The document profiles Lisa Shaheen, a clinical therapist at Genesee Health System who provides intensive family and community-based treatment through the Multisystemic Therapy program to juvenile offenders. It details her experience and education in social work, the services offered at GHS, and her approach to upholding social work values and ethics in serving a diverse population in Genesee County, Michigan.

1. Interview with a Social Worker
Jessica Towne
Master of Social Work, Walden University
SOCW6002: Changing Lives, Changing Society: Introduction to Social Work
Dr. Quincy Dinnerson
October 5, 2022
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

2. Genesee
Health
System
• GHS provides community mental health
services to nearly 17,000 people in
Genesee County, Michigan.
• For more than 50 years, GHS has been
the primary public service provider in
Genesee County for individuals with
serious mental illness, intellectual
disabilities, developmental disabilities,
and substance use disorders.
• GHS mission:
• "Supporting recovery, prevention,
health, and wellness of the body,
the mind, and the community."
• Services Offered:
• Crisis Services, Adult Mental
Health, Child and Family Mental
Health, Substance Use Services
and Integrated Health and
Wellness
• Genesee Health System (genhs.org)
'Hope and Health in the Community'

3. Lisa M Shaheen, MSW, LLMSW-C, MHP, CMHP, QMHP
Clinical Therapist, Multisystemic Therapy
Multisystemic
Therapy
MST is an intensive family &
community-based treatment
program that focuses on the
entire world of chronic and
violent juvenile offenders —
their homes and families,
schools and teachers,
neighborhoods and friends.
MST works with
adolescents, male and
female, between the ages of
12 and 17 with severe arrest
history.
Professional Roles
MST clinicians work
intensively in home with the
caregivers and adolescents
to help them regain ways to
keep the adolescent focused
on school.
MST therapist also works
with youth to learn job skills
and introduces youth to
sports and recreational
activities as an alternative to
hanging out.
MST staff are on call 24
hours a day, seven days a
week to assist.
Experience
Ms. Shaheen served as a
direct service worker in
family preservation services,
a supervisor in both family
preservation and foster care
recruitment over the course
of 11 years at Orchards
Children's Services
Currently, Ms. Shaheen is a
clinical therapist working
with juvenile offenders in the
MST program and has been
doing so for over 2 years.
Also, Ms. Shaheen
independently contracts in
private practice as a clinical
therapist providing individual
and family therapy with
children, adolescents,
couples and adults.
Education &
Certifications
2012: BSW from Spring
Arbor University
2018: MSW from Spring
Arbor University in 2018
Certifications:
• State of Michigan – Master’s
Social Worker Limited License -
License No.: 6801103227
• DCWL Foster Home Licensing
Certification and Complaint
Training, October 2016
• Creditialed MHP – Mental Health
Professional, CMHP- Children's
Mental Health Professional,
QMHP – Qualified Mental Health
Professional
Personal
Development
& Opportunity
The Agency Requires 18
Child Development Hours
per quarter. Trainings can
be related to Mental Health
Treatment, Social Work and
Substance Use with
children.
At GHS, there is always
room for advancement to
move to a supervisory or
administrative role within the
agency.
There are also opportunities
to transfer to other county
positions due to the
experience gained while
working with GHS due to the
several community
collaborations one can
participate in while working
at GHS.

4. On a
personal
note...
• Entrance into Social Work:
• Ms. Shaheen started in the social work field as a clerical support person 15 years ago.
Ms. Shaheen found that her personal values and the values of social work aligned and
her desire to join the profession continued to grow. Ms. Shaheen continued working in
clerical at a private agency while obtaining her BSW and raising her children.
• In 2012, Ms. Shaheen moved from clerical to a social worker role and never looked back.
• Practice & Population:
• Ms. Shaheen's current scope of practice is Clinical/ Mental Health. Ms. Shaheen's current
population of interest is Juvenile Offenders/Adolescents with Criminal History, Substance
Use Concerns and Problem Sexual Behavior.
• Ms. Shaheen is interested in this population because 'I feel there is more opportunity for
sustained change when you are working with youth who are still developing, and you can
use evidenced based practices to help facilitate mental and behavioral change.'
• Job Satisfaction:
• Ms. Shaheen stated she will always work in this field. However, Ms. Shaheen would like
to move toward a more individual focused therapy vs. the therapy that MST provides.
• Ms. Shaheen believes that she can make more of a difference using an
individual therapeutic perspective as sometimes families are not aligned with the support
of sustained change with this population.
• Self-care is Important!:
• Ms. Shaheen currently participates in therapy herself, monthly; with a therapist who
specializes in therapy for clinicians.
• Ms. Shaheen also employs the following self-care and supportive strategies: crafting,
hanging out with friends, spending time with family. And treating herself to an occasional
spa day.
• Finally, Ms. Shaheen has started creating professional boundaries as it relates to self-
care by learning to turn off the phone and email when off the clock.

5. My Experience...
• Professionally, I worked with Ms. Shaheen at Orchards
Children's Services for several years. Ms. Shaheen was a
huge support when I was first in family preservation
services. When Ms. Shaheen left to pursue her aspirations
at GHS, we were all very proud of her.
• As a family preservation worker, I have acted as a broker
for many clients when it relates to referring them to GHS
services. I have always considered GHS as a one stop shop
for mental health and substance abuse services. Especially
when it relates to the assessment stage, as a lot of clients
have never been diagnosed or even attempted to find help
previously.
• During my interview, I learned that the agency does even
more than even I knew. Specifically, learning about their
juvenile offenders' program was insightful.

6. Social Work Values & Ethical Principles
in Application
• At GHS, their mission aligns with social work values and ethics of
helping people by providing services.
Service
• The MST program specifically addresses equal opportunity help for
those who have been incarcerated that have not been able to get help
elsewhere.
Social Justice
• At GHS, every client and caregiver of client(s) is treated with dignity
and respect as is their human right.
Dignity & Worth
• Specifically, Ms. Shaheen works to address the worth of both
adolescents and their parents in the MST program by cultivating
collaboration and family intervention.
Human Relationships
• Ms. Shaheen presented as knowledgeable about her profession, her
roles, rights and responsibilites; as well as her company's policies.
Integrity
• Ms. Shaheen discussed that many opportunities for professional
development and her continued growth through certification
programs.
Competence

7. Cultural
Awareness
• Cultural Awareness is
continually demonstrated at
GHS as it services the entire
county of Genesee.
• GHS has such a broad
population that they offer
services that allow them to
bridge any barriers.
• For example, language gaps
are healed by interpreters.
• Another example includes that
GHS does not discriminate
against their clients regardless
of social economic class, race,
religion, sexual identity, sexual
orientation, political affiliation,
or disability.

8. References
Lisa M Shaheen, MSW, LLMSW-C, MHP, CMHP, QMHP
Clinical Therapist, Multisystemic Therapist at GHS
Code of Ethics: English (socialworkers.org)