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Vitae

Dr. Candace Cole-McCrea

 

RAPTOR’S CALLING INC.

60 Ford Farm Road, Milton NH 03851

603 652-7594 snowyowl@metrocast.net

Interdisciplinary Catalyst and Visionary

Mission statement: “To Give is to Receive”

Mission Question: There are 2 species of humans: humankind and human-unkind. To which do I belong?

Interdisciplinary catalyst, consultant, professor emeritus, social scientist, philosopher, speaker, practitioner and advocate for humankind.

RESEARCH CHALLENGES

Beyond Professionalism: The practice of Genuineness and Authenticity. As I learn more about autism, as well as brain development, responses and disorders, I sense that our professional modus operandi of communication and interpersonal dynamics is toxic and harmful to those on the spectrum, as well as to others with mental health/developmental challenges. We have learned to be “friendly” professionals yet this can be contraindicated. Those we serve may not be able to differentiate genuine friendship and caring from our prepackaged, generic styles. We express caring, verbally and non-verbally, yet may leave a client’s life at any time. Our assessments and testings may be done in a mechanistic manner which may affect the outcomes. I am theorizing how a social psychological professional presence impacts and influences personal development and social competency across age groups and cultures. Multiple research studies have shown that paraprofessionals are significantly more successful at engaging with consumers than are professionals. Could it be that they are more genuine and authentic?

Education is Not Enough. Transition development models are often inadequate at linking and integrating academics with career development, especially for persons with multiple disabilities, including mental illnesses. I designed, developed and have utilized a model successfully for students with a wide variety of life and career goals, majors, abilities—both within school settings and in the “real” world. This model is divided into four sequential sections, integrated within the person’s life-world, to build not only career success but also fulfillment and meaning into the lives of every person who applies themselves. A basic premise is that each person’s life must have social value to be meaningful and that just giving someone a job may or may not contribute to a socially meaningful quality of life, as argued through social valorization theory. Over two three decades of research and practice have gone into developing and refining this model.

Beyond a Victim Mentality: Life after PTSD. Focused use of Logotheory, self-actualization theory, altruism, resiliency, locus of control, victimization and current brain research to teach out characteristics of thrivers who transcend victim identities, with two goals: (1)Identifying characterizations of individuals/cultures that support and/or negate this achievement; (2)refine means of teaching/enhancing these characteristics/skills for those who need them. Over 35 years of interviews with Holocaust survivors, Japanese internment camp survivors, war veterans, criminal inmates, AmerIndian, Alaskan natives, immigrant refugees and survivors and perpetrators of violence are part of this research, currently being continued with incarcerated federal and local inmates, drawing on newest research on the brain’s ability to create healing pathways. A premise based on brain and social research is that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be temporary.

Alternatives to Oppression and Exploitation in Social Relations: Action from a Foundation other than Pain, Threat or Fear. Especially in our lifetimes wherein threat is more and more perceived in social relations, this ethnographical, psychological and historical cross cultural search for dynamic models and patterns that transcend the limitations of (1)applied individualistic economics as a model of life with its denial of our social nature; (2)applied socialism-communism continuum with its consequent denial of creative individualism; (3) applied authoritarianism/totalitarianism as a defense tactic in family, small group, employment, education, religion, criminal justice, human services, community and society.

It takes a Village to Raise our Children…It takes Standard Policy and Practice to Throw Them Away. White paper and presentation on the community and educational effects of parental incarceration on children. Presented to various professional groups, including the Department of Education.


 

Private Business Entity Experience

Established Raptor’s Calling Inc, 2008, for the purpose of writing, speaking, teaching, coaching and consulting on issues to maximize human potential.

