For many years I was a human services consultant, developing long range plans, writing grants and conducting evaluations of federal grant recipients. During this time, the clinical aspect of my life was as a social worker at the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor, Maine. As one of the first social workers in the county jail system in Maine, I wrote an inmate mental health risk assessment tool for intake officers.

For much of my clinical career I provided individual and group therapy in the outpatient and intensive outpatient departments of a 100-bed psychiatric hospital. In collaboration with a team of “pioneers”, we brought telehealth services to central Maine. I was promoted to Director of Outpatient Services with oversight of 127 licensed providers in five outpatient departments. While Director I developed a mentoring program for conditionally licensed professionals to obtain their independent licenses.

As the result of a restructuring at the psychiatric hospital, I seized the opportunity to open a private practice.  I provided individual therapy, psychiatric evaluations and expert testimony concerning domestic abuse.  In addition, I provided consultation services to the Department of Health and Human Services (child protective services) and the Maine criminal justice system.

During my social work career, I have supervised and mentored over 60 interns in the fields of social work, professional counseling, substance use counseling and psychiatric nurse practitioner.

For 21 years I was adjunct faculty at the University of Maine where I taught in the Social Work and the Sociology Departments. For two semesters I filled in as field supervisor in the Social Work Department at the University of Maine. At Husson College I was adjunct faculty in the Sociology Department.

For 23 years I was the Director and a co-facilitator of the Penobscot County Batterers’ Intervention Program (“BIP”). This was a program for adult men who had been abusive to their current and/or former intimate partner.

For over 20 years I was active on a state level focusing on ending domestic abuse in Maine. Over 22 years I was appointed by five governors to the Maine Commission Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse. Since its inception 20 years ago I was the batterers’ intervention program representative to the Maine Homicide Review Panel. For many years I was co-chair of the Maine Association of Batterer Intervention Programs.

Nationally I have presented at mental health, child welfare, NASW and criminal justice conferences on issues relating to domestic abuse. My areas of expertise were working with perpetrators of domestic abuse, and how to tell the difference between a batterer (domestic abuse perpetrator) and a person with an anger management problem.

In addition to my national presentations, I was identified as an expert witness in Maine as it relates to domestic abuse and anger management.

In 2018 the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Abuse honored me with their Champion of Change Award.

In 2018 my husband and I transitioned from our “day jobs” to new adventures. We sold our house in Maine and have been living the American dream of traveling the country in our motorhome. Now I have the time and emotional resources to focus on: blogging, writing books and being a mentor to other social workers.

My books are available for purchase from Amazon: Crush Your Stress: 302 Coping Skills for Managing Your Stress, Relationships Relearned – The Book andBe Angry But Not Aggressive. Please feel free to visit my Authors Page on Amazon