SHEILA RODRIGUES - Adult Day Health I / Countryside Manager
Rarely seen without her familiar smile, Sheila Rodrigues beams when she talks about the participants in the Adult Day Health programs she supervises. This dedicated social service professional keeps a busy schedule, sharing her timebetween two of Family Service Association's four ADH sites -- the original program in downtown Fall River, and the agency's newest location in nearby suburban Assonet.
What is her highest priority? A simple answer for Sheila -- "Recognizing each participant's dignity and working to maintain their health and well being," she says without hesitation.
Sheila came to Family Service Association in 2000 after an accomplished career with Fellowship Health Resources in Rhode Island. Though her administrative duties keep her well occupied, Sheila always has time to spend with the program's clients and her staff. "They do a wonderful job, working hard to make our programs a success," she says proudly. Maybe that's because of the example set by Sheila Rodrigues -- another dedicated Family Service Association professional.
PAT FANNING - Billing Department Manager
Here is the text of the comments made by Pat's supervisor nominating her for the Family Service Provider of the Month award:
I nominate Pat Fanning for the Family Service Provider of the Month for April 2003. Pat is a dedicated and committed member of our staff who has always shown leadership, enthusiasm and attention to detail in every job she tackles.
Whenever there's a job to be done, Pat is quick to volunteer often taking on many responsibilities above and beyond the routine. She supervised the agency's HR Department for a year when her help was needed. She has facilitated many complicated changes in the Billing Department, helping her staff adjust to electronic billing as well as to the many complex insurance regulations and the constant flow of information between her office and our many agency programs.
Pat's community volunteer work is outstanding. She has represented Family Service with class, playing a very prominent role in the "Partners for a Healthier Community" and at the recent Healthy Cities Initiative.
Pat interacts regularly with all our programs. She is active in the Quality Council and has worked hard with Beth Folcarelli and others in facilitating the implementation of the new HIPAA regulations. When you give a job to Pat, you know it will be handled quickly and thoroughly and always with a smile.
For this and so many other reasons, I truly believe there is no more deserving person that PAT FANNING.
More stories about dedicated Family Service Association staff members have been previously featured on this site.
SANDRA CUSICK - Billing Department Research Technician
Agencies like Family Service Association could not provide the community with high quality programs and services were it not for the professional efforts of every department within the organization. And one of the most important ones is the Billing Department.
That's where hard working people like Sandra Cusick help to keep the agency on an even financial keel. Sandy recently received the Family Service Provider Award in recognition of her extraordinary efforts. Recently, Sandy's work load increased considerably when a colleague was out on disability. Her supervisor Pat Fanning wrote this when nominating Sandy for the award:
"Sandy has always been an employee who is flexible and willing to shift priorities to accommodate the (Billing) Department's needs."
Sandy is also actively involved with the local soup kitchen at the First Baptist Church and represents her department on the agency's Activities Committee. A hard worker, and an asset to the agency -- that's Sandy Cusick!
LILIANA TEDESCO SOUZA - Therapist
Here is the text of the comments made by her supervisor nominating Liliana for this important award:
I would like to nominate Liliana Tedesco Souza for the Family Service Provider of the Month Award (for May, 2003.) As her supervisor, I see the great effort Liliana puts into her work, which may go unnoticed due to her quiet and non-intrusive manner.Liliana is a bilingual, full time therapist with the Mental Health Clinic. She is from Argentina and is Spanish-speaking. Liliana is devoted to her profession and is constantly working for the benefit of her clients.