Designed and presented workshops for various audiences on PTSD, Stress and Well-Being, Psychology of Resiliency, Social Justice, Native American History and Culture, Gandhian Social Practice. Zoom. 2020

Designed, developed and taught a college level social sciences curriculum specifically applicable to federal, state and county inmates, male and female, violent, nonviolent and/or sexual offenders. Courses include: Sociology, Psychology, American History and Race Relations, Critical Thinking, Personal/Career Development, Life Skills, and the Psychology of Resiliency. 2010-2020

Commissioned to design and teach a series of workshops on mindfulness and coping with disability, pain, stress, depression, grief and anxiety for Rochester Housing Authority. Classes designed to address the needs of elderly and disabled residents of public housing. 2012, 2015.

Employment Professional Specialist National Certification. (APSE test: 95%). Specializing in helping socially stigmatized persons reach their career potential. 2012

Chemung Cemetery Project. Organized, publicized and worked with charter school to design and install a memorial at the cemetery for New Hampshire’s closed state institution. Applied for and received grant through NH Department for Developmental Disabilities.

Non-profit Organization Future Planning Facilitator. Occasionally contracted to help non-profits define and refocus their missions, objectives and future goals. 1985-present.

Spiritual mentor/practitioner/trainer integrating Iroquois AmerIndian Peacemaker religion, Quaker ministry and practice, and Gandhian Satyagrahi ethics to address interpersonal and social challenges. Taught workshops for Quaker groups. 2020

Video Ethnographer. Interviewer and producer of two documentaries: (1) persons with stage 1 Alzheimer’s disease telling us what they would like us to know about their lives, their concerns for the future, their hopes and fears, and (2)a former resident of the Fernald School for “Retarded” Persons, sharing his own story with me of institutionalization and life in his own apartment currently. 1995

Clinical Puppeteers Certification. National certification in the use and design of puppets to teach a verstehen understanding of social issues to adults and children. Also for use to help children process trauma. Multiple gigs throughout New England. Certified in 1990.

Jazz Poet, co-founder and composer of “People Renaissance”, a jazz arts group embodying the marriage of AmerIndian poetics, musical instruments and spirit with AmerAfrican improvisational jazz. Outstanding reviews from universities, newspapers, and the New Hampshire Poetry Society, which ran its review as a cover story in its journal. Also featured as a cover article in “The Portsmouth Herald”.


 

Board/Council Memberships

American Friends Service Council. 2020 to present.

Council member: State Planning Council on Mental Health Planning. 2009 to 2019.

Council member, State Education Advisory Committee on the Education of Children with Disabilities (SAC), NH Department of Education. 2010-present. Governor Appointed. 2010- 2019.

New Hampshire State Council on Aging. Strafford County Representative. Governor Appointed, 2012- 2019.

Strafford County Council on Aging. Representative from state council. 2012-2019.

Board member, Disability Rights Center, NH. 2009-2018.

Chair, PAIMI, Disability Rights Center, NH. 2009-2019.

Council Member: Substance Abuse, Mental Health and Aging. 2010 to present.

Council Chair: Mental Health and Aging. 2010 to 2019.

SAU 64, School Board member. Policy, bullying, preschool and special education committees. 2008-2015.

Council member, Family Support Council, Community Partners. 2010 to present.

Council member, Real Choices, IOD. 2009-2010.

Council member, National Council for Diversity, Amerindian Focus Group, NAMI. 2009-present.

District Representative. Alaska Wilderness League. 2008-2009.

Council member, Partners in Health, Region 9. 2009.

Board member. Faith Based Alliance. New Hampshire Council of Churches, 2009-2011. Served on the diversity committee.

Board member. National Aids Foundation. Research conferences that lasted one week, twice a year in Washington DC, through the Department of Health and Human Services. Served on the national Social/Psychological Research Team with my research focus on children. 1995-2000

Founding board member, then Associate Director and Counselor: Women’s Transitional Living Center, Fullerton, CA. One of the first shelters for battered women in the United States: we invented as we went along. 1975-1980


 

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

NH Senior Leadership, AARP. 2011. 30 hours.

Seacoast Leadership graduate. 2010. 80 hours.

