Ms. Blalock oversees all program operations in Maryland, including residential treatment with over 650 beds. She has led an impressive career providing treatment services to the criminal justice population, the homeless, the LGBTQ+ community, people with substance use disorders, and others in crisis.
Ms. Blalock has over 20 years of behavioral health experience providing clinical and management services in community and correctional settings. She has over 15 years of experience in various Maryland state prisons performing substance use and psychiatric assessments and evaluations, developing clinical services, and overseeing management. In addition, she has over 10 years of experience as a compliance and operations director overseeing performance improvement, accreditation, compliance, program implementation, and training.
In 2012, she became a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and was approved by the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists to supervise addiction and mental health counselors seeking certification and licensure in the state of Maryland.
Ms. Blalock is a Master Addiction Counselor (MAC), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a Board-Certified Psychotherapist (BCPC), and a Certified Auricular Detoxification Specialist (CADS). She earned a Bachelor of Arts and a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling from Argosy University.
Why I Work at Gaudenzia:
I want to make an impact. I hope that I am making an impact. An impact in individuals’ lives and an impact on my community. I knew early on in school that I wanted to be a helper. A helper that would try hard to fix people, solve their problems and feel good at the end of the day. I also knew early on that I was not going to be a physician like my mother or a firefighter/paramedic like my father, but that there were so many other ways to save people’s lives.
The role I play within Gaudenzia as an Executive Director is one that I hope continues to affect change and impact individuals and my community — but on a different level. Although my day-to-day purpose has changed, my goal is to impact those on my team, and ultimately, those my team serves.
The responsibility of being a leader and change agent holds a much heavier weight and comes with much more responsibility, but it still requires the same skills I used in practice as being a helper. The goal is to still feel good at the end of the day. When I can see the impact of my work across a larger footprint, that is success. Success for my clients, my team, and Gaudenzia as a whole.
