Clinician Spotlight

Tiffany Spaulding, MSW, LCSW-C
Team Leader - RAISE Connection Program

Tiffany Spaulding is the Team Leader of the RAISE Connection Program at the UMMC Midtown Campus Carruthers Clinic, and brings to this position a wealth of knowledge and experience from multiple treatment settings. She began her career following graduate school in 2010 at the Board of Child Care Strawbridge School, a non-public level V special education school for students who are identified to have emotional disturbances. During her time at the Strawbridge School, she worked as a School Social Worker providing individual and group therapy, as well as crisis intervention services to high children and adolescents. She worked primarily with the high school population and was well trusted and sought out by the students she worked with, as well as some that she did not. She was promoted to Assistant Clinical Director in April 2014 and, in addition to providing therapy to students, she also supervised social work interns, assisted during psychiatric emergencies, and performed other administrative duties. Tiffany became a certified Therapeutic Crisis Intervention trainer for the Board of Child Care and taught new employees this method of verbal and physical de-escalation. Tiffany is very well versed on writing and working with Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s) and other aspects of the special education system.

While working at Strawbridge, Tiffany also had the opportunity to work part-time with the Baltimore County Crisis Response System. Paired with a specially trained police officer, Tiffany worked with the police to deter psychiatric cases entering the criminal justice system and provided emergent mental health consultations to children and adults who were in crisis. Tiffany also has experience working in the Pediatric Emergency Room at Johns Hopkins Hospital completing emergency psychiatric assessments, child abuse evaluations, and assisting families following traumatic injuries involving their children.

Tiffany is excited for all of the available opportunities that await her while working with RAISE. “Shared decision making is key to client engagement and building trust,” she says. “Without trust, treatment buy-in and outcomes may be unsatisfactory and more important, the quality of life for our clients may not be as positive as they deserve. Recovery is our mission and focusing on the client’s needs and personal goals are paramount for their success.”

Education and Certifications
 

• Bachelor of Psychology & Social Work, University of Maryland Baltimore County
• Master of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work
• Board Certified Licensed Certified Social Worker – Clinical
• Board Approved Clinical Supervisor
  
   

Areas of Clinical Expertise
 

• Individual and group therapy using Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy  and numerous other approaches
• Crisis Intervention
• Psychiatric Emergencies & Evaluations
• Child & Adolescent Mental Health
• School Social Work
• Mood, Psychotic, Conduct & Oppositional Defiance Disorders in children, adolescents and young adults
  
   

Fun Facts
 

• Tiffany recently got engaged to her amazing fiancée, Neil Wrona, whom she met at Strawbridge where he works as a special education teacher. They are getting married in September 2016!
• Tiffany is a cat lover – she has 2 cats, Finn and Huey. “Finn is fat and fluffy and Huey is very loving, they’re so fun!”
• Tiffany is an avid thespian and has acted and sang in shows at Baltimore-based theaters Spotlighers and Vagabond Players. “My favorite role so far was in Into the Woods – I got to play the Baker’s Wife!”
• Tiffany’s favorite words of wisdom: “This too shall pass. I’ve got to thank my dad for that one.”
   

Spotlight on programs helping to break down the stigma of mental illness

Attend any of the 60 eclectic events or 15 exhibitions as part of the "New Day Campaign," an initiative using art to challenge stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and addiction (starting on October 1st and running 92 days). Events range from film, music, and books to stories and discussion.

The "New Day Campaign" brings the Baltimore region together through a community outreach campaign by changing thinking, sparking conversations, and offering pathways to action, in order to show that where stigma ends, healing begins.
 
A set of virtues and beliefs shapes and anchors all elements of the Campaign:
****Empathy****
****Understanding****
****Acceptance****
****Awareness****
****Compassion****
****Respect****
****Intimacy****
****We are not alone / we are of value / we are not our illnesses.****
****Shame and stigma affect us all.****
****Stereotypes are harmful and erroneous.****
****There are many pathways to healing.****
****When we share our pain, pain is lessened.****
****There is power in people — power in community.****
****Talking about it — communicating — is a catalyst to change.****
 
Visit http://newdaycampaign.org/ to learn more about each particular event.

EIP Updates

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
The Outreach and Education team welcomes Eryn Bentley, who will assist with outreach efforts and coordinating and giving presentations on the EIP and mental illness. Eryn is a 3rd year graduate student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
If you would like to schedule a presentation to learn more about the EIP, contact Eryn Bentley, ebentley@psych.umaryland.edu.

Our recent outreach efforts included:
Participated in an exhibitor table at the Family League of Baltimore's 2015 Community School Resource Fair
Participated in an exhibitor table at the UMBC Mental Health Summit
Participated in the Maryland Coalition of Families: Connections Conference 
Collaboration with Mental Health Association of Maryland, Healthy Transitions Technical Assistance, and UMBC NAMI
Our website has reached over 1,985 users!
We have over 60 likes on our Facebook page!
 

DON'T FORGET: Resources for clients, family members, educators, and providers are available on our website,
 www.MarylandEIP.com, and free training is available at www.mdbehavioralhealth.com.


TREATMENT AND CONSULTATIONS
All EIP teams continue their work with young adult clients experiencing early psychosis.  We offer both treatment and consultations.  Call 1-877-277-MEIP (6347) or email info@MarylandEIP.com to make a referral or receive assistance from a masters' level clinician to determine which services may be right for you.

The OnTrack Maryland team at Family Services, Inc. in Gaithersburg completed its first Evidence-Based Practice Supported Employment Fidelity Assessment with the Behavioral Health Administration.  To make direct referrals, contact team leader Alison Disseler, 301-840-3216 or alison.disseler@fs-inc.org (http://www.fs-inc.org/services/programs/ontrack-maryland)

Since getting their feet wet with the EIP in mid-April, the Johns Hopkins Bayview Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic (EPIC) team is nearing capacity with 22 enrolled clients!  They are also working to get a family psychoeducation group up and running, and hope to have this going by mid-October. To make direct referrals, contact clinic director Krista Baker, 410-955-5212 or kbaker1@jhmi.edu (http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/bayview/medical_services/child_adolescent/early_psychosis.html)


TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT
The EIP Training and Implementation Support team is providing an Early Intervention Cross Team training that includes Pat Deegan’s Hearing Voices, as well as a panel presentation of young people with psychosis and their families in collaboration with On Our Own of Maryland.

The Early Intervention Team (EIT) Supported Employment and Education Specialist (SEES) Collaborative completed their fourth monthly meeting. This Collaborative is comprised of SEESs from the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, the RAISE Connection Program, Family Services Inc., and the Johns Hopkins Early Psychosis Intervention Clinic.

An employer database was developed for EIT SEESs to better communicate employer contacts and job leads and to build stronger relationships with area employers.