Leadership graduate, Institute on Disability, UNH. 104 hours. 2009


 

Education


 

UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE

Ph.D. Kennedy Western University. Psychology. Areas of concentration: Transformational Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, Theory, Addictionology, Health Psychology. (Completed on line due to on-going supposedly terminal health crisis). 1998

Ph.D. Candidate, Boston University. 1990-1994. University Professors Program, a unique program in which one’s expertise must be demonstrated in a variety of disciplines. My major areas of study included: Social Philosophy, Social Ethics, Artistic Sociology, Social Psychology, Counseling, Socio-psychoimmunology, Social Theory, Phenomenology and Hermeneutics, Intellectual History Capitalism and Christianity, Gandhian and Quaker Social Theories of Nonviolence and Non-adversarial Social Action, Iroquois Social Philosophy, Ethnomethodology, Shamanism and Socio-spiritual and Sociopolitical influences on Healing, Illness, Disability and Death. While I at UNH working on a doctorate in Sociology, I was contacted by BU and offered full scholarship and transfer of credits if I would come into this program, which I could not complete due to a health crisis.

M.A. University of New Hampshire. 1985. Sociology with focus in Social Psychology, Historiography, Hermeneutics, Phenomenology, Deviance and Ethnic Studies. Realized that once I took 12 credits in any semester, all additional courses were free of cost so I continually took 18-20 credits per semester (to the frustration of my department head!)

B.A with three majors. 1981. California State University, Fullerton. Within three years, completed majors in Sociology, Human Services and Ethnic Relations. Graduated with a 3.94 grade point average because I did not know to drop a course I never attended.

GED. 1980. State of California. (They would not give me my bachelor’s degree until I had a high school diploma).

Professional Training

AUTISM

Autism Institute, University of New Hampshire. 2009,2010,2011. 75 CEU’s. 3 certificates earned.

Autism course. Granite State College. 2010. 1.2 CEU’s.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Arrest to Conviction: Alcohol and other Drug Related Offenses. NH Training Institute on Addictive Disorders. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Employment Law, Criminal Records and Beyond. Boston University. 2011. 12 CEU’s.

Parents of Prisoners in Jail. NH Training Institute on Addictive Disorders. 2011. 12 CEU’s.

Criminality, Psychology and Substance Abuse. NH Training Institute on Addictive Disorders. 2011. 8 CEU’s.

Parents in Prison—Connected Kids. Granite State College. 2011. 12 CEU’s.

When Parents Return from Jail. Greater Nashua Council on Alcoholism. 2011. 6 CEU’s.

PERSON CENTERED CARE MANAGEMENT

National Respite Network Certification to include: General Knowledge/20 hours, Advanced Knowledge/20 hours, Depression/6 hours, Cerebral Palsy/6 hours, Autism/8 hours, TBI/8 hours. 2012

Foster Care License. State of New Hampshire. 2012-2013, 1994-2000.

Relatively Speaking: About the Child in Foster Care. Granite State College. 2012. 3 CEU’s.

Relatively Speaking: About the Parents. Granite State College. 2012. 3 CEU’s.

DD Family Support Attendee/workshop presenter. 2009, 2010, 2012

NH Lifespan Respite Conference. 2011. 8 CEU’s.

Managed Care Leadership. Boston University. 2011 3 CEU’s

Peer Supported Respite webinar. 2011. 3 CEU’s.

Culture and Foster Kids webinar. 2011. 3 CEU’s.

Lifelong Connections. Granite State. 2011. 3 CEU’s.

Individualized Planning. UNH/IOD. 2008. 7 CEU’s.

Facilitating New Approaches to Family Support. DHHS. 1996. 36 CEU’s.

DISABILITY AND AGING

Earnings and Benefits: Using Social Security. Boston University. 2012. 12 CEU’s.

Law and Disability. Boston University. 2011. 16 CEU’s.

NH Brain Injury Rehabilitation conference. 2009, 2010. 6 CEU’s per conference.

