Lynnette Montañez, LCSW, LISW

Lynnette Montañez, LCSW, LISW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Independent Social Worker with more than a decade of experience in behavioral health, clinical leadership, and community-based services. Based in Miami, Florida, she is recognized for her commitment to providing trauma-informed, evidence-based care to adolescents, adults, and families. Through her expertise in psychotherapy, crisis intervention, complex case management, and program development, Lynnette has dedicated her career to improving client outcomes and expanding access to compassionate mental health services.

As the Founder and Owner of First Step Counseling Services, LLC, Lynnette leads a successful telehealth behavioral health practice providing psychotherapy services to clients in Florida and Ohio. She conducts comprehensive assessments, diagnoses, and individualized treatment planning while ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations, clinical documentation standards, and ethical guidelines. In addition to direct clinical care, she supervises and trains clinical teams, collaborates with referral partners, and utilizes EHR and CRM technologies to enhance care coordination and service delivery.

Throughout her professional journey, Lynnette has held various clinical and leadership roles focused on supporting individuals and communities through challenging life transitions. As a Contract Licensed Clinical Social Worker with R.E.S.T.O.R.E., she provides trauma-informed therapy to women transitioning from incarceration to community life, utilizing evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She has also served as Group Coordinator and Group Co-Facilitator with the Children’s Bereavement Center, where she managed peer support programs, supervised volunteer facilitators, coordinated crisis response, and promoted healing for grieving children and families.

Lynnette has also demonstrated strong expertise in adoption services, child welfare, and quality assurance. During her time with ACF Adoptions, she served as Home Study Program Coordinator, overseeing compliance reviews, supporting contract social workers, and ensuring adoption home studies met agency, state, and federal standards. Previously, as an Adoption Social Worker, she provided counseling and guidance to birth mothers while facilitating informed adoption decisions. Her earlier experience with Florida Foster Care Review and Agape Family Ministries further strengthened her skills in behavioral health assessments, documentation review, treatment planning, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Lynnette earned her Master of Social Work (MSW) and Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSW), building a strong foundation for her career in clinical practice and leadership. She is skilled in clinical supervision, program development, trauma-informed care, regulatory compliance, KPI management, and cross-functional collaboration. Bilingual in Spanish, Lynnette continues to advocate for accessible and culturally responsive mental health services. Her dedication to continuous improvement, ethical practice, and empowering individuals through therapy reflects her ongoing mission to create meaningful change within the communities she serves.

• Master of Social Work (Advanced Standing), Barry University (2014–2015)
• Bachelor of Science in Social Work, Florida International University (2010–2013)

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) – Florida (2019)
• Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) – Ohio (2025)

• Group Coordinator and Co-Facilitator for Children's Bereavement Center peer support programs
• Supported grieving children and families through trauma-informed services
• Supervised and mentored volunteer facilitators