



Below is a testimony from the Hartford Behavioral Health’s Board of Directors which speaks to 1 year and ½ of services that was provided to the agency from June 2008-December 2009. In this contract, Olive Branch represented by Alice Farrell assumed the Interim Chief Executive Officer role for Hartford Behavioral Health during a transition period when the agency needed a dynamic leader who could simultaneously stabilize and lead the agency forward.
Hartford Behavioral Health is a 501(c)3, Joint Commission Accredited, Community Based Behavioral Health organization that has provided quality services to residents of the greater Hartford community for over 30 years. The agency provides clinical, medication management and supportive services to individuals who have mental health, substance abuse, and or psychiatric disorders and to individuals who are classified as being severely and persistently mentally ill. The agency also has extensive experience providing In Home psychiatric, behavioral health and prevention services for youth and families.
Comments
"It is the unanimous enthusiastic feeling of the board that Alice Farrell’s service has been exemplary."
"Alice Farrell and her consulting firm resurrected the image of our agency....
"Her association gave us instant credibility within our funding community...
"The confidence she engendered amongst our staff was palpable....
"The effects she planted will blossom within our organization for months to come...
"Her company's byline or subtitle should be 'Asset Recovery, Retention, and Internal strengthening...
HOPE CDC
Below is a testimonial from HOPE CDC's Board President that speaks to a keynote presentation that Olive Branch, represented by Alice Farrell, did on July 17, 2009.
The event was HOPE CDC's sixth annual fundraising breakfast gala where invitation was extended to the entire Hartford community to come in and see the results of another year of effort to serve the Hartford West End community. The event, entitled HOPE CDC Charity Breakfast: Strengthening our Future: Children, Families, Neighborhoods was a great success. This Charity Breakfast featured a HOPE CDC Presentation of events occurring during the previous year, a tasty breakfast, testimonies from former students and parents, presentations to faithful volunteers and a dynamic presentation by Keynote Speaker Pastor and Dr. Alice Farrell, JD,LCSW,MSW.
HOPE CDC is a nonprofit organization established by the First Church of the Living
God in May of 2000. The primary purpose of HOPE CDC is to provide programs, activities and services to low income, underserved, at-risk children, adults and families living in Greater Hartford. HOPE CDC presently collaborates with other private and faith-based partners to offer assistance to Hartford families, especially those served by the Hartford Public Schools. In the mid-1990’s, the First Church of the Living God established a food pantry to combat the growing population in the Greater Hartford community of people who were without food during certain times of the month. Through this effort, we noted that the economic divide in the Greater Hartford community was growing at an alarming rate. We then began to sponsor a program called People Empowering People in collaboration with the University of Connecticut Extension Education Program. This program established financial empowerment training to assist people in managing their funds and building wealth in their community.
Given Hope CDC’s close proximity to a Hartford Public School, it was noticed that the community suffered changes in local education such as the elimination of the Hartford Public Schools’ Early Literacy teachers and the growing numbers of Hartford Public Schools on the No Child Left Behind failure list. It was necessary to support the community through a more comprehensive approach to family empowerment with strategies aimed at education and development for children, adult education and vocation as well as basic supports for family self-sufficiency. This led to the establishment of the Hope CDC Family Life Center. Serving the needs of Hartford families has reinforced observations about the daily stresses upon families and children who have limited resources (e.g., education, employment, and social support) and the challenges facing parents raising children with physical, behavioral or academic needs. HOPE CDC has implemented the Family Life Center specifically to offer targeted services to families with children in the community with high needs but low incomes. All of the child and family-centered support programs are housed within the Hope CDC Family Life Center.
Comments
The power and precision of the keynote speech was more than we had ever hoped for. Dr Farrell spoke from her heart and spirit and provided her own personal testimony that gave rise to great emotion and insight for breakfast participants. Dr Farrell made it clear why there is often a gulf between faith communities and successful non-profit organizations. She gave examples of challenges within faith communities to build infrastructure to support the many families that rely on the church for support and nurturance. And she described the challenges of non profits to engage and build strong and trusting relationships with at-risk families
She applauded the efforts of faith communities and non-profit organizations that have built bridges and worked side by side to enable children and families to feel safe getting services and having their many needs met. She encouraged HOPE CDC to continue to branch out, make collaborations and to engage partners in serving the West End families that are in need of services. This will be the way to strengthen our collective future and build our neighborhoods and family structures.