Institute on Disability, UNH, Leadership Program. 2010.

Real Choice for Aging Populations. IOD. 2009. 6 CEU’s.

EDUCATION

Coaching and Teaching Strategies. Boston University. 2012. 12 CEU’s.

RIT in Education. UNH. 2010. 8 CEU’s.

NH Partnership for Education. Parent Information Center. 2009, 2010. 7.5 CEU’s earned each time.

Designing Training for the Adult Learner. UNH. 3 credit graduate course. 2001

Surrogate Educational Parent Training. NH Department of Education. 1998

EMPLOYMENT

Creative Job Development for People with Significant Disabilities in a Challenging Economy. Boston University. 2012. 12 CEU’s.

Employment Consulting and Workplace Supports. UNH/U.Vermont. 2012. 16 CEU’s.

Employment Strategies for People with Psychiatric Disorders. Boston University. 2012. 12 CEU’s.

Employment Coaching. TACE National Certification requirement. 2012. 12 CEU’s.

Employment Law, Disability, ADA, and Beyond. Boston University. 2012. 12 CEU’s.

Employment Training Programs for Young Adults. Department of Employment, NH. 2009. 6 CEU’s.

Employment and Special Populations/Employment Links. Classes on Labor Laws and the Workforce, Low Cost Accommodations in Minutes, Self Employment and Other Alternatives, and Systematic Instruction in the Workforce. IOD/UNH. 2009. 12 CEU’s.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

HIV/AIDS Counseling training. 1995. 30 CEU’s.

Yoga Instructor. Modified yoga for post-surgery and rehabilitation from trauma. National Yoga Association life certificate. 1995

First Aid and CPR updated continually.

Hospice Ministry certification and practice. Strafford Hospice. 1992

Hospice Volunteer Training. Strafford Hospice. 1990

American Arthritis Association. Train the Trainer certificate. 1985

Licensed Nursing Assistant. State of California. 1980

Emergency Psychiatric Responder, Advanced Certificate. State of California. 1979. 60 CEU’s.

MENTAL HEALTH

Initial Training on Addiction (a review and update). NH Institute on Addictive Disorders. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Updates on Addiction Counseling Research. NHIAD. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Early Life Attachment Difficulties and Addiction Counseling. NHIAD. 2012. 8 CEU’s.

Addiction and Mental Health. NHIAD. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Suicide Prevention. NHIAD. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Street Drugs and Trends. NHIAD. 2012. 7.5 CEU’s.

Medications and Children webinar. 2012. 2 CEU’s.

Fetal Alcoholism. 2011 7 CEU’s.

Hoarding. IOD/UNH. 2010. 3 CEU’s.

Graduate certificate training and apprenticeship. Art and Music Therapy. State of California. Credentials. 1980.

TRANSITIONING

NH Community of Practice Transition Summits 1,2,3,4. 2008,2009, 2010, 2011. 36 CEU’s.

Transitioning Youth conference. NAMI. 2011. 7 CEU’s.

Transitions in Adolescent Development. Granite State College. 2010. 12 CEU’s.

Guiding Teens through NH Trails (an independence program). Granite State College. 2010. 12 CEU’s.

New Approaches to Transitioning. UNH. 2010. 8 CEU’s.

Foundations in Transitions. Institute on Disability, Classes included The Basics of Secondary Transition, Person-Centered Planning, and Thinking Out of the Box, Resource Development, and High School as Transition. UNH. 2009. 26 CEU’s.

Employment and Special Populations/Employment Links. IOD/UNH. Law and the Workforce, Accommodations, Self Employment, Systematic Instruction within the workplace. IOD/UNH. 2009. 12 CEU’s.

Research to Practice: The Pathway from High School to College. UNH. 2009. 9 CEU’s.

NH Transition Community of Best Practice. UNH. 2009. 6.5 CEU’s.

