Amitty Kasowski

Experience

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  Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

  Oct 2008 - Jul 2012

  Personal Attendant

  This is where it all started. I realized during my college career that I was happiest when I was helping people. I had several friends that had worked for Devereux and I decided to apply. I was hired at an entry level position to do direct care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I was impressed and relieved by the amount of training each employee received before supporting Devereux individuals. In this position I realized that taking care of another human being is really important work. I know this sounds obvious but it takes real skill to do the work effectively and therapeutically. It's more than just showering, changing, and feeding someone and it's definitely more than just companionship. You are there to be their mentor, their advocate, teacher, personal assistant, and counselor. We serve so many roles in the lives of the individuals. Every morning I looked forward to spending the day with my clients, supporting them, and helping them be the best versions of themselves. One of my proudest moments during this time was when one of my clients who suffers from cerebral palsy and MS wanted to put on her own art show. We connected her to an art teacher, collected her works, and finally made that dream come true. She had been wanting for many years to achieve this goal, I decided to take the lead and actually make it a reality for her. Show less

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  Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

  Feb 2013 - now

  Working in the People Operations department has opened up so many opportunities. I enjoy working People Operations because it is do dynamic. No two days are the same. One day I am filing workers comp claims another i'm training a class full of organization leaders. I am fortunate I get to meet every single employee that walks through our doors and make the connection from day one. I am always looking for an opportunity to make things happen for our employees and organization. I consider myself a guide to all work systems which in turn allows me to provide the best resources to our employees and help make their plans come to fruition. I also have the opportunity to be creative as a trainer and create an experience that is valuable for our learners. I am always looking for opportunities to improve our work environment and to develop programs for employee growth. Also as a Servant Leader Champion I have the opportunity to dive more deeply in finding out what employees need and coming up with actionable plans to make that happen. I always strive to be an ambassador of our organizations values and unlock human potential! Show less I learned so much as a Program Coordinator! I supervised over 20 offsite employees and did case management for 12 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I was very fortunate to be able to create such a strong team of employees. They worked tirelessly to give quality care to the individuals we serve and I made it a point to tell my employees how much I appreciated them. Since these employees were offsite, being available for them and being able to communicate were my priorities. As a supervisor I recognized how important it was to work collaboratively with my team, listen to their suggestions and take action. Part of my duty as a Program Coordinator was creating Individual Support Plans for each of my clients.I had the amazing opportunity to work alongside doctors and clinicians in creating these plans and my clinical knowledge of mental health grew exponentially during this time. Not only did I learn a tremendous amount clinically but also how to manage conflict, whether it was conflict between employees, disgruntled family members, or quarreling housemates. I learned to really listen and how to help people feel like they were heard. I learned that most conflict happens due to communication issues and learned how to speak in a way that kept people open and receptive to differing points of views. All of these experiences helped me become a better employee and just a better person in general. These experiences helped me become the recipient of the Supervisory Excellence Award in 2014. Show less

  • People Operations Specialist/ Learning Specialist

    Jun 2014 - now

  • Supported Living Program Coordinator

    Feb 2013 - Jun 2014
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  New Beginnings Counseling Center Santa Barbara

  Sept 2017 - Sept 2018

  Supportive Services Program Coordinator and Case Manager

  There was never a dull moment in this position. Through New Beginnings Counseling Center I was contracted by the Housing Authority for the City of Santa Barbara to lead the Supportive Services Program they offer their residents. I supervised one other part-time case manager, provided short term case management for over 144 clients, and looked for opportunities to grow the program among those receiving subsidized housing. When I was offered the position I was excited to dive right in and they gave me every opportunity to do so. It quickly became clear that the majority of my work would be crisis intervention. I supported people suffering from self-neglect, substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, severe mental health issues, economic hardships, chronic homelessness, hoarding and the list goes on. Fortunately I was able to connect these individuals to the many service providers in the area that were able to provide long term assistance helping them live more independent lives. I managed several grants that greatly benefited individuals with long term positive outcomes and effects.This work helped me put many things in perspective. There is so much to give in our own communities we don't need to go far to make a difference. Although the work was difficult and sometimes tragic it has been some of the most rewarding work I have done. Show less

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  Santa Barbara City College

  Apr 2020 - now

  Human Resources Technician II

  As an HR Technician II I have the opportunity to perform a variety of technical duties in support ofthe College classified human resources operations and activities; participate in the recruitment, screening and processing of new personnel; provide information and assistance to employees, job applicants and the general public regarding College personnel functions, policies andprocedures; prepare and maintain a variety of manual and automated personnel files, records andreports.