversity, family and community involvement, and organizational development, for the Children s Mental Health Service Site Grantee s. Consultant for Georgetown University Child Development Center on Promising Practice s for Asian American/Pacific Island (AAPI) Youth Violence Prevention/Resilience Programs. Consultant as IDEA 97 and Positive Behavior Intervention Training Specialist for the Federation of Families for Children s Mental Health, FAPE Project. Consultant with the FAPE Project for the Dept. of Education to collaboratively develop a national IDEA curriculum for families and trained trainers (nation wide Family Organizations, Parent Training Institutes, Teachers, Education Administrators, and Policy Makers). International Consultant for youth and family outreach and involvement, and System of Care strategic planning, development and sustainability to Guam and Other Pacific Islands. National Consultant for System of Care development, family involvement, curriculum development, organizational and project development, community based, cultural and diverse sensitive services, collaboration, and parent and professional training, to various communities in Arizona, Connecticut, Oregon, North Dakota, Missouri, Minnesota, Hawai`i, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, New York, D.C., California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Delaware, Florida, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Maine, Texas, Georgia, and Nevada. Consultant to B.C. Family Production for collaborative curriculum and product development and training for the National Together We Can training. IQ Solutions, Inc. Rockville, MD Apr 2000 Dec 2001 Senior Technical Advisor Sr. Technical Advisor with the Health Education Department, Knowledge and Information Department, and Training and Technical Assistance Department. Provided technical assistance and training on various Federal contract activities for all departments of IQ Solutions, Inc. Medicare Diabetes Benefit Community Demonstration Program Coordinator and Technical Assistant for the National Diabetes education Program/Health Care Financing Administration with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, providing technical assistance to three high minority demonstration sites. Coordinated research and reported findings and recommendations for a National Institute for Drug Abuse Science-Based Substance Abuse Education Product Advisor to an IQ Solutions planning group identifying partnerships for a creative Buckle-Up America Campaign for the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. Provide technical assistance and support on cultural and diversity issue s for IQ Solutions and their contracts. Senior Advisor and Lead for Diversity Development and Training. Senior Grant Review Administrator for all Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration Grant Reviews. Senior Advisor on information dissemination and training for difficult to reach target populations on a Federal contract

4 Professional Experience (cont d) Page 4 Hawai`i Families as Allies (HFAA) Honolulu, HI Executive Director Planned, developed and directed almost from inception, Hawaii Families As Allies (HFAA) a grassroots, non-profit organization of statewide family networks providing outreach, education, training, technical assistance, support and referral to youth with serious emotional disorders, and families and service providers of/for children with serious emotional disorders. Acquired 501 (c) 3 non-profit status for the organization, developed and trained first an advisory Committee and then a Board of Directors for the organization. Developed and implemented by-laws, personnel policies, benefit package, job descriptions, accounting procedures, and ongoing organizational infrastructure. Successfully directed three office locations for HFAA, trained and supervised HFAA employees, developed and supervised organization involvement in individual and system advocacy, and represented HFAA on numerous local, state, national, and international governing bodies. Responsible for planning and implementation of goals and objectives for HFAA and assuring all administrative and financial obligations were met. Responsible for searching, securing, and directing the funding for eight years and successfully obtaining clean A-133 federal audits for five consecutive years. Developed individual, community, statewide, and national need s assessments to support curriculum development. Developed curriculums. Directed the collection and compiling of data for evaluation and reporting requirements. Training of youth, families, community service providers, and top-level professionals in the State of Hawai`i, and nationally, and internationally. Collaborated with key stakeholders of systems of care to develop standards for quality of care and eligibility criteria s for children at risk or with emotional disabilities. Successfully identified key leaders in the communities, trained, and supported their roles as mentors for families and state service providers to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate state memorandums of agreements, interview staff for state positions, and evaluate performance and implementation of contracts. Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii Honolulu, HI Parent Trainer/Advocate Provided training, technical assistance and support to families of children at risk of and with various disabilities. Supported parents/caregivers through the evaluation and Individual Education Program (IEP) process for their children. Provided Individual s with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) training. Parent Consultant for Assisting with Appropriate Rights in Education and Agent Orange Projects. Independent Consultant/Advocate 1975 Present Provided individual support, training, and advocacy to families of children at risk of and with various disabilities. Supported youth with disabilities and their families through the evaluation and Individual Education Program (IEP) process. Provided Individual s with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) training to families and service providers of children with disabilities. Participated as a member and advisor on several community and national Committees and Boards. Supported and advocated for system change and a successful comprehensive care system for my children with serious disabilities and others.

5 Education and Training University of Hawai`i Windward Community College Kaneohe, HI University of Phoenix Rockville Campus Gaithersburg, MD Communities Can Leadership Training Santa Fe, NM Page 5 Weinberg Fellowship Training for Executive Directors and Organizational Development Honolulu, HI Communication Academy St. Louis, MO Awards 2003 Tampa Federation of Families for Children s Mental Health, Appreciation Award for Technical Assistance with Organizational Development and Family Outreach and Involvement Hawai`i Kids Watch Award for Outstanding Advocate for Children and Youth Hawai`i State House of Representative Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Advocate for Children and Youth Hawai`i State Senate Outstanding Adult Advocate for Children and Youth Award. Publications Co-authored, Volume I of Systems of Care Promising Practices in Children s Mental Health, New roles for Families in Systems of Care for the Department of Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. Co-authored Cultural Exchange article in Reaching Today s Youth. Professional Affiliations White House Initiative, Asian/Pacific Island Summit expert to develop recommendations to the Center for Mental Health Services. Advisor on the Technical Assistance and Training Advisory Committee for Georgetown University Child Development Center. Advisor on the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee for the National Federation of Families for Children s Mental Health. Weinberg Fellowship President of the Montgomery Federation of Families for Children s Mental Health. Board Member, and one of the Founders of the National Asian American and Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA). President of Wai Aka, Native Hawai`ian and Other Pacific Island Technical Assistance, Training, and Research Center. SAMHSA, Child, Adolescent and Family Branch, Cultural and Linguistic Competency Committee for Children s Mental Health. References References will be provided upon request