Dr. Dara N. Rampersad

Experience

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  AuSable Valley Community Mental Health

  Sept 2000 - Sept 2001

  Community Outpatient Therapist

  Created and implemented a 26-week Domestic Violence/Anger Management group, and a 32-week Sexual Offender group for batterers, in collaboration with district, probate and circuit courts. Provided counseling to individuals and families with a variety of mental health issues.

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  Partners in Change

  Sept 2001 - Jul 2002

  Forensic Counselor

  Worked as a contractual employee to provide substance abuse and life skills training to levels I, II and IV prisoners at a state prison. Coordinated scheduling of classes with prison staff. Facilitated a self control group for male domestic violence offenders. Maintained weekly contacts with a local district court to update probation officers about clients’ progress. Conducted intake assessments, treatment plans, case notes and termination summaries.

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  Phillips State Prison

  Jan 2004 - May 2004

  Men’s Prison Clinician

  Completed doctoral practicum providing therapy to level IV security inmates with levels II-IV mental health needs. Facilitated a PTSD group, and co-facilitated a suicide prevention group. Assisted with intakes of new inmates to determine housing assignments. Counseled individual violent male offenders with schizophrenia, impulse control, paranoia, Borderline Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, MR/DD, sexual abuse, depression, anxiety, anger, suicide, and societal reintegration needs. Maintained treatment notes, and participated in aftercare planning. Show less

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  Metro State Prison for Women

  Aug 2004 - May 2005

  Women's Prison Clinician

  Women’s Prison Assessment and Psychotherapy; Counseled medium security level female inmates as part of an advanced doctoral practicum. Co-facilitated process groups. Provided therapy to individual clients working on sexual abuse, Borderline Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, schizophrenia, paranoia, depression, anxiety, relationship, and societal reintegration issues. Conducted intelligence and personality testing, as well as screenings for neuropsychological impairments. Wrote comprehensive reports on testing cases, as well as maintained treatment notes. Show less

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  Napa State Hospital

  Aug 2005 - Aug 2006

  Forensic Inpatient Pre-Doctoral Intern

  Provided individual and group therapy to severely mentally ill patients (both male and female) with forensic histories. Helped restore competence to patient inmates found Incompetent to Stand Trial (IST), using the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool. Also provided counseling to Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI ) patients. Worked as a member of multi-disciplinary treatment teams to provide psychological care to patients. Conducted neuropsychological screenings, violence risk (VRAG, PCL-R, HCR-20, SORAG), personality (MMPI, Rorschach, etc.), cognitive, competency, and behavioral assessments. Collaborated with Positive Behavioral Support Teams (PBST) to provide consultation to treatment teams with challenging patients. Volunteered as an On Duty Psychologist (ODP) for after- hours crisis consultation. Show less

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  University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center- Dept. of Psychiatry

  Oct 2007 - Oct 2008

  Research and Evaluation Postdoctoral Fellow

  Involved in the research and design of treatment programs implemented in a county jail developed to decrease recidivism. Designed logic models for a prison program aimed at community reentry for male and female offenders. Collaborated with the division of criminal justice, department of corrections, division of mental health, and three mental health centers on a monthly basis to research forensic issues pertaining to recidivism and community reentry. Also involved as an evaluation and sustainability forensic committee member for the development of a mental health court. Show less

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  Maui Community Mental Health

  Oct 2008 - Aug 2014

  Maui County Forensic Coordinator

  Supervised forensic services for Adult Division of Mental Health-SPMI consumers involved with the legal system in Maui County (comprised of 3 islands- Maui, Molokai, and Lanai). Monitored consumers placed on Conditional Release by the 2nd Judicial Court system and released from Hawaii State Hospital. Oversaw Maui County’s Jail Diversion program. Consultant and instructor to mental health treatment teams, Maui Police Department, Maui Community Correctional Center, and Public Health Nursing regarding forensic issues involving mental health consumers. Court liaison for forensic mental health services- screen for competency/fitness, make recommendations, facilitate inter-island communication, testify, and conduct violence risk assessments of consumers. Supervised forensic case management, coordinator, and administrative staff. Provided crisis services for critical incidents in community. Initiated, planned, developed, and implemented first police Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in the state of Hawaii. Also initiated, planned, developed and implemented Maui County’s first Circuit/Superior mental health court. Show less

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  Hawaii Psychological Consulting, LLC

  Jul 2012 - Aug 2018

  Chief Consultant, Owner

  Provide consulting and psychological services to various public and private agencies. Services include forensic consultation assisting law enforcement with the development and implementation of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), Jail Diversion, and public safety. Also provides counseling and Employee Assistance Programming to enhance staff and corporate satisfaction and retention.

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  Terros Health

  Jul 2015 - Apr 2018

  Senior Director of Crisis Services

  Lead a staff of approximately 220 employees to provide crisis services to over 4 million people living in Maricopa County, Coconino County, and Mohave County. Specific lines of service include hospital rapid response and connect to care services, mobile crisis, developmental disability crisis, peer transition teams, and Department of Child Safety rapid response and stabilization teams. Manage a budget of over 10 million dollars, and work to develop lines of service with the Regional Behavioral Health Authorities. Assist with training statewide law enforcement departments in Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) and networking with law enforcement and behavioral health agencies. Work with Veterans Administration as part of a taskforce to develop and implement a suicide prevention program for active military and veterans. Show less

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  BluePaz, LLC

  Oct 2016 - now

  Chief First Responder Psychologist

  Provide consulting and psychological services to first responders (i.e., Police, Military, Fire, EMS, Corrections, and Crisis clinicians). Services include: work/life adjustment; pre-employment psychological readiness; active duty family and personal concerns; psychological disability evaluations; and post-duty civilian life adjustment counseling. Certified by ICISF to facilitate CISM/CISD interventions in minor or mass tragedies, and CIT coordinator certified to train & assist in mental health crisis situations. Associate member or the International Association of the Chief's of Police, Police and Psychological Services Section. Show less

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  Arizona State University

  Jan 2019 - Jan 2020

  Associate Professor

  Associate professor of Doctoral Counseling Psychology practicum class. Supervised doctoral students to prepare them for the field as psychologists.

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  Arizona State University

  Aug 2022 - Sept 2023

  Professor of Practice

  Our team is creating a first of its kind- University based, nationally certified, graduate level First Responder Counseling track so that Masters level clinicians can specialize in treating First Responders’ specific needs!