I'm excited to introduce myself and for you to learn about how BTD Consulting may help you achieve your goals, big or small.
My career launched in 1994 at a federally funded research center studying adolescents enrolled in substance use disorder treatment. I held various positions there including basic data management, neuropsychological assessment, and project coordination of multiple studies. This is where my passion for research and clinical practice started and I pursued a master’s degree in counseling focused on diagnostic assessment and testing. Part of this early graduate training included internships in group homes and in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. To further cultivate my love of research, I pursued a doctoral degree and earned both a master’s degree and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work.
I left the research center to complete my dissertation and met the then-CEO of one of the biggest nonprofit substance use treatment providers at that time in Pennsylvania who invited me to join the staff as their director of research and program evaluation. This was the opportunity of a lifetime as I was charged with creating the research department from the ground up, designing new programs, seeking funding to support their implementation and sustainability and -most importantly- using my research skills to show improvement in client outcomes. My creativity bloomed, clinical knowledge increased, grant writing skills sharpened, and analytic ability advanced.
As business needs changed, I moved into an executive management role and assumed operational responsibilities for approximately 130 residential beds across six programs while maintaining the organization's dedication to demonstrating positive outcomes. This new role allowed me to lead quality initiatives to increase efficiencies and participate in community partnership building as well as hold the fiscal management responsibility for my programs. This first-hand involvement of the business side of treatment provision inspired me to pursue graduate business studies. I returned to Pitt one more time and while working full-time, earned my MBA with a triple concentration in strategy, operations, and marketing, plus a mid-level Six Sigma certification.
Recently, I spent four years within a payor organization focusing on improving integrated, whole person physical and behavioral healthcare and working toward designing and implementing a value-based payment model for a statewide care coordination program. I gained valuable insights into how payors and providers can partner to achieve both common and disparate aims around service provision, client need, quality, and cost.
I have taught graduate courses and provided instruction and supervision to student interns over the years. Students often ask me how they will know when they’ve selected the most interesting topic for a project or paper, or the best job choice early in their career path. I provide consistent advice: do what lights the fire in your belly - follow your passion and you can’t go wrong.
Fortunately, I’ve followed my own advice and have seen the benefits of infusing the work about which I am most passionate into BTD Consulting while holding a deep commitment to learning and professional and personal growth. I enjoy working with others across a variety of specialties, where collaboration and dedication can merge to innovate responses to some of the most complex and challenging issues facing organizations and those they serve. I’d love to hear from you and talk about how I may be able to support your organization in achieving its goals.