As a therapist, she treats the Spanish-speaking population in the Greater Fall River area. School, hospitals, the Department of Social Services, and other institutions constantly seek out Liliana's services.Liliana works with clients of all ages including children, adults, and the elderly. At times, she assumes the role of case manager, interpreter, referrer, liaison, and even referee! Many of the clients she works with are severely mentally ill with multiple stressors and family related problems
There are not many community resources or appropriate places to refer her clients when needed and this is a constant source of frustration. Despite the many challenges in her work, she always performs her job with enthusiasm and optimism. I hardly ever see Liliana in her office since she is constantly on the road, serving her clients well.Liliana is a real asset to Family Service Association, particularly because, as an agency, we are committed to meeting the changing needs of the community. It is my hope that we all can be as dedicated and humble in our service to clients as Liliana.
BETH FOLCARELLI - Director of Quality and Assistant to the CEO
Beth Folcarelli has been named Director of Quality and Assistant to the CEO. Prior to this appointment, Beth served as the agency's Continuous Quality Improvement Manager, a position she has held for the past two years. An energetic and dynamic advocate of excellence and quality service, Beth came to Family Service Association from Fellowship Health Resources, Inc. in Rhode Island where she served as Coordinator of Quality Service.
During her tenure at Family Service Association, Beth has been responsible for leading the agency's Quality Council, as well as for its internal Quality Assurance Program and for the development of all agency policy and procedures, ensuring compliance with all licensing, regulatory, and accrediting bodies. She has also been instrumental in the development of the agency's strategic plan, both at the programmatic level and for the agency at large.
Earlier this year, Beth worked tirelessly to prepare Family Service Association for the rigorous requirements of HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. She continues to aggressively monitor the agency's compliance with this landmark legislation. Beth is a graduate of Rhode Island College and is currently completing her Masters program at Salve Regina University.
SUSAN POTVIN - Continuous Quality Improvement Manager
Susan Potvin has been appointed to the position of Manager of Continuous Quality Improvement. A veteran of Family Service Association for nearly seven years, Sue previously worked as Assistant Program Manager for the agency's Home Assistance Program.
A registered nurse with 25 years experience in the nursing profession, Sue is a strong proponent of family-focused, community based services. Prior to her work with Family Service Association, Sue worked to establish policy, procedures, and training requirements for home health aides at Health Force in Fall River and was a member of the Quality Assurance Review Team at Charlton Memorial Hospital. At the present time, she also is a consultant for the Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide certification course at Bristol Community College in Fall River.
While working with the Family Service Association Home Assistance Program, Sue was responsible for the Quality Assurance component of the program. She feels strongly about the need to maintain high standards of quality in service delivery.
"Family Service is recognized in this community as an agency with high standards of quality and service," she said. "I want to help ensure that each and every person who comes to this agency receives the highest quality of service while we maintain a safe and productive environment for our staff."
Jim Merchant - Marketing Specialist, Home Assistance Program
Jim, a marketing specialist for our Home Assistance Program, is also the director of the agency's Activities Committee. This committee, under Jim's leadership, has been actively involved with the agency's participation in a variety of activities, including the Fall River Celebrates America Parade, the annual agency picnic, and the Fall River Bicentennial Parade. The week before the Fall River Celebrates America Parade, Jim finished each day at Family Service and proceeded to work at home on the agency's float every night until 11 PM. His wife Robin wondered if she would ever see him again!
He kept a cheerful and positive attitude during this time, working hard on our very colorful float, and taking great pride in representing Family Service Association during the. Jim also worked diligently to modify and further improve the float for the Fall River Bicentennial Parade, working on weekends until it was completed.Jim has a very positive attitude about all of the projects he takes on, never looking upon them as chores, but as fun projects that show his pride in our agency.From the Family Service Association holiday party -- where he dresses up as Santa Claus -- to parade floats and cookouts, Jim always "gives his all" and makes each event fun and enjoyable for everyone. He gives unselfishly of his time and talent and this is why Jim Merchant deserves to receive the Family Service Provider Award. Thanks for all you do, Jim.
Lori Jodoin - Mental Health Clinic / Peer Mediation Program
Lori Jodoin is a very busy person -- one who is often called upon to represent Family Service Association in the community. Her work with our agency, which she performed while finishing her Masters degree, began several years ago in the middle school Peer Mediation Program. At the conclusion of that contracted service, Lori became a full time clinician in the agency's Mental Health Clinic.
