Cara Feldberg, PhD

Experience

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  Association of Community Organizing for Reform Now,

  Jun 1981 - Dec 1984

  Head Organizer/Community Organizer

  • Led office of five low income neighborhood groups in NJ; Organized three Boston low income neighborhoods in Dorchester and Mattapan

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  Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands

  Jan 1985 - Jan 1987

  Program Director

  • Complete program responsibility for two grassroots groups of approximately 500+ members (welfare rights and seniors) and an advocacy unit which serviced over 300 people/year with goals of empowerment, reforming policies to enhance benefits and teaching rights.• Successfully reformed electric company’s policy, reducing shut-offs and contributed to staff training curriculum; increased homeless services, addressed lack of Medicaid access, created tenant groups which improved rents, repairs and reduced evictions.• Recruited, supervised and trained staff, conducted member leadership development, built alliances with local and statewide organizations. Oversaw structure, growth, issue selection and strategy, advocacy case selection and wrote successful grant proposals. Coordinated all outreach and press relations. Show less

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  Northern Essex Community College, Merrimack College

  Jan 1991 - Jan 1994

  Adjunct Faculty/Teaching Fellow

  • Designed and taught introductory, personality and/or developmental courses.

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  Cara Feldberg, PhD

  Jan 1995 - Jan 2010

  Psychotherapist, Independent Practice, Cambridge, MA

  • Conducted individual and couple’s psychotherapy for fifteen years.

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  Harvard University Health Services, Mental Health Services

  Jan 1997 - Jan 2007

  Consultant

  • Co-facilitated weekly case supervision group for 100 + psychiatric residents, psychology post-doctoral students and social work fellows over ten years.

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  Boston College Lynch School Masters of Counseling Program

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2018

  Social Justice Lab Fellow

  • Supervised, taught advocacy skills, and mentored 1OO graduate students who provided emotional and instrumental support to trauma survivors, in order to increase access to resources, improve school attendance and IEP plans, job resumes and searches, home organization and permanent housing.• Coordinated and problem-solved as a liaison between BC and several empowerment-based advocacy groups with trauma survivors and Boston High School students.• Taught students to examine systemic issues such as racism and inequality as determinate factors in mental status, impacting their occupational choices to seek social justice employment. Show less

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  Massachusetts Bay Community College

  Jan 2013 - Jan 2013

  Consultant

  • Evaluated service-learning program: interviewed faculty, program directors and leaders statewide; conducted literature review to determine best practices as aligned with Massachusetts Vision Project.• Created 5-year scaffolded service-learning program plan, exponentially increasing faculty and classes, pairing curriculum to service learning, designed to enhance job prospects, improved work skills, college retention and esteem for low-income, first generation students.• Developed class projects to match to specific organizations for partnerships. Show less

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  The Second Step

  Oct 2016 - Sept 2020

  Program Committee Member

  • Reviewed the organization’s mission, structural and philosophical foundations, in order to improve advocacy for trauma survivors in transitional housing and local communities.• Contributed to instituting a new series of robust trauma informed staff and volunteer trainings, altering staffing patterns and the program structure, revised mission statement and improved community outreach.

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  Believe in Success,

  Sept 2019 - Jun 2020

  Evaluation Committee Member

  Review and recommend alterations to program curriculum, community resources, case management and coaching approaches, structure, feedback process to ensure quality job training program for trauma survivors.

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  Movement Voter Project/Fund

  Nov 2019 - now

  Volunteer

  Hosted fundraisers, volunteered as liaison to others who wanted to fundraise and participate with volunteer outreach committee to empower progressive grass root organizations in key electoral states.

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  Ayana Tipnis Foundation

  Sept 2021 - now

  Mentor, Volunteer

  Mentor a first generation college student, teach self-advocacy skills, research available resources, provide emotional, educational and instrumental support as needed. Create and conduct on-boarding curriculum for new mentors.

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  ACLUM

  Feb 2023 - May 2024

  Legal Resource Team Member volunteer

  Respond to callers concerns regarding potential civil rights violations, summerize issues for legal review and provide additional resources that might also assist callers.