About

Ella McAllister, LCSW, CCS, LCADC:

Association of Family & Conciliation Courts member

Ella McAllister is a standing member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) of New Jersey, the go-to hub for experts passionate about family dynamics. The AFCC works to foster open dialogue and teamwork among professionals involved in these tough situations. Their mission? To turn these challenging times into opportunities for growth, healing, and positive outcomes, especially for children.
I received my Master’s in Social Work (specialization in Clinical Social Work Practice), with Honors, from Fordham University in 2007. My Bachelors in Social Work, with Honors, was earned from Monmouth University in 2006. This was followed by clinical supervision for LCSW and LCADC licensure and obtaining Postgraduate certificates in: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy.

My career has spanned 19 years and has included working as an Individual Counselor in various treatment settings, as an Evaluator for The State of New Jersey Superior Court, Adjunct Professor with Raritan Valley Community College, and as a Clinical Supervisor. As a best practice, I have continued to seek supervision with other practitioners in the field in order to continue enhancing clinical practice, competence, and hone areas of expertise. As a bilingual clinician, I speak Italian fluently.

Expertise:

Counselor

Providing individual counseling utilizing the evidence-based practices of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. I am an in-network provider with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna, and provide a reasonable rate for self-pay clients.

Evaluations

As an Expert Witness, I am approved to provide Substance Abuse Evaluations for The State of New Jersey Public Defender’s Office for both the Criminal Part and Office of Parental Representation. I am experienced in providing Substance Abuse Evaluations for all Court involved matters be it Criminal, Family, and/or Municipal Court. Custody Neutral Assessments are provided for Family Court matters. Services extend to litigants represented by Private Counsel as well. Substance Abuse Evaluations are also provided for school referred matters.

When subpoenaed to do so, I have provided successful testimony with Judges in various New Jersey Counties, respectively, upholding the findings of my evaluations. My Substance Abuse Evaluations have been instrumental in assisting Attorneys with successful Clinical Appeals and overturning of a litigants Recovery Court Clinical Ineligibility, sentencing to terms of Special or Standard Probation in lieu of State Prison, and assisting the OPR Office and Private Counsel with substance abuse issues that impact Family Court matters and DCP&P cases. Custody Neutral Assessments have assisted litigants, and their Attorneys, in identifying contested issues and making clinical recommendations to resolve them. Overall, I have received positive testimonials and referrals from several Attorneys, and positive endorsement from Judges.

Educator

As an Educator, I work as an Adjunct Professor with Raritan Valley Community College. I am CCS certified to provide Clinical Supervision for LSW’s, LAC’s and ADC Interns seeking LCSW, LPC, and/or CADC/LCADC licensure.

Ella McAllister teaching Case Management at RVCC Fall 2019