Type Of Business:
Nonprofit community mental health organization
Expertise:
Clinical supervision; Administrative oversight; Mentoring and training clinicians and beginning clinical supervisors; Ongoing program development; Healthy and effective management; Provision of containment and support during times of agency transition or instability; Implementation of positive change
Major Product/SVS:
Clinical supervision; mentoring and training new clinical supervisors; Mental health counseling;Identifying program needs and resources; promoting healthy management philosophy; Case management regarding resource needs; Services to address barriers to employment; Disability advocacy and advocacy for appropriate career and academic plans.
Hobbies/Sports:
Cooking; Feeding people literally and figuratively; Reading; Being by the ocean and outdoors; Folk dancing and circle dancing; Writing creative nonfiction, interweaving personal essays, poetry and dreams; Dream work; Spending quality time with friends; Romping with big goofy dogs; Conquering difficult behaviors using learning theory, motivation, and positive reinforcement methods- also applicable to human management -and providing loving homes for dogs who might otherwise be put down; Anything that makes her laugh, from gallows humor to slapstick comedy; Green education and assistance in implementation
Education Degrees:
Psy.D., California Institute of Integral Studies (2001); Master's Degree in Creative Writing and English, San Francisco State University (1985); Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, San Francisco State University (1981)
Affiliations Awards:
Participant, Peer-Led Women's Dream Work Group (2000-Present)
Industry:
Mental Health Care
Date of Distinction:
12/30/2011
What do you feel separates you from the rest of the professionals in your industry?:
She is separated from her peers by her demeanor. Often called the calm in the center of the storm, she is able to contain and support individuals as well as the entire team. She is constantly available to her entire staff, and she goes out of her way to support them and meet their needs. A general "go to" leader, she finds answers, takes action and makes decisions to facilitate smooth functioning of the clinic.
What has been the most outstanding thing you have done thus far in your career?:
Her greatest career achievement was being appointed as a clinical director in a tumultuous environment, which has enabled her to bring stability to the work environment.
How would you like to be remembered by your peers?:
She would like to be remembered as someone who always stepped up for her people, provided thoughtful and collaborative guidance, and encouraged and facilitated opportunities for professional growth.
If you could solve one problem in the world today, what would it be?:
She would create access to quality education for everyone in the world. Knowledge is indeed power. Greater education would enable people to tackle and solve most of the world's problems, and would eliminate the gap between "haves" and have nots."
If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?:
She would like to dine with Emily Dickinson because she finds her fascinating and would like to understand her perception of reality. Although she has a better sense of what made Jane Austen tick, she would still cherish an opportunity to meet her and learn about her social environment, the limited options for women in her time, and what sustained her in a superficial social environment, and what equal companionship she found. She would also like to have lunch with President and Mrs. Obama.
Charity:
Monthly Donations, ASPCA and Doctors Without Borders; USO; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Various Literacy Initiatives; Various Green Initiatives; Volunteer Teacher, Writing Workshops for Seniors; Food and Clothing Donations, Local Resource Centers
Number Of Years In Profession:
15
Number Of Years In Current Position:
10
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to having good mentors, growing up in an intellectual family, and knowing that she could do anything academically.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She was always interested in how the human psyche works, and the inter-relation between psychology, the arts and dream work. Having a wonderful experience working with her own therapist, her interest in pursuing this career was cemented.
Extended Bio Profile:
Dr. Chase is a licensed clinical psychologist who has taught at both San Francisco State and San Francisco City College. In addition, she is very active with a women's dream group, which informs her self-awareness and writing projects. She participated in a contemporary arts festival in Moscow in 1990, where her poetry was very well received. Her poems have been published internationally, including in a Russian journal and a Hungarian anthology of contemporary American poets. She looks forward to combining all her interests and skills in future projects. She is currently interested in revising management philosophy in order to provide more healthy, positive work environments that support staff morale, creativity and initiative, as well as enhance efficiency and productivity. Her book, "The Beginning of Difficulty," was praised by poet Robert Creeley as "a primary book of passage by a very gifted poet." The dissertation she wrote to earn a Psy.D. was entitled: "A Control Mastery Application to Treating Chronic Depressive Disorders," and her master's degree thesis was called "Phototropism: A Collection of Poems."
There are basically two kinds of people who go into the mental health field: those who ward off their own injuries with an "us vs. them" mentality, and those who recognize that we are all wounded and injured in ways, and can use their own experiences and vulnerability to empathize and help clients in a collaborative manner.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Overseeing the clinical competency division; Offering clinical supervision; Identifying training needs and resources; Providing brief didactics on various clinical issues; Training and mentoring clinicians and beginning clinical supervisors; Facilitating changes in management philosophy to improve staff morale and retention, as well as efficiency and productivity
Education Certifications:
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, States of California and Rhode Island
Awards/Honors:
Employee of the Year for her Role in Mediating, Containing, and Resolving Internal Conflict, Westside Family Services (2004); Nominee, Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Poetry for "The Beginning of Difficulty," (1989); Pick of the Month, Small Press Review (1990); praised by poet Robert Creeley as "a primary book of passage by a very gifted poet." Outstanding Graduating Student, Sociology Department, San Francisco State University
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Dr. Chase intends to be doing consulting in various arenas, including business management, psychological issues and editing. She will also be working on writing projects that combine dreams, poetry and personal memoirs. She will continue to mentor in clinical, management, and literary arenas. She will also be able to devote more time to community service, whether through donations of food and clothing, or providing hands on service such as teaching nutrition and healthy cooking, providing home-cooked vegetable dishes to shelters, assisting with literacy programs, and promoting animal welfare, including walking and socializing shelter dogs and teaching adopters how to work best with their dogs.