ex-cel-lence n. the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree
That is how the dictionary defines excellence. At Family Service Association, excellence is a goal which the agency constantly strives to achieve.
Our Values Statement, one that significantly defines us as an organization, begins with a philosophy of excellence -- one that clearly indicates that we believe in the creation of an inspired vision and clear priorities, the pursuit of challenging goals, and the maintenance of effort until these goals are achieved.
The members of the Family Service Association "family" who are featured on this page exemplify the important qualities
we cherish and continually strive to achieve. They are the winners of the Family Service Association Award of Excellence and here are their stories:
JENIENE ST. DENIS - Guardianship Program Receptionist
Although every member of the Guardianship Program staff contributed to the success of our recent office renovation and move, there is one person who remained focused and determined to overcome the challenges of this tremendous project - our receptionist, Jeniene St. Denis.
During this time, Jeniene demonstrated several values associated with the Award of Excellence. The first is her pursuit of challenging goals. The two most cumbersome tasks associated with the renovation were the purging and relocation of old files. Jeniene remained positive while handling this difficult assignment, determined to achieve her goal.
Another value was her interaction with our staff, clients and other professionals. At one point, many of our staff were without the use of the telephone system. Jeniene was very effective in triaging each call and remained diligent about ensuring that phone messages were received in a timely manner.
Perhaps Jeniene's greatest value is her willingness to assist other staff whenever possible. Whether delivering a package, meeting appraisers at the home of a client, making follow-up telephone calls, or entering monthly billing, she
she accepts the task with her upbeat personality, professionalism and proficiency. Her willingness to always go the extra mile and do all of the "little things" that need to be done on a daily basis is always appreciated, though often unrecognized. We are hoping that this nomination will afford Jeniene the opportunity to be recognized for a job well done.
Above - Jeniene St. Denis (center), the first recipient of the Award of Excellence, is joined by Wendy Wentworth-Boyd (left) and Susan Mandra-Thompson.
Left - Carol Nagle, FSA President (lower right), makes the award presentation to Jeniene as members of the Recognition Committee look on.
BARBARA OLIVEIRA - Manager, Adult Day Health II
Barbara Oliveira was nominated for the Award of Excellence by her staff at the Adult Day Health II Program:
Barbara Oliveira’s love of and dedication to the clients and staff of the Adult Day Health II program can only be described as phenomenal. Each and every day, she goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that the program is of the very best quality that it can be. Her great leadership, combined with her enthusiastic and inexhaustible energy, set an extraordinary example and encourages us at the program to work hard and always be our best.
Barbara provides encouragement and works with us to constantly set new goals and meet new challenges, all geared toward the well being of our clients and the promotion growth in our
program. She builds trusting relationships and meets the challenges of every participant at Adult Day Health II.
Many of our participating clients have extraordinary challenges in their lives, often requiring a special measure of understanding and compassion. Barbara personally works closely with them and helps these special individuals to overcome the challenges they face.
Although she’s the manager of the program, Barbara is always there to help get every job done. She can often be found rolling up her sleeves to help her staff with every task, including clean-up work after the day’s activities.
We, her staff, feel Barbara more than exceeds all criteria deserving of this award.
Right - A very surprised Barbara Oliveira (seated, center) receives the Award of Excellence from FSA President Carol Nagle as members of the Recognition Committee join in. Seated to Barbara's right is Lourdes Ramirez from the Adult Day Health II staff.
Review other feature stories about dedicated Family Service Association staff members by visiting our Staff Showcase Archive page.
CINDY HOLEWIAK - Functional Skills Trainer
Cindy was nominated by Vicki Greco, HAP Program Manager:
It is with great pleasure that I nominate Cindy Holewiak for the Family Service Award of Excellence. Since starting with FSA, Cindy has worn several hats. She came on board originally as a scheduler, became a per diem caregiver, has served as administrative
assistant in the Home Assistance Program, and is currently the functional skills trainer for the Personal Care Attendant program. Most recently, Cindy has performed all these duties at the same time -- something that is truly amazing. When the full time scheduler went on a three month maternity leave, Cindy stepped into that position. At the same time, a new administrative assistant was hired and Cindy began the process of training her.
She accepted the position as functional skills trainer and began the process of learning that job as well. She would fill in as a caregiver for clients when needed and served as the on-call scheduler for after-hours and weekends, carrying a pager and agency cell phone. There has never been any task that Cindy has been asked to do that she has declined because she has been too busy. Most importantly, she accepts all responsibilities with a smile and positive attitude.
Cindy embodies the philosophy of excellence in which this award is rooted. She is exceptionally calm with clients, co-workers, and caregivers alike, lending a willing and eager ear and providing sound and objective advice. She is an excellent problem solver and has the enviable ability to see “the whole picture” when working out difficult issues.
Cindy always puts others before herself, both in her personal life and her work life. She has developed creative ways to acknowledge and validate caregivers’ hard work during the holidays to show appreciation. She also coordinated with the Big Friends Little Friends program, a local elementary school, and local Brownie and Girl Scout groups to create a Giving Tree for the Little Friends. She then enlisted the support of the Brownie and Girl Scout Troop to wrap gifts after hours.
In addition to the work she does in the office, she makes an extra effort on a daily basis to help out friends, co-workers, and everyone else with whom she comes in contact. I feel privileged and blessed to work so closely with such a giving, positive, and special person.
LEFT - Cindy Holewiak (2nd from left) receives her Award of Excellence from FSA President & CEO Carol Nagle (right) as HAP Program Manager Vicki Greco (left) looks on proudly.
