Tana Dell, LCSW
About Me:
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, licensed in Colorado and in Wyoming.
I am a Colorado native, born in Boulder, and raised in Longmont. I currently live in Broomfield, Colorado with my wife, and our cat Kiki. I love to read, walk/hike, listen to music, go to concerts, baseball games, and I am an avid Denver Broncos fan (as evidenced by the photo above)!
I always knew I wanted to be in a helping profession, but it took me a while to decide what I wanted to do. When I decided upon Social Work, I realized that this profession was a perfect fit for me.
Education
I received by Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and my Master's Degree in Social Work from Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
I obtained licensure as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2003.
Experience
I have worked in the long-term care industry for over 25 years. I have worked in an ICF/MR (Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded), Nursing Homes, and Nursing Homes that care for residents with a high psychiatric/behavioral percentage. I have been a Long-Term Care Surveyor, and am currently a Social Work Consultant for facilities in Colorado and Wyoming. Below is an overview of my experience:
My first job was as an Activities Assistant in a ICF/MR. I wasn't sure if I would like the job or not, but I fell in love with the residents, and have been in long-term care since then. This was 1988.
I have also worked in three nursing homes. I worked at Life Care Center of Longmont for four years. I started out working in Activities and Social Work. I then transitioned into the Social Services Department, full-time, eventually becoming the Social Services Director.
My second Nursing Home was Spearly Center. This was a 125-bed facility, with a 24-bed secured unit, whose primary population was persons with major mental illnesses, personality disorders, traumatic brain injuries, or other behavioral challenges. I was the Social Services Representative for a 24-bed secured unit. I learned a great deal about behavior management, limit setting, positive reinforcement and psychoactive medications, programming, and other interventions.
My third Nursing Home, was Rowan Community. There, I was Program Director, supervising the Admissions, Activities, and Social Services Departments. Our focus at Rowan Community was working with, and caring for persons with mental illnesses, and we had a specialty in caring for persons with MS (Multiple Sclerosis).
From Rowan Community, I became a long-term care surveyor for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for 3 1/2 years, During this time, I participated in approximately 150 surveys and/or complaint surveys. I am very familiar with the survey processes, both the traditional process as well as the QIS Process. I have both written deficiencies, and once leaving the Health Department, I have also written IDR (Informal Dispute Resolutions) to dispute deficiencies that have been cited. I have a strong knowledge of the State Operations Manual, which are the federal regulations, as well as the state regulations for long-term care.
Consultation
Since I left the Health Department in 2003, I have been co-owner of a Social Work Consulting company for over 13 years. Along with my business partner, as well as other LCSW's we have provided social work consultation to 80+ Nursing Homes in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. We provide education, training and consultation to Social Workers in order to empower them so that they can best meet the psychosocial needs of the residents. We have developed programs, and provided training programs to promote the education and skills of those who work with the elderly, vulnerable, mentally ill, intellectually disabled, and the homeless community.
Clinical Supervision
I have provided clinical social work supervision to numerous Social Workers in Colorado. I truly enjoy mentoring and teaching social workers to be the best advocates and care providers for those they work with, regardless of the population. My focus in supervision is on the empowerment and skills base for each Social Worker. My supervision is interactive, and based upon real-life situations, interventions and outcomes.