"Daniel has been an outstanding and vital member of the team in the Medical Department, and has brought great gifts and talents to this role [Behavioral Health Clinician].  He will be greatly missed for his warm, empathic, and compassionate clinical approach as well as being a responsive and committed team member, always going above and beyond to help and assist in any situation."

-- Dr. Anne Jones Medical Director, Cornell University Health Center

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"It is my great pleasure to provide an enthusiastic letter of reference for Daniel Cooper, LMHC.  At the time of this writing, I have known Daniel for over a year and currently supervise him in his role as a Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) at Cornell Health.

Daniel’s role as a BHC involves serving as a readily accessible member of an interdisciplinary primary care team, supporting the mental and behavioral health needs of our Cornell student population.  Daniel typically sees between 4 to 8 students per day, to offer brief, time-limited, and functionally oriented behavioral recommendations.  His services are often utilized “same day” in a warm hand-off model, where he manages either a routine student need, or a mental health crisis.  The BHC role is considerably complex, as it involves a vast knowledge of general mental health, as well as a specialized understanding of brief treatment, behavioral intervention, and behavioral medicine.  It also requires noted flexibility in role and function, a calm and steady clinical demeanor, and tolerance, perhaps even enthusiasm, for times of unpredictability in one’s schedule and clinical expectations.  In addition, the role is highly interdisciplinary in nature, as BHCs work with both medical and specialized mental health providers to liaison for students’ needs.

Daniel has impressed me this past year with his ability to learn this role, relying on his solid relational skills and fastidious work ethic to support his growth as a BHC.  Most impressive is his desire to self-improve, ask questions, and respond professionally to constructive feedback.  He is also an excellent team player, and quickly earned the respect and affection of his colleagues with his friendly and dependable nature.  This was apparent most recently when he volunteered to co-lead a novel peer-support group for students in mandatory isolation/quarantine as part of Cornell’s pandemic response plan.  The request for this group came at a very busy time in everyone’s schedule, and was a new and uncertain clinical request.  Daniel offered leadership to the team in developing a format and content for the group, and leaned into the uncertainty with enthusiasm.  This is one of many examples where Daniel took on additional responsibilities in the interest of supporting either our immediate BHC team, or his larger medical team/colleagues.  I also admire Daniel’s clinical acumen; he is adept at emotional matching and empathy, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and patient advocacy.  Daniel is also a pleasure to know personally. 

In sum, Daniel is a hardworking, knowledgeable, conscientious, and amazingly empathic provider, and I recommend him as a mental health professional without reservation."

-- Kaitlin R. Lilienthal, PhD Clinical Program Director, Behavioral Health

Cornell University Health Center 

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"I just wanted to tell you how much I have appreciated working with you! You’re so excellent at zeroing in on the concern and offering the support needed."  

"I had a meeting with a student who had been working with you and had only good things to say about working with you."

-- Clinicians, Cornell University Health Center

"Your masterful command of two languages was not only helpful to everyone on this trip but was also beautiful.  I am proud to say that on this trip, I observed you as outgoing, easily sociable, generous, confident, joyful, strong, empowered, spontaneous, and an integral aspect of the Leadership team here in Rio."

-- Graduate student, New York University

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"Thank you, Daniel, for all your warmth, kindness, and support throughout this trip as well as before we left.  I know how hard being a G.A. [Graduate Assistant] can be so I cannot imagine how tough it was to add translating on top of it!  You’re a rock star."

-- Graduate student, New York University

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" Daniel, Thanks for your strong leadership on course.  You’ve been a great help to Robert, myself, and most importantly - the students!  I’ve enjoyed watching you grow and getting to know you.  I look forward to staying in touch. With Great Appreciation."

-- David Montgomery, PhD, Department Professor, New York University

"It is my distinct pleasure to recommend Daniel Cooper, LMHC, to you for a position as a behavioral health clinician.  From September 2014 through December 2015, Daniel was employed full time (40 hours/week) in the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center’s Behavioral Health Department, where I was Daniel’s administrative supervisor, in my role as Administrative Director of the BH Department.

This was at a time when the Health Center was embarking on a major clinical transformation project, integrating our entire Behavioral Health Team into primary care departments.  Daniel’s primary responsibilities were as a Behavioral Health Team Anchor in our Pediatrics Department, working with child and adolescent patients and their parents/families. A primary responsibility for Daniel was to be available at all times to consult with Pediatric medical providers, join them in meeting patients in an integrated “warm hand-off” referral in conjunction with a medical visit, and provide a range of individual and family evaluation and therapy services.

From October 2014 through June 2015, Daniel also worked with our pediatric adolescent patients at EBNHC’s School Health Center, providing individual and family counseling services, and case-specific mental health consultation to school personnel.