TRAUMA, VIOLENCE AND DISASTER TRAINING

Trauma and Substance Abuse: Special Populations. NHTIAD. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Co-Occurring Disorders Related to Trauma. NHTIAD. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Co-Occurring Disorders: Assessment of Trauma and Related Disorders. NHTIAD. 2012. 12 CEU’s.

Neurobiology, Trauma and the Brain. NHTIAD. 2012. 7.5 CEU’s.

Bullying Awareness and Prevention. OpenNh. 2012. 6 CEU’s.

Trauma and Kids webinar. 2011. 5 CEU’s.

Bullying Training Conference. UNH. 2010. 6 CEU’s.

State Conference on Disaster Training for Vulnerable Populations. Certificate. 2010. 8 CEU’s.

Capacity Building to Address Functional Needs of Populations in Disasters. 2008. 5.5 CEU’s.

Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis training. UNH. State of New Hampshire certification. 1989

OTHER TRAININGS

Social and Ecological Training for Community Transformation. 2010. 16 CEU’s.

Diversity and Culture. Casey Family Services. 2009. 12.5 CEU’s.

Graduate Training and Apprenticeship in Art and Music Therapy. State of California. Credentials earned. 1980

Raptor Rehabilitation training and certificate. Department of Fish and Game. State of California. Housed and cared for injured owls and hawks. 1976


 

Professional Academic Experience

Currently designed, developed and taught courses within the criminal justice system. Constructed and presented workshops on the effects of parental incarceration on children. (see above section under private business).


 

DEPARTMENT CHAIR/FULL PROFESSOR

Chair: Department of Human Services, Social Sciences, Education, Disability Studies, Gerontology and Early Childhood. Great Bay Community College. Developed multiplr Associate degree programs and taught courses in Gerontology, Human Services, Disability Studies, Para education, Career and Employment Counseling, Psychology and Social Sciences. Designed the degree programs for Paraeducation, Career and Employment Counseling and Disability Studies for the state of New Hampshire. Also taught on-line courses using Blackboard. Hired, supervised and trained full and part time faculty. Student Advisor. Administered certificate program for families and consumers of area agencies with MH and/or DD issues to obtain college certificates, degrees and work experience. Initiated and practiced competency-based learning. 1995-2005.


 

FULL TIME AND ADJUNCT PROFESSOR TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Taught as part time faculty at UNH, Franklin Pierce University, Granite State College and Southern NH University. At all colleges and universities, was voted most popular professor by students for each semester, except twp., during my entire career. Earned state awards for teaching.

Courses taught:

Note 1: Sometimes on-line using Blackboard (recently using Zoom)

Note 2: Designed and developed myself, with curriculum committees and/or administrations approving competencies, content, goals and objectives.

Note 3: All courses taught using competency methodology and evaluation standards. No courses were taught using exams and term papers, though student research was accomplished in every course.

Introduction to Sociology (1) Juvenile Delinquency

Social Problems Sociology of Deviance

Abnormal Psychology Psychology of Individual Potential (2)

Human Growth and Development (1) Basic College Skills

Ethnic Relations (2) Plato

Cultural Anthropology (1) (2) Critical Thinking (2)

Native American Studies (2) Crisis Intervention (2)

Career Counseling (2) Cross Cultural Counseling (2)

Social Psychology Introduction to Psycho pharmaceuticals (2)

Human Sexuality Trauma, Disease, Grief and Resiliency (2)

Death and Dying Health Psychology (2)

Addiction and the Family The Psychology of Well-Being (2)

Advanced Addictionology (2) Alternatives to Oppression and Violence (2)

Marriage and Family Social Cultural History of the United States (2)

Logotheory (2) Person Assessment and Life Planning (2)

Family Violence and Dysfunction (2) Introduction to Criminology

Introduction to Gerontology Human Resource Management

Social Theory Human Relations and the Organization

Introduction to Philosophy (2) Disability Studies (2)

Mental Illness in Society (2) Psychosocial Aspects of Aging (2)

Intro to Developmental Disabilities (2) Chemical Dependency (2)

