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Experience

Psychiatric Advanced Practice Provider

  • Provide comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, diagnosis, and treatment planning for clients with behavioral health and substance use disorders, with a focus on individuals in high-exposure professions (legal, military, law enforcement, and healthcare)

  • Prescribe and manage psychotropic medications, monitor therapeutic response, and adjust treatment based on evidence-based guidelines and individual client needs

  • Deliver trauma-informed, client-centered care using modalities such as motivational interviewing and harm-reduction strategies

  • Develop and implement individualized treatment plans incorporating biopsychosocial approaches and supportive services

  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams—including therapists, case managers, and primary care providers—to ensure continuity of care and optimize outcomes

  • Advocate for access to behavioral health services, particularly for disenfranchised populations including LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and clients living with HIV

  • Participate in the creation and implementation of new behavioral health initiatives, including integrated service models and community-based interventions

  • Educate clients and families on psychiatric conditions, medications, recovery principles, and wellness strategies to promote long-term stability

  • Contribute to quality improvement efforts and program development to enhance service delivery and align with best practices in behavioral health

Substance use disorder treatment nurse

  • Performed comprehensive head-to-toe assessments for newly admitted clients, including CLIA-waived drug screenings, breathalyzer administration, and relevant laboratory specimen collection

  • Administered detoxification medications in accordance with established protocols for alcohol, opioid, and benzodiazepine withdrawal management

  • Conducted Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA) and Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) assessments to evaluate symptom severity and guide pharmacologic interventions

  • Exercised clinical judgment in developing and adjusting individualized treatment plans for clients under direct care

  • Participated in interdisciplinary treatment planning meetings to coordinate care across medical, nursing, and behavioral health teams

  • Employed therapeutic communication techniques to build rapport and foster trust with clients navigating early recovery

  • Advocated for clients’ medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial needs to ensure holistic, client-centered care throughout treatment

Community psychiatric nurse

Residential Intensive Support Team (RIST) & Supportive Housing – Conditional Extension Pending Placement (SH-CEPP)

  • Partnered with leadership to assess service needs and advocate for the integration of psychiatric nursing into community-based behavioral health programs

  • Defined and implemented the role of the psychiatric nurse within multidisciplinary teams serving two distinct housing-first programs (RIST and SH-CEPP)

  • Developed and facilitated staff orientation to educate team members on the scope and value of community psychiatric nursing

  • Authored a standardized psychiatric nursing intake assessment for all program participants to ensure comprehensive evaluation and care planning

  • Established and maintained therapeutic relationships with clients in home-based settings, fostering trust and engagement

  • Conducted psychiatric assessments and collaborated with clients to create individualized treatment plans targeting identified mental health needs

  • Accompanied clients to medical, psychiatric, and specialty appointments; provided in-person support during procedures and treatment

  • Advocated for clients' psychiatric and medical needs across systems of care, including oncology, infectious disease, and reproductive health

  • Served as a birthing coach and emotional support for a client navigating prenatal care and delivery

  • Identified and addressed psychosocial barriers to treatment engagement, including stigma, trauma history, and system navigation challenges

  • Connected clients to community resources aimed at building self-esteem, enhancing independence, and increasing long-term self-sufficiency

  • Supervised and mentored two bachelor’s-level community health nursing students from Stockton University over three academic semesters

Psychiatric home care nurse

  • Identified service gaps in psychiatric home care and engaged organizational leadership to advocate for the establishment of a dedicated psychiatric nursing role within the home care setting

  • Reviewed federal Medicare guidelines to ensure regulatory compliance for psychiatric home care services

  • Designed and delivered staff orientation focused on the unique contributions of psychiatric nurses within interdisciplinary home care teams

  • Authored a comprehensive psychiatric nursing intake assessment for use with all clients eligible for psychiatric home care services

  • Initiated and maintained therapeutic relationships with home care clients to support ongoing psychiatric care

  • Conducted comprehensive psychiatric assessments and collaboratively developed individualized treatment plans addressing identified mental health needs

  • Provided evidence-based psychiatric nursing interventions in the home setting, including:

    • Disease process and medication education

    • Coping skill development

    • Body image and self-esteem support

    • End-of-life education and support

    • Motivational interviewing to facilitate movement through the Stages of Change (Prochaska & DiClemente model)

  • Built collaborative relationships with providers and advocated for clients regarding psychiatric medication needs, including initiation and adjustment of pharmacologic regimens

Program assistant and policy and procedure author

  • Reviewed and interpreted local, state, and federal guidelines to ensure regulatory compliance; authored a comprehensive policy and procedure manual for the program

  • Collaborated with state officials to align program practices with current regulations and standards

  • Established partnerships with pharmacies, laboratories, medical supply vendors, and organizational leadership to optimize client care and service delivery

  • Strategically reallocated office space to support program expansion and enhance operational efficiency

  • Developed job descriptions for multiple staff roles, aligned with program goals and service model

  • Participated in the recruitment and hiring process, including applicant screening and interviewing

Publications

Austin, C. (2017, November). Advice for Surviving the DNP Program – The Humoristic Perspective. Outcomes, 3(11).              Retrieved from http://dnpconferenceaudio.s3.amazonaws.com/OUTCOMES_V03N11_Nov2017.pdf 

Professional Presentations

"Addiction: Understanding and Treating the Beast"

Geisinger Advanced Practice Nursing Conference

Danville, PA
Presented October 25, 2019

"Assessment of and Interventions for Suicidal Patients in the Ambulatory Setting"

AtlantiCare Advanced Practice Provider Nursing Conference

Pomona, NJ
Presented November 25, 2019

"Assessment and Management of the Suicidal Patient in the Outpatient Setting"

Rutgers University School of Social Work Interprofessional Day of Learning - Mays Landing, NJ

Mays Landing, NJ
Presented March 6, 2020

"Assessment of and Interventions for Suicidal Patients in the Ambulatory Setting"

Forum of Nurses in Advanced Practice (FNAP) of the New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) Education Day

Virtual Conference
Presented November 12, 2020

Honors and Awards

  • Commendation from the mayor for volunteer work at an emergency shelter during a blizzard in 2010

  • Mayoral recognition for volunteer work at an emergency shelter during Hurricane Sandy – December, 2012

  • Customer Service Award for January – June 2014 – AtlantiCare Behavioral Health

  • Stanley S. Bergen Medal of Excellence recipient - May 2018 - Rutgers University

  • Customer Service Award for 2018 - AtlantiCare Behavioral Health

  • Lori S. Herndon Award 2020 (AtlantiCare Nurses Week iCARE Excellence Award)

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