There have been many benefits from the Charity Breakfast and the strong and encouraging presentation by Dr Farrell. A large successful non-profit executive director that attended the breakfast had a fruitful conversation with the HOPE CEO and an enthusiastic proposal for working in the future with HOPE CDC. There was interest expressed by several attendees in joining the HOPE Advisory Board and we successfully recruited new volunteers to assist us in the work of our agency.
The Charity Breakfast was a wonderful experience that gave us the chance to reflect on the past while gathering new momentum, hope and stamina for the future. We are grateful for all those that participated and particularly grateful to Dr Farrell, whose wisdom and God given talents encouraged and inspired us all.
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Department of Correction
Health and Addiction Services
Deborah P. Henault
Deputy Warden
Dear Mrs. Farrell,
On behalf of the CT Department of Correction Addiction Service Unit, and its Training Advisory Committee, I want to thank you for your significant contribution to Unit’s annual Wellness Day conference on August 15, 2014, at the Lincoln Technical Culinary Institute. The event was a resounding success in large part because of your support and dedication to the staff of our agency.
The Department of Correction extends its sincerest appreciation to you for your participation at this conference and previous training events with our Unit. The commitment and enthusiasm you demonstrate through your work as a motivational speaker and trainer has had a considerable positive impact on our employees. Not only are you an excellent speaker you are a true example of our agency’s motto, P.R.I.D.E. – Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Dignity, Excellence.
Thank you for your willingness to share of your wisdom and insight. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.
Trina Kendall, CAC, CADC , Counselor Supervisor/Training Liaison - Addiction Services Unit
D. Farrell ran the most outstanding Ethics training for the Department of Correction Addiction Unit. A month later, our staff continue to make regular reference to Dr. Farrell’s training and have repeatedly asked when the next training will be. I do not exaggerate to call her training transformational for our unit and far exceeded my expectations. We have since invited her back for a Cultural Competency training in which she delivered with energy, passion and enthusiasm that our whole team benefited from enormously.
Tracey Ann Johnson
Dr. Farrell, I am writing this letter to express how wonderful your training and speaking engagements for the CT Department Of Correction, Addiction Services Unit have been. It has been an honor to have been in attendance for so many training engagements that you have facilitated.
My first training experience with you was at our Ethics Training on April 15, 2013. The Ethics training was extremely informative and captivating, you took an approach unlike any other that I have ever attended. I left that training more well rounded and knowledgeable in the topic of ethics.
My second training experience with you was at the Addiction Services: Annual Wellness Conference September 27, 2013. At the Wellness Day Conference I was once again enlightened by the amount of insight and information that you were able to share with the Addiction Services Unit.
My third training experience with you consisted of our Addiction Services: Cultural Competency in Addiction Counseling January 23, 2015. Dr. Farrell you took team building and Cross Cultural Training to another level. Your presentation was extremely engaging and non-judgmental and you encouraged active group participation. I was able to observe that you were able to break down the walls of division that was once apparent within our unit. I was able to see the similarities amongst all of the members of our team.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the Addiction Services Unit we truly appreciate all that you contribute within the Addiction field and all that you have done to support our mission of providing quality treatment to our clients and the population that we serve. I am so grateful to have met you, may God continue to guide protect and keep you.
Tracey Mack
Dear Dr. Farrell,
Thank you so much for the informative training on Diversity. The word “Diversity” sometimes makes people nervous, However you delivered it in such an eloquent, informative, and non-threatening way that we were able to relax and learn the importance of diversity in our lives.
Winston B. Johnson, LCSW, ACSW Hartford Public School Director of Prevention/Intervention Services
I’m writing to provide my support for MS. Alice Farrell, JD, LCSW, MSW, President and CEO of Olive Branch Clinical and Consulting Services, LLC (OBCCS) and the quality services she is able to provide to the Children and families and professionals in the Greater Hartford Community.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to participate in and observe her educational workshops presentation and community information presentation and her ability to effectively connect with parents and community service providers has been truly an inspirational experience.
I am writing this letter of support so Ms. Farrell can continue to share her gift and administrative services and to partner with community organizations, residential programs, hospitals, state and local systems to develop a viable and adequate behavioral health workforce to improve the quality of life to the children, families, educators and public/private services in the Greater Hartford Community, through the delivery of a family driven, culturally and linguistically responsive system.
I am the Director of Social Work Services for the Hartford Public School and I would truly recommend and strongly support the services that Dr. Alice Farrell, CEO of OBCCS is able to provide to the Greater Hartford Community.
Respectfully submitted,
Chuck Cummings, LMSW - City of Hartford
Alice Farrell is a very gifted individual; she has the ability to look at the field of social work from a much broader perspective. She has coordinated faith based conversations with community leaders, Lectured at universities, strong advocate for Connecticut’s Care Coordination Wraparound Initiative and System of Cares, a main partner in development of Hartford’s Crisis Response Services and a host of other very important initiatives.