Introduction to Education (2) Cognitive Theory and Practice (2)

Educational Psychology (2) Group Dynamics (2)

Introduction to Human Services (2) Behaviorism in Theory and Practice (2)

Ethics (2) Ethics in Human Services (2)

Research Methods in Human Services (2) Theories of Personality

Theories of Counseling (2) Issues of Adjustment and Mental Health (2)

Theories of Personality (2) Issues of Developmental Disabilities (2)

Educating the Exceptional Child (2) Strategies for Teaching Diverse Populations (2)

Introduction to Psychology (1) (2) Professional and Capstone Seminars (2)

American History (2) Psychology of Resiliency (2)


 

GRADUATE STUDENT FACULTY/MENTOR/ADVISOR

Mentored independent studies programs for students seeking to integrate music, philosophy, social psychology and healing. Boston University and University of New Hampshire. 1985-1994

Mentored independent studies integrating addictionology and ethnicity. Boston University and University of New Hampshire. 1985-1994

Mentored independent studies for students seeking to learn to work with youth with dual diagnoses of developmental disabilities and mental health issues. University of New Hampshire. 1990-1994.


 

CLINICAL FACULTY

Seaborne Addictions Hospital, Dover, NH. Designed and taught a professional level course on alcoholism for nurses and counselors seeking recertification in their field. 1986.


 

SPEAKING/PRESENTER ENGAGEMENTS:

It takes a Village: The Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children. Presented to various professional groups, including the Department of Education. 2018

Gentle Teaching. Coaching without Threat or Punishment. NH Department of Developmental Disabilities Family Conference. 2015

Tapping into the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Ease Stress, Pain, Illness, Aging and Emotional Ups and Downs. A fourteen-week program developed and presented to the residents of Rochester Public Housing for Elderly and Disabled Residents. 2013

Family Support Conference, Department of Developmental Disabilities. Workshop presenter: Alternative Ways to Deal with Difficult Behavior. 2012

New Hampshire State Youth Conference. Department of Health and Human Services. Community for Professional Excellence. Workshop Presenter for youth in state care: What’s Love Got to do with it?—Choosing Healthy Close Relationships. 2011

New Hampshire State Conference on Aging. Speaker: Surrendering is not the Same as Giving Up. 2011

University of New Hampshire Community for Professional Excellence: DCYF/DJJS Staff Conference. Topic: Becoming Authentic with the People We Serve. May 2011

University of New Hampshire Community for Professional Excellence: DCYF/DJJS Youth Conference. Topic: What’s Love Got to Do with It?—Choosing Healthy Close Relationships

Southern New Hampshire Services annual staff training conference 2010. Topic: Overcoming Adversity.

People First of New Hampshire, Self-Advocacy Conference, Generation Y Not. 2010. Topic: Yes, We Can.

NH Council of Churches, Annual Prepare to Serve Conference. 2010. Topic: Diversity and Inclusion in New Hampshire’s churches.

Real Choice conference 2010: Workforce Innovation: Ensuring the Future of New Hampshire’s Direct Support Workforce. Panel speaker: Empathy and Understanding the Perspective of the Other.

People First of New Hampshire conference. 2009. Topic: Conflict Resolution.

Diversity conference, Casey Family Services, 2009. Topic: Peace and Unity in Diversity.

UNH Annual Counseling conference, 1999. Keynote Speaker. Topic: Relationships as a Celebration of Life. Recovery and transcendence beyond self-negation, with its secondary symptoms of people negation, planet negation and spiritual negation, caused by the reductionism of utilitarian materialism. Spoke to the need to revolutionize counseling from a perspective with a goal of increasing functional coping to a perspective wherein the goal becomes creative and empowering social psychological transcendence.

UNH Counseling Department. Conference speaker. 1998. Topic: Using Music to understand and treat victims of trauma and addiction.

Dover Friends Diversity Conference. 1998. Keynote speaker. Topic: Celebrating Diversity.

