Anthony Ellis
Baton Rouge
Summary
License Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of clinical and management experiences. Adept in building and the retention of high-performance teams by hiring, developing and motivating skilled professional.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
Work History
Child Welfare Regional Administrator
Department of Children and Family Services
08.2016 - 12.2022
- Oversaw the day-to-day operations of The Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles Regions within the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), ensuring the delivery of quality child welfare services by managing staff, supervising child protection investigations, coordinating with community agencies, and ensuring compliance with policies and regulations within their area of responsibility; they essentially act as the primary leader for child welfare services within their assigned region, making critical decisions regarding child safety and family well-being
PRN Medical Social Worker
Baton Rouge General Medical Center
05.2003 - 10.2016
- Completed psychosocial evaluations and needs assessments.
- Connected patients with community resources, ensuring access to essential services such as housing, healthcare, and financial assistance.
- Maintained detailed documentation of client progress, adhering to strict confidentiality guidelines in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Child Welfare Manager
Department of Children and Family Services
10.2015 - 07.2016
- Oversaw and guided regional and parish offices statewide in the implementation of and adherence to federal and state statues and agency policy in the Prevention and Family Services programs (previously held this position from 1/2007 to 6/2014)
- Managed and provided direct supervision to a team of five (5) Child Welfare Consultants in the In-home Services Section
- Developed and directed strategies for policy, planning, and implementation of in-home services to support best practices and the department's mission in child welfare services
- Managed/ensured the obligation, contracting, and negotiation of the federal multi-million dollar Promoting Safe and Stable Family (PSSF) funding to support the work of child welfare staff in their work with families
Child Welfare Executive Manager
Department of Children and Family Services
06.2014 - 10.2015
- Executive Leadership and oversight for directing the programmatic development of the statewide programs providing child welfare services to children and families; specifically Child Protection Services, Family Services, Federal Programs & Grants, and Interstate Compact and Placement Services of Children (ICPC)
- This included developing long-range program plans by researching and analyzing data and literature regarding national trends, evidence-based programs, researching federal regs
- To ensure compliance via policies and protocol and to maximize draw down of federal funds
- Collaborated with other DCFS executive management and team members to coordinate the interrelated responsibilities and activities of the respective divisions and to assure relevance and feasibility of programmatic initiatives
- Assisted in the drafting of legislation and reviews and directs reviews of proposed legislation to assess programmatic impact and develops implementation plans for enacted legislation affecting child welfare prevention programs
- Attended and participated in committee hearings as requested with state and non-governmental agencies and organizations to establish and maintain the service continuum and community support necessary to complement the work of DCFS field staff and to meet the needs of children and families at risk of entering the child welfare system
- Managed a team of five (5) Child Welfare Managers, each with 4 to 6 reports, and one Administrative Coordinator
Child Welfare Consultant
Department of Children and Family Services
11.1999 - 01.2007
- Manager level position, in various Child Welfare priority program areas, responsible for joint planning, implementation, and evaluation of all the services
- Assured implementation of programmatic initiatives to serve clients in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations and the terms of applicable court directives
- Developed policies as it related to one or more of the Child Welfare programs areas
- Ensured compliance with federal and state laws and best practice standards of the accrediting agency for the program as well as in alignment with department goals, priorities and initiatives
- Explored trends, new initiatives and research in the field in order to more effectively adapt state-of-the-art knowledge into programmatic development
- Provided technical assistance and consultation to community-based providers and field staff and coordinated programmatic and client services needs with other state and private agencies
- Developed administrative resolutions to agency concerns and issues relayed by, public officials, government and private agencies, regional and parish office staff and the general public
- Directed, coordinated, and implemented a statewide public relations/educational plan regarding child welfare services
Clinical Manager
Louisiana Health and Rehab Center, Inc.
08.2003 - 11.2004
- Developed service plans for consumers based on mental health needs
- Supervised Mental Health Technicians (MHT) in service integration of care plan to individual consumers
- Prepared and documented quarterly updates for mental health reauthorization of services
- Provided individual and family therapeutic and crisis interventions as needed
Social Service Specialist I, II, and III
Department of Children and Family Services
11.1987 - 11.1999
- Child welfare field work in a number of departmental programs: Child Protective Services, Family Services, Foster Care, and Intensive Home Based Services
- Assess child safety through CPS investigations
- Developed/implemented family case plans from family assessments
- Located/selected most appropriate placement for the child(ren) entering foster care
- Coordinated services with other providers and disciplines to carry out specialized treatment for the child(ren) and/or family
- Prepared documentation/represented the department in court proceedings involving the families
- Provided crisis intervention to families where children were at imminent risk of removal from the home
Education
Master of Social Work - Social Work
Southern University at New Orleans
New Orleans, LA01.1995
BA - General Studies: Arts/Humanities
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA01.1981
Skills
- Administrative Planning
- Empathetic Leadership
- Effective Communication
- Strong Relationship Management
- Effective Negotiation
- Strategic Consulting
- Clinical Social Work Expertise
- Project Management
- Experience in Time-Sensitive Projects
- Collaborative Relationship Management
- Collaborative Community Engagement
- Effective Team Management
- Effective Client Interaction
Timeline
Child Welfare Regional Administrator
Department of Children and Family Services
08.2016 - 12.2022
Child Welfare Manager
Department of Children and Family Services
10.2015 - 07.2016
Child Welfare Executive Manager
Department of Children and Family Services
06.2014 - 10.2015
Clinical Manager
Louisiana Health and Rehab Center, Inc.
08.2003 - 11.2004
PRN Medical Social Worker
Baton Rouge General Medical Center
05.2003 - 10.2016
Child Welfare Consultant
Department of Children and Family Services
11.1999 - 01.2007
Social Service Specialist I, II, and III
Department of Children and Family Services
11.1987 - 11.1999
BA - General Studies: Arts/Humanities
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Master of Social Work - Social Work
Southern University at New Orleans
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