Leigh Clarke
Etobicoke,Canada
Summary
Experienced RN with a strong, career spanning focus in the field of mental health. Skilled in conducting assessments, developing therapeutic relationships with clients and families as well as managing complex situations through a trauma informed and culturally competent lens.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Public Health Nurse
Toronto Public Health
09.2013 - Current
- Conduct initial postpartum contact assessments over the phone and in-depth family assessments in person
- Carry out long term, home visiting for prenatal and postnatal clients identified as high risk
- Conduct health teaching on all aspects of parenting and newborn care
- Use the nurse-client relationship as a valuable tool in teaching and providing supportive therapeutic interaction
- Conduct perinatal mental health assessments and link to treatment resources
- Provide one-on-one care and counseling in the Breastfeeding clinic
- Conduct new parent's groups such as Living and Learning with Baby and Make the Connection
- Connect clients to housing, Immigration, financial and social agencies in their community
RN Treatment Provider
SUMMIT Trial
06.2019 - 06.2023
- Carry out behavioral activation treatment with perinatal women experiencing depression or anxiety
- Carry out safety assessment using the Cox and Holden tools
- Carry our mental status examinations on trial participants
Registered Nurse/ Clozapine Clinic Coordinator
Centre For Addiction and Mental Health
07.2009 - 09.2013
- Monitor client's blood work results and quickly manage cases of possible agranulocytopenia or neutropenia
- Part of the Frequent sample intravenous glucose tolerance test research team
- Initiating and maintaining IV saline locks and taking frequent blood samples
- Conducting pre-assessments for clients who have been referred for consultation with the Medication Assessment for Schizophrenia clinic
- Running the long acting antipsychotic intramuscular injection clinic
- Health promotion and education for clients on clozaril therapy as well as those on long acting injectable antipsychotic medications
- Maintenance of several databases as well as individual health record documentation and care planning
Registered Nurse Case Manager
Centre For Addiction and Mental Health
09.2008 - 07.2009
- Provide case management and nursing care to clients experiencing a first episode of psychosis through carrying out long term intensive focused home visiting
- Developed and Implemented individual treatment plans for first episode clients focusing on engagement, psychoeducation, medication compliance and linking with other community resources
- Assessment and monitoring of mental status and medication effect/side effects
- Development and maintenance of community partnerships with the goal of enabling clients to achieve an optimal level of wellness through the utilization of same
Registered Nurse/Intake Coordinator
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
07.2006 - 09.2008
- Screen and triage all referrals to the first episode psychosis program which come from sources inclusive of family doctors, psychiatrists, hospital emergency rooms and inpatient units
- Assessment of individual and family health status in order to determine urgency of referral and to link with appropriate services
- Liaise with city and province wide community agencies in placing referrals that were not appropriate for the first episode program
- Provide education on psychosis and treatment for psychosis over the phone, to potential clients, their families as well as physicians in the community
- Maintain an accurate and up to date database of all new referrals and the outcomes of these referrals
- Co-presented a course on First Episode Psychosis on several occasions
- Provided response to crisis calls (during and after hours) from clients and their families
- Screen referrals for suitability to a variety of research studies within the Schizophrenia program
- Demonstrated excellent interpersonal and public relations skills as the main communication point between the public and the First Episode Psychosis Program
Registered Nurse
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
07.2005 - 07.2006
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with clients in developing and achieving their health goals
- Demonstrated ability to develop supportive therapeutic relationships with clients and their families
- Demonstrated ability to assess and monitor changes in client's mental state and monitor for medication effects and side effects
- Demonstrated ability to work as a part of an interdisciplinary health care team in providing optimal care to our clients
Education
Baccalaureate - Nursing
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario06.2005
Skills
- Clinical Judgment
- Patient Assessment
- Autonomy
- Patient education
- Counseling
- Patient advocacy
- EMR Systems
- Emotional Intelligence
- Mental health counseling
- Therapeutic communication
Certification
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy, 2020, South Florida Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Behavioural Activation Therapy, 2019, Mount Sinai Health Centre
Affiliations
- Member of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario
- Member in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario
References
References available upon request
Timeline
RN Treatment Provider
SUMMIT Trial
06.2019 - 06.2023
Public Health Nurse
Toronto Public Health
09.2013 - Current
Registered Nurse/ Clozapine Clinic Coordinator
Centre For Addiction and Mental Health
07.2009 - 09.2013
Registered Nurse Case Manager
Centre For Addiction and Mental Health
09.2008 - 07.2009
Registered Nurse/Intake Coordinator
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
07.2006 - 09.2008
Registered Nurse
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
07.2005 - 07.2006
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy, 2020, South Florida Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Behavioural Activation Therapy, 2019, Mount Sinai Health Centre
Baccalaureate - Nursing
University of Toronto
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