Alice has certain charisma and a unique ability to empower individuals to fully evaluate and realize their strengths, skills and passion; she allows you to look at your life with a much clearer lens. I recommend Alice Farrell to anyone who is feeling they are living an unfulfilled life but just needs that extra help to really realize their potential.
Andrew Woods, MSW, CADC -Executive Director -Hartford Communities That Care, Inc
I have worked with Dr. Alice Farrell on various community initiatives and organization efforts for almost 7 years. Dr. Farrell is a professional who is well respected within the community. I admire her responsiveness to the developmental needs of grass roots organizations, faith institutions and provider organizations. She is always willing to work alongside community members on short and long term initiatives, respecting the contributions of those she works with.
Her style of engaging diverse stakeholders has resulted in the building of consensus, focused discussions and positive outcomes at community meetings. She is passionate about building community support and infrastructure and in ensuring sustainability plans are created to maximize the benefits of policies, programs, processes and practices.
She is well known for her work in the areas of integrating spirituality and behavioral health and for the institutional and community knowledge that she possess working in the Greater Hartford area for over 2 decades.
I have witnessed firsthand her ability to conduct organizational assessment and strategic planning in a way that promoted accountability while positively promoting staff morale. I look forward to the rolling out of Dr. Farrell ' s training institute as it will be a great addition to the workforce development resources within the state of Connecticut.
J. A. George Irish, PhD, OE
Dr. Alice Farrell's interdisciplinary academic and professional background has equipped her for the creative and impactful service she provides to her clients and the community at large. She is appropriately gifted to provide culturally sensitive and responsive professional and spiritual services for diverse ethnic, social, cultural and religious populations. Her commitment to both professional and ethical standards and outreach to the needy through ministry are buttressed by her affable and caring personality. Her heart is deeply embedded in the work she does.
Wayne L. Johnson
Alice Farrell, JD, LCSW is a highly knowledgeable educator in the field of Behavioral Health and its’ impact on clients, organizations and society. Ms. Farrell is a dynamic presenter who has the ability to relate to a diverse audience from different disciplines.
Michele Stewart-Copes
I am delighted to talk about how Alice Farrell has blessed my life. She was a major catalyst in organizing the wraparound process within the Hartford System of Care Community Collaborative, where we integrated the work from local churches and faith leaders, with clinical services. Her working linkage with Psychiatrist Janet Williams helped to expedite community integration for our emotionally disturbed teenagers.
Alice then was able to review and make recommendation for my White Paper to publish this process. Alice has always stretched my skills and perspective and did so recently, at the Bereavement Conference at the Conference of Churches, where she discussed clinical strategies to support children through loss and grief. Alice is my spiritual and professional mentor and I will continue to seek her guidance throughout my life.
Yvette Young, Village for Families and Children
Alice Farrell is a dynamic speaker. Her presentation on the Psychological Impact of Civil Right Violations was informative. She was able to articulate the systemic barriers that continue to oppress many individuals in our society. It was clear that she was passionate about the need for justice for all in our society. She is a powerful speaker who is able to engage her audience and take them on an intellectual journey. She is an energetic, warm, compassionate, insightful and informed presenter. Her years of experience in social services resonates when she speaks
Sheila Harris, Director of Programs, AFCAMP
Dr. Alice Farrell has provided training for AFCAMP staff and parents for over ten years. Dr. Farrell has a wealth of information which includes behavioral health, advocacy, disabilities, child welfare and leadership training. The presentations are facilitated in the very highest standard and provides opportunity for the individual to engage openly. Her warm and pleasant personality exemplifies the passion and the deep concern she has for humanity. Dr. Farrell is a great facilitator and human being whom AFCAMP supports in her efforts to establish a training institute.
Pamela P. Ferguson, LMSW, MS
As a leader I think we are all in transition, however, some are more prepared than others. I wanted to make a personal leap forward and hold myself more accountable. Dr. A. Farrell helped me into thinking more deeply about a role I already had but I had under invested my focus on and she challenged me to develop new ways of leading people.
Dr. Farrell helped my personal development and pushed me to review my interactions with my peers, leaders and direct staff and make substantive changes in how I engage with my staff.
Dr. Farrell quickly uncovered the problem and provided the tools I need to understand how others perceive me. With my newly honed skills, my leadership style has significantly changed after the work we have done together. I am now a far more effective leader than I would have been without her coaching.
Thanks Dr. Farrell.
