MAUREEN
J. CHEMSAK, M.Ed., LPC, NCC, MCC, DCC
104 Windsor Way
Madison, AL 35758
256-830-4610 (H) chemsak@hiwaay.net
256-520-7650 (C) maureen.chemsak@athens.edu
SUMMARY:
*
Extensive counseling experience with education, government and business
* Knowledgeable of eclectic and brief personal counseling techniques, administration,
teaching, business and industry needs, international issues, and local community
resources; conversational Spanish, German and French
* Resourceful and creative therapeutic professional with excellent group and
individual communications skills, both oral and written; client-centered counselor;
strong organizational ability; goal oriented, management by walking around
* Computer literate: Windows XP/00/98, Microsoft Office, Internet/email use
LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:
Licensed Professional Counselor, #954 State of Alabama, through 2009
Counseling Supervisor #502 Alabama Board of Examiners, 2007
Master Career Counselor, #6163 Valid through 2008
Nationally Certified Counselor, #12478 Valid through 2009
Nationally Certified Career Counselor Valid through 2009
Distance Credentialed Counselor #247 Valid through 2010
EMDR-Certified, Parts I and II June 2007
Myers Briggs Type Indicator Qualified 1998-present
Certified in School Counseling P-12 State of Alabama, through 2011
Certified to teach English and History State of Alabama, through 2011
RELEVANT
EXPERIENCE:
Private Practice, Licensed Professional Counselor, NorthStar Counseling and
Consulting, Madison, AL, 2004-present.
· Provide career, personal, educational and work/life counseling to
adults in transition, adolescents, and women; and, provide employee assistance
and workforce development throughout northern Alabama. Specialize in addiction
counseling, crisis care management, treatment of anxiety and adjustment disorders,
and career transition counseling. Utilize a holistic, caring, eclectic, brief
counseling approach in providing EAP and managed care services. Work closely
with Acorn Counseling and Riverside Counseling in N. Alabama.
Director,
Counseling and Disability Services, Athens State University, Athens, AL, 2004-present
Director, Counseling and Career Services, Athens State University, Athens,
AL, 1992-2004.
· Manage personal and career counseling center servicing 3000 junior
and senior community college students, including student employment, co-operative
education, personal counseling (time management, stress management, family
issues, anxiety disorders), career resource center and senior/alumni credential
referral; teach Career Strategies course.
· Coordinate ADA/504 services for students with disabilities; provide
individual counseling to students and serve as ombudsman; knowledgeable of
relevant federal laws.
· Work closely with local business, industry and government on referral
of qualified job candidates or co-op/internship students; build solid public
relations with community
organizations; use extensive marketing skills; co-coordinate 5 regional job
fairs and graduate school information days.
· Develop, teach and evaluate job-related and personal development
seminars; public speaking; counsel individuals one-on-one; interview job candidates;
administer and interpret personality and career assessments (MBTI, Strong
Campbell Interest and Skill Inventory, COPS/CAPS/COPES, Self-directed Search).
· Computerize office operations; write policies and procedures and
create/update all forms; supervise 1 clerical staff, 3 student workers, and
graduate counseling interns; initiate correspondence, write newsletters, grants,
web page, and ADA/504 Transition Plan; conduct student needs surveys.
· Communicate information and consult daily with administration, faculty
and students in person and via email.
Site
Manager/Career Counselor, Resource Consultants, Inc., Redstone Arsenal, AL,
1991-92.
· Managed outplacement center as contractor for soldiers transitioning
from the military to the civilian work force; provided in-depth career counseling
to individuals.
· Taught 3-hour seminar and 6-hour workshop monthly on job search skills,
including self assessment, labor market information, setting a career objective,
networking, resume construction, interview techniques, evaluation of job offers,
and salary negotiation.
· Wrote effective and timely monthly reports for the corporate office,
compiled statistics from client evaluations and used results to improve services,
marketed program to potential employers and clients, monitored petty cash/supplies/purchase
requests, and supervised 1 full-time counselor and 1 full-time secretary.
Counselor
Consultant/Owner, Career Connections, Huntsville, AL, 1991-95.
· Taught job search skills to employees of Chrysler and South Central
Bell; administered Self-directed Search and Myers Briggs Type Indicator; worked
with employees one-on-one to develop a short term and long term career plan.
Traveled to various sites throughout Alabama.
· Provided individualized career counseling services to the general
public to help the individual determine a career direction, and develop the
job search tools and network to reach their goals.
