Sara Lame
About Me
Introduction:
I am passionate about helping others, and have been working with children and families for 15 years. I started my career as a middle school teacher, and have worked in outdoor education, and as a social worker. I love working with kids and adults- helping them learn and conquer new things while building confidence. I believe that in order to sustain new skills and information, you must find a way to collaborate with and motivate the learner, so that learning is personal and enjoyable along the way. I am excited to start my journey teaching English in another country, and being able to adapt my teaching to meet the students' needs, their culture, and age/ generational learning styles. I am hoping to find a teaching job in Turkey, preferably in Gaziantep.
Education
University of Pittsburgh
Semester at Sea
December 2004
Uni Prep Institute
TESOL Certificate
October 2017
Elon University
Bachelor of Arts in Human Services/ Gender Studies
June 2006
Experiences
Experiential Education Teacher
The Leadership School at Kieve
August 2006 to March 2008
As an experiential teacher, I facilitated classes for adolescents and business professionals on campus and in the community. Courses included prevention-based topics such as decision-making, communication, anti-bullying, healthy relationships, leadership and teambuilding.
Interim Director
Girls Incorporated
March 2008 to September 2008
As the Director of Girls, Inc., I designed motivational lesson plans for afterschool and summer camp programs in health and wellness, life skills, and women empowerment. I hired, trained, and supervised staff, and managed all finances and registration.
Membership Activities Supervisor
Lifetime Fitness
February 2009 to November 2009
I designed camp curriculum that motivated children to lead healthy and active lifestyles. I recruited, hired, trained, and supervised thirty staff members and managed the successful and safe implementation of the camp programs.
Children's Services/ Child Protective Caseworker
State of Maine
November 2009 to October 2011
My responsibilities as a Children’s Services Caseworker required exceptional problem solving, investigative abilities, and effective planning and follow-through to achieve family goals. I worked directly with law enforcement personnel, families in crisis and various service providers throughout the state. In my role as a caseworker, I learned to communicate with my clients in a way that motivated them to make a positive change in their lives and in their children’s lives. I helped create and facilitate monthly meetings for our emancipating youth with a focus on team building, positive decision making, self-awareness, and outdoor adventure.
Juvenile Justice Quality Assurance Specialist
Office of the Governor- Texas
November 2011 to September 2012
As Compliance Monitor, I investigated many of the over 3,500 secure and non-secure law enforcement and mental health facilities in the state of Texas to ensure compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. I designed and managed the Access database to accurately identify, verify, document, and report to the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention my findings. I worked with Facility stakeholders to create juvenile delinquency prevention plans, and intervention and rehabilitation services for juveniles. My personal and professional commitment is to ensure the safety and fair treatment of juveniles.
Family-Based Safety Services Worker
Texas Department of Human Services
September 2012 to August 2013
As an Family Based Safety Services Caseworker, I was responsible for approximately 40 families. I assessed children’s safety and partnered with the parents to create and successfully achieve short and long-term goals. I efficiently worked inside of a flexible and chaotic schedule to guarantee that state and federal policies are always met to keep children safe. Through my work I was able to partner with families and empower them to create a safe and healthy lifestyle; to value their children’s educational development, and well-being; and help them see that a better future is possible.
Adolescent Permanency Social Caseworker
Arapahoe County Department of Human Services
August 2013 to March 2015
Through strength-based engagement, I assessed the risk and safety of youth in their home by learning about their family system as a whole, and partnering with caregivers to keep families safely intact. I specialized in working with teenagers and their family - teens struggling with out of control behaviors, delinquency, and truancy concerns. I partnered with families to create a lasting solution, tailored to their needs and goals to communicate effectively, implement parenting practices, and utilizing family, community, mental health, and school supports to be successful. I maintained a caseload of an average of 16 families- following state and federal polices to ensure the well-being of the families and youth I worked with.
Professional Development Coach and Trainer
Arapahoe County Department of Human Services
March 2015 to Current
-Providing training and on-the-job coaching to build efficiency in the child welfare field with current practice and Partnering for Safety philosophy.
-Agency leader, promoting staff retention through job satisfaction and excellence in the workplace.
-Empowering learners to self-reflect, set goals, and sustainably problem-solve within their own professional development (around values, culture, family/ group dynamics, social biases, life stressors, organization, time management, communication, and change management).
-Certified trainer for 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
-Lead facilitator for Arapahoe County Caregiver Support Group for foster/adopt and kin families to provide resources, support, and education for caregivers providing permanency to youth with a history of trauma.