Jill O’Connell-Nordin, M.S.W. Joins NESCA as AASC Clinician

Ms. O’Connell-Nordin has joined NESCA as a clinician in the innovative AASC (Anxiety & Attention Skills Coaching) Program, where she will work with Angela Currie, Ph.D.

She brings to NESCA a wide range of clinical experience, having served most recently as a substitute school social worker. Ms. O’Connell-Nordin has provided one-on-one consultation and case management support to students in the Duxbury Partnership Program. She has also provided both short- and long-term care to high-risk adolescent females and their families, which included conducting Dialectical Behavior Therapy groups. She has work and volunteer experience as a victims’ advocate and counselor.

Jill O’Connell-Nordin received her M.S.W. from Boston College. Her email address is jnordin@nesca-newton.com.

About the AASC Program

NESCA's unique Anxiety and Attention Skills Coaching (AASC) Program is a time-limited, intensive intervention focused on developing self-regulation skills in children and adolescents with anxiety and/or attentional difficulties that are interfering with their ability to fully engage in their academic, social, recreational, or home environments.

It was developed on the belief that children and adolescents best learn new skills through well-focused interventions that allow for frequent repetition and rehearsal.

The program uses a short-term, intensive skills-based approach to teaching emotional awareness and self-regulation. It is designed for children and adolescents who, for a variety of reasons, cannot wait a year to make progress in traditional once-weekly interventions, or whose parents report “we tried individual therapy and it did not work.”

Individualized interventions encourage quick acquisition of skills through personalized psychoeducational plans and aids, as well as opportunities for generalization to outside environments.

For more information about AASC, please contact Dr. Angela Currie at 617-658-9825, or email acurrie@nesca-newton.com.