Experienced financial and grant management professional with a strong background in budget planning, vendor coordination, and grant compliance. Currently serving as an Accounting Team Lead at Behavioral Health Administration, overseeing financial operations and ensuring fiscal compliance for various programs. Skilled in tracking and optimizing funds, identifying opportunities for resource utilization, and improving year-end reporting accuracy. Proficient in designing and implementing internal and vendor-specific trackers to monitor spending, support budget reallocations, and ensure timely reconciliations. Experienced in collaborating with program managers, vendors, and contracts teams to plan and allocate budgets, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and federal/state guidelines. Strong team leader focused on improving financial processes, maintaining accurate reporting, and supporting program success.
• Assisted in the preparation of continuation applications for federal grant programs, including SOR, PATH, and COACT, ensuring accurate financial reporting and compliance with grant requirements.
• Determined and tracked funds being reverted after grant periods, identifying opportunities to optimize resource utilization and improve end-of-year reporting accuracy.
• Designed and implemented internal and vendor-specific trackers to monitor spending, identify trends, and facilitate budget reallocations or amendments.
• Provided guidance and support to team members in managing complex budgets, addressing grant-specific financial challenges, and ensuring adherence to grant guidelines and timelines.
• Reviewing and approving FY25 Budgets
• Created and maintained detailed budget trackers to monitor grant allocations, vendor expenditures, and remaining balances for multiple contracts, identifying and resolving issues like overspending or underspending by reallocating or amending budgets as needed.
• Compiled invoice payment packets and verified accurate allocation of funds to specific commodity lines, ensuring all payments were processed and tracked correctly through the CORE financial system.
• Reconciled expenditures from prior fiscal years by analyzing trends and comparing documentation to budget records, preparing detailed monthly reports to assist internal stakeholders with financial decision-making.
• Monitored compliance with SAMHSA requirements for federal grants, Addressed questions regarding allowable costs and compliance issues with program managers and vendors.
• Provided guidance to program managers, grant coordinators, and vendors on budgeting issues, invoice revisions, and projections. Developed internal and external trackers to assist in monitoring awards, budgets, and remaining balances for fiscal year projects.
• Supported grant application processes by analyzing spending trends from prior years, forecasting future allocations, and collaborating with vendors to finalize applications and address budget-related questions.
• Partnered with cross-functional teams, including accounting management and grant staff, to resolve discrepancies, track compliance, and implement budget adjustments. Regularly attended meetings to discuss fiscal year budgets and upcoming initiatives.
• Utilized CORE to reconcile payments, analyze spending trends, and ensure financial data accuracy, developing custom tools and systems to safeguard budgets and maintain compliance with grant requirements.