Currently, Lori carries a clinical caseload at both our mental health clinic and at the Key Program's sites in Fall River and New Bedford. She also briefly piloted a clinical position at HealthFirst, a local community health center.
During her tenure here, Lori has trained peer mediators in two local school systems. With the revival of the Fall River middle school program, Lori became the Peer Mediator Supervisor, overseeing conflict resolution specialists in four middle schools.
Lori performs her work very quietly and without much fanfare. She is diligent and efficient, always greeting her colleagues with a smile and a positive attitude. Lori takes new assignments and new adventures very willingly and "rolls with the punches" when things become challenging. She is an excellent representative of Family Service Association, providing much needed services to those in Currently, Lori carries a clinical caseload at both our mental health clinic and at the Key Program's sites in Fall River and New Bedford. She also briefly piloted a clinical position at HealthFirst, a local community health center.the community who are in need. She is, indeed, a very talented and effective ambassador for Family Service Association.
Cheryl Mello - Billing Department Commercial Research Technician
Cheryl was nominated for the Family Service Provider award by her program manager:
I would like to recommend Cheryl Mello for Family Service Provider of the Month award. Cheryl has been a dedicated employee in the agency's Billing Department for over 9 years. During this period of time, there has been tremendous growth in the agency, the introduction of managed care for behavioral services, and constant changes in our Billing Department software. Cheryl has grown with the department through all of this, constantly troubleshooting to expedite payment of claims.
In July, the Billing Department upgraded the software to a Windows-based program that was totally different from the DOS-based system that everyone was accustomed to. There was an abundance of problems, and any oversights could result in a tremendous loss of income.
Although the entire department worked together to identify these problems, most errors impacted the commercial claims that Cheryl processes, and billing functions that she backs up. Cheryl scrutinized each transaction and documented all of the problems that she had detected. Claims were manually corrected to avoid any delays in payment. Systems' problems were referred to our software vendor for correction. There were minimal procedures that accompanied the new software. This did not stop Cheryl from working with the program, sharing her findings with other employees in the department, and documenting additional procedures for future reference.
Cheryl has always been willing to adjust her schedule or work additional hours when it was necessary to ensure that department objectives and deadlines were met. For all of these reasons, I would like to recommend Cheryl Mello for Family Service Provider of the Month for November 2003.
Nancy Langellier - Secretary / Receptionist
Nancy was nominated for the Family Service Provider award by her program manager:
It is with great pleasure that I nominate Nancy Langellier for this month's Family Service Provider Award. Nancy has been with Family Service Association for a few years now, working at the 151 Rock Street main office. During this time, she has flourished in her position. Nancy is the night shift supervisor, which poses certain responsibilities that she handles very well. Should an emergency arise, I can always trust her to quickly respond.
Nancy lives by the three C's. She is always conscientious, compassionate and courteous to clients and co-workers alike. In addition, she also demonstrates a great amount of loyalty toward the people she works with, as well as to the agency as a whole.Nancy is a "service with a smile" kind of employee, which makes her a joy to work with. And you can always count on Nancy for a good laugh!
I am honored to nominate Nancy for this special recognition!
Ranee Levesque - Payroll Clerk
This statement came from a Family Service Association program manager:
After working for almost two years at Family Service Association and dealing closely during that time with Payroll Clerk Ranee Levesque on a daily basis, I have seen in her many qualities that epitomize our agency's important mission.
She is conscientious about her payroll responsibilities, knowing full well that one of the most important things our hardworking staff expects is promptness and correctness of wages.
I have seen many examples of Ranee's patience and hard work. She can frequently be seen answering busy telephones in a courteous, pleasant, and timely manner. When asked a question regarding either a payroll or pension issue, Ranee does not hesitate to respond with a quick and accurate answer.