OTHER
EXPERIENCE:
1990-91 Program Consultant Institute for Science Education, UAH, Huntsville
1989-90 Education Counselor U.S. Army, Giessen, Germany
1987-89 Drug and Alcohol Counselor U.S. Army, Giessen, Germany
1981-87 Director, Career Services University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH)
1978-81 Assistant in Residential Life Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
1976-77 Career Development Instructor Federal Prison for Women, Alderson,
WV
1973-76 Youth Worker Project Center County Youth Service Bureau, PA
1971-73 Residential Life Program The Pennsylvania State University
1969-71 Teacher/Community Development U.S. Peace Corps, Yap, Micronesia
EDUCATION:
M.Ed., Counselor Education, the Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA. 1972. Assistant Coordinator, Graduate Resident Advisor, and Resident Assistant for residential area of 2000-4000 undergraduate students; coordinated activities of first campus co-educational dormitory. Conducted staff training for 25 resident assistants; active with campus drug and alcohol prevention programs; community volunteer Big Sister; financed 100% of graduate education.
B.A. English, minor in Education, St. Francis University, Loretto, PA, 1969. Dean’s List. Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities; Student Government Program Chair; Editor of literary magazine for two years. Resident Assistant for one year. Received President’s Award.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Campus:
· Chair, ADA/504 Committee; Chair, 1992-present
· Advisor, Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Charter Chapter, International Honor
Society, 2005-present
· Advisor, Leading Edge Institute, College Women’s Leadership
Development Program, 2004-05
· Advisor, Institute of Management Accountants Leadership Student Group,
trips to St. Louis and Indianapolis, 2002-2003.
· Honorary Member, Delta Mu Delta Business Honorary, 2003
· Chair, Women’s History Program Committee, 2000-2003; Member,
2000-2006
· Institutional Planning Committee, 1996-present
· Student Center Renovation Committee, 2001
· Multi-Cultural and Gender Studies Program Committee, 2001
· SACS Institutional Effectiveness Committee, 1998-2000
· Health and Safety Committee, 1994-99
· Institutional Strategic Planning Committee, UAH, 1983-87
Off-Campus:
· Product Reviewer, Career Counseling Training Series, “Career
Counseling Theories,” National Association of Colleges and Employers,
Fall 2006
· AL Counseling Assn., 1981-present. Treasurer, Professional Development
Chair for Chapter II; Building Bridges Conference Presenter
· American Counseling Association, 1981-present
· Madison County Mental Health Association; AL Association of Mental
Health Counselors
· Assn. on Higher Education and Disabilities/ National and Alabama
Chapters; Membership Chair
· Myers-Briggs Professional Association for Alabama, 2000-present;
Secretary
· National Career Development Association, 1999-present
· Society for Human Resource Management, North Alabama Chapter, 1985-present
· Board Member, N. Alabama Committee on Employment of Persons with
Disabilities, 1997-2005
· Board Member, Gaining Access: Transition to Employment, Calhoun Community
College, 1994-99
· Alabama Association of Colleges and Employers, 1981-2004. President,
Awards Chair, Membership Chair, Winter Workshop Chair, Summer Conference Chair,
Nomination Committee, Conference New Member Orientation, Conference Presenter;
Lifetime Honorary Member
· Southern Association of Student Employment Administrators, 1993-2004
Community:
· Mental Health Volunteer, American Red Cross Disaster Services, 2001-present
· American Association of University Women, 2005 – present; Notification
Committee; VP
· Catholic Campus Ministry Team Member, UAH and Alabama A & M,
2000-2005
· School Board Member, Catholic High School, Huntsville, 2001-2002
· School Board Member, Holy Family School, Huntsville, 1993-96; organizer,
Catholic High School
· Boy Scout Committee Member/Treasurer/Advancement Chairman/Merit Badge
Counselor, Troop 93, Huntsville, 1991-98
· Secretary, N. AL. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, Charter Group,
1996-2002
· Active Church Member, Eucharistic Minister, St. Joseph Catholic Community,
Huntsville, 1981-present
· Member, Botanical Gardens, Huntsville, 1999-present; Master Gardener,
August 2001
· Member, Land Trust of North Alabama, 1999-present
· Volunteer, WAAY-TV/Athens Annual Summer Job Fair for Teens, 1995-97
· PTA President/School Board Secretary, Holy Family School, Huntsville,
AL, 1994-96
· Speaking presentations on “career goal setting, time management,
stress management, job search/networking, dual career couples” to community/professional
organizations and university classes; MBTI career trainer for 15 women in
Freedom House in Rogersville, AL (2004)
HONORS
· Listed as a Certified Career Counselor in book, What Color is Your
Parachute?, 1998-present
· Lifetime Achievement Award/Honorary Membership, AACE, 1987 and 2005
· Achievement Award, Informational/Educational Programs, Outstanding
Senior Course, AACE, 2004
· Success Award, Outstanding College Placement Professional, AACE,
1998
