Shawnette Thompson

Experience

• 

  Jessie's - The June Callwood Centre for Young Women

  Jan 2006 - Jan 2008

  Volunteer

  • Provided social and childcare support to teenage families, primarily sole-support teenage mothers. • Provided informal counselling to teenaged families, primarily sole-support teenage mothers. • Co-facilitated group programs, such as mother and child bonding • Educated teen parents about infant development.• Provided mentorship via informal counselling and effective communication skills.

• 

  Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences

  Jan 2008 - Jan 2010

  Adolescent Day Treatment Volunteer

  • Provided social support to adolescents diagnosed with psychotic and major depressive disorders.• Tutored adolescents in a variety of school subjects, such as English, History and Geography. • Co-facilitated of group programs, such as mindfulness meditation sessions and field trips. • Established rapport with clients to facilitate communication and enjoyable learning.• Provided mentorship via informal counselling and effective communication skills.

• 

  Terrace Youth Residential Services

  Jan 2010 - May 2014

  Child and Youth Worker

  • Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of adolescent “females” age 12 – 17 of various gender orientations, from varied backgrounds and sexual orientations, afflicted with a number of psychosocial and personality disorders, as well as learning disabilities. • Responsible for providing informal individual counselling and case management. • Responsible for providing mentorship to female youth in and outside of the group-home setting. • Responsible for facilitating, and leading, group discussions. • Intervene in crisis situations using behaviour management and therapeutic crisis intervention techniques and by employing non-judgemental problem solving skills.• Employ a harm reduction approach when working with youth who engage in self-harming behaviours.• Responsible for assessing risk while bridging home visits, in the community and in the residence.• Responsible for understanding the laws and services directly that directly impacted our adolescent clientele. • Maintain appropriate documentation, including daily logs, case creation and management, IR/SORs.• Coordinate with multidisciplinary team including Social Workers, Crisis Counsellors, Teachers and Police and Probation Officers. • Responsible for providing weekend respite care to foster parents who are part of the agency. • Ability to analyze situations, make decisions and provide feedback and counselling to clients using Cognitive Behavioural Tools, social skills behaviour evaluations and anger management techniques. Show less

• 

  Durham Rape Crisis Centre

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2012

  Volunteer Crisis Counsellor

  • Counselled distressed callers using informal counselling skills, such as active listening, crisis de-escalation and suicide risk assessment tools. • Utilized relaxation techniques, such as grounding and deep breathing exercises in order to assist callers in regaining a sense of control. • Educated male and female adult callers about sexual abuse, rape kits, and the effects of trauma - including PTSD, while maintaining confidentiality at all times. • Provided appropriate referrals as required and requested.• Consistently recorded call statistics according to organizational policies in a timely fashion. Show less

• 

  Peace by Peace - University of Toronto

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2011

  Volunteer Classroom Instructor

  • Taught conflict resolution skills to fifth grade students diagnosed with a variety of learning disorders and pervasive developmental disorders (including autism spectrum disorder).• Restructured curriculum in order to meet the learning needs of the students ie incorporating more group activities and presentations. • Established rapport with the children to facilitate communication and enjoyable learning.• Provided mentorship via informal counselling and effective communication skills. Show less

• 

  Assets Coming Together for Youth - York University School of Social Work

  May 2012 - Mar 2015

  Administrative Assistant

  • Responsible for conducting administrative duties and tasks as assigned by the director of graduate studies for Social Work.• Responsible for responding to email and voicemail messages regarding the ACT for youth and NOISE projects.• Responsible for attending, conducting, contributing to and co-ordinating meetings and conferences.• Responsible for overseeing youth interns, aged 14-17, facilitating educational learning opportunities and creating innovative creative research projects to encourage the successful development of their research skills.• Responsible for co-ordinating between, collaborating and negotiating with various educational/community/social and national non-profit welfare groups on various community projects.• Responsible for payroll administration, reimbursements and overseeing cost centre accounts via eReports. • Facilitated the co-ordination of the Student Summer Learning Retreat for the NOISE project. • Event planning, organizing the catering, bookings and details for large conferences and events. Show less

