David
C. Schiesher, M.S.W.
Promenade de l’Europe 47 · 1203 Geneva, Switzerland · Tel: +41(0)79 811 36 42 · schiesher@bluewin.ch
CURRENT WORK
Psychotherapist – Private
Practice ●
Verification Team Leader ●
2005 to 2006 UNHCR – ICMC, Cox’s
Child Protection Adviser · 2005 Australian
Agency for International Development (AusAID),
Course Director and Training
Curriculum Writer ·
2003-2004
SOLVE Program, International Labour
Organisation (ILO),
International Foster Care
Consultant · 2001-2002 Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), Baltimore, Maryland, via contract with
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Evaluated care
arrangements for unaccompanied and separated refugee children by carrying out
two-week site visits in Tanzanian
refugee camps and in urban centres of
Resettlement Specialist and
Consultant · 1999-2000
UNHCR Kakuma Refugee
Social Service Director · 1999 International
Catholic Migration Commission,
School Social Worker
·
2000-2003
Provided
individual therapy to students. Wrote social, emotional, behavioural objectives
as part of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) for Special Education students.
Performed Functional Behavioural Assessments (FBA’s) of students requesting
Special Education services. Facilitated group therapy with students dealing
with grief, divorce, social skills deficits and deaf/hard of hearing
challenges. Consulted and supported parents, teachers and staff in dealing with
students’ social, emotional and behavioural issues. Referred students, parents
and teachers to community mental health resources. Planned and presented
classroom lessons on diversity, bullying and youth who are
differently-abled. Served as the trainer
for the Peer Mediation Program. Performed crisis interventions with suicidal
students. Collaborated as a member of the Student Assistance Team and the Child
Study Team.
Program Director
·
1996-1999
Lutheran Social Service,
Directed activities for five Transitional Programs for youth
that included Unaccompanied Refugee Minors, Karibu House and Kapani House
adolescent group homes, School-based Victim Services and Relative Foster Care
Licensing. Wrote the grant proposals for three of the above. Achieved 80% success
rate for grant proposals. Recruited, supervised and evaluated three Program
Managers and two Social Workers. Field Instructor for two MSW student interns.
Negotiated contracts, created budgets and contained costs for programs
totalling over one million dollars. Licensed three corporate foster care
facilities.
Program Supervisor
· 1991-1996
Lutheran Social Service,
Unaccompanied
Refugee Minors Program. Recruited, licensed, trained and monitored culturally
sensitive family foster homes for refugee children. Recruited, supervised and
evaluated four MSW staff. Field Instructor for two MSW student interns. Agency
Diversity Trainer. Provided direct casework and counselling services to refugee
youth. Coordinated staff training and in-service programs. Facilitated foster parent support group
meetings. Provided foster care for Chinese minors seeking asylum in the
Social Worker
·
1987-1991
Lutheran Social Service,
Unaccompanied
Refugee Minors Program. Provided direct
casework and counselling for refugee youth from
SHORT TERM CONSULTANCIES
2007 Protection Assessment of
2007 Revised the Action for the Rights of Children (ARC) training
module on Resettlement of Children, UNHCR,
1998-1999 Foster care consultant
for Islamic social service agency,
1997-1998
Consultant for Sudanese community association,
1985-1986
Social Worker (MSW), Diocese of Metuchen Refugee Services,
1982-1983
Personal Care Staff, Aveyron Group Home (DD adults),
1980-1981 HS
Technician,
1979-1980 Youth
Counselor
Intern,
1979 Live-in Health Aide, Temporary Nursing
Services,
1977-1980
Conference Coordinator and Student Trainer, International Student
Leadership Institute, Notre Dame, Indiana
2006 Listed in Register of Complementary Practice as Psychotherapist,
2003 Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
(LICSW),
1989
Licensed Independent Social Worker
(LISW),
1984-1985 Master
of Social Work (MSW),
1976-1980 Bachelor of Arts
in Sociology,
CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING
(A
sampling of course titles taken since 1989 totaling over 200 hours)
National Conference on Unaccompanied Refugee Minors;
Intensive In-Home Therapy; Addictive Organizations; Adolescent Development;
Advanced Clinical Hypnosis Training; Proactive Management; Family Group
Conferencing-Restorative Justice; Mental Health Needs of Children in Foster
Care; Legislative Advocacy; Accounting and Finance; Budget Preparation and
Monitoring; Performance Reviews; Negotiating Your Way to Success; Conflict
Resolution; Advanced Crime Victim Advocacy; A Framework for Understanding
Poverty; Violence in the Workplace; Emotional Intelligence; Social Skills
Training with Autistic Children; Dealing with Anxiety Disorders; Stop Bullying,
Harassment and Violence; Crisis Prevention Intervention; The Victim-Bully
Relationship; Thought Field Therapy; Foreign Kids in a Foreign School; A Global
Perspective in Embracing Diversity
November 2004 UNHCR-ICMC Resettlement
Deployment Training,
I attended this three day training and also presented
the section of the training titled “Former Deployees Roundtable”. I prepared
and presented a Power Point presentation of my deployment to Kakuma Refugee
Camp.
1993 Ethical
Dilemmas in Refugee Foster Care, presented at ELCA Annual Conference
1994 Diverse Asian Cultures, workshop presented
at Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans
1995 Facilitated 3 Diversity Training programs
for Lutheran Social Service
1996 Facilitated 1 Diversity Training program for
Lutheran Social Service
1999 Social
Work Staff Training on Family-Based Social Services in
1999 Nurturing Yourself to Prevent Burnout for
Refugee Therapists in Kakuma Refugee
2000 Resettling
Sudanese Youth, presented for LIRS Conference,
2000 International Social Work, presented at NASW
Annual Conference,
2001 Life in Kakuma Refugee Camp, presented at
LIRS Conference,
2004
Life as an ICMC Deployee, presented at UNHCR-ICMC Deployee Training,
2005
Working with Children in Host Families, NGO Staff,
2006 Two-day
staff training on refugee verification processes and procedures, Cox’s
2007
Caseworker training on self-care and interview
techniques,