She also volunteers for many agency-sponsored events not related to her responsibilities in the Accounting Department. So dedicated is she that Ranee plans her vacations and days off around her payroll responsibilities.
Ranee has a pleasant and professional manner in her dealings with all our staff and is definitely a great asset to the agency Her quick wit makes for an enjoyable work day for her colleagues on the third floor and for everyone who comes in contact with her.
Ranee is a total team player and we can all be very proud of her.
Stephanie Thompson - The LIFT Program and
Sarah Travassos - Mental Health Clinic
Stephanie Thompson of the LIFT Program and Sarah Travassos of the Mental Health Clinic recently worked together on a very difficult and challenging case. It involved a young woman -- a Family Service Association client whose behavior had become, over time, increasingly disruptive. Thanks to Stephanie and Sarah's hard work, dedication, and patience, this situation was handled compassionately and professionally.
Stephanie contacted Sarah, the client's therapist, after observing the client's behavior at a meeting and determining that she was in crisis. It appeared to Sarah that a psychiatric hospital screening was an appropriate step to take at that point.
Concerned that the client might do harm to herself or others, the police were also called to assist. Sarah and Stephanie used their considerable skills to diffuse what could have become a very stressful and dangerous situation. The client was evaluated and later admitted to an area psychiatric hospital. She is now stable and residing in a group treatment home.
The fast thinking, professionalism and teamwork of these two outstanding staff members helped this client immeasurably. Their talents were used to address this challenge and their good judgment and hard work should be recognized
Stephanie Thompson
Sarah Travassos
Raymond D'Orsi - Human Resources Manager
This statement came from Ray's supervisor, nominating him to the Family Service Provider of the Month Award
It is with great pleasure that I nominate Raymond D'Orsi for the Family Service Provider of the Month award. Ray recently celebrated his second anniversary with Family Service and brings professionalism, efficiency, and a warm human spirit to the Human Resource Department of our agency.
Ray's efforts include many successes: a major decrease in worker's compensation cases, a significant reduction in worker's compensation premiums, a significant decrease in the number of unemployment cases for Family Service Association, a much-decreased turn around time for the hiring of new staff, and a newly revised Human Resource Employees Manual.
Ray has made himself and the Human Resource Department available to all managers and staff to answer questions, solve problems, and plan for the staffing needs of our programs. Ray's knowledge of Human Resource issues is a testament to how he is a true service-oriented individual. Ray has also been instrumental in the creation of a Family Service Association public access cable TV show for the Fall River area. He continues to advocate and push for its creation and we are now on our way to its first broadcast! Ray has found time in his busy schedule to bring a strong camaraderie to the departments and programs with which he works closely. He has also developed and implemented our current staff parking procedures.
Ray truly represents all the qualities of a Family Service Provider of the Month, is community- oriented, and is fully committed to performing his many duties during evenings and weekends -- all the time.
Ramona Turcotte - Big Friends / Little Friends Coordinator
This statement came from Ramona's supervisor, nominating her to the Family Service Provider of the Month Award
To mark the first anniversary of the Big Friends/Little Friends program, I would like nominate program coordinator Ramona Turcotte to receive the Family Service Provider of the Month Award for September 2004.
Ramona got the program off to a great start by bringing in 20 child/mentor matches at the very beginning. And she has helped the program to grow even larger since its establishment at our agency. But the real reason why Ramona should receive this award is her commitment and dedication to the Big Friends/Little Friends program and to our entire agency. She recruited a large number of volunteers from her program to represent Family Service Association in the Fall River Celebrates America Parade this past summer. Recruiting enthusiastic volunteers is second nature to Ramona. In fact, she recruited many volunteers for last November’s Family Fun Festival, although she had only worked with the agency for two months.
Ramona steps up to the plate anytime there is a need for volunteers and she always pursues each project with her familiar smile. She has become an integral part of this agency in one short year and we are sure she will be around for many more.