• 

  Community and Legal Aid Services Programme - Osgoode Hall Law School

  May 2013 - Oct 2013

  Social Work Intern

  • Responsible for providing brief, solution focused and motivational counselling to adult individual clients, as well as members of various community programs/organizations. • Responsible for carrying a caseload of 7-9 clients.• Responsible for arranging meetings with clients both in the clinic and/or in a community setting.• Proactively utilized a strength-based approach when working with clients. • Responsible for individual and community case management. • Assisted with the development of the standard Social Work retainer and file-opening letter. • Collaborated with Student Lawyers and Legal Council on community and individual cases. • Responsible for maintaining, updating and monitoring CLASP Social Media, including Facebook, Twitter, the CLASP website and newsletters. • Responsible for conducting intake which consisted of determining client eligibility for Community and Legal Aid Services via phone screening processes, in-depth in person interviews, maintaining the client database, providing conflict checks and answering calls in regards to legal representation and summary advice. • Assisted with the creation of Ontario Disability Service Program packages, as well as the appeals process with Community and Legal Aid Service Programme Student Lawyers and Legal Council. • Engaged in various levels of advocacy at both the community and individual level, including but not limited to Doctor Advocacy. Show less

• 

  Manasa Clinic

  Aug 2013 - Dec 2015

  Clinical Assistant

  • Responsible for co-facilitating group therapy sessions for adult sex offenders with a Forensic Psychiatrist.• Assist with identifying possible cognitive distortions and supporting the development of effective relapse prevention plans utilizing supportive structures such as the Good Lives Model. • Responsible for taking concise notes documenting the group interactions and topics of discussions. • Shadowing client intake sessions, which delve into life history. • Shadowing psychiatric assessments at Cota’s Mental Health Court Support Program at the 1000 Finch courthouse. • Assisting with the collection of data at Cota’s Mental Health Court Support Program at the 1000 Finch courthouse. Show less

• 

  For Youth Initiative

  Nov 2013 - Apr 2014

  Social Work Intern

  • Responsible for assisting with the development and implementation of the organizational plan. • Responsible for writing, and conducting research supporting, grant proposals that fund the organization’s daily activities, on-going operations and future initiatives. • Responsible for assisting with initiatives that support smaller organizations with capacity building, i.e. the development of grant writing skills through various intensive workshops and online modules.• Attended a 6-week dialogue and consultation series with TPS 12th Division and co-created a school based intervention, centred around information revealed during the discussions. • Assist with hiring committees.• Co-facilitated events and meetings with Ryerson University’s Special Events division surrounding youth unemployment and under employment. • Provide mentorship to male and female youth between the ages of 12 – 24, via informal counselling and effective communication skills. Show less

• 

  Youthdale Treatment Centres

  Apr 2014 - Apr 2015

  Psychiatric Crisis Counsellor

  • Function as part of a multidisciplinary team including, but not limited to, other Social Workers, Child Psychologists, Child Psychologists, Teachers and Nurses.• Ensuring safe, consistent, therapeutic structures and routines for children aged 6-18 in both acute and transitional treatment units.• Engaging in informal and solution focused brief counseling, as well as motivational interviewing.• Facilitating programming to meet group and individual client treatment needs.• Assisting education specialists in the on-site school programs.• Co-leading peer therapy groups with child psychiatrists.• Participating in case conferences involving the multidisciplinary team as well as the children’s legal guardians and/or family members. • Facilitating therapeutic family involvement.• Utilize therapeutic crisis intervention techniques to deescalate crises and facilitate learning opportunities for young people. Show less