Robyn Anderson
Words that describe Dr. Alice Farrell’s work includes Restructuring that Boost Staff Morale, Enhances Service Delivery, Builds Executive and Direct Staff Leadership Skills and Increases Revenue and is Cost Effective. Dr. Farrell provides Innovative Clinical Services and Supervision for Children, Youth and Adults Behavioral Health Programs. She is a presenter at Workshops and Conferences and has held Executive leadership positions in a number of organizations.
Dr. Charlene Mitchell, Delaware
I enjoyed speaking with Dr. Farrell regarding the establishing of a women's health clinic in the Delaware area. She listened attentively to me as I described my observations about disparities, my medical experiences and assessment of the needs of the community and provided me with a framework that I can use to shape my vision. The discussion was helpful as she was able to quickly point out observations that helped me to see a clearer picture of my vision.
Vernyce McDonald, Marketing Consultant
Before the gap between behavioral healthcare and cultural education became a hotbutton issue, Dr. Farrell watched as the lack of synthesis between the faith community and behavioral health community threatened the effectiveness of both entities. As a woman of faith and passion she could not remain a mere observer. Dr. Farrell was compelled to construct a bridge that would inform clergy and houses of faith about issues related to behavioral health. This construct would include bringing behavioral health professionals to the table, informing and sensitizing them to the importance of faith and culture in effective and lasting treatment.
Olive Branch was born out of a need and Dr. Farrell's drive to provide instruction and facilitate an environment which established trust between faith-based and medical institutions. Dr. Farrell's focus has been to create competent compassionate care through cultural and spiritual acknowledgement. This integration is essential to effectively serving communities of color and ethnic diversity.
Dr. Farrell's faith and drive for competent compassion care has taken her across the country and soon across borders. She remains involved locally to ensure that our behavioral systems become the effective entities that they are intended to be and to reignite the passion of individual providers/institutions who get the job done. It is for these reasons that I encourage you to treat yourself to an educational seminar, a copy of her book or attend a speaking engagement and then become an active participant in behavioral health issues. Dr. Farrell's purpose to spread the important message of knowledge and understanding between faith and medicine continues. Join in.
Sarah Becker
Dr. Farrell has been instrumental in my development as a leader in the behavioral health field. From my earliest days of providing behavioral health care, before we had even met each other and certainly before I had the good fortune to be directly supervised by her, Dr. Farrell stood out to me as inspirational and a professional to emulate. She is gracious, keenly intelligent, committed to the bringing of the voice of all to the table, inherently strength-based and can facilitate a meeting like no other. I continue to use the skills and feedback she provided me years ago to the best of my ability today.
Elizabeth Calderon Collazo
The one thing I most appreciated about your supervision was your calm spirit and your gentle but constructive criticism. With you, I learned to be still, stay calm and take a few reflective minutes before each clients' session to meditate, to regroup and to try to connect with the client and their needs BEFORE sitting down with them. You taught me this. To take my time. I will forever be grateful. Thank you, Alice.
Sophia Taylor-Edwards
Dr. Alice Farrell is driven and passionate about the work she does, and it clearly came across in her workshop “Addressing Disparities Across Systems, Holistic Care, Cultural Competence and Integrating Spirituality in Behavioral Healthcare.” She informed us to be AWARE of the Healthcare practices and how it impacts our lives and to take ACTION to address the disparities and close the health equality gap. She further said, we must be “AGENTS OF CHANGE” and it starts with me. As I see it, according to Gandhi, he said, “Be the Change You Want To See In The World”
Dr. Farrell is one of the most inspirational speakers I have encountered. She is knowledgeable, engaging, inspiring and entertaining in her delivery. She ignites the room with her passion and enthusiasm and trust me; it is bound to rub off on anyone who experienced her workshop or encountered her professionally or personally. She captivated us from start to finish with breathtaking statistics of healthcare disparities and provided insight of how to bridge the gap.
Since the workshop, I intentionally applied the knowledge I gained to my doctor’s visits (private practice) and other systems. At two doctor appointments, I questioned the practices that were mediocre. At the second visit, I inquired about the lack of procedures that was administered in a full physical. As a result of my inquiries, the doctor became irritated and became aggressive with service to me on the table. As she left the room, I got dressed. Upon her return to the room, she informed that she needed to terminate me from her practice. As I proceeded out of her office, the receptionist handed me a termination letter. I lost a doctor for the right reason and gained my health. It is my belief that we must hold all the healthcare systems accountable to render quality care because all human lives matter.