Jennifer Leiter - Home Assistance Program, GAFC and RN Training
This statement came from Jen's supervisor, Vice President Sharon Ford, nominating her for the Family Service Provider of the Month Award
It is rare when you can find a professional of such a high caliber that they are able to easily interchange responsibilities without missing a beat. I would like to nominate one such professional – a person who is truly invaluable to the agency and the clients we service.
I would like to nominate Jennifer Leiter. Jennifer's contributions reach far beyond her role within the Home Assistance Program. Jennifer has served in the role of co-worker, educator, trainer, supervisor, as well as a dedicated nurse.
Jennifer goes above and beyond, working past her scheduled hours, working on days off, and even on weekends. She not only sets the standard for professionalism, but holds each of us to that standard and helps us to achieve it. Jen is flexible and adaptable in any situation. She can step out of her role and into another and be successful. And Jennifer can take on several projects at once and somehow make them all work.
Her training and education skills are so adaptable that she can work equally well with administrators, peers, cognitively impaired clients, distressed family members, or security guards and be successful each time. Jen is helpful to all staff. We have seen her visit a client’s home to teach a new caregiver and then up roll up the sleeves of her suit to assist directly with the client’s personal care and do it with grace.
She would rather forfeit vacation time than take it at a time that would present a hardship to her peers. Jennifer never, ever says no! In short, she does whatever it takes to get the job done -- and done beyond what it expected.
It is with great pleasure that we nominate Jennifer Leiter RN for the Family Service Provider of the Month Award
and Education Specialist
Theresa Collard - Receptionist
This statement came from Terry's supervisor, Clerical Manager Kathy King, nominating her for the Family Service Provider of the Month Award.
I believe that Theresa Collard should receive the Family Service Provider Award for this month and when you hear my story, you will know why!
Terry has been working for Family Service Association for over 15 years and has done this with the utmost compassion for all those who visit here. However, an incident occurred two weeks ago that I will not soon forget. A physically handicapped, wheelchair-bound client came to his session as scheduled and an hour later left the building. Very suddenly, he re-appeared into the waiting room and was frantic, asking for immediate help stating that he could not breathe!
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Terry literally flew out of her chair. Before you knew it she was already in the waiting room asking the person what she needed to do for him. Apparently, one of his two oxygen tanks had run out and his breathing hoses needed to be immediately switched to the other full one. Although the client was having extreme difficulty explaining to Terry how to do this, together they accomplished the task and his breathing was restored. He became very emotional and could not stop thanking Terry for “saving his life” (his words!). He stayed for a bit saying he wanted to “catch his breath” and then went on his way a very happy man.
Of course we were all praising Terry for her quick reaction to this person’s life-threatening emergency but as is typical of Terry, her response was “Oh, any one of us would have done the same thing”. Maybe so, but it was Terry who came to the rescue!
For this reason and because of the very special way in which Terry has always represented our agency to the community, she deserves this month’s Family Service Provider Award.
Aida Pacheco & Jesse Rebelo - Multilingual Program
This statement came from Jesse and Aida's supervisor:
I would like to nominate Aida Pacheco and Jesse Rebelo as Family Service Providers of the month for December, 2004. Both Aida and Jesse provide intense family-based services to the multilingual communities of both Fall River and New Bedford. They both have been with the agency for over 20 years.
The program’s clients are all referred from the Department of Social Service and often have an array of very complex and difficult needs. Cultural and linguistic issues are primary to this program.
It is not uncommon for Aida and Jesse to make themselves available above and beyond the regular hours of the program, whether on a Saturday morning at 10 am or a Thursday night at 3 am. They assist their clients in everything from food stamps to complex legal and immigration issues. Jesse and Aida work very closely with the agency’s mental health clinic and the substance abuse clinic, primarily because their clients have additional complex mental health and substance abuse problems.
