Tips for Early Career Providers – Lessons Learned

This presentation was part of the 6th Annual Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Summit.

This presentation is geared towards early career providers and will focus on the administrative and professional aspects of providing service. While we know early career providers have a solid clinical skill set ready for their first years in the field, the technical aspects of completing the role are often learned “on the job.”  This training aims to provide providers with tangible strategies for managing the non-client facing aspects of crisis service provision.

Learning Objectives: Documentation: organization and efficiency 2. Consultation skills 3. Advice for early career providers

Content Level: General level: Covers crisis response basics and terminology.

Presenter: Amber Barnes, MSW, LICSW, Adult Mental Health Supervisor – Scott County, Jen Peterson MSW, LICSW, Coordinated Response Licensed Lead – Scott County, and Jessica Koehn, LMFT, Coordinated Responder – Savage Police Department/Scott County

Bio: Amber received both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in social work, and became licensed as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in 2020. Amber has spent the majority of her social work career working with Adults who are diagnosed with a serious and persistent mental illness. Amber currently is the AMH Supervisor for Scott County, which includes supervising programs of pre-petition screening, forensic case management, and Coordinated Response. Additionally, Amber serves on the Special Review Board, reviewing reduction of custody petitions for those who are committed as Mentally Ill and Dangerous, Sexually Dangerous Person, and Sexually Psychopathic Personality.

Jen received her master’s degree in social work at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, campus in 2009 and has been a Licensed Independent Social Worker for over 10 years.  Jen has worked in several settings and roles including School Social Worker in Shakopee Schools, a Therapist at the River Valley Behavioral Health Center in Savage, MN and now as the Coordinated Response Licensed Lead at Scott County Human Services.  In this role, Jen primarily serves as an embedded social worker at the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.

Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from NorthCentral University. She brings a diverse clinical background to her current role, having previously worked as a waivered case manager, private practice therapist, school-based mental health provider, and emergency room crisis clinician. Jessica joined Scott County’s Coordinated Response initiative at its inception in March 2023 and currently serves as the embedded mental health professional at the Savage Police Department. In this role, she responds alongside law enforcement to 911 calls involving individuals experiencing mental health or chemical health crises, while also providing follow-up care and resources. “My favorite part of this role is helping people in the midst of crisis—instilling hope when it feels like there may be none—and walking beside clients in their own experiences.