Rabbi H. Steven Axelman, LCSW

Experience:

7/05-present Whitestone Hebrew Centre Whitestone, NY

Religious School Principal/Youth Director

Duties include: curriculum development, management of teaching staff; coordination with Parents Association. Direct activities of Synagogue Youth Groups in Coordination with Youth Advisor


12/03-present Whitestone Hebrew Centre Whitestone, NY

Rabbi/ Cantor

Duties include: officiating at all Synagogue Services, Sermons, leading services as Cantor, including on High Holidays, Torah and Haphtarah reading, teaching B’nei Mitzvah. Shiva visits and visiting the sick. Spiritual and Pastoral Counseling to congregants, students and parents. Oversight of Religious School.
Officiating at funerals for Synagogue members and independently for local Funeral Homes.


High Holidays 2003 Baldwin Jewish Center Baldwin, NY
Cantor

Conducted Mussaf Service for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Kol Nidrei, Ne’ilah; led all services for holiday of Sukkot

High Holidays 2002 Wantagh Jewish Center Wantagh, NY
Cantor

Conducted Shacharit Services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Conducted Mussaf on second day of Rosh Hashanah

1986-present
Sofer Sta’M

Have completed writing of Three Sifrei Torah, more than 1000 Mezuzot, Tefillin and Megillot; Taught approximately 10 students in this art.


8/04-7/05 HPAE Local 5094 Emerson, N.J.
Staff Representative

Duties included: Representation of Professional Staff at Labor-Management meetings and Grievance hearings. Served on several ad hoc Labor-Management Committees. Chairperson of UBHC Committee.

8/02---7/05 UBHC—UMDNJ South Brunswick, N.J.
Mental Health Clinician

Duties included: Individual, Group, Family and Couples Therapy for chronic mentally ill in outpatient setting

8/2001—12/2003 P.E.S.S. at Kimball Medical Center Lakewood, N.J.
Mental Health Screener In Emergency Setting

 Duties Included: Crisis Intervention face to face and by telephone, emergency psychiatric assessments and disposition planning

8/2001—8/2002 Preferred Behavioral Health Brick, N.J.
Psychotherapist

 Duties Included: Individual, couples and family psychotherapy in managed care setting, using primarily Solution-Focused, Cognitive and Behavioral modalities

9/01—12/01 Advanced Behavioral Care Brick, N.J.
Group Psychotherapist

 Duties Included: Group Psychotherapy to Dually Diagnosed (M.I.C.A.) population on Anger Management, Relapse Prevention and Process related issues

8/96—9/97 Glass Mental Health Centers Baltimore, Md.
Psychotherapist

 Duties Included: Individual, couples and family psychotherapy in managed care setting, using primarily Solution-Focused, Cognitive and Behavioral modalities

8/96—9/97 Glass Mental Health Centers Baltimore, Md.
Emergency Room Psychiatric Social Worker

 Duties included: Emergency psychiatric consultation in Emergency Department of Northwest Hospital Center, Baltimore County, Md., including psychiatric evaluation, coordination of interdisciplinary intervention activities and coordination of disposition with community agencies.

 Caseload consisted of ages: children through geriatric patients. Diagnoses included: major mental illness, substance abuse, including alcoholism, eating disorders, personality disorders, suicide attempts.

11/94—9/96 Jewish Family Life Institute Baltimore, Md.
Group Leader for Children of Separation and Divorce Ages 9-11

 Duties included: Weekly support group for children, utilizing play, art and interpersonal therapy to assist children in coping with separation and divorce.

1/93—11/95 University of Md. Carruthers Clinic Baltimore, Md.
Psychiatric Social Worker/ Psychotherapist

 Duties included: intake and psychosocial assessments, Individual, Group, Family and Couples Therapy for chronic mentally ill in outpatient setting. Intake Coordinator of Adult Team.

Internships: 7/91—12/92 Glass Mental Health Centers Baltimore, Md.
Psychiatric Social Worker
 Detox/ Dual Diagnosis Unit at Liberty Medical Center
 Duties included: Psychosocial Assessments, Individual Treatment plans, discharge planning, “first-step” Counseling; Experiences with 12-step programs. Member of interdisciplinary teams. Caseload consisted of 120 patients per month with diagnoses of alcoholism, mixed-substance dependence, major affective disorders, schizophrenia

9/90—5/91 Northwest C.M.H.C. Baltimore, Md.
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

 Duties included: Individual, Group and Family therapy with children and adolescents; Extensive involvement with education systems, Social Services, Foster Care, Protective Services

9/89—5/90 Patuxent Institution Jessup, Md.
Psychotherapist/ Parole Supervisor

Duties included: Supervision of Community Parolees; Individual, Group and Family Therapy; home visits to inmates on parole and work release


Education:

2005

New Director's Institute

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Department of Education

1996
40-Hour Divorce Mediation Course
National Center for Mediation Education
Annapolis, Md.

1991

Master’s of Social Work
University of Maryland School of Social Work

1979

Bachelor’s of Judaic Studies
Ohr Somayach Institutions
Jerusalem, Israel

1978-1979

Advanced Talmudic Studies, Kollel Ahavat Shalom, Jerusalem, Israel

1976-1977; 1981-1983

Advanced Talmudic and Halachic Studies, Beth Medrash Emek Halacha, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Certification:

May 2005
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New York, Lic. # 069751

September 2004
Licensed Master Social Worker, State of New York, Lic. # 068899

October 2001
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New Jersey Lic. # SC051282

1997
Ministry of Labor and Welfare, State of Israel Registration # 12409
1993
Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical, State of Maryland, U.S.A.

1986
Rabbinic Ordination—Yeshiva Kol Yaakov

Volunteer Activities:
2001-Present
CISM—Emergency Responder, New Jersey State Police, Office of Emergency Management, Ocean County Northern Team
2001-2003
Board Member—NAMI Ocean County

2003--Current
Backup Crisis Counselor for Crisis Hotline, Contact of Ocean County