DEREK FOULDS - Clinical Supervisor
Derek was nominated by Sharon LaFleur, Children & Youth Specialty Services Program Manager:
Derek Foulds has provided excellent clinical services to the youth of St. Vincent’s Home for the past seven years. He has also shown tremendous leadership as a clinical supervisor for the last four years.
Derek possesses many strengths as a clinician and has a unique talent for securing a therapeutic alliance that provides the necessary foundation for his client's goal achievement. He is an invaluable member of his clients’ treatment team, providing
education and a thorough understanding of clinical issues. He also serves as a mentor and role model to his male clients. Derek’s treatment areas include specialized issues such as trauma, mood disorders, fire-setting, offending and family work.
Derek provides support and guidance to St. Vincent’s staff and is often sought out for consultation, feedback, and his non-judgmental approach and willingness to assist. He mentors new clinicians, providing a supervisory relationship that focuses on learning and support – one which allows new clinicians to feel safe and secure in a very challenging clinical environment. Derek always brings a positive attitude toward his work and his co-workers, utilizing excellent problem solving and communication skills. Each time Derek's role has expanded, he has enthusiastically and confidently approach
the challenges. He is a critical component to the success of the St. Vincent’s program and will be a key member in our plan to expand Child & Youth Specialty Services.
In November, there was a critical incident at St. Vincent’s Home involving one of Derek's clients and a staff member he worked closely with for many years. When told about the event, Derek selflessly volunteered to travel to the group home and assist all in dealing with the impact of this event. Derek's clinical record was reviewed as part of an internal process and the documentation and treatment of his client were found to be, as always, exemplary.
RIGHT - Clinical Supervisor Derek Foulds (seated, center) receives the Award of Excellence surrounded by Sharon LaFleur, Children and Youth Specialty Services Program Manager (lower left), Carol Nagle, President & CEO and members of the Recognition Committee. Derek has been with Family Service Association for seven years.
Ray was nominated by Barbara Oliveira, Program Manager of Adult Day Health II and Raymond D'Orsi, Human Resource Manager:
Ray Brothers exemplifies the very high standards established by our agency’s mission. He gives to others selflessly, every hour of the day and every day of the week. As the staff person in charge of transportation, it is not unusual to spot Ray in the garage where our vans are stored during weekends and evenings, making certain that our fleet is in top safety condition. He always acts in a way that shows that our clients’ welfare is his highest priority and of the utmost importance to him.
Ray has recently undergone some personal health challenges and even while on a medical leave of absence, has checked in daily with the program and each of his drivers, offering support, advice and recommendations.
Monday through Friday, Ray is the first person to meet each of the Adult Day Health II clients, quickly assessing their appearance and behavior to ensure their welfare. He often reminds clients of the need for a hat or gloves during cold weather while he waits patiently for their return. He checks that they have eaten breakfast and occasionally will wait, again with patience, for a client to finish if they are running a bit late.
All of these “extras” mean that Ray’s day operates on a longer schedule - something he very willingly accepts. In fact, he has developed a very unique and caring relationship with the program’s clients. Ray Brothers’ opinion, input, and assistance in dealing with client and staff
issues are extremely valuable and go above and beyond what is asked of him by the agency.
Ray’s sincerity, honesty and loyalty to agency, staff and clients make us all very proud to say “he works here.
ABOVE - Raymond Brothers (left) listens while Barbara Oliveira (center) and Ray D'Orsi (right) share their thoughts at the March, 2008 General Staff Meeting about Mr. Brothers' nomination for the Award of Excellence.
CHUCK MICKLE - Lead MIS Technician
Chuck was nominated by two individuals -- Susan Mandra-Thompson and Ellen McCabe:
Chuck continuously serves the needs of the Guardianship Program in an efficient and professional manner. When a computer, printer, or a telephone need repair, the effects can be truly devastating. Work can literally come to a halt, staff become frustrated and nerves are frazzled.
Any time I have sent requests from the Guardianship Program to our MIS Department, Chuck, in his quiet manner, reviews the problem, and gets the job done. He is very knowledgeable, quite thorough and extremely patient. I am actually relieved when I see his face, because I know the issue will get resolved. Chuck makes me feel as though Guardianship is the only program he is working with, when I know very well that he gives his effort equally to all our agency programs and facilities.
Chuck not only fixes the problem, but always sends an e-mail to me after reviewing the situation informing me that the request has been completed or that it needs further attention. Chuck recognizes that communication is crucial to keeping our staff informed and up to date. I feel very strongly he should get more than a “thank you” from just one program, but recognized for all the work he does for the entire agency. Thank you, Chuck.
Susan Mandra Thompson, Esq.
Program Manager – Guardianship Program
Chuck has been great in helping with all the changes our Mental Health Clinic has been through. I believe the biggest one was the remote desktop computer that we use to link into our billing system. We had numerous problems and they always seem to hit at
inconvenient times Chuck would do his best to figure out the problem and, when necessary, do research to diagnose the situation and find the answer to the problem”.
Whenever there is an issue, I just pick up the phone and call Chuck and he is right there to help. He sometimes spends hours on a troublesome computer, but won’t give up until he has the answer. He always checks in on to make sure things are going smoothly, and problems resolved quickly.
Chuck goes above and beyond what he needed to serve the clinic in a timely and efficient manner.
Ellen McCabe, Administrative Assistant
Mental Health Clinic
ABOVE - Chuck Mickle (right) is joined by two FSA staff members who nominated him for the Award of Excellence. They are Atty. Susan Mandra-Thompson (left), Program Manager of the Guardianship Program and Ellen McCabe (center), Administrative Assistant from the agency's Mental Health Clinic.