• 

  Kids Help Phone

  May 2014 - Apr 2017

  Counsellor

  • Provide high quality professional telephone, web and chat-line counselling, education /referral to children and youth contacting Kids Help within a context of protection and empowerment of children and families to support the care of children and adolescents.• Utilize solution focused brief therapy and operate from a strength-based perspective. • Participate and attend in-service training, clinical consultations, monthly staff meetings, shift debriefs, and other professional development activities.• Maintain a sound knowledge of various national and provincial laws affecting the lives of children and young people at risk, to provide sound decision making support regarding appropriate and relevant referral to community authorities.• Share areas of expertise and participate in developing resources for the department.• Follow professional problem solving models.• Actively participate in the process of individual clinical supervision and coaching.• Facilitate the growth and understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle in which each child or youth is equipped with various tools and skills required to respond to the day-to-day demands of living in a dynamic family group, within a community and within a larger society. Show less

• 

  The George Hull Centre for Children and Families

  Sept 2014 - Apr 2015

  Individual and Family Therapist Intern

  • Receiving in-depth training on various therapeutic approaches through a variety of modalities including observing expert therapists in therapy sessions, weekly supervision, live supervision and videotaped therapy sessions.• Attending a year long, comprehensive, biweekly family therapy training seminar, which focuses on the core principles of family therapy, craft of practice and the entire therapeutic process. • Attending a year long, comprehensive, biweekly psychiatric children’s mental health seminar exploring issues relevant to children’s mental health. • Responsible for providing individual and family therapy to children and adolescents ages birth -18 and their families. • Responsible for providing consultations, conducting assessments and delivering (short and long term) psychodynamic, relational, solution-focused, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural and attachment-focused therapy within the context of family systems theory. • Responsible for carrying a caseload of 6-8 files with ongoing and regular feedback, reflection and supervision. Show less

• 

  Talk2Me Psychotherapy Counselling & Consultation Services

  Apr 2015 - now

  Founder & Lead Psychotherapist

  • Responsible for co-facilitating group therapy sessions for adults, charged with sexual offences, with a Forensic Psychiatrist.• Assist with identifying possible cognitive distortions and supporting the development of effective relapse prevention plans utilizing supportive structures such as the Good Lives Model. • Responsible for taking concise notes documenting the group interactions and topics of discussions. • Responsible for completing court ordered assessments.

• 

  Skylark Children, Youth and Families

  Jul 2015 - Feb 2020

  • Offer narrative therapy practice and other competency-based practice that is resonant for diverse communities. • Outreach and engage children, youth and families who are experiencing complex challenges at home, school or in the community. • Provide flexible and creative services in the home, school or community.• Engage parents, other family members and/or community supports, when appropriate.• Advocate for youth and families, ensuring access to necessary programs and services in the community. • Collaborate with other service providers.• Complete clinical and other reports according to agency requirements and standards.• Participate in weekly team meetings, supervision and clinical development opportunities at Skylark Children, Youth & Families. Show less

  • Manager, Community Counselling Programs

    Jul 2018 - Feb 2020

  • Individual and Family Therapist - Intensive Child and Family Services & MLSE LaunchPad

    Oct 2017 - Jun 2018

  • Individual and Family Therapist - Intensive Child and Family Services

    Jul 2015 - Oct 2017
• 

  Oolagen Youth Mental Health

  Jul 2015 - Sept 2016

  Individual and Family Therapist

  • Offer narrative therapy practice and other competency-based practice that is resonant for diverse communities. • Outreach and engage children, youth and families who are experiencing complex challenges at home, school or in the community. • Provide flexible and creative services in the home, school or community.• Engage parents, other family members and/or community supports, when appropriate.• Advocate for youth and families, ensuring access to necessary programs and services in the community. • Collaborate with other service providers.• Complete clinical and other reports according to agency requirements and standards.• Participate in weekly team meetings, supervision and clinical development opportunities at Oolagen. Show less

• 

  University of Toronto

  Feb 2020 - now

  • Supervisor, Clinical Affairs - Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, Talk It Out Clinic

    Jun 2022 - now

  • Psychotherapist

    Feb 2020 - Jun 2022