PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

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Mental Health Therapist

August 2023 - Present

The mission of Michelle Simmons Counseling Group is to provide evidence-based outpatient therapeutic (assessment, diagnosis, individual, couple, and family services to individuals and families from diverse backgrounds in a safe and compassionate manner.

• Providing individual and group counseling sessions with clients from diverse backgrounds, addressing a range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship challenges
• Offering culturally sensitive counseling services, centering the diverse identities, perspectives, and strengths of clients
• Conducting case-related research to inform treatment strategies and ensure application of the latest evidence-based practices
• Developing, implementing, and evaluating treatment plans tailored to clients’ specific needs and goals
• Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to coordinate care and ensure holistic treatment for clients
• Maintaining detailed and confidential records in compliance with ethical standards and legal requirements, ensuring accurate documentation of client progress
• Participating in regular supervision sessions reflecting on clinical practice – receiving feedback and incorporating suggestions to enhance counseling effectiveness
• Engaging in continuous professional development by attending workshops, trainings, and seminars
• Facilitating psychoeducational workshops on topics such as finding a therapist, goal setting, and navigating grief
• Raising awareness about mental health issues and available resources through outreach and advocacy within the community

Assistant Pastor

September 2024 - Present

Ministry Group Support

• Representing the pastoral staff in ministry group development and implementation of events
• Providing biblically centered, theologically grounded pastoral care and direction to Ministries and Ministry Leaders in keeping with the vision of the Lead Pastor
• Supporting Ministries and Ministry Leaders as they vision, plan, implement, and evaluate ministry activities
• Identifying and implementing relevant training and growth opportunities to equip and empower Ministries and Ministry Leaders to thrive
• Consulting with and serving as liaison to Lead Pastor regarding the development and implementation of action ministry plans

Digital Media & Communications

• Developing and implementing digital media and communications strategy
• Supporting visual content creation (flyers, videos, etc.) for various platforms
• Overseeing profile curation and audience cultivation for digital media platforms
• Overseeing social media presence, brand identity, and institutional reputation
• Managing digital media stakeholder relationships (social media volunteers, digital greeters, graphic designers, videographers, photographers, etc.)
• Assessing analytics and delivering reports to reflect the effectiveness of digital media strategy

Associate Minister (Remote)

August 2021 - August 2024

Digital Media & Communications

• Developing and implementing digital media and communications strategy
• Drafting, editing, and distributing copy for various methods of internal and external communication (website, social media, e-mail blasts, newsletter, etc.)
• Overseeing visual content creation (flyers, videos, etc.) for various platforms
• Overseeing profile curation and audience cultivation for digital media platforms
• Managing social media presence, brand identity, and institutional reputation
• Managing digital media stakeholder relationships (social media volunteers, graphic designers, videographers, photographers, etc.)
• Assisting with the creation of marketing and promotional materials
• Managing social media channels and live streams in real-time during events (Bible study, Sunday worship, special events, etc.)
• Assessing analytics and delivering reports to reflect the effectiveness of digital media strategy
• Managing the digital media outreach and communications budget

Interim Executive Minister

March 2020 - July 2021

Ministry Reimagination

• Representing the pastor in ministry groups developing and executing action plans to reactivate ministry
• Providing a biblical and theological lens to ministry leaders during the process of reactivating ministry groups
• Counseling with ministry group leaders completing ministry group reactivation plans
• Identifying and confirming technical training for ministry group leaders
• Communicating the ongoing progress of reactivation plans to the Pastor
• Consulting with Pastor regarding the development and execution of action plans

Youth Ministry

• Coordinating and implementing effective programming for teens (13-18-year-olds) in the areas of worship, Christian education, fellowship, and community outreach
• Engaging relationally with youth
• Connecting with parents as partners in the strategy and implementation of programming
• Maintaining regular contact with students and parents, keeping them informed of activities
• Supporting the integration of youth and youth ministry into all areas of church life to create a culture that lends itself to an intentionally intergenerational ministry
• Facilitating cross-collaboration between area churches and community organizations
• Attending conferences, workshops, webinars, and other sessions to stay current with youth ministry practices
• Managing the budget for the Youth Ministry

