About the Author

The author of 100 Clinical Vignettes is Liz B. Johnston, LCSW. She has over twenty years of clinical experience in a wide variety of agency and hospital settings on both the East and West Coasts.

In addition, Ms. Johnston has a successful private practice, specializing in alcohol, eating, gambling, and sexual addictions as well as co-dependency, incest, and child abuse.

Ms. Johnston earned her MSW from Smith School for Social Work in 1984. Prior to studying social work, she was a research biologist.

Ms. Johnston is licensed in New York, Connecticut, and California. Her California license number is LCS18489. 100 Clinical Vignettes is her second self-published textbook.

Ms. Johnston can be reached by telephone at 805-787-0106 or by e-mail at slomsw@aol.com She offers supervision and exam coaching in person and by telephone.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Private Practice 1987-Present

San Luis Obispo, CA and Stamford, CT

Therapist in private practice. Specializing in alcohol, eating, gambling, and sexual addictions. Also, co-dependency, incest, and child abuse. Treatment modalities include brief and long-term psychotherapy; play therapy; and individual, couples, and family therapy.

Twin Cities Hospital 2003-Present

Templeton, CA

Sole social worker for 80-bed hospital with 8-bed ICU. Provide counseling to patients and families, including crisis intervention and trauma therapy in Emergency Room. Run wellness/support group for cancer patients. Member of Interdisciplinary Practice and Ethics Committees. Liaison to hospital chaplains. Responsible for coordinating staff response to patients with combined medical and psychological issues. Evaluate patients for transfer to psychiatric hospital. Assist families in making end-of-life decisions.

Rehab Care/Sierra Vista Hospital 1998-2003

San Luis Obispo, CA

Medical social worker. Provided counseling and case management to patients on rehabilitation unit. Diagnoses included stroke, traumatic brain injury, and post-surgical complications. Ran support group for patients and families. Provided in-service training to hospital staff on psychological topics. Supervised MSW. Responsible for streamlining department procedures and forms.

Alliance Home Health/Sierra Vista Hospital 1997-1999

San Luis Obispo, CA

Medical social worker. Performed home visits to the elderly. Conducted assessment and referred clients to needed resources.

Community Counseling Center 1997-1998

San Luis Obispo, CA

Intake coordinator for family service agency. Performed initial intake interviews, assessment, and placement for individuals, families, and children. Responsible for updating intake procedures and forms

Kaiser Permanente 1989-1990

Stamford, CT

Primary therapist for HMO. Responsible for initial intake, assessment, and outside referrals. Conducted brief psychotherapy using play therapy and individual, couples, and family therapy. Led workshop for adult children of alcoholics.

Family and Children’s Service 1987-1989

Stamford, CT

Therapist for caseload of twenty clients, 10 to 87 years of age. Half of caseload were multi-problem indigent families. Continued specialization in alcoholism, incest, and child abuse. Led support group for adult children of alcoholics.

Family Service of Yonkers 1985-1987

Yonkers, NY

Therapist for caseload of thirty clients, 6 to 65 years of age. Specialized in alcoholism, incest, and child abuse. Supervised agency’s intake process.

Guidance Center of Camden County 1984-1985

Cherry Hill, NJ

Therapist for caseload of fifty clients, 3 to 76 years of age. One third of caseload were deinstitutionalized mentally ill adults. Established therapeutic group for children of single parent families. Led therapeutic group for schizophrenic adults.

Irving Schwartz Center for Children 1983-1984

Philadelphia, PA

Full-time field placement. Therapist for eleven learning disabled children and their parents.

Family Service of Philadelphia 1982-1983

Philadelphia, PA

Full-time field placement. Therapist for individuals and couples.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Philadelphia Committee for the Homeless 1983-1984

Philadelphia, PA Outreach Worker

HOMES Halfway House 1981-1982

Ithaca, NY Life Skills Trainer

Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service 1981-1982

Ithaca, NY Telephone Crisis Counselor

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research 1978-1982

Ithaca, NY Research Specialist

EDUCATION

Smith College School for Social Work M.S.W.

Northampton, MA August 1984

Thesis: Street Women of Philadelphia – An empirical study of homeless and vagrant street women.

President of Student Government.

Winthrop College B.S. - Cum Laude

Rock Hill, SC December 1977

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

National Association for Social Workers Association for Women in Psychology

PUBLICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL PAPERS – Social Work

Johnston, Liz (2004), 100 Clinical Vignettes, self-published, San Luis Obispo, CA

Johnston, Liz (1998), Oral Exam Casebook, self-published, San Luis Obispo, CA

Johnston, Liz (1989), Co-Dependency: Feminist Perspectives, paper, Fourteenth National Conference on Feminist Psychology, Newport, RI

Johnston, Liz (1985), Homeless and Vagrant Street Women of Philadelphia, paper, Tenth National Conference on Feminist Psychology, New York, NY

PUBLICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL PAPERS – Biology

Wood, H.A., Johnston, L.B., and Burand, J.P. (1982), Inhibition of Autographa Californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus Replication in High Density Trichopulsia Ni Cell Cultures, Virology, Vol. 119 (2), pp. 245-254.

Wood, H.A., Hughes, P.R., Johnston, L.B. and Langridge, W.H. (1981), Increased Virulence of Autographa Californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus by Mutagenesis, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Vol. 38 (2), pp. 236-241.

Johnston, L.B., Vernick, S.H., and Sprague, V. (1978), Light and Electron Microscope Study of a New Species of Thelohania (Microsporida) in the Shrimp Pandalus Jordani, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Vol. 32 (3), pp. 278-290.