DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

SHELLY STRATTON

23 Pinecrest Lane

Durham, NH 03824

(603) 868-2762; © (603) 969-6985

EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATION

PhD Candidate, MA/PhD in Depth psychology with an emphasis in Community Psychology, Liberation Psychology and Ecopsychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute,

Oct. 2010 – present (anticipated completion in 2015).

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, New Hampshire, LICSW #1039, 11/18/2007 – present.

Post Graduate Foster Care and Adoption Therapy Certification, Antioch University, Seattle, WA. Oct. 2002 – June 2003.

Master of Social Work, Multi-Ethnic Practice focus, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 1997-1999.

Bachelor of Arts in Human Development, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA 1986-1988.

Liberal arts, Earlham College, Richmond, IN. 1982-1984, (Emphasis in psychology and art).

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Child and Family Therapist, Private Practice, Durham, NH (11/05- Present)

Provide therapy for young children and their families. Play therapy and sandplay therapy are the primary modalities used. Clients include children and families working to understand issues related to adoption and foster care, attachment, self esteem, anxiety, sensory processing, grief and loss, trauma and cross-cultural challenges.
Work closely with parents, schools and childcare programs in coordinating appropriate supports, referral and IEP planning.
Provide support for refugee children who are struggling in the Manchester, NH schools.
Currently collaborating with social workers to develop psychosocial supports that reflect cultural perspectives and community empowerment models for/with “post resettlement” refugees in Manchester, NH.

Grant Coordinator, New American Africans, Manchester, NH (10/12 – present), Honore Murenzi, Executive Director.

Co-facilitate the development of an African community organization striving to support, empower and bring together African communities that have been fragmented and challenged by the multiple barriers faced in resettlement.
Working with translators and African community leaders to promote grassroots development. The developing group is primarily from Burundi, Congo, and Sudan.
Developing strategies for planning and documenting this process with community members who have very limited education and who are have limited English proficiency.

Child and Family therapist/consultant, Easter Seals, Dover, NH (06/09 – 11/10)

Provided play therapy and family support for children struggling with sensory processing/aspergers/autism, anxiety and difficulty in the family.
Consultation and support to staff at Easter Seals regarding behavioral health issues.
Worked with schools and childcare programs regarding special needs of children.

Family Therapist, Seacoast Mental Health Center, Portsmouth, NH (8/04 – 6/05),

Lisa Higgins-Segall, Children, youth and families, supervisor.

Provided individual and family therapy, as well as MIMS services to children and their families. These services were provided in the clinic, at schools and in their homes. Counseling services were designed to meet the needs of families facing multiple challenges to accessing social supports.

Family Counselor, Familystrength, Dover, NH (12/03 - 6/04), Linda Nagel, Clinical Director.

Provided home-based therapeutic services for families referred by DCYF or the Juvenile justice system.
Focus on work with families involved in the “Permanency Plus Intensive Reunification Program”, providing strength based therapeutic services, and supporting families to meet DCYF expectations for reunification.
Approached families with skills in negotiating and interpreting complicated systems that had entered their lives; using skills as a family therapist, sandplay, play and art therapist.
Supported the development of parenting skills, as well as unearthing and accentuating existing strengths in parents.
Completed extensive service plan and assessments for each family.

Counselor/Case manager, First Place (school for homeless children and support for their families), Seattle, WA 8/99-6/01. Barb Bennet, Director of Social Services.

Provided intensive case management for homeless families, working closely with other social service providers (i.e. CPS, Health care providers, Shelter staff, housing and counseling programs). Presented case histories regarding social, emotional, cultural and family issues.
Provided individual and group counseling, primarily using cognitive therapy, sand play, art, and play therapy.
Provided parent support, case management, and parent/child counseling.
Responsible for crisis intervention at the school, including crisis counseling, teacher support, developing behavior management plans, conflict resolution, and contact with families regarding problems at school.
Developed and implemented classroom counseling and support groups, which required teacher/ counselor collaboration.

Student Intern, Pathways Home, Seattle Children’s Home, Seattle, WA 1/98-6/99. Becca

Bennet MSW, Practicum instructor.