Digital Media & Communications

• Overseeing content creation, profile curation, and audience cultivation for digital media platforms
• Managing social media presence, brand identity, and institutional reputation
• Managing stakeholder relationships (social media team, graphic designer, videographer, photographer, etc.)
• Assisting with the creation of marketing and promotional materials
• Monitoring analytics and delivering reports to reflect the effectiveness of strategy
• Monitoring and managing social media channels and live streams in real time during events 
• Managing the digital media outreach budget

Seminary Ministry Intern

May 2018 - February 2020

The internship is intended to be an affirmation a call to ministry and a training ground to provide mentorship, experiences, as well as other tools and resources necessary to help with the discovery, development, and deepening of gifts and talents.

Social Media Coordinator

• Creating and managing social media presence on various platforms
• Providing guidance to social media outreach team members
• Assisting with the creation of marketing and promotional materials
• Delivering reports based on social media platform analytics

Young Adult Ministry

• Providing leadership to the Young Adult Ministry
• Serving as a liaison between young adults and church leadership
• Facilitating meetings, targeted discussions, prayer calls, and worship services
• Coordinating logistics for social outings and volunteer/service activities

Other Duties

• Participating in Sunday pulpit leadership
• Preparing and delivering sermons
• Supporting general discipleship initiatives
• Serving as a liaison for community events

Pre-Graduate Student Intern

June 2023 - May 2024

• Facilitated individual and group counseling sessions with clients from diverse backgrounds, addressing a range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship challenges
• Conducted case-related research to inform treatment strategies and ensure application of the latest evidence-based practices
• Developed, implemented, and evaluated treatment plans tailored to clients’ specific needs
• Maintained detailed and confidential records in compliance with ethical standards and legal requirements, ensuring accurate documentation of client progress
• Participated in regular supervision sessions reflecting on clinical practice – receiving feedback and incorporating suggestions to enhance counseling effectiveness.
• Engaged in continuous professional development by attending workshops, trainings, and seminars
• Facilitated psychoeducational workshops on topics such as finding a therapist, goal setting, and navigating grief.

Student Production Assistant, Racial Healing Initiative (RHI)

January 2022 - December 2023

• Providing administrative and technical support related to training development and delivery
• Developing marketing tools to increase awareness of and participation in the RHI
• Managing correspondence with campus stakeholders, local organizations, churches, mental health professionals, and program participants
• Performing research regarding racial healing, racial trauma, racism/discrimination related to clergy and mental health professionals
• Collecting and analyzing data related to racial trauma and racial healing experiences in the Central Texas and Greater Austin area 
• Presenting research findings to stakeholders and participants
• Co-facilitating virtual (synchronous and asynchronous), in person, and hybrid training experiences
• Facilitating monthly RHI book club and check-in sessions with program participants
• Conducting exit interviews and evaluations with program participants

Community Minister (Remote)

July 2020 - Present

Spiritual Well

• Conducting one-to-one conversations with faith leaders regarding mental health and well-being within the church and community contexts
• Creating mental health and wellness curriculum for faith leaders and faith communities

The Gathering

• Planning and executing biweekly Gathering for worship, prayer, communion, and reflection 

ReFrame App

• Creating, editing, securing, and managing devotional content for Re-Frame mobile application
• Managing the backend of Reframe mobile application

Congregational Connections Program, Phase II (Temporary, Remote)

January 2022 - September 2022

To meet the needs documented in the research (Phase I), Iliff’s Congregational Connections Program created the Congregational Connections App to provide low-cost educational content and peer mentoring for existing congregational leaders and ensure that students have access to “practical application” courses along with their academic discourse. 

This position was responsible for providing administrative support for the Congregational Connections Program throughout Phase II of the planning and implementation of the program. The duties included communicating between program participants and managerial staff, creating and updating program schedules, and supporting the development, administration, and training on the usage of the mobile app.

