Nahime G. Aguirre Mtanous,
AM, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Education
PhD in Social Welfare
Expected: June 2028
Committee Chair: Lauren Bishop, PhD
Master's in Social Work (AM)
Received: June 2022
Extracurricular Involvement:
Accessibility Student Advisory Committee
Students for Disability Justice
Bachelor's in Comparative Human Development (AB)
Received: March 2019
Extracurricular Involvement:
UChicago Clothesline Project
UChicago Mock Trial
Student Wellness Advisory Board
Organization for Students with Disabilities (OSD)
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Adult Autism Consultation
$50.00Consultation services for autistic individuals in need of mental health support and/or community resources. Hosted on HIPAA-compliant Zoom video conferencing.QuantitySocial Work Training
Pediatric Developmental Center at Illinois Masonic Medical Center
August 2021 - May 2022
• Conducted multidisciplinary therapeutic sessions for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs)
• Promoted family-centered approaches to IDD wellbeing by conducting parent training sessions
• Provided social work consultations for resource disbursement, skills trainings, and school evaluations for assigned caseload
• Educated family members and medical staff on IL DHS 1915(c) Medicaid Waiver enrollments
• Coordinated the weekly Chicago-area ECHO Autism teleconference for medical professionals
Northwestern Medicine
September 2020 - May 2021
▪ Connected community members to resources to assist them with Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) needs
▪ Implemented new counseling styles, such as motivational interviewing, CBT, DBT, etc.
▪ Conducted screenings for mental health concerns
▪ Researched health care practice strategies to provide person-centered care coordination for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)Social Work Employment
Astute Counseling and Wellness Center
June 2022 - August 2025
South Chicago Parents and Friends
June 2021 - September 2021
- Supported client self-directed services in IL DHS 1915(c) Medicaid Waiver Programs
- Surveyed state and local government programming in client settings to provide strategic management insight
- Implemented auditing structures to maximize Medicaid reimbursement efforts
- Conducted research on Medicaid DD Waiver reimbursement policies at the state and federal levels
Community Service Options
April 2019 - September 2020
- Implemented auditing procedures leading to Medicaid reimbursement increase from 96% to 99%
- Provided linkage to Medicaid waiver services for the IL Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities (DHS DDD)
- Conducted pre-admission screening assessments for intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Provided case and care coordination for clients seeking community resources
Glenkirk
May 2017 - September 2018
- Created auditing structures leading to a $250,000 Medicaid reimbursement increase for FY18
- Conducted quality assurance audits to maintain Medicaid Waiver Provider Agency accreditation
- Supported the daily operations of all company divisions by providing project management operations
- Created management committees focused on the development of company’s safety planning
Glenkirk
June 2016 - May 2017
- Coordinated delivery of service planning for clients with developmental disabilities
- Applied active treatment skills in order to ensure medical and social needs of clients were met
- Developed healthy eating program for clients with diabetes
- Became proficient in relevant licensure and accreditation standards for Medicaid Waiver Provider Agencies (IL State Rules 115/116, HBS regulations, CARF, CQL)
Chinese Mutual Aid Association
June 2015 - September 2015
- Played a vital role in CMAA’s workforce department, which is comprised of two job placement programs helping people from all backgrounds in finding jobs
- Contributed to client recruitment, intake, testing, and skills assessments
- Planned and executed outreach efforts for various community organizations, ethnic associations, libraries, schools, etc. to educate them about CMAA services and to encourage maximum utilization of services
- Counseled and provided case management for eligible clients
- Built and maintained relationships with new and existing employers
Academic Research
Doctoral Project Assistant, ISLA Network Autism Center of Excellence Project
University of Wisconsin - Madison Waisman Center
December 2023 - Present
PIs: Andy Alexander, PhD, Janet Lainhart, MD, Brandon Zielinski, MD, PhD, and Molly Prigge, MA, PhD
- Oversees study recruitment, data collection, and data analysis
- Conducts standardized interviews to assess developmental history from participants suspected of having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Coordinates data dissemination between multiple research sites and teams at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Utah, and the University of Florida
Doctoral Project Assistant, Bishop Lab
- Conducts qualitative survey development
- Organizes, codes, and analyzes quantitative data
- Supervises the creation of a quantitative data coding schemes
IL LEND Social Work Fellowship '21 - '22
University of Illinois at Chicago Disability and Human Development Institute
June 2021 - April 2022
The Illinois Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (IL LEND) Program is a HRSA/MCHB-funded competitive interdisciplinary leadership training program, which promotes collaboration between disciplines in the areas of research, clinical practice, policy, and family, in order to best serve the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Research Assistant
University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work
October 2020 - January 2022
PI: Julia Henley, PhD
Conduct interviews of childcare providers in the state of IL in order to understand the demands and assistance providers need to continue to stay operational during emergency periods like COVID-19.
Research Assistant
University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work
October 2020 - June 2021
PI: Tonie Sadler, Phd
Coding of interviews of caregivers whose children will be losing public school programming eligibility in the state of Illinois without DD 1915(c) Program funding.
Projects
Literature Review
Writing sample regarding the evolution of academic literature over the use of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for decreasing self-injurious behavior (SIB) in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Mental Health Outcomes for Autistic Children with ABA Receipt
Peer-reviewed article detailing methods and results for a quantitative comparison of mental health outcomes for autistic children with private-pay health insurance receipt of ABA therapy with those of autistic children without ABA therapy receipt. First author.
Clinical Use of Person-Centered Strategies
Project culminating in the development of clinical practice skills for the social work and nursing staff of the Northwestern Medicine ACC Department. This flyer details five small practice skills that can be implemented in order to give patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) better healthcare experiences.