Dr. Farrell, thank you for the positive learning environment. I left feeling energized to be an “AGENT OF CHANGE” to take ACTION to bridge the disparities' gaps in the systems of healthcare. TODAY, I CAN SAY YOUR WORKSHOP TRANSFORMED ME TO INTENTIONALLY BE AN, "AGENT OF CHANGE.”
Lorna Little
Dr. Alice Farrell has the innate ability to provide assessment, training and consultation in a manner that brings about positive outcomes. Her attention to detail and her quest for excellence, coupled with a sincere interest in an optimal experience for her clients’, sets Olive Branch apart. I had the fortune of attending Dr. Farrell’s training specific to Addressing Disparities Across Systems, Holistic Care, Cultural Competence and Integrating Spirituality in Behavioral Healthcare. In attendance were colleagues from different behavioral health organizations, advocacy agency, child care center, a local hospital women’s health department, department of children and families and faith institution.
It was a dynamic presentation, filled with statistics, vignettes, national, state and local trends and encouragement to engage in self-assessments to ensure that we were not contributing to the disparities with the children and families we serve. As was later observed on social media, this training had a tremendous impact on those who attended. Congratulations Alice on rolling out of the training Institute.
Kyra Loyde
I have had the pleasure of working with and being supervised by Alice Farrell for 3 years. Alice is a wonderful soul, her spirit and compassion for the work she does speaks volumes. She is tenacious, caring, thoughtful, giving, and well diverse in so many areas. If ever given the opportunity to work with Alice again I would jump at it”.
Winsome Harvey and Verona Jones
My first impression of Dr. Farrell was very impressionable from the moment we met. She listened carefully to what was said, reviewed information in its entirety, then offered her professional opinion, and recommendations which turned out to be extremely imperative as we moved forward with our Business plan. I found her reasoning to be at a quality level of thoughtfulness, and expertise. I highly endorse Dr. Farrell's abilities, work, and business.
Eric Durham, Author and Men’s Health Coordinator
I have had the most wonderful experience with Mrs. Alice Farrell. I’ve heard her speak on several occasions. I gained quality coaching from her when I was recently promoted to a leadership position. With her help, I was able to navigate my way through the troubled waters at the job and am glad to say that I would recommend her services to anyone in need of counseling or mentoring of any kind. Mrs. Farrell is well versed on numerous topics and is a great listener as well.
Leslie McCarter
I have had the opportunity to hear Dr. Farrell speak as well as work with her on a number of occasions. She is quite eloquent, articulate, and informative. Dr. Farrell has the ability to clearly convey the challenge of the gulf that exists between faith communities and non-profit agencies. Due to this she has assisted many in recognizing the need for collaboration between these two communities. Many at-risk families look to the church for support and nurturance. By aligning themselves with the faith based community, non-profit agencies will be able to better engage and build stronger and more trusting relationships with those whom the church is a primary resource. Dr. Farrell has been able to incorporate this in her presentations and in her work with others. She has the unique ability to professionally address the clinical needs of families, as well as, balance the spiritual needs of those whom she serves.
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Monique Farrell B.S. Chemical Engineering (Daughter)
Dr. Alice Farrell has been an inspiration to myself as well as many others and has laid an amazing blueprint for spiritual as well as professional success. As I grow older and continue on my personal, academic and professional journey, I find myself mimicking many of the things I had seen my mother do and have found much success in it. These include approaches to handling work-life balance, strategic planning, multitasking, cultural competency, as well as grant and proposal writing.
My background is in engineering but I can say with certainty that her institute of excellence with provide you with technical assistance, as well as very relevant and timely solutions. These services will be pertinent and valuable whether you are from a faith based, social service or a community mobilizing organization. I look forward to hearing the great feedback from all who attend and hope to apply many of the other techniques and approaches to a successful and holistic lifestyle.
Linda LaPlante, RN, BSN
Dr. Alice Farrell is a phenomenal woman! I remember my first encounter with her, I immediately felt at ease talking with her. I noticed right away that her holistic approach is what made it extremely easy for me to speak so openly with her. She has a genuinely caring spirit, her focus to support the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including mind, body and spirit is apparent in the work she does. She has a passion for the work she does and is diligent to see the results manifest in those she works with. When speaking with her it is evident that she takes the calling God has on her life very seriously. Dr. Farrell is driven to enhance the workforce delivery system and community development. She is a priceless asset to the community.
Hector Glynn, MSW
Alice is a vibrant trainer. She blends passion, clinical expertise and come sense approaches to help staff learn and internalize materials. Her workshop have led to dynamic changes within our organizations and others we interact with.