Other Responsibilities:

• Researched and secured mobile app developers for the purpose of developing a Congregational Connections mobile app
• Maintained oversight of backend logistics of the development of the Congregational Connections mobile app
• Managed content procurement for Congregational Connections mobile app
• Researched and secured videographers for the purpose of developing content for Congregational Connections mobile app
• Assisted Congregational Connections mobile app contributors and users
• Prepared and presented reports to 

Congregational Connections Program, Phase I (Temporary, Remote)

July 2021 - November 2021

This position was responsible for implementing Phase I, while developing and providing direction for Phase II of the Iliff Congregational Connections Program funded by the Lily Endowment' Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. The three phase initiative was designed to help theological schools across the United States and Canada as they prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face as they prepare pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future.

• Worked with market research firm to develop a series of questions and conduct interviews with local Christian congregational leaders to discuss the current and future needs that can be met through theological education
• Determined the level of interest among congregational leaders of ministerial education on:
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Digital Ministry
  • Mentoring
• Determined the level of interest among congregational in Iliff programming:
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • EcoJustice
  • Institute of Politics, Religion, and Culture
  • Renewal
• Conducted additional interviews/conversations with key alumni and community partners, not otherwise engaged by market research
• Analyzed the data collected from the participants and presenting the findings to internal and external stakeholders
• Assisted with Phase II grant application to the Lilly Endowment, Inc. 
  • As a result, Iliff received $1 Million to help establish the Congregational Connections Program (Read more HERE)
• Further developed relationships with local congregational leaders to dig deeper into insights gained from market research
• Explored and solidifying partnerships with and among local congregations
• Built the Congregational Connections Program
  • Created and led a task force on the process of developing a new program in response to articulated needs
  • Determined the overall direction of the program including developing programmatic content and brainstorming mechanisms, as well as developing goals, evaluation metrics, and measures of success
  • Determined the needs for infrastructure of the program (budget, staffing needs, etc.)

Tech Chaplain (Remote)

April 2020 - June 2022

• Managing client relationships with faith leaders, faith communities, and mission driven organizations
• Conducting technological assessments to guide teaching and training
• Creating and curating targeted resources based on client needs
• Overseeing social media content creation and profile curation
• Developing promoting, hosting, and evaluating webinars and virtual sessions on a vertety of tech-based topics

Citywide Coordinator, Research Matters for All of Us Initiative (Remote)

November 2020 - June 2021

• Established and maintained partnerships with community members and organizations
• Managed a team of six (6) volunteers
• Developed, promoted, hosted, and evaluated two (2) monthly community engagement events on health-related topics

Advisor/Communications & Outreach Coordinator

Center for Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (CURGO)

August 2016 - August 2017

• Supported students in the creation and implementation of Individual Development Plans (IDPs)
• Advised students regarding the selection of and application to experiential learning opportunities and graduate/professional school programs
• Collaborated with campus stakeholders to develop outreach efforts that result in increased interaction with students and student organizations
• Assisted with the planning and execution of CURGO seminars and workshops
• Managed CURGO social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter)
• Managed CURGO portals on Career Services Management Platform (Simplicity) and Campus Activities Engagement Network (OrgSync)
• Facilitated assessment, evaluation, and tracking systems of social media and student engagement portals 
• Created marketing and promotional materials for in-office use and campus-wide distribution

SuperScholar EXCEL Program Director

Summer 2015 & Summer 2017

SuperScholar EXCEL is a pre-collegiate summer immersion program for rising high school seniors hosted by Xavier University of Louisiana. The program seeks to prepare students for post-secondary educational endeavors through standardized test preparation and courses that strengthen the students’ critical thinking, reading, writing, mathematics, and oral presentation skills. Students are also involved in culturally enriching and service-based activities.

