Crisis Response Team - Del Brown

Theresa Rulien, Program Director for the Crisis Response Team had this to say about Del Brown, "I first want to thank the Crisis Response Team for their increased efforts this past year. The volume of calls was fairly close to last year, however, the number of face-to-face responses increased by 15%. The intensity of the calls was heightened and follow-up took a great deal more involvement. I thank them also for their commitment to offering additional therapies and comprehensive assessments to the community whenever I asked. I thank the entire team for the diligence and focus on our overall goal of keeping children from being inappropriately hospitalized and providing continued treatment for them as needed. The team has chosen the following member to receive the Excellence Award based on some of these comments: This person 'has been a team player with a laid back approach, a commitment to the team and a friendship to everyone….a great guy to work with!' I personally have noted this person is calm, collective, and rarely ruffled even though he has been accosted by police dogs and angry mothers, all in the line of duty!"

School Based Team - Theresa Johnson

It seems there are not enough positive adjectives to cover all the wonderful attributes the SBT therapists communicated regarding their high opinion of Theresa and her work. Words used to relate how much Theresa is appreciated by Team 22 include; professional, courteous, available, knowledgeable, focused, efficient, flexible, dedicated, accurate and dependable. Theresa is the quiet strength behind much of Team 22’s accomplishments in recent years and she provides a secure foundation for meeting team needs, whether providing information, supplies or doing other crucial tasks. Even though she has never met most of the clients, she knows many of them by name and is familiar with their basic story. She always greets you with a smile and has a calm presence no matter what crisis is happening or what is asked of her. She has made the necessary adjustments to additional sites being added to the team and has adapted to the new insurance regulations and requirements with the same speed and accuracy she has always displayed. Congratulations to Theresa, the 2007 excellence award winner.

Visitation Team - Regina Walls

Team 30 underwent many changes during the past year. The new supervised visitation centers opened. The 9th  street nurturing center transferred all clients to the Northside office for visitation, most without any records. Many parents were confused, upset, and angry. Regina took on the responsibility of putting everything in order and making sure all the families were accommodated. She is well organized, dedicated, and has high ethical standards. She is efficient, effective, and works well with others. Regina consistently demonstrates team excellence.

Case Management Team - Maria Garcia

Maria is known as our “Q.A. Detective.” She takes real pride in her work, rarely forgets any client’s name and can tell you without looking what’s been filed in the chart and what’s missing. She’s an all around hard worker who has taken on many tasks that go beyond her job description. One of her co-workers describes her as team oriented, counselor, administrative assistant, organizer, teacher and friend. She is a loving person who will give you advice, offers to help you with projects, thoroughly checks your chart work, teach life lessons and will even tell a joke to make your day go smoothly. Maria deserves this award as a small token for the huge amount of hard work, integrity, dedication and high ethical standards she puts into her work.

FSS Team - Kristin Saunders

The Full Service Schools Program takes great pride in presenting this year’s Excellence Award to Kristen Saunders. Her peers agree that she consistently goes “to the ends of the earth” to reach her clients. She “charms angry parents with her gentle spirit and kindness”. Her clients love her and the school staff respect her as do her peers. Clinically she’s able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, while at the same time maintaining extremely high productivity and quality documentation. Her time management skills and attention to detail are outstanding. She’s just amazing! She also has a generous spirit. Although she works late and long hours, she goes out of her way to help coworkers. She never complains and always greets others with a sincere smile, a smile that could melt an iceberg. Peers say that she is a pleasure to work with, “a social worker with the utmost integrity who will go the extra mile every time for clients as well as staff”. Her warmth, personality, work ethic and integrity make her most deserving of this award. She is a therapist to be emulated. Congratulations to Kristen Saunders.

Arlington Outpatient Team - Elena Saladino

If ever there was a therapist eager to learn, it is Elena Saladino. Her thirst for clinical knowledge is never quenched, yet she is just as willing to share her knowledge with other clinicians. Her coworkers state that she is always willing to go the extra mile for her clients. “She works long hours but never complains if you ask for her help. She’s absolutely wonderful to work with!” They are not only impressed by “her hard work ethic”, but also her mastery of the ever changing paperwork. She has been described as a phenomenal therapist while also being at the top of the productivity list. Her clients and parents love her and her paperwork is excellent. She can be depended on consistently. We cannot say enough; she’s an outstanding example of team excellence. Congratulations to Elena Saladino.

Westside Team - Rhonda Jones

Therapists cannot do their job without the help of a strong, supportive Team Secretary. Westside Outpatient is fortunate enough to have just such a person in Rhonda Jones. Her team describes her as extremely helpful, always willing to answer their questions and get the information they need in spite of all of her other responsibilities. One said, “She does so much here, I wouldn’t be able to do my job without her.” She is available to them while answering phones, assuring that the children are safe in the waiting room, assisting Visitation Center clients, solving insurance issues, and the list goes on. Another staff member stated that she goes above and beyond the call of duty when assisting staff with answers and support while keeping the waiting room quiet and respectful. Her absence this year made it even more apparent how important she is to the team. We like to think of Rhonda as the stake in the ground holding down the helium balloons so they will not fly away. She is so very deserving of this award. Congratulations to Rhonda Jones.

North Duval Team - Kay Cooper

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, the going definitely got tough, and Kay Cooper not only got going, but she has single handedly kept the Northside Outpatient Office going and growing. Her coworkers describe her as an exceptional team player and supervisor with a high degree of professionalism. Her staff feel respected and supported. She is very available for both clinical and administrative guidance (even city directions). The children love her and her coworkers love her. She remains positive in the most extreme of circumstances. She’s eager to learn and eager to teach. She leads by example with a quiet spirit and a warm smile. Those whom she supervises say that she inspires them to give above 100%. She’s also a wonderful and experienced therapist willing to share her expertise. No one could be more deserving of the Excellence Award. Congratulations to Kay Cooper.

Administrative Team - Sherie Smith

Ken Smith, the agency's Development Director, had this to say about Sherie, "I have known Sherie for five years and she has directly worked with me in my current position as Development Director for the last three years. During this time I have had ample opportunity to work with Sherie on several different projects. Sherie is always willing to help out with an optimistic attitude. For example, Sherie participated on two fundraising committees which initiated two inaugural fundraising events; The Art Auction and the Miniature Golf Tournament. She brings enthusiasm and a can-do attitude to everything she undertakes."

Veronica Valentine, our Chief Executive Officer, said, "Whether she is proof reading grants, writing thank-you acknowledgements or helping with (yet another) a special event, Sherie can be depended upon to help bring the product to a level of quality few others can accomplish. I could go on and on providing examples of why Sherie is a superb candidate for the Excellence Award; but suffice it to say, Sherie is a top notch professional who is most deserving of this recognition."