Pat Weils
Alice Farrell is a very skilled, trauma and culturally informed, clinician, speaker, organizer, consultant, teacher and advocate. She has the unique ability to bring together people from the neighborhoods, families with difficult issues, service providers, advocacy groups and clinicians along with local and national experts to truly listen to each other. Bringing people from diverse backgrounds and occupations together on an even playing field and empowering them to change the way we work for the better is Alice's signature skill.
She brings this perspective to all her work, from developing more productive responses for neighborhoods and churches to families experiencing violence, to developing more productive responses for health care systems to effectively and efficiently meet patient needs. Alice is also great fun to work with !"
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Pam Scott-Ashe, Creative Sistas, LLC
Dr. Alice Farrell is a person that gives a lot of herself. Whether it's working with an individual or if she's speaking at a conference. You feel that she truly understands what you are going through. At conferences, she has a way of explaining things that even a non-professional can understand what she is speaking about.
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Wendy Williamson, MSM, MBA
During our conversations, I am always left with direction, purpose, validation, and a hunger to carry out my next course of action – to me that’s God. Alice and I worked at an organization together. One of the beautiful things about working for a Black, Saved, female Vice President is she provided not only a cultural common denominator (Black female ), a vision of hope for me, (via her achievement as V.P) but most importantly it was an opportunity to see first-hand what it looks like to incorporate God into the work place. Working for Alice provided me the opportunity to learn who I was as a woman, a Black woman, an employee and a team player. As a middle child having attributes of a team player was about as foreign to me as speaking in German.
I could belabor this entire write up but for brevity sake I will simply list the last few elements of my training (if you will) under the guidance of Alice. She valued everyone’s contribution regardless of relevance; she had a keen sense of perception that allowed her to triage anyone’s contribution into a useable tool. She cultivated and fostered inclusion in every project honing in on everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, it takes an amazing person to be able to pull that off and meet the objective of any task. In conclusion Alice was the teacher that provided the building blocks that everyone under her prevue could learn and not only individually but collectively build a better team.
Dr. Mercado-Martinez Chief Clinical Officer - Hartford Behavioral Health
It is with great pleasure that I find myself writing this recommendation for Dr. Alice Farrell. Dr. Farrell is an outstanding clinician and supervisor. In her administrative support to our evidenced based treatment model, Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), she was able to comply with the many competing demands from the staff and the agency. She demonstrated excellent managerial and decision making skills, was attentive to tasks and worked diligently with staff, clinicians and administration to reach the goals of the program. Dr. Farrell remains steadfast in her cheerfulness, calmness, positive attitude and dependability.
Testimonies from Hartford Behavioral Health’s Evidenced Based Program - Multidimensional Family Therapy Staff Members
“Dr. Farrell provided an amazing learning experience for both I and the Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) team during her time here at Hartford Behavioral Health. Her passion and knowledge of this clinical field was visible through her upbeat spirit during supervision. Dr. Farrell is very detailed, mindful, knowledgeable, caring of all areas when reviewing cases and assuring the utmost services for our clients. She was easy to approach and made supervision comfortable to address all areas in relation to my cases as well as my therapeutic skills. I feel my clinical skills have greatly improved through weekly supervision with Dr. Farrell. “ ~MV~
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“As a new licensed therapist and being a clinical supervisor new to approving psychotherapy notes for unlicensed therapists, supervision sessions with Dr. Farrell happened at a critical moment in my career and it was instrumental in my learning the skills of reviewing and approving clinical notes for Medicaid compliance. Dr. Farrell is an excellent supervisor; a teacher and a mentor. She provided a wealth of knowledge and expertise on areas such as: mental health issues affecting the families and children we serve, diversity, in family dynamics, assessment and diagnosis, and consultation with complex cases. Using strength based approach, she provided me tools and knowledge on how to read and understand psychotherapy notes with careful clinical lenses and from a compliance standpoint. Dr. Farrell’s teaching has significantly influenced the way I approach and read psychotherapy notes as a newly licensed clinician in the role of approval of services. Dr. Farrell’s influence helped me look for more than just the content of clinical notes. She taught me ways to assess for risk and offered suggestions on best practices to minimize and manage risk. She offered strategies to help me and to teach my clinical staff effective ways to document their therapy sessions. Dr. Farrell also provided me strategies to identify and help clinicians with issues of transference and countertransference. In addition, she modeled and guided me to continuously foster, and maintain high quality documentation standards with the therapists I supervise.