Acted as primary case manager for very challenging homeless families.
Provided individual therapy for children in these families.
Provided parent support, education, individual therapy and family therapy.

Student Intern, Interagency Staffing Team, Seattle Mental Health, Seattle, WA 1/98-6/98. Jennifer Heger MSW, Practicum Instructor.

Observed and participated in child and family team discussions, and planning of wrap around services for children/ families with complicated involvement in multiple social services.
Participated in the large Interagency Staffing Team meetings, evaluating/supporting and distributing need based financial support for struggling families.

Children’s Advocate, Salvation Army, Hickman House, Seattle, WA 6/93-5/97. Edith Maffeo, Director.

Worked closely with the mother’s and children (0-5 years), in this domestic violence shelter, made referrals and developed psychosocial intervention when needed
Created a comprehensive and therapeutic childcare program..
Active participant in the Children’s Committee of the Seattle-King County Coalition for the Homeless.

Head Teacher, Sojourn Inc., Northampton, MA. 9/88-7/91. Clare Higgins, Director.

Head Teacher of the daycare component of this agency working with teen adolescent women and teen parents.

Kindergarten Teacher, Pacific Oaks Children’s School, Pasadena, CA 9/87-6/88.Cheryl Greer, Master Teacher.

Planned and implemented curriculum for kindergarten children, working closely with the special needs students.

Anti-bias Research Assistant, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA 1/86-6/86. Louise Derman-Sparks, Faculty & Author of many books and articles related to addressing bias with young children including, Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools to Empower Young Children

PROFESSIONAL FIELDWORK AND TRAVEL

Sabbatical/travel, Australia and Ghana (11/2009 – 6/2010)

Australia: travel and visiting with family prior to travels in Ghana.
Ghana: Built relationships with children and teachers at the University of Ghana,

Child Study Center (3 months). Also visited preschools, elementary schools, orphanages, villages, NGO’s and government agency working to address issues concerning children.

PhD fieldwork

Spent three weeks in Kenya providing a camp experience for children in an orphanage. My contribution focused on creating a large mural depicting their community (August 2011).
Spent four weeks in Rwanda participating in the training, “Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities”. This training builds on an “Alternatives to Violence (AVP)” approach, and was developed by individuals from Burundi and Rwanda to reflect a particular cultural perspective, and the unique challenges of the 1994 genocide. Following the training we facilitated the training in a Rwandan community (August 2012).

Volunteer and community involvement: New American African’s, Manchester and Concord, NH, 5/11- present, Honore Murenzi, Executive Director.

Work with African refugee children, families, communities and community organizations addressing the challenges of acculturation, accessing resource and equity concerns.
Participate in community efforts to address concerns about school experiences for immigrant and refugee children.
Consult with schools and school liaisons regarding social, emotional, and cultural awareness with regard to immigrant and refugee children.
Work with New American Africans to develop programs that strive to build a stronger community based network of support for immigrants and refugees.

PRESENTATIONS:

“Tools to Empower Young Children in a Diverse World”, New England Teachers Conference, Springfield, MA. April 27,1989 (In collaboration with J.W. Nimmo).

“Fighting Racism by Understanding Our Own Culture: Women of European Decent,” Washington Association For the Education of Young Children; Bellevue, WA. Oct. 14 1995, (In collaboration with Denise Michaels and Tilman Smith).

“Play Based approach” Case presentation and discussion about the use of sandplay and play therapy in the treatment of children with selective mutism. Selective Mutism Group; Rid the Silence conference. Bedford, NH. May 9, 2008.

“Anxiety and Language Development” Infant Mental Health, Brown Bag Lunch

Dover, NH. March 12, 09 (In collaboration with Joleen Fernald).

“Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities: Exploring Response-Ability in Fieldwork”, Northwest Community Research and Action Conference, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon. Oct. 12, 2012.

REFERENCES:

Honore Murenzi, Executive Director, New American Africans, (603) 219-5219

Patty Rawding Anderson, Program director, Easter Seals of NH (603) 895-1522

Linda Nagel, Clinical Director, Familystrength, (603) 742-5662

Patty Cannon, School Counselor, First Place (206) 323-0642