• Developed and implemented pre-program training and on-going professional development for program staff comprised of Group Leaders, Resident Mentors, and Academic Instructors
• Coordinated off-campus field trips and on-campus co-curricular activities
• Provided supervision for program participants (rising high school seniors), enforcing adherence to program rules and guidelines
• Facilitated regular communication between program administration and participants, parents, speakers, workshop leaders, vendors, and university stakeholders

Assistant Program Manager

May 2015 – August 2016

• Managed development and implementation of Leadership Program and Advanced Leadership Program curricula
• Recruited, trained, managed youth employees, fellows, and interns
• Created systems that supported youth employee success: onboarding, human resource management, payroll management
• Developed and facilitated community stakeholder partnerships
• Coordinated program-related budget
• Organized community events: orientation, field trips, graduation
• Supervised ongoing and quarterly programmatic evaluation 

Team Leader/Senior Corps Member

Jul 2014 – May 2015

• Planned and executed professional development for CY NOLA Corps with Program and Service Team
• Managed a team of 7 Corps Members
• Facilitated daily (short form) and weekly (long form) team meetings
• Conducted observations of and one-on-one check-ins with team members
• Provided administrative support to Vice Principal of Curriculum/Instruction
• Supported and facilitated tutoring and homework assistance
• Delivered small group (3-5 students) and large group (10-12 students) interventions – ELA, reading comprehension, writing
• Implemented mechanisms to provide mentoring and supplemental academic support for students

Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Fall 2021 - Present

Master of Divinity (MDiv)

Concentration: Social Justice and Ethics

Fall 2017 - Spring 2020

SIFR Scholar

The Spiritually-Integrated Financial Resiliency Program (SIFR) embodies Iliff's commitment to developing financially-resilient leaders who are able to create and sustain financially-resilient organizations. 

SIFR Scholars commit to taking academic courses Spiritual Foundations of Fundraising, Financial Management, and Authentic Engagement. Additionally, scholars commit to participating in research assessments and cohort formation activities. 

Student Recruitment Ambassador 

Student Ambassadors connect with prospective students during campus visits to serve as tour guides of the Iliff experience.  

ai.iliff: Artificial Intelligence Institute Project Advisory Group 

The ai.iliff Project Advisory Group is a cross-functional team driving the development of the first Artificial Intelligence application that will be put into production by the institute. 

Co-curricular Involvement

• National Alliance of Pan African Seminarians (Secretary/Historian, 2017-18; Vice-President, 2018-19; President, 2019-20)
• Student Senate (Communications Chair, 2017-2019)

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), 

Magna Cum Laude

Major: English

Minor: Political Science

August 2010 – May 2014

Honors

Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society

Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society (Graduate of the Year, 2014)

Kappa Gamma Pi Honor Society

Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity

Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society

St. Katharine Drexel Award (highest honor bestowed upon graduating student)

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges

Xavier University of Louisiana Dean’s List (Fall 2010-Spring 2014)

Activities

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Gamma Alpha Chapter (Arts & Letters Chair, 2012-13; Chaplain, 2012-13)

English Club (Secretary, 2012-13; Graduate of the Year, 2014)

HCASC Quiz Bowl Team (Team Captain)

Mobilization at Xavier (M.A.X.)

Peer Dean Assoication

Pre-Law Club (Secretary, 2012-13)

Student Government Association (President, 2013-14)

XU L.O.V.E. Mentorship Organization (Project Coordinator)

American Counseling Association (2022 - Present)

• ASERVIC

The Purpletuity Project  —  Founder & Curator (2020 - Present)

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. — New Orleans Alumnae Chapter (2014 - Present); Gamma Alpha Chapter (2011 - 2014)

Norman-Sims Elementary School — Reading Buddy Program Volunteer (2022 - 2023)

Platform 4 Women, Advisory Board (2019 - 2021)

Jefferson RISE Charter School — Board of Directors, Secretary (2015 - 2017)

De La Salle High School Alumni Association — Board Member (2015 - 2017)

UNCF/Walton Education Reform Fellowship, UNCF Advocacy (2013)

Urban League of Greater New Orleans, Urban Leaders for Equity and Diversity (ULEAD) (2014)

Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference (2020; 2024)

ReThinking Church Virtual Summit (2021)

The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership Spring Conference (2021)

• Virtual Volunteer

Pride in the Pews Fellowship (2023)

Jarena Lee Preaching Academy (2024)

Youth Mental Health First Aid (Fall 2020)

Psychological First Aid (2022)

My Grandmother's Hands - Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Your Hearts and Bodies (2023)