NH Department of Education, annual conference. Presenter. Topic: Lost in New Hampshire: The Experience of Having a Traumatic Family Experience and being a Minority in Anglo NH: How do We Reach Children who do not Trust?

New Hampshire Festival of Lights: a festival of spirituality funded by grants and the NH Council of Churches. Keynote speaker. Topic: Celebrating our Cultures and valuing our Lights.

UNH. Women’s History Week. 1995. Speaker. Topic: Reconciling Two Cultures: Life as a bicultural person.

UNH. 1992. UNH American Indian Anniversary of Columbus. Keynote speaker: Finding peace and forgiveness while retaining personal power.

Spiritual Counselor and speaker. 1975 to present. Various Native American organizations and functions in the New England area and California.

American Arthritis Association. 1985. Keynote speaker. Topic: Accepting Limitations and Overcoming Challenges.


 

Mentored independent studies programs for students seeking to integrate music, philosophy, sociology and culture into art forms.

PUBLICATIONS:

Apples vs. Oranges: Contrasting Paradigms of Definition and Options for Persons Identified as Developmentally Disabled, with Western Post-Industrial Societies and Native American Indian Societies. Identifying the Spiritual and Social Connotations of Each Worldview. Article being published in scientific text, Humanism and Neurology, by the International Neurological Association. 2020

The Seeing-Eye Dog. A children’s book demonstrating, from a true life story, the value of diversity. Candacecolemccrea.com and amazon. 2012

Special Friends. A Story of How a dog and a deer become best friends, celebrating lessons of inclusion and diversity. candacecolemccrea.com and amazon. 2016

The Raccoon who Thought He was a Cat. A story about a raccoon who was raised with cats and had to learn to be true to who he really was. candacecolemccrea.com and amazon. 2016

Publication: The New Hampshire Rap Sheet, Spring 2008. Cover article: The Challenge of Respect (an article on diversity in Human Services).

Publication: Chapter in for profit book. Spirituality and Intellectual Disability, William C. Gaventa, etal. Haworth Press, 2001.

Publication: Journal of Religion, Disability and Health. “Cultural/Spiritual Attributions as Independent Variables in the Development of Identity and Potential for Persons of Exceptionality: A Case Study of North American Christianity and Native American Religious Influence”.

Publication: TASH journal. “Jody” (an autobiographical piece). 2004

Publication: Women’s Source Book. Chapter: Sharing Values and Culture through Art. 2002

Publication: Chapter in textbook. Intense Experience: Social Psychology through Poetry. Fredrick Samuels, editor. Oyster River Press. 1990

A number of articles have been written about me in journals and other publications.


 

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

One-on-One Psychological/Futures Planning support for federal and local inmates, as assigned. 2012 to 2020

Private and team counseling experience with various agencies in California and New England from 1975 through present. Logotherapist. Focused experience with persons with substance abuse and PTSD, with men with sexual abuse histories, Vietnam veterans, persons victimized through interpersonal/societal violence, trauma, disease and disability. Use of art and music to assist men healing from sexual abuse.

Hospice Minister. Seacoast Hospice. Certification. 1995

Counselor/Case Manager. 1982-1985. Independent Labor Systems. Caseload of persons leaving Laconia State School for community living.

Assistant Director for group home for teen boys convicted of violent crimes, recently released from juvenile criminal facilities. 1980-1982. Removed behavioral level systems of control, intimidation and coercive policies utilizing a “gentle teaching” approach, focusing on mirroring and developing the gifts and potential of each youth.

Crisis Counselor. On call. Los Angeles Police Department. 1977-1981

Trauma Counselor. Los Angeles Veterans Hospital. Part time. 1978-1981.

Diversity Counselor and Recruiter. California State University, Fullerton. 1977 to 1980. Counseled students and traveled into ethnic communities, schools and Indian reservations throughout the western United States. Advised the Third World Student Advisory Council for CSUF.

