Pat Harvey is a licensed clinical social worker living and practicing in Rockville, Maryland. She is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers and a Licensed Certified Social Worker in the state of Maryland.
Pat practiced social work as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Massachusetts for over 20 years, specializing in work with families and in the treatment of individuals with mental illness. In 2000, Pat was introduced to the DBT therapeutic framework and DBT skills and has been studying and using DBT in her work, and in her life, ever since. In 2001, Pat was instrumental in the design and development of the Grove Street Adolescent Residence, one of the first adolescent group homes in the country to open as a DBT adherent program. In 2004, Grove Street won an APA gold Award for community programming.
For the past 6 years, Pat has developed and facilitated Parents and Family Member DBT Skills Training Groups in Massachusetts and in Maryland. These groups have taught Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to parents, siblings and family members searching for help and support with family members who have emotional dysregulation or mental illness. Since moving to Maryland, Pat has specialized in coaching and supporting parents, siblings and family members, consulting and training in the use of DBT Skills. She is especially interested in training other mental health professionals to use DBT skills, philosophy and concepts to accept, understand and help change the behaviors of individuals with mental illness and their families. Pat has given seminars and workshops locally through several non-profit organizations to clinicians, rehab counselors and family members. Pat has also given seminars nationally through PESI.
In response to the many parents who have said, "I wish I knew these skills when my child was younger", Pat has co-authored, "Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Help Your Child Regulate Emotional Outbursts and Aggressive Behaviors", to be published by New Harbinger in November, 2009.
Pat is the Program Consultant to St. Luke’s House, Inc., providing clinical consultation to several residential and outpatient programs serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Pat is also the Public Policy Consultant to, and an active member of, NAMI MD, advocating for the rights and needs of individuals with mental illness and their families. She has written and delivered oral testimony to the Maryland General Assembly on a number of bills related to NAMI priorities.
Pat’s hope is that her work will enable more acceptance of individuals with emotion dysregulation and more understanding of the lives of their family members. It is her goal to continue to translate DBT philosophy and skills into practical strategies for living, and helping others to live, lives of fulfillment and appreciation for every moment.