My experience with Dr. Farrell is one that cannot be obtained by attending a seminar, conference, class, or by reading a book. My personal experience with her had a lasting impact in the way I approach and understand clinical records, the way I practice therapy, and the way I supervise my clinical team.” ~AR~
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“Dr. Farrell provided excellent clinical supervision to me and the entire MDFT team while she worked at Hartford Behavioral Health. Dr. Farrell has a wealth of knowledge and years of experience in her profession. Dr. Farrell is passionate about her career and it shows through the way she always took time to review each and every one of my clients with me on a weekly basis. Dr. Farrell is very personable and always made me feel comfortable during my supervision. Dr. Farrell always left me with a better understanding of how to treat my clients and different techniques to use to enhance my clinical skills. I am a better clinician because of the supervision that I received from Dr. Farrell” ~JP~
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I had the pleasure to receive supervision for my clinical hours towards my LCSW from Dr. Farrell. Dr. Farrell is experienced, perceptive, easy to talk to, and able to skillfully communicate in times of conflict with your clients. Dr. Farrell excels at delivering difficult messages to clinicians with compassion and understanding. Dr. Farrell is astute, responsive and helpful whenever I need her support or opinion. Dr. Farrell is a mentor, an educator, and an administrator in addition to her manifest clinical abilities. Dr. Farrell gave me an excellent foundation for working with adolescents and their families. Dr. Farrell has helped me develop my skills in working honestly, skillfully and safely with my clients and their families.” ~AG~
Minister Morais Cassell, Church of God of Prophecy (Northeast Region)
The Church of God of Prophecy in the Northeast Region has recognized that young people, particularly urban youth, will better impact the culture and shape their world, by investing in them "holistically" (spiritually, academically and socially.)
Alice Farrell has been a key visionary, strategist and developer in helping our churches in the New England accomplished this vision by facilitating relevant workshops and initiatives in the areas of:
Spiritual Formation – Age/Grade specific workshops for Teens, Young Adults, Adults, leaders/emerging leaders and Parents.
College, Careers & Life Skills (Educational) – Academic skills training and life resources for youth, young adults and adults.
Counseling.
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Yadirah Haddock-Acevedo
I have known Alice Farrell, for more than ten years. I have seen her developed as an exemplary leader in many roles. I have seen her work as a Clinical Director for Behavioral Health Services programs and also in the capacity of a Vice President of a Behavioral Health Partnership. I have also known her as a Christian leader and also as an Author. I have been supervised by her in a very high quality supervisor-supervisee environment that has been an inspiration for me to continue my professional growth...In all instances Alice has been a blessing to me.
Below are some quotes from the Waterbury congregation...the members enjoyed your giftedness :-)
Rev. JC.
Dr. Alice has the ability to draw the congregation in. Her ability to encourage people to express their thoughts and then rephrase what was said into professional terms with statistics was both educational and confirming. Dr. Alice is gifted in her ability to bring clarity to others verbalized thoughts. She is knowledgeable and comfortable speaking to many topics. Her techniques are practical, biblical and easy to implement. Dr. Alice is simply phenomenal.
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Paulette Smallhorn.
Awesome speaker. Your presentation was very encouraging. The way you express your thoughts was very enlightening. You spoke in terms that were easy to understand. I would be glad to hear you present again and again! You spoke on both a spiritual and natural level and yet kept things practical.
Thank You!
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D. Chalwell
Dr. Alice came to minister at our local church during our family focus event. Right from the beginning her ability to speak on teen issues, w/o conventional quotes of scriptures, drew the youth into the conversations. Her choice of role playing and knowledge of current topics created a sense of trust and safety. Dr. Alice uses cultural sensitivity, practical techniques and empathy. We were blessed by her insightfulness, wisdom and excellent listening skills. If you need a remarkable speaker who will give both spiritual and natural applications I would highly recommend Dr. Alice Farrell. Thank you!
Youth Marla B.
As a young person I felt nervous to share my opinion, but Dr. Farrell was mad cool. It felt like she understood me. Minister Alice is a wonderful speaker who speaks with enthusiasm, you can tell by her zeal that she really enjoys what she does. I like the way she included the audience in her presentation.
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Dolores Woods
I have met Dr. Alice over the years and she has been a blessing to me. In the month of February 2014, she was one of our guest speaker at our local church in Waterbury. She was very inspirational. Great woman of God.
Pat Woods
I met Dr. Farrell over the years having the opportunity to listen to her messages and having private conversations one can see she has a heart for people. Dr. Farrell was one of our guest speaker at our family focus sessions in Waterbury. She spoke about the importance of the family both spiritual and physical. The presentation was very informative and a source of blessing to many.
