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Total Family Care Coalition

Total Family Care Coalition

Gail Avent
Total Family Care Coalition
(202) 249-1000

Education
American University – BA
Antioch School of Law – JD
Strayer University – MBA Candidate

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
20015 – Present
Early Childhood Innovation Network
Leadership member of the joint project with Georgetown University and Children’s National Health Center. The Early Childhood Innovation Network (ECIN) is a local collaborative of health and education providers, community-based organizations, researchers, and advocates promoting resilience in families and children from pregnancy through age 5 in Washington, DC.

Total Family Care Coalition

Founding member and owner of non-profit organization
Lead Family Contact for the SOC Expansion Initiative with the Department of Mental Health.

Roles and responsibilities include ensuring that Families and Youths are participating members of every decision making and planning/implementation grant. Participate as a member of the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) Executive Committee on System of Care Initiative for the District. Provide leadership in the development of the D.C. Capital City Youth Move Youth Leadership Chapter. Ensure the scheduling of monthly forum for families to come together to strategize and review policies being developed in SOC implementation groups to ensure a broad and diverse family voice is reached and shall provide the necessary services to facilitate the participation of families.

Oversees the day-to-day responsibilities of the organization. Responsible for implementing the mission and vision of Total Family Care Coalition. Supervise a staff of up to 20 employees. Supervise the control and expenditure of organizational appropriations and responsible for the preparation of the annual budget. Responsible for the business development and growth of the through fund-raising and grants. Negotiate and review contracts and grant documents. Accessible resource to staff. Keen understanding of the System of Care and mental health field, its regulations and standards. Present testimony and data statistic before the D. C. City Council. Responsible and oversee contract and grant deliverables.
Serves on the following Boards:

  • Chairperson on the DBH Peer Certification Program. Oversee revisions to training materials, develop training materials and teach classes for the following certified trainings: (1) Certified Peer Specialist (2) Certified Family Peer Support Worker and (3) development of Certified Youth Peer Support worker trainings.
  • Children National Medical Center Collaborative Advisory Committee. Worked with Children’s staff to create webinar for pediatrician to help parent identify symptoms of mental health assessments. Worked on the development of a parent informational brochure to help parent understand signs of mental health in small children.
  • A member of the Citywide Advisory Board for Public Housing Authority and serves on the Georgetown Trauma-Informed Care Learning Community Committee.
  • Department of Labor, Washington, D. C. Manager, Workers Compensation and Safety Department. Assist the Safety and Health Team Leaders in the implementation of policies, plans and safety and workers compensation procedures. Review all workers compensation claims. Arrange for and participate in accident review boards. Conduct safety inspection and abate hazardous conditions. Advise workers’ compensation coordinators and management on safety and health related issues. Mediate workers’ compensation concerns. Resolve medical billing issues. Serve as chairperson on department’s Ergo-Subcommittee. Act as technical advisor for workers’ compensation concerns. Resolve claim filing issues in the SHIMS filing system. Interpret OSHA regulations and FECA regulations for management and employees. Review office renovations floor plans and designs to ensure OSHA regulations are adhered. Respond to food safety and air quality concerns.
  • Department of Labor, Washington, D. C. Director, Health & Safety Program

Report directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Employment Standard Administration (ESA) in developing and manage the policy coordination of the Worker’s Compensation /Safety and Health Program for ESA.

Serves on the following Boards:

  • Chairperson on the DBH Peer Certification Program. Oversee revisions to training materials, develop training materials and teach classes for the following certified trainings: (1) Certified Peer Specialist (2) Certified Family Peer Support Worker and (3) development of Certified Youth Peer Support worker trainings.
  • Children National Medical Center Collaborative Advisory Committee. Worked with Children’s staff to create webinar for pediatrician to help parent identify symptoms of mental health assessments. Worked on the development of a parent informational brochure to help parent understand signs of mental health in small children.
  • A member of the Citywide Advisory Board for Public Housing Authority and serves on the Georgetown Trauma-Informed Care Learning Community Committee.
  • Department of Labor, Washington, D. C. Manager, Workers Compensation and Safety Department. Assist the Safety and Health Team Leaders in the implementation of policies, plans and safety and workers compensation procedures. Review all workers compensation claims. Arrange for and participate in accident review boards. Conduct safety inspection and abate hazardous conditions. Advise workers’ compensation coordinators and management on safety and health related issues. Mediate workers’ compensation concerns. Resolve medical billing issues. Serve as chairperson on department’s Ergo-Subcommittee. Act as technical advisor for workers’ compensation concerns. Resolve claim filing issues in the SHIMS filing system. Interpret OSHA regulations and FECA regulations for management and employees. Review office renovations floor plans and designs to ensure OSHA regulations are adhered. Respond to food safety and air quality concerns.
  • Department of Labor, Washington, D. C. Director, Health & Safety Program

