DAINA NORUSIS, LSW

502 W Roscoe St., Apt 2N | c: 708-212-6767 | daina.norusis@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Licensed Social Worker who is committed to helping individuals tell their stories by forming trusting relationships & advocating for
their best interests. Experience predominantly working with individuals with severe & persistent mental illness.

SKILL HIGHLIGHTS
Illinois Licensed Social Worker Nonviolent Crisis Intervention certified by CPI
Illinois Licensed Certified Recovery Support Specialist National Association of Social Workers (NASW) member
Illinois Licensed Certified Alcohol & Other Group leader for National Alliance on Mental Illness
Drug Abuse Counselor Partner Abuse Intervention Program Training
Peer Support Specialist Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
First Aid & CPR Certified Question, Persuade, Refer suicide prevention training
Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional Mindfulness Stress Reduction Training
Speaker for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Smoking Cessation Training

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Current Volunteer, NAMI Chicago — Chicago, IL
Led groups for the Honest, Open, Proud program
Team Captain for NAMIWalks Chicago

11/17 — 01/18 Seasonal Sales Associate, Target — Chicago, IL

Moved merchandise from the stockroom onto the floor
Fulfilled online orders & shipped them from the store
Interacted with & answered any questions guests had

04/15 — 01/17 Certified Recovery Support Specialist, Thresholds — Chicago, IL

Developed treatment plans, conducted mental health assessments & biopsychosocial assessments for a
shared case load of 40-50 members with severe & persistent mental illness.
Worked primarily with members of the Williams & Colbert consent decrees, helping members secure
housing,get medical care, & obtain all benefits they are entitled to.
Met with 4-8 members each day for routine, therapeutic visits, helping them obtain necessary resources in
the community, & conducting crisis assessments when necessary.
Met one-on-one with members for the evidence based practice of Wellness-Management & Recovery;
provided psychoeducation, worked on goal setting, & empowered members to advocate for themselves

09/14 — 05/15 Community Support Specialist - Intern, Thresholds — Chicago, IL

Learned how to implement Motivational Interviewing Skills.
Worked with individuals who were currently or had recently been homeless.
Met regularly with a supervisor to discuss my caseload & ways in which I could use different modalities to
better reach the members.
Provided members with psychoeducation & helped them better understand their diagnoses.

02/13 — 07/13 Family Advocate - Intern, Proviso Children’s Advocacy Center — Broadview, IL
Worked in crisis situations with children & families who were survivors in sexual allegation cases.
Conducted biopsychosocial assessments & home visits, & provided referrals for various services.
Collaborated with court officials, law enforcement & community providers & provided advocacy in

criminal cases.

10/10 — 04/11 Apprentice in Admissions, Adventures in Admissions — Gainesville, GA

Conducted interviews, made acceptance calls, & provided information to mission trip participants.
Promoted to working the high school age program, Ambassadors. Reviewed applications & interviews for
this program, as well as locking up the building.
Coached 60+ individuals through the process of fundraising for the World Race program.

08/09 — 06/10 World Race participant, Adventures in Admissions — Gainesville, GA

Partnered with established ministries providing a variety of work, such as teaching English, running, kids'
camps, sex work ministry, & visiting orphanages.
Lived & worked with a small group, participating in daily feedback & debrief sessions.
Used skills to seek out opportunities to teach & volunteer in many countries, including teaching guitar,
being the translator, & using photography to gain the trust of the locals.

EDUCATION
Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
Master’s of Social Work, 2015
Concentration in Mental Health
Clinical Focus in Children & Families
Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
Bachelor of Arts: Psychology, 2009
Minor in Theology