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Anthony Taylor Salutations
Sharing about Dr. Alice Farrell's input in the community program and events that she spoke and I attended is an honor and blessing. She facilitated a training sponsored by Hartford Communities That Care to community members and faith leaders and worked alongside us beyond the training session as we worked on a community initiative called the Balm of Hartford. It is an honor because here is a person that share her life experience of struggle and progress. Honorably giving an example and format to follow. She has many accomplishments yet she has not arrived. God is not finished with her yet and God is not a respecter of persons. What God does for one He will do for anyone.
A blessing because Dr. Farrell always makes it so clear that God's blessings and life changing opportunities are just a choice away. And that thereafter development of mentality and pattern in life of making quality choices is doable. The blessing is that no matter how low we can get, we can come back strong. Dr. Alice Farrell is an example and excellent teacher of sound doctrine and ethics. I'm truly honored and blessed to hear her speak and learn from her experiences.
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Church of God
Southern New England Executive Offices
March 9, 2015
Rev. Beverly Coker, Ph.D.
Director of Care Ministries.
This is to acknowledge that Dr. Farrell served as a presenter at the Annual Mental Health Conference of the Southern New England Church of God. The conference was held October 19, 2013 in Bloomfield Connecticut.
At this conference, Dr. Farrell participated as a panelist with other presenters. Her specific topic was “Healing Love on the Journey of Forgiveness.” She addressed mental health in the family, in the church and the need for clergy to recognize when they are ill-prepared to handle mental health issues with parishioners.
The feedback from those in attendance was overwhelmingly supportive of her presentation. It is my pleasure to endorse Dr. Farrell’s initiative and wish her well with this new endeavor.
May the blessings of the Lord continue to be with her.
Respectfully,
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Dr. Darlene Powell Garlington Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Certified School Psychologist
Published Author
It gives me great pleasure to write this reference letter on behalf of Ms. Alice Farrell, president and CEO of Olive Branch Clinical and Consulting Services and a colleague of mine for over twenty-two years. Ms. Farrell has demonstrated a capacity to effectively engage adults in both academia, as well as the professional workforce, across multiple disciplines.
She is highly regarded amongst her colleagues as a dynamic trainer, motivational speaker and innovative workshop facilitator. Her unique skills and ability to utilize her legal training, coupled with her clinical expertise, is an incredible asset to any program or agency. Ms. Farrell excels at translating research into clinical practice and presenting data and relevant literature on a variety of training topics in a manner consistent with the principles of adult learning theory.
Ms. Farrell has extensive direct clinical experience working with children and families within the child welfare, disability, mental health, substance abuse treatment, juvenile and adult justice systems. Additionally, she has strong working relationships with staff and administrators across systems, provider networks and faith communities. She combines her clinical experience, along with her systems development and community and family advocacy work, to effectively partner with, and train, conference participants.
Ms. Farrell has the ability to engage participants in a rich exchange of learning and sharing by successfully using both small and large group interactive activities, experiential exercises and role playing. By incorporating case vignettes, real-life scenarios, written and visual aids, she makes training sessions more relevant and transferable. This style of engagement and presentation also makes the transition from learning to application of knowledge and the development of skills more beneficial for training participants.
I would highly recommend Ms. Farrell, without reservation, as a trainer.
Adjunct Professor Alice Farrell - University of Connecticut School of Social Work Master Program
Human Behavior In Social Environment - Student Feedback
- Everything about the professor was positive. She had lots of knowledge about her lectures and made the class exciting
- The Instructor has helped me to continue on because I almost quit in the beginning of this semester.
- Dr. Farrell, you have been such a great impact n me. Because of your love for Social Work you have made me realize that I’ve done the right decision of becoming a social worker. Thank you for all of your positive attitude and the love that you’ve shown to all of us. Never ever have I had such an experience that made me feel great about coming to school. Once again Thank You!!!
- Positive, Vibrant, Passionate
- The Instructor inspire me by helping me become more empowered and confident in my abilities, as well as showing me the room to explore how I can be a more active and efficient agent of social change.
- The greatest impact is having a very knowledgeable instructor to teach us and encourage us in this profession
- She always listened to everybody’s opinion and was the best professor for feedback The class was always involved and responded to her lectures.
- She was incredible
- By far the most influential professor I’ve ever had
- She let us know that you have to have passion.in this field. She made me want to save the world and never give up hope
- I think that Mrs. Farrell always finds a way to incorporate everyday situations and helps you to realize that you can make change. She has a lot of positive energy and its infectious.
- From the very beginning, she makes sure everyone is involved. She always has exercises that involve thought provoking situations. There is always respect in the classroom regardless of the topic or option in the room.
I believe that her personal story and the way she delivers the material is phenomenal.
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