Shelly Dwarika

A skilled candidate with several professional years of experience and thorough knowledge of handling the general population with developmental disabilities/mental illness. Able to resolve problems on an individual basis. Highly passionate, empathetic, hardworking, caring, and genuinely want to make a difference in people's lives.

An articulate individual with experience in the Human Services field. Develops and maintains positive client relationships. Resourceful team player with exceptional interpersonal skills. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).

Excellent written and oral communication skills and customer service experience. Over nine years of Case Management experience. QIDP Trained. Over 9 years of working with the IDD population.

High Capacity Care Manager at Care Design NY (2025-08 – 2026-02)

• Assists with the development of the social work assessment of patients/families
• Assists in the development of a social work treatment plan and goals with emphasis on symptom management and psychiatric rehabilitation
• Provides ongoing social work services and/or collaborates and refers to appropriate agencies
• Provides advocacy and assistance in obtaining entitlements and community services to patients, families and other caregivers
• Assists clients with understanding their mental illness by providing psycho education and assistance with symptom management
• Assists staff, patients, families and other caregivers to understand third party reimbursement, entitlements and community resources
• Responsible for all care management duties and providing comprehensive care coordination including monitoring the Participants Life Plans according to each individuals unique needs and circumstances
• Applying a person-centered approach, the care manager is responsible for scheduling, leading and actively collaborating with the Participant and IDT to conduct meetings and assessments to ensure the development of a comprehensive Life Plan that reflects the persons needs and desired life goals
• Utilizing planning tools such as I AM, CQL POMs, the CAS/DDP2, the LOC, the Comprehensive Emergency Plan and other assessments as needed; such as the Environmental Assessment and Care Giver Adequacy Assessment
• Implement, update, and monitor Life Plans, and facilitate individualized Life Plan reviews and approval processes at a minimum of every six months or when a trigger event occurs
• Ensure integration of all needed and preferred supports and services (i.e. medical, behavioral, social, habilitation, dental, psychosocial, and community-based and facility-based long-term supports and services, etc.)
• Communicate with IDT, physicians, and other providers at regular intervals to monitor and update Life Plans and to advocate for participant needs and preferences
• Provide education to participants, caregivers, circles of support, IDTs, and other stakeholders
• Maintain participant Life Plan and health risk assessment information in secure system and meet all confidentiality requirements
• Conduct in-person visits in accordance with OPWDD requirements
• Flexibility in work schedule is required, with some evening and, or weekend hours as needed
• Promote Care Design NYs mission and values
• Utilize a person-centered approach supporting individuals preferences and desires to promote reaching their highest level of independence
• Maintain ongoing contact with the important people in a participants life, as appropriate
• Ensure timely submission of all documentation (Life Plan, Progress notes etc.) in accordance with regulated time frames
• Assist Individual to ensure maintenance of entitlements including recertification's. guardianship, informed decision making
• Care Managers are expected to assist individuals with maintaining benefits such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid and Medicare coverage and/or Food Stamps
• Monitoring benefits for individuals whose representative payee is the agency operating their certified residence and assisting individuals with their benefits, when the individual does not have a representative payee or when the non-residential representative payee requests assistance
• Assist individuals to resolve problems in living such as housing, utilities, the judicial system and general safety
• Responsible for advocating for and with an individual to ensure informed decision making, informed consent, and guardianship that is appropriately carried out
• Meet all training requirements on time
• Report abuse or neglect immediately when observed or reported
• May be required to provide transportation for individuals based on their unique needs. (i.e. Doctors appointments, planning meetings, etc.)

Geriatric Social Worker- Project Laces-Mental Health Program affiliated with NYC Aging at OHEL Children's Home and Family Services (2025-03 – 2025-08)

• Assists with the development of the social work assessment of patients/families
• Assists in the development of a social work treatment plan and goals with emphasis on symptom management and psychiatric rehabilitation
• Provides ongoing social work services and/or collaborates and refers to appropriate agencies
• Provides advocacy and assistance in obtaining entitlements and community services to patients, families and other caregivers
• Assists clients with understanding their mental illness by providing psycho education and assistance with symptom management
• Assists staff, patients, families and other caregivers to understand third-party reimbursement, entitlements and community resources
• Initiates and maintains written and verbal communications according to Health policy
• Performs established workflow procedures
• Maintains productivity sufficient to meet Health goals
• Acts as liaison with other community agencies
• Home Visits for assessment of needed Care and Benefits
• Handles a caseload of over forty older adults
• Conducts Psychoeducational groups with older adults
• Assist with securing benefits and entitlements
• Assists individuals with Referrals to Aging Services
• Coordination of Care of Substance Use
• Do Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with clients (CBT)
• Do Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy (ABA)- Determine which behaviors require change, set goals and expected outcomes, and find ways to measure changes and improvements where clients can learn new skills and avoid negative behaviors. Reviewed their progress to decide whether or not further behavior modification was necessary
• Do Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Evaluating clients' mental health, abilities, competencies, interests, experience, and education
• Creating rehabilitation plans for clients, taking into account individual strengths
• Helping clients adapt to vocational challenges, including those acquired later in life
• Do outreach and attend community meetings to discuss the well-being and develop plans and solutions to assist clients in overcoming challenges
• Did one-on-one counseling sessions with clients
• Conducted GAD-7 item scale assessments
• Conducted PHQ 9 screenings
• Conducted Social Isolation screenings
• Conducted Technology assessments
• Conducted NIDA quick screenings
• Conducted SMAST-G screenings
• Conducted Social Determinants of Health Inventory screenings

High Capacity- Care Manager at Care Design NY (2024-09 – 2025-03)

• Responsible for all care management duties and providing comprehensive care coordination including monitoring the Participants Life Plans according to each individuals unique needs and circumstances
• Applying a person-centered approach, the care manager is responsible for scheduling, leading and actively collaborating with the Participant and IDT to conduct meetings and assessments to ensure the development of a comprehensive Life Plan that reflects the persons needs and desired life goals
• Utilizing planning tools such as I AM, CQL POMs, the CAS/DDP2, the LOC, the Comprehensive Emergency Plan and other assessments as needed; such as the Environmental Assessment and Care Giver Adequacy Assessment
• Implement, update, and monitor Life Plans, and facilitate individualized Life Plan reviews and approval processes at a minimum of every six months or when a trigger event occurs
• Ensure integration of all needed and preferred supports and services (i.e. medical, behavioral, social, habilitation, dental, psychosocial, and community-based and facility-based long-term supports and services, etc.)
• Communicate with IDT, physicians, and other providers at regular intervals to monitor and update Life Plans

MSW in Masters of Social Work – Touro University (2024-06)

Award in Highest Academic Honor Award – Touro University (2024-06)

Bachelor of Science in Human Services – New York City College of Technology, CUNY (2020-01 – 2020-01)

Dean's List – New York City College of Technology, CUNY (2019-06 – 2019-02)

Award in Award Winner for City Tech Writer (Outstanding Student Writing) – New York City College of Technology, CUNY (2018-04)