Music and Art Therapy internship. 1978-1980. Under private practitioner. Specialty: use of art and music for survivors of rape and trauma. Earned credentials to practice.

Career Counseling Internship. 1978-1980. California State University, Fullerton. Earned credential to practice.

Assistant counselor, Women’s Center, Rape Crisis center, Shelter for Battered Women, Los Angeles Veterans Hospital, State Mental Hospital in Hollywood and Los Angeles police department crisis intervention team. Earned hours of counseling credential. (Note: chose the mental hospital in Hollywood because I couldn’t imagine much that a person could do that would hospitalize them in Hollywood—being from rural New England as I am!)


 

DIRECT CARE EXPERIENCE

National Respite Certification. 2012 (see training above for curriculum)

Guardian of Person and Estate. Strafford County District Court, NH. 2012 to present.

Certified foster parent. New Hampshire. 2012-present. CEU’s: 60 hours. 2010-2012.

Home Provider for young adult man with high functioning developmental delays, Asperger’s, and mental health issues. Temporary placement. Guardian reported this as the only successful placement of this 23 year old man, with a history of sabotaging all placements. October 2010-March 2011. Living Innovations.

Guardian. Minor Ward NH District Court. 2007-2009

Adoptive Single Parent through NHDCYF, young child, with high functioning autism, executive functioning disorder, depression, hoarding, bulimia, fetal alcohol effects, prenatal brain injury. 1999

NH, Department of Youth and Family Services. Specialized Foster Parent for Critically ill birth-three year olds, to include children with HIV medical needs. 1993-1999.

Surrogate Educational Parent certification. NH Department of Education. 1987

Specialized foster parent for children with severe emotional disturbances. State of California. 1975-1980

SAU 64. School Board Member, Milton NH. 2015-2017


 

MINISTRY

Substitute Minister. Preached and served in absence of various congregation and church ministers. 1980-present.

Ministerial Teacher and Group Leader for International Spiritual Development Program. A Course in Miracles. 1990 to present.

Mentor and Spiritual Teacher. Longhouse religion. Iroquois AmerIndian traditions. 1985 to present.

Hospice Minister Training and Practice. Seacoast Hospice. 1990-1995


 

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE

Organized and raised all monies to provide two pairs of shoes a year for children in need whose parents were incarcerated. 2015-2010

Organized and supervised community program to provide pet food for persons unemployed. 2020

Annually funded and provided Christmas trees for families in need. 2019-2020


 

Awards and Honors

Parent Education Involvement Award, New Hampshire Department of Education. 2011

Honored as Teacher of the Year for New Hampshire, as chosen by national fraternity and sorority members. 2001 and 2003. (Only 2 teachers chosen per state in any one year).

Exceptional Foster Care Parent Award. New Hampshire. 1998

White House Internship Fellowship Award. Awarded and offered for 1989-1990 but my health did not allow me to accept this honor.

Ethnicity Committee Chair, American Sociological Association. Nominated in 1988. My parent’s health would not allow me to fulfill the responsibilities at that time.

American Arthritis Foundation. Cover article in journal and scholarship. 1988

Various scholarship awards. 1976-1981.

Multiple awards through the years for my fabric arts.


 

Personal Addendum


 

My professional life began in the 1970’s. Until that time, in my early years, I was considered too disabled to contribute significantly to society. At the age of 12, I was given an IQ test and scored 70. At the age of 27, I scored 100. At the age of 35, I scored 125. At the age or 45, I scored 165. I believe that to a significant extent, IQ tests identify a common stock of cultural knowledge, though, of course, that is not all. For all of my early years my family and I thought I was “retarded”. I did not find out until my Graduate Record Exams, when I scored in the 99.8 percentile range on logic why so many social norms and behaviors made no sense to me.J

My quiet times are frequent and are spent container gardening, designing fabric arts, writing poetry and composing music. I live in the woods with my dog,and love it.

Thank you for working your way through this to me. References are available upon request.