GLADYS MATTHEWS
Salem
Summary
Dedicated School Social Worker skilled in delivering individualized and group therapy for behavioral health. Collaborates with multidisciplinary teams and community resources to foster inclusive environments that support emotional growth and family stability. Enhances children's well-being through targeted interventions and support services.
Overview
1
1
Certification
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Housing Development Coordinator
Trillium Health Resources
Jacksonville
12.2025 - 07.2026
- Advocated for 50+ tenants with disabilities by collaborating with landlords, property managers, behavioral health providers, care managers, guardians, and community agencies to address tenancy concerns, request reasonable accommodations, resolve conflicts, and prevent housing disruption, improving members’ ability to remain safely housed.
- Guided 50+ members through housing applications, lease agreements, annual recertification's, inspections, and program requirements by breaking complex information into clear, manageable steps, increasing understanding, participation, and confidence in navigating housing systems.
- Counseled 50+ individuals with serious mental illness, intellectual/developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, autism, and co-occurring behavioral health conditions on securing stable housing by explaining program requirements, identifying tenancy barriers, and developing housing-stability strategies that enhanced independent living skills and promoted long-term community stability.
- Coached individuals on effective communication with 100+ landlords, property managers, and housing providers across a 46-county region through self-advocacy, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution training, fostering stronger landlord-tenant relationships and facilitating successful tenancy.
- Connected members and families with behavioral health, healthcare, financial assistance, transportation, food, and community-based resources through coordination with 25+ providers and support professionals, improving access to essential services and promoting greater independence, stability, and overall well-being.
Family Centered Treatment Therapist
Coastal Horizons Center
Jacksonville
10.2025 - 12.2025
- Provided intensive individual and family therapy to 8–12 high-risk children, adolescents, and caregivers experiencing behavioral health concerns, emotional dysregulation, trauma, family conflict, peer difficulties, and school-adjustment challenges, strengthening coping skills, family functioning, and stability across home, school, and community settings.
- Implemented therapeutic skill-building interventions for 8–12 families per treatment cycle focused on emotional regulation, communication, self-advocacy, problem-solving, conflict resolution, parenting, and behavior management using CBT, Motivational Interviewing, family-systems interventions, and trauma-informed care, increasing caregiver engagement and improving children’s social-emotional functioning.
- Collaborated with 10+ teachers, school counselors, administrators, exceptional-children’s personnel, healthcare providers, DSS representatives, and community partners to identify student needs, coordinate services, and address academic, behavioral, and family barriers, improving continuity between treatment, home, and school supports.
- Supported IEP, 504 Plan, and student-support processes for school-aged clients by communicating behavioral and social-emotional needs, advocating for accommodations and interventions, and educating caregivers on educational recommendations, enhancing family engagement and access to school-based support.
- Conducted biopsychosocial and risk assessments, developed individualized treatment and safety plans, and facilitated Child and Family Team meetings, ensuring comprehensive service coordination and effective treatment monitoring through 100+ Medicaid-compliant clinical records.
Clinical Social Work Intern – FACT Day Treatment Program
Methodist Home for Children
Jacksonville
08.2024 - 12.2025
- Conducted comprehensive biopsychosocial, behavioral health, trauma, suicide-risk, and strengths-based assessments for 50+ children and adolescents with behavioral health and developmental needs, translating clinical findings into individualized treatment plans with measurable goals that addressed emotional, behavioral, social, family, and academic functioning.
- Delivered 100+ individual counseling sessions using cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, solution-focused interventions, and trauma-informed practices, enhancing students' ability to identify triggers, process emotions, develop coping strategies, and improve behavioral and emotional functioning across school and home environments.
- Provided family therapy, caregiver education, and parent coaching to strengthen communication, attachment, behavior management, consistency, and conflict-resolution skills, increasing caregiver participation in treatment and supporting the transfer of therapeutic strategies into students’ daily home and school routines.
- Designed and facilitated 40+ therapeutic and psychoeducational group counseling sessions focused on social-emotional learning, friendship and social skills, emotional regulation, coping strategies, anger management, communication, grief and trauma, decision-making, conflict resolution, classroom behavior, and positive peer relationships, improving students’ ability to participate safely and successfully in group and educational settings.
- Supported students within a structured Level III therapeutic day-treatment classroom through daily counseling check-ins, behavioral coaching, crisis intervention, de-escalation, suicide-risk screening, safety planning, and in-the-moment coping support, reducing disruptions and helping students return safely to classroom and therapeutic activities.
- Facilitated Child and Family Team meetings to coordinate treatment and educational support for 50+ students and collaborated with educators, caregivers, and community agencies.
- Completed 200+ Medicaid-compliant clinical documents, including assessments, treatment plans, and progress notes, to evaluate intervention effectiveness and maintain continuity of care based on student progress data and interdisciplinary feedback.
Family Preservation Specialist
Methodist Home for Children
Jacksonville
07.2024 - 07.2025
- Facilitated 100+ Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings annually by collaborating with caregivers, school personnel, healthcare providers, behavioral health professionals, and community agencies to coordinate individualized interventions, strengthen family engagement, and improve academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes for at-risk youth.
- Coordinated support networks for 75+ families by connecting educational, healthcare, transportation, and basic-needs resources, mitigating barriers to stability and enhancing protective factors for children.
- Directed biopsychosocial assessments for 75+ families to identify trauma, behavioral health, educational, housing, and environmental barriers, developing individualized support plans that strengthened family stability and child well-being.
- Facilitated 40+ psychoeducational groups and 75 individual coaching sessions on coping skills, emotional regulation, communication, and conflict resolution, enhancing resilience and family functioning.