In addition to providing excellent service to these families, Jesse and Aida provide translation services throughout Fall River and New Bedford for the non-English speaking populations. Jesse also represents Family Service on the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Advisory Board.
These outstanding staff members are very deserving of this award.
Susana Roque - North End Office Receptionist
This statement came from Bill San Antonio, supervisor of the Substance Abuse Clinic:
I would like to recommend Sue Roque for the Family Service Provider Award. I have known Sue for approximately five years in her position of Support Staff Receptionist at the North Main Street location of the Mental Health Clinic.
Sue exudes a sincere, humble, gentle and inviting energy so that every client who comes to the North Main Street office feels welcomed and at home. I often hear clients speaking to Sue about things that would be considered therapeutic because she is so trusting and caring of the clients and respectful of confidentiality. When Sue is not around for whatever reason, clients are genuinely disappointed. On Tuesday night, the one evening the North Main Street office is opened, there is a sense of camaraderie that has developed between the clients and Sue.
Sue is always very person-centered, positive, and is the epitome of professionalism. Whether she is taking messages in English, Portuguese, Spanish, or Khmer, she wears a smile. Whether or not she is dealing with a clinic client, a divorcing-parents program participant, or a DSS employee, Sue meets their needs promptly and with a smile.
I cannot count the times that Sue has brought in an extra chocolate-frosted donut for me to perk me up in the morning. She helps me when my tie is crooked. She supports me in my work, always sending mail, faxes, and messages in accordance with HIPPA and Family Service Association' high standards.
The North Main Street staff all agree and it would not be an exaggeration to state that Sue goes way beyond the expectations of her job responsibilities. It is her performance that allows the clinical staff to do their job well and it is a pleasure to work at this site.
Beth Folcarelli - Director of Quality / Assistant to the President & CEO
The week of December 13, 2004 has come and gone but it was a week we at Family Service are not soon to forget. Many people contributed greatly to the success of our most recent Council on Accreditation (COA) review but no one put more heart and soul into preparing for this review then Beth Folcarelli.
Anyone who knows Beth knows that she is a champion of quality service. She understands the value of accreditation to our agency and her efforts were tireless as she pioneered our policies that demonstrated standards of best practice. She worked day and night to make sure the practices we employ were well represented to our accrediting body.
Beth has an extensive and comprehensive knowledge of all the accreditation requirements. She can recite G1 through G11 at the drop of a hat and her familiarity with the various service standards is incredible. It is her commitment to Family Service Association that was instrumental in making our COA review such a resounding success!
Beth was quick to credit all of her colleagues for working so rigorously to meet the many deadlines, which seem to rapidly approach us during this time. Now it is time to thank Beth for her generous contributions and monumental commitment of time and expertise, which have resulted in such a positive outcome for Family Service Association.
Heather Harley - Mental Health Clinician
This statement came from Bill San Antonio, supervisor of the Substance Abuse Clinic:
l would like to nominate Heather Harley, LICSW for the Family Service Provider of the Month Award for April, 2005. Heather has been associated with the agency’s Mental Health Clinic for many years and has worked on both a full time and part time basis over the years.
Heather works with many clients whose wide range of presenting issues requires her considerable skill and talent. She pursues her work with great enthusiasm and constantly strives to further refine her clinical skills. At the same time, Heather possesses a wonderful sense of humor and a great deal of humility.
Heather is an integral part of the Mental Health Clinic in-service training component, handling scheduling duties for the many guest speakers who train our agency’s staff. At the same time, she always accommodates the needs of our speakers and works to ensure that participants receive their Continuing Education Units.
As is the case with so many of our dedicated staff, Heather strikes the perfect balance between her professional responsibilities and her role at home, as a partner to her husband Pete and a parent to her son Benjamin.
Heather’s consistent contributions to Family Service Association, her dedication, talent, and strong work ethic make her an outstanding choice for this award.