Report directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Employment Standard Administration (ESA) in developing and manage the policy coordination of the Worker’s Compensation /Safety and Health Program for ESA.

The following are accomplishments achieved.

• Led ESA to meet the Secretary’s SHARE goals for the two consecutive years, which contributed to the Department of Labor meeting its SHARE goals.
• Led ESA to receive Secretary’s Honor Award for SHARE
• Supervised 37 Workers compensation coordinators as part of the ESA workers’ compensation and safety program.
• Responsible for the oversight of workers compensation claims of injuries for 16,000 Department of Labor Employees.
• Developed work safety plans for all employees
• Organized Safety Day events in Washington Office.
• Conduct safety investigations and reviews of place injuries
• Mediated and resolved issue relating to employee’s recovery from injuries sustained in workplace.
• Developed training for management and workers compensation coordinator on an annual basis.
• Carefirst, Washington, D. C.

Project Coordinator (Operations Department) 2001 – 2005
• Conducts research and analysis on business integration and implementation, in order to manage allocation of resources to meet work fluctuations and time deadlines in the delivery process. Directs all aspects of projects which include monitoring progress, serving as a direct resource to divisional and executive management regarding the project, preparing staff updates as required for various committees and

• Bradson Corporation
Arlington, Va.
Management Consultant 2000-2001
Reviewed, analyze, and suggest improvements to business and organization systems to assist management in operating more efficiently and effectively. Create databases using the software applications Access, SQL, and Visual Basic. Conducted organizational studies and evaluations, design systems, and procedures, conduct work simplification and measurement studies, and prepare operations and procedures manuals. Designed, evaluates, recommends, and approves changes of forms and reports. Coordinated developmental stages of databases; test and implement the database, apply knowledge of database management systems. Developed and presented instructional training. Selected Contributions:
Keen negotiation skills
Ability to interpret complex documents
Strong leadership skills
Ability to motivate fostering a team atmosphere

Lockheed Martin IMS
Washington, D.C.

Contract & Small Business Administrator 1997-1999
Created and published monthly newsletter. Implemented security measures for database system. Developed and implemented small business vendor’s library database in Access. Effective in negotiating and modifying contract terms for state and federal level contract operations from cradle to grave. Created and conducted small business seminars. Responsible for the supervision of two team members. Responsibilities include enforcing contract compliance, providing correspondence with government contracting officers, reviewing and revising task orders, and negotiating subcontract agreements. Overseer and contract administrator for subcontracts which includes preparation of modes, reviewing and approving service purchase orders; Provided analysis for risk assessment and mitigation strategies, and negotiating teaming agreements.

Philadelphia Gas Works
Philadelphia, Pa.

Human Resources Assistant 1996-1997
Screened and interviewed applicants; made appropriate referrals. Revised job descriptions; Centralized application-tracking system. Overhaul operating evaluation procedures for customer service department.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Contract Specialist, NAVICP, Department of the Navy, Phila., Pa. 1995-96
Attorney, Private Practice, Adelphi, Md., 1988-93
Law Clerk, University Legal Services, Washington DC, 1987-88
Police Officer, Metropolitan Police Dept., Washington DC, 1975-1982

ACTIVITIES:
Volunteer delivery coordinator for Food and Friends
• Committee Memberships:
• Department of Behavioral Health Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility Oversight Committee
• District of Columbia SOC Expansion Executive Committee
• Community Advisory Team Skanska’s Construction
• DC Collaborative for Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care

• Agency License
Certified Substance Use Provider -DBH
Recovery Support Medicaid Provider

Board Member
Family Run Executive Leadership