Meet Dr. Jenn
Training SynopsisEDUCATION B.A., M.S.W. and Ph.D.
LICENSES Independent Clinical Social Worker PAST CREDENTIALS Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor FOCUS Treatment Resistant Mental Health and Substance Abuse EducationAfter graduating from the Packer Collegiate Institute in New York City, Dr. Berton achieved a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Dance (with a minor in English Literature) from Skidmore College in 1995, where she also studied abroad in Galway, Ireland. Jennifer went on to achieve both a Master’s and a Doctoral degree in Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley in 2003 and 2009, respectively.
After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, Dr. Berton was certified as a Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) in New York State and as a HIV/AIDS Educator in New York State. When she later moved to California, the CASAC became the CADAC certification, which she now maintains in Massachusetts. Upon moving to Massachusetts, she became first a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (L.C.S.W.) and then a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (L.I.C.S.W.) in the state. The L.I.C.S.W. is the highest level of licensure available in the field. Vertical Divider
TeachingDr. Berton began her training career giving lectures and workshops about methamphetamine, as requested by leaders of the Matrix Institute and CSAT. The early success of these trainings led Dr. Berton to develop her own training company, Berton Trainings, which was officially founded in 2002, and which became Clinical Trainings Institute (CTi) in 2011. Each year she has expanded the available topics within the fields of both substance abuse and mental health. Her professionalism and participant satisfaction has earned her repeated requests to return to annual conferences across the Nation. Berton Trainings has 22 developed topics, and offers a specialized topic development and delivery plan for agencies or groups of clinicians in need of a specific topic not listed.
Dr. Berton has taught psychology and social work courses to undergraduate students at both Cal State University, East Bay and the University of California, Berkeley, and to graduate students in the school of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley. No matter what the subject, Dr. Berton brings a particular interest in developing life long writing skills to all her students. Her teaching style and dedication to her students have made her classes popular. A teaching portfolio complete with philosophy, testimonials and references is available upon request. Memberships & Awards•Member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
•Member of Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce •Past President and Member of BNI Elements to Success Chapter •Member of the National Association of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) •Previous Ethics Consultant, Chair of the Ethics Committee, Regional President and Member of the California Association of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC) •Previous Member of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology •Recipient of the CAADAC George Cobbs Service Award, 2005 |
Clinical ExperienceDr. Berton’s clinical experience is rich and diverse in both level of care and population served.
With children, Dr. Berton began her career working with physically abused children in a group therapy setting, She then worked with emotionally and behaviorally disordered children and their caretakers in a respite care case management program. Later, she worked with the same population at an outpatient psychiatric clinic for children where she gave weekly individual therapy to children with various mental illnesses between the ages of 6 and 14. With adolescents and adults, Dr. Berton began her career working with substance abusers in a residential setting, providing individual and group counseling. She continued working with this population when she moved to California, working at an outpatient clinic in the Bay Area. Here, she was chosen to be a therapist on the CSAT-funded study, The Methamphetamine Treatment Project. Jennifer was a part of this study for its three year duration. Dr. Berton continued her work in substance abuse upon moving to Massachusetts, becoming part of the AdCare Outpatient Services team. At AdCare she gives individual, couples, family and group counseling, supervises other clinicians, and has developed two programs, the Dual Diagnosis and Family Program. She also supervises staff members seeking licensure in the social work field. In addition to her work in substance abuse, Dr. Berton has also had extensive experience in mental health treatment for adolescents and adults, the highlights of which were working on the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender Psychiatric Ward of the San Francisco General Hospital as a Clinical Social Worker, and working for the New York AIDS Council with people living with HIV and AIDS. Dr. Berton currently owns a private practice in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she provides therapy, counseling, supervision, and consultation to individuals, couples, families, and groups. This practice specializes in adolescence through older adulthood, but she has accepted children into her practice as well. WritingDr. Berton was first published, under her maiden name, as a co-author on an article regarding the Methamphetamine Treatment Project. She is the main author of the Ethics Corner, a regular column in the CAADAC Freedom Newsletter.
Her first book, Ethics for Addiction Professionals, will be released by Wiley & Sons in the fall of 2013. |