David Norman - Van Driver
This statement came from Carol Nagle, Chief Operating Officer of Family Service Association:
There is a lot to be thankful for in the Norman household these days. In fact, a team of people is credited with helping Jayne Norman survive a major heart attack recently.
On the morning of December 4th of last year, Molly, a 13-pound dachshund, knew something was going terribly wrong and tried her hardest to awaken her master. Dave Norman, a very sound sleeper by his own admission, was awakened by the frantic dog only to find his wife and soul mate lying on the kitchen floor in cardiac arrest.
Dave immediately recognized the severity of the situation. Heavy on his mind was the fact that two of Jayne’s younger siblings had died of heart attacks and Dave saw before him all the signs and symptoms he had learned from his Family Service Association CPR course. Dave kept Jayne alive with CPR until the fire department personnel arrived. Luckly for Jayne, and because of Dave’s quick actions, the timely response of the emergency personnel, and the intervention of the heart surgeon who repaired the damage, this story has a happy ending.
We are very proud of Dave Norman, not only for stepping up in a time of crisis but also for his many contributions to our agency as the Countryside Adult Day Health Van Driver. Dave is loved by all the participants and is an important part of the Countryside Team that keeps them safe and happy. It is for this reason that Dave Norman deserves the Family Service Provider of the Month award.
Kathy King - Office Manager
This statement came from the support staff of the Family Service Association Mental Health Clinic:
We, the Clerical staff of the Mental Health Clinic, would like to nominate Kathy King for Family Service Provider of the Month. Kathy constantly strives to keep our office running as smoothly as possible. We cannot begin to list the instances when Kathy has come to our aid because of changing of schedules, appointments missed, clients with payment problems, doctors and nurses schedules ever changing, and challenging clients.
She has also implemented the “DocStar Program” which will help in alleviating the storage of paperwork, thereby, creating more space which is at a premiumKathy has many tasks in her busy day, which include supervising our two other offices, besides completing her own duties as Office Manager. It is almost an impossible task to provide coverage for these offices when one of the staff is out for illness or vacations, but somehow she manages all of this while always being professional, personable, and accommodating.
I think what keeps us all motivated at this particular office is the fact that she is also in tune to our needs as individuals and understands that we all need her attention at different times, not only for problems within the office but, at times, in our personal lives as well. Kathy is always willing to listen to our ideas on how our jobs can be improved, and yet is always willing to join in for "girl talk," or for a good laugh, which is much needed to keep the stress level down.
She may be the only Office Manager who does not have an office of her own, which can be difficult at the best of times. Her position as Office Supervisor is definitely challenging and demanding but she brings to it enthusiasm, professionalism, and understanding. Kathy is definitely a great asset to Family Service, therefore, we the Clerical Staff of the Mental Health Clinic and our Satellite offices feel she is most worthy of this award.
Cindy Makara - Guardianship Program
This statement came from Cindy's supervisor, Attorney Elizabeth Duffy-Johnson nominating her for the Family Service Provider of the Month Award.
The Guardianship Program has had a significant setback with the unexpected medical leave of its Fiscal Coordinator, Sally Wilson. In her absence Cindy Makara, a longstanding die-hard Red Sox fan, has really "stepped up to the plate."
Cindy has come in early, stayed late, and never complained about the mountains of work she faced. She has a consistent and pleasant manner with collaterals, supervisors and the wards served by the Guardianship Program.
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Cindy has shown some incredible initiative in dealing with some confusing accounts and has continually been available to her colleagues to review accounts. As the Guardianship Program has grown, Cindy has welcomed the new work load with competence and perseverance.
Cindy is one of our unsung heroes in the Guardianship Program. Her loyalty and professionalism is an inspiration to us all. Family Service Association is fortunate to have Cindy Makara working for the agency and I would like to take this opportunity to nominate Cindy Makara as Family Service Provider of the month.
