KATHLEEN A (KATIE) KNAAK, LMSW, PHD
Chautauqua, Western Erie and Northern Cattaraugus Counties
Katie is a licensed Social Worker with over 30 years of experience, most of it working with individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
During her tenure as Director of Social Services at The Resource Center (Chautauqua ARC Chapter), Katie developed a passion for person-centered planning and ensuring full inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in the lives of their communities.
In 2011, Katie left her administrative job at The Resource Center to pursue a PhD in Social Welfare at the University at Buffalo; she completed this degree in February 2019 by defending a dissertation focused on understanding how organizational factor impact employee attitudes toward inclusion of people with developmental disabilities (in lay terms, Katie believes that large organizations sometimes get in the way of the good work that we do).
Katie is excited to be affiliated with Presence Counseling Services and is looking forward to receiving referrals for services !
Areas of focus: Katie is willing to work with individuals of all ages. She has expertise in person-centered planning approaches, promoting inclusion, helping with adjustment to new environments and addressing mental health concerns. Katie also has experience supervising a Mobile Crisis Outreach program and through that role has responded to individuals experiencing a variety of mental health crises, including suicidal ideation. She is certified as an ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) instructor and has co-facilitated this workshop on a number of occasions. in Chautauqua County and the surrounding areas.
Meeting Locations: Katie provides services to individuals and their families in their home and community.