- Conducted suicide risk screenings and developed safety plans, applying ASIST intervention and trauma-informed strategies to de-escalate emergencies and connect families to stabilization services.
Human Resource Specialist
King Soopers
Commerce City
12.2022 - 02.2023
- Coordinated referrals and resource navigation for 500+ employees seeking mental health services and benefits support, facilitating access to critical resources and improving employee well-being.
- Counseled employees on health-related workplace concerns, benefits navigation, and public health resources, enhancing well-being and ensuring workplace compliance.
- Partnered with management to develop and implement prevention-focused workplace initiatives, improving employee safety awareness and reducing workplace incident reports by 20% in one year.
- Provided public health and wellness education sessions in partnership with Magellan Health, including suicide prevention, stress management, vaccine awareness, and chronic disease prevention campaigns, increasing employee participation in wellness programs by 45%.
Police Officer
Commerce City Police Department
Commerce City
12.2020 - 12.2022
- Responded to 200+ high-risk behavioral health, domestic violence, child welfare, and crisis situations by conducting risk assessments, utilizing crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques, and implementing trauma-informed communication to stabilize emergencies and protect vulnerable individuals.
- Coordinated emergency interventions with healthcare providers, emergency medical services, victim advocates, child protective services, schools, and community partners, facilitating referrals and connecting individuals and families with behavioral health and community support services.
- Prepared 200+ investigative reports, incident summaries, and legal documentation by collecting evidence, interviewing involved parties, and maintaining detailed case records that ensured regulatory compliance and supported judicial proceedings.
- Established positive relationships with diverse community members through education, conflict resolution, crisis support, and compassionate assistance during high-stress situations, strengthening public trust and enhancing communication with vulnerable populations.
Employment Specialist
Aurora Mental Health Center
Aurora
05.2020 - 12.2020
- Provided individualized vocational coaching, resource navigation, and employment readiness education to 100+ clients annually, increasing successful job placements by 40% and improving long-term employment stability.
- Conducted intake assessments and risk evaluations for 100+ individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, behavioral health conditions, and military backgrounds, identifying employment barriers and developing tailored service plans.
- Coordinated referrals with vocational rehabilitation counselors, healthcare providers, employers, and community agencies, enhancing access to supportive services and facilitating job placements for individuals with complex support needs.
Lead Administrative Assistant
United States Marine Corps
Oceanside
01.2006 - 05.2010
- Spearheaded a mentoring initiative for junior Marines transitioning into new roles and responsibilities, contributing to a 30% increase in successful transitions and a 25% reduction in adjustment-related concerns within the unit.
- Coordinated multidisciplinary support efforts with Family Advocacy, Behavioral Health, Chaplain Services, Naval Hospital Mental Health, and command leadership, ensuring timely intervention and resource coordination for Marines experiencing behavioral health, family, or crisis-related concerns.
- Counseled and mentored 500+ Marines on personal, family, financial, and transition-related challenges, raising awareness of available support programs and building individual resilience and readiness.
- Advocated for 500+ Marines and families by connecting them to Military OneSource, Behavioral Health, Family Advocacy, EFMP, and Family Readiness resources, enhancing access to critical support services and promoting family stability.
Education
Master of Social Work (MSW) -
King University
Bristol, TNBachelor of Arts - Sociology, Minor in Psychology
University of Houston
Houston, TXAssociate of Arts - Liberal Arts and General Studies
San Diego Community College
San Diego, CASupply Warehouse Clerk Supply School -
United States Marine Corps
Camp Lejeune, NCRecruit Depot -
United States Marine Corps
Parris Island, SCColorado Peace Officer Standard and Training Certification -
Flatrock Training Academy
Skills
- Individual and family therapy
- Crisis intervention and case management
- Risk assessment and behavioral health coordination
- Conflict resolution and resource navigation
- Team collaboration and community outreach
- Emotional regulation techniques
- Coaching strategies for adolescents
- Special education support and academic advising
- Youth development and individualized education programs
- Career planning and mental health assessments
- Group therapy facilitation
- Student advocacy and behavioral assessment
- Student records management and referral coordination
- Biopsychosocial assessments and safety planning
- Family engagement strategies
- Life skills development
Certification
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA), North Carolina – Application Pending
- Massachusetts DESE School Social Worker/School Adjustment Counselor Certification – In Progress
- ASIST Suicide Intervention Certification
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
- SHRM Certification
Military Awards And Honors
- Certificate Of Appreciation
- National Defense Service Medal
- Letter of Appreciation
- Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Timeline
Housing Development Coordinator
Trillium Health Resources
12.2025 - 07.2026
Family Centered Treatment Therapist
Coastal Horizons Center
10.2025 - 12.2025
Clinical Social Work Intern – FACT Day Treatment Program
Methodist Home for Children
08.2024 - 12.2025
Family Preservation Specialist
Methodist Home for Children
07.2024 - 07.2025
Human Resource Specialist
King Soopers
12.2022 - 02.2023
Police Officer
Commerce City Police Department
12.2020 - 12.2022
Employment Specialist
Aurora Mental Health Center
05.2020 - 12.2020
Lead Administrative Assistant
United States Marine Corps
01.2006 - 05.2010
Master of Social Work (MSW) -
King University
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology, Minor in Psychology
University of Houston
Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts and General Studies
San Diego Community College
Supply Warehouse Clerk Supply School -
United States Marine Corps
Recruit Depot -
United States Marine Corps
Colorado Peace Officer Standard and Training Certification -
Flatrock Training Academy