Daniel presented as a deeply caring, warm, intelligent, creative and flexible clinician.  Daniel exhibited remarkable clinical skills, and continued growth and development, regarding counseling/psychotherapy, assessment and formulation, and in his utilizing a broad repertoire of intervention strategies and skills.  Daniel hit the ground running, and immediately connected with and began the exciting work of understanding the complex issues presented by some of our more challenging clients. Daniel is deeply passionate about the needs of our Latino community, and our often-disenfranchised clients.  As Daniel increased his awareness of the community, and experience with the multiple factors that come to play in our families’ lives and functioning, he quickly and creatively applied and adapted this information to his thinking about his clients’ needs and goals. He was a consummate teach anchor and consultant as well, engaging the medical providers in effective planning to address the behavioral health needs of the pediatric clients.  I feel the success of the first year of our Behavioral Health Integration transformation in the Pediatric Department was in part owed to Daniel’s dedication and skill.

Daniel has a natural tendency to utilize his own self-awareness, and seamlessly bring this into the counseling relationship with remarkable empathy and an on-target assessment as to where a particular client can be reached and engaged.  Daniel always made excellent use of consultation with his supervisor and with the entire Behavioral Health Team, asking questions when needed, challenging himself, questioning his formulations and perspectives, and coming away renewed and re-focused.  Daniel was a skilled team-player when needed, but was also able to function quite autonomously. His work and presence here always exhibited the highest standards of professionalism and responsibility.

Daniel has earned my highest recommendation to you."

Sincerely,

Thomas R. Kelleher, M.A./L.M.F.T, Administrative Director of Mental Health

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

"Daniel has consistently responded with maturity and appreciation as the Program [Riverside Home-Based Family Services] continues to create new policies and structures.  He seems to welcome change readily and is often vocal with his peers to corral their cooperation in a team meeting.  I have been grateful for all the initiative he has taken during staff ad hoc groups to assist with the programs development and the extra time he has given most generously to interview potential candidates.  Amazingly, Daniel is efficient with his time to supersede all expectations, such as balancing direct care, productivity, programmatic meetings, etc.  When it comes to client care, he often works with our most financially disenfranchised population, ferociously attempting to meet basic needs, advocacy and clinical issues alike. 

Daniel has been intentional this past year to expand his family therapy skills and his process shows.  Beyond developing strong therapeutic relationships, he initiates difficult conversations to challenge family dynamics and perceptions.  He is readily more comfortable being strategic in what treatment modality is needed for each family and has worked cautiously and with mutual respect for contentious divorces couples who are trying to co-parent from afar.  As the only male on our team able to work with Latino and Brazilian families, he is highly valued for the positive role model and impact he has with an expanding population that often feels culturally misunderstood and forgotten. 

His relentless crusade to expand their support systems cannot be understated and I hope he realizes his enormous contribution to the field.  Despite strong therapeutic alliances, he is able to initiate termination of home based services when treatment goals have been reached or when clients have withdrawn significantly from the therapeutic process.  Daniel demonstrates an ability to work independently, but can also ask for help when needed.  All in all, it is a pleasure to watch Daniel grown professionally as he is self driven and enormously introspective.  Words alone do not begin to acknowledge all your dedication within the program and the community we serve!!!"

- Lorraine Helfand-Garcia, LICSW 

Program Director, Riverside Community Care

"I was Daniel’s internship supervisor for his Master’s Degree in Drama Therapy from New York University. He interned at my job on the Child/Adolescent Inpatient unit at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital [BronxCare Health System]. Many of our patients are hospitalized for psychiatric illnesses including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, conduct disorder and ADHD.

Daniel worked primarily with the adolescents. He ran several groups and individual sessions during the time he spent on our unit. Daniel was an intern for 3-4 months. We also worked together for several more months as Daniel was completing his thesis and I served as his second reader. I know Daniel will say that he learned a lot from me, but I equally learned a lot from him – about perseverance, dedication to our profession, and about waiting and keeping your cool.

While he was my intern Daniel gave of himself freely to the kids. He was open to the kids while maintaining a professional distance. When I first met Daniel I thought, “Oh my God! He’s a geeky, frail-looking white guy – our kids are going to eat him alive!!!” But looks are deceptive. At the time, we had a female patient who was very aggressive, verbally and physically. I don’t know what it was about Daniel, but his style, his manner, his way was so disarming and relaxed, that she loved Daniel. She loved working with him, and, believe me, this was a major feat not many of the staff on the unit could match.

Most importantly, to me, Daniel respected the cultural background of our kids and their environment. This is something many white Creative Arts Therapists working with African American and Latino teens fail to understand. Daniel never came across as frightened of the kids nor was he condescending. He tried to make connections between his experience and the experience of our patients.

I know your organization will be very satisfied with Daniel’s performance and I know he will utilize the skills he learns with you not only in Drama Therapy, but in his life at large."

Sincerely,

Zeneida Disla-Thorne, MA, LCAT, Supervisor 

BronxCare Health System