· Achievement Award, Outstanding Job Fair, AACE, 1997
· Achievement Award, Outstanding Career Newsletter, AACE, 1996
· Featured as one of six career counselors in national publication,
Christian Counseling Today, 1995
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Contact Hours
·
October 2007 Community Disaster Preparedness 3.8
· September 2007 Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Postvention 14
· September 2007 Transforming Families from Addiction to Healing 5
· July 2007 National Disability Conference/Colleges, AHEAD 18
· June 2007 Panel/Presenter: “Recruiting and Accommodating
Students with Disabilities, ALACRAO ---
· June 2007 EMDR, Part II 17
· May 2007 LPC Supervision Workshop 24
· February 2007 Co-Presenter: “The Right Person for the Right
Job:
Effectiveness of Personality Performance in our Daily
Lives and in the Workplace” (2 hours) ---
· February 2007 The Interaction Style Connection: A New Type-Relation
Model for Leadership, Teams, Communication, Stress
And Conflict Applications 6
· November 2006 ALCA Conference Co-Presenter: 2 sessions ---
*Stress Management for Professional Counselors
*AA as a Partner-Resource for Counselors
· November 2006 ALCA Conference 8.75
· October 2006 EMDR, Part I 17
· May 2006 Counseling Ethics: Review of 2005 ACA Code 4
· April 2006 Group Crisis Intervention 14
· April 2006 Individual Crisis Intervention and Peer Support 14
· April 2006 Personality Type and Career Mastery 4
· February 2006 Surviving in Today’s Mental Health Market 7
· February 2006 Counseling Victims of Sexual Trauma 6
· August 2005 Distance Credentialed Counseling Course 15
· July 2005 Methamphetamines in the Community 4.0
· June 2005 Co-Presenter: Ways to Reduce Stress on the Job ---
· June 2005 Introduction to Grant Writing 5.5
· June 2005 Search for Home: The Spiritual Journey (MBTI) 5.0
· May 2005 National Anxiety Screening Day Counselor ---
· March 2005 Current Trends in Ethics 6.0
· February 2005 ALCA Building Bridges, Chapter 1 4.0
· January 2005 Bioterrorism and SNS Trainings 2005 4.5
· November 2004 ALCA Conference: Leadership 9.5
· November 2004 AHEAD: Developing Disability Services on
Campus: Strengthening Professional Practice 9
· July, 2004 ADHD: The Latest News 2
· April, 2004 ALCA, Chapter I Workshop 6
· April, 2004 Helping Difficult and Challenging Clients 6
· November, 2003 ALCA State Conference 14.5
· July, 2003 Different Ways of Grieving; Different
Ways of Healing 6
· April, 2003 MBTI and the Career Development Process 6
· November, 2002 ALCA State Conference 11
· September, 2002 The Ethics of Mental Health Services for
Minorities and Ethnically Diverse Populations 4
· April 2002 ADHD: Thinking Outside the Box 6
· November, 2001 Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Services I 12
· November, 2001 Food and Mood 3.5
· November, 2001 Disability Access Institute (Legal) 6.6
· October, 2001 Disability Service Issues in Alabama 5.75
· October, 2001 Legal Update 2001 9.5
· September, 2001 Fatigue, Sleep and Energy 6
· June, 2001 Stress and Disease 4
· May, 2001 ALCA Chapter I Meetings 3.25
· April, 2001 Psychological Disabilities on Campus 7
· March, 2001 Violence Prevention/Conflict Resolution 5.5
· March, 2001 University Student Counseling Meeting 5
· February, 2001 Psychology in Pain Treatment 1.5
· November 2000 ALCA State Conference 9
· October 2000 Solving the Puzzle: Working with Students
With Psychological Disorders 7
· October 2000 Understanding Anxiety 6
· May 2000 Myers Briggs and Strong Assessments 6
For Career Counseling
· May, 2000 ALCA Chapter I 4
· February, 2000 Emotional Intelligence 4
· December, 1999 ALCA State Conference 8.5
· October, 1999 Understanding Anger 6
· September, 1999 Perspectives on Postsecondary
Access Issues from Students Who
Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing 2
· June, 1999 ALCA, Chapter I 6
· April, 1999 Counselor’s Guide to the Internet 6
· December, 1998 SACE Conference 7.5
· November, 1998 ALCA State Conference 8.75
· October, 1998 Tech Talk 7
· May, 1998 Job Analysis Strategies 15
· June, 1998 ALCA Chapter I 6
· April, 1998 Occupational Stress 15
· November, 1997 ALCA State Conference 14
· September, 1997 Hiring the Best: SHRM Workshop 3
· January, 1997 Introduction to Disaster Services, Red Cross 5
PERSONAL:
Gardening/outdoors, fitness walking, camping, interacting with diverse people
of various cultures, learning new languages; traveled to Japan, China, Micronesia,
Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium,
Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, England, Canada, and throughout 41
states in the USA; lived 8 years overseas in Germany and Micronesia; happily
married 33 years to the same wonderful man, with two grown sons, a dignified
cat named Cy, a prissy kitten named Miss Posey, and a playful old American
Eskimo dog named Roo.
Life-long learner who enjoys studying American history (Presidential History
and the Lewis and Clark Expedition), finance/economics, and nature. Challenged
but undaunted by technology and Sudoku puzzles; plays the accordion and harmonica;
and, likes to bask in the solitude of a winter beach or a mountain cabin.
Enjoys dancing to doo-wop in her bare feet. 10/07