I have completed all academic classes for a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in General Psychology with an emphasis in Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University. I am in the process of conducting my research dissertation project currently. I have completed a Master of Science Degree in General Psychology with emphasis in Forensic Psychology (2018) from Grand Canyon University. In addition, I have completed a 30 Credit master’s certificate in Educational Psychology (2015) at Walden University.
I began working for the MDOC in September 1994. I began my career as a Corrections Officer at the Ryan Correctional Facility in Detroit. I promoted to Resident Unit Officer supervising a Dialysis Unit that housed Level I–VI offenders at the Ryan Facility. While at Ryan I was trained to conduct Cognitive Restructuring Psychotherapy groups with offenders as well as becoming a certified Emergency Health Care and Prisoner Management Instructor. When I transferred to the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer, MI as a Resident Unit Officer, I was assigned to supervise a Juvenile Offender Housing Unit (14 to 19-year-old offenders sentenced as adults). I was selected Officer of the Year in this capacity while continuing to conduct Cognitive Restructuring groups and was additionally trained to conduct Forensic Interviews as well as to use Motivational Interviewing techniques with the Juvenile offender population. I promoted to Sergeant in 2001 at the Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland. While at the Saginaw Facility I continued to facilitate the afore mentioned forms of offender sessions and was trained to use Cognitive Reflective Communications in the group and individual facilitated sessions. I then promoted to Training Lieutenant (Institutional Training Officer) at the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility. In my role as a full-time training officer, I was qualified as a master departmental trainer in the three forms of offender success focused intervention techniques previously mentioned. In addition to these full-time positions with the department I have worked the following temporary full-time (working out-of-class) positions: DeMarse New Officer Recruit Training Academy Lieutenant (multiple 16-week classes), Academy Field Training Officer (multiple 16-week classes), Corrections Security Inspector, and Administrative Assistant to the Warden. I have also worked non-departmental part-time positions during my career. I taught at Baker College – Flint and at Delta College – Saginaw as an Adjunct Faculty member teaching multiple social science and human behavior courses for a total of ten years. Multiple prison closures and consolidations led to my being laid off from the MDOC; during the time I was laid off, I began working as a Criminal Justice Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CJCADC) working with adjudicated youth and court ordered adults for substance abuse, domestic violence prevention, and dual-diagnosis afflictions at the Sterling Area Health Clinic. I was recalled to the MDOC after 11-months laid off but just prior to completing my development plan through the Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals. My corrections duties have included curriculum development, end user instruction, and Train-the-Trainer master instructor qualifications for new Sergeant and new Supervisor Leadership programming as well as master departmental instructor certification for facilitating offender groups for over 15 years in multiple topics: substance abuse education, cognitive restructuring, motivational interviewing, cognitive reflective communications, Thinking Matters, Cage Your Rage, and Thinking for Change. I am a certified Community Critical Incident Stress Management instructor. I am also a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor.
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University. I have attended more than 200 hours of leadership training and multiple leadership academies. I have also developed curriculum and facilitated programming at multiple leadership academies. I have worked as an athletic coach including Little League Baseball President and Coach, Community Education Youth Basketball, Baseball Coach and Camp Instructor, as well as the Junior Varsity Football Coach and the Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach at Standish-Sterling Community Schools.