TEAM ADMIN, ADMISSIONS, MARKETING, FINANCE Kellie Petersen, Client Engagement Specialist - Admissions·        
This nomination is LONG OVERDUE! I notice we often overlook some of our frontline staff in these nominations, so I want to shine a light on someone who consistently goes above and beyond, is compassionate and caring along with having great customer service with our community partners and all the emails and calls she responds to in her role as part of the client engagement team. I can't tell you how long exactly she has been with the agency, but in my short year and some change in my current role with Odyssey, she has been my go to for pretty much everything admissions and intake related. She is always willing to help out by providing me information on the fly while I am on the road or without wifi or cell service. She gets things done with lightning speed, such as acceptance letters, Medicaid verification, address verification requests, records requests, and much, much more. Kellie is dedicated to helping people struggling with substance use disorders and an advocate for people who are incarcerated and trying to get into treatment. Another piece of this nomination is that I am constantly getting compliments from our community partners such as the Legal Defenders Association- "If I need anything I just go to Kellie. Her response time to my emails is never longer than same business day and usually is immediate." Case managers and the Re-entry team with AP&P and UDC, "Love working with Kellie. I can always count on her to get things done and help me with whatever I need." Even people inside our agency rely on Kellie heavily because of how efficient she is. Kellie is hardworking and dedicated, in addition to being smart as a whip and a fast learner. Her job requires a lot of work up front to be done in the Cerner system, and she handled this transition like a boss. With all the requests and emails and things going on around her all the time, she maintains a smile and fun attitude and energy. I could not do my job without her. She is definitely my man in the chair!  

‍TEAM ADULT RESIDENTIAL – DOWNTOWN Neal Tate, Utilization Review Specialist·        
Neal, you're an amazing coworker, and we're so lucky to have you on the team. Your years of dedication to Odyssey show in everything you do, and you always bring us back to the core values and reasons behind our work. You've been with Odyssey for many years, and you truly bleed what Odyssey stands for. Your deep connection to the company has been a guiding light for all of us, helping the team stay grounded in why we do certain things.

‍Even as you've moved from middle management to your new role as a UR specialist, you continue to be the backbone of our house. When things are tough or we have to make hard decisions, we look to you because we know we can count on your knowledge and skill set to guide us. During your transition to the new position, not only did you have to learn a completely new role, but you also had to learn Cerner on top of that, becoming very knowledgeable in the system before the team was proficient. Your dedication and hard work with both our clients and the team are truly inspiring. Neal, thank you for everything you do. I sincerely appreciate your unwavering support and help during my time at Odyssey. Your contributions have made a significant impact, and we all greatly value your dedication and effort.  ·        

Neal has taken on a new position within the facility, but that does not mean he is doing any less, he may be doing MORE! Neal is very on top of everything he is doing, making sure that everything gets done for our funding and that problems get resolved. He also is always open to helping anyone learn something that they are struggling with or help problem solve.Neal has a fun sense of humor and has us laughing all the time. And he knows the program.

Neal has also been able to adapt to the new changes within the program over the years, which is helpful to those of us who came in after not being in the program for a while and are confused by many changes in rules.Neal is just a rock star and deserves to be recognized for his hard work, his abilities to take on everything he needs to AND willingness to help others.  

TEAM ADULT RESIDENTIAL – LIGHTHOUSE Marlene Pruess, Therapist·      
I would like to nominate Marlene. I was lucky enough to see all of her hard work she put into making camp enjoyable for the Clients. The night I was at camp the Clients had an amazing time playing minute to win it games. It was coordinated chaos. It was beautiful to see all the Clients engaged cheering peers on and making new memories. Marlene did an amazing job putting the games together and keeping the Clients engaged. Thank you Marlene!      

Marlene is very engaged in her work. She did such an incredible job with games/activities at camp and helped make it "the best yet". She is a good example to other staff and a great support for clients.  

‍TEAM ADULT RESIDENTIAL – MEADOWBROOK   Lisa Hulse, TC Mentor·        
Lisa is truly exceptional in every way! She consistently goes above and beyond to support our clients in the TC. Lisa has been instrumental in enhancing the overall functionality of the TC. She dedicates her time to teaching concepts to both staff and clients, and regularly conducts "refresher" sessions in our meetings to ensure we are all aligned. Additionally, Lisa initiated a weekly library outing every Friday for our clients, which has proven to be incredibly beneficial and motivating for them. Her dedication, teamwork, and willingness to tackle challenges for the betterment of both the community and staff productivity are commendable. Lisa excels at holding both her peers and clients accountable, further demonstrating her commitment to our collective success.

TEAM ADULT RESIDENTIAL – MILLCREEK    Beverly Martinez, Case Manager·        
I had the opporutnity to sit in on a behavioral group that Beverly was faciliitating. It was a very serious group and it was apparent that the clients were not being forthcoming with the truth. I watched Beverly stay calm and kind with her discussion points that finally led the group to some closure. I was really impressed with her demeanor the whole time and am impressed with her professional development over the last year. We were able to address a safety issue with the clients and we kept everyone that was involved in the program. Nice job Beverly!  

‍TEAM CLINIC Jen Smith, Medical Assistant·        
Jen cares so much for her patients and she goes above and beyond to make sure that they are taken care of however minute the situation may seem at the moment, she makes that patient feel like it is the most important thing and it will be addressed in a timely manner. I love the compassion and drive she has to make all our patients feel special, whether it is by remembering a little detail of their life from a previous visit or how to enunciate their name correctly, call them by their correct pronouns, she makes all the patients that she interacts with feel special and that they belong.She also knows when I am probably not having the best of days. She will replenish the chocolate basket for her peers. She makes sure the fridge is stocked with my favorite flavor of sparkling water. She checks in on me before she leaves when I am charting at the end of the day to see if I am okay before she leaves. She cares for her people. I think she is deserving of this award for those reasons.
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TEAM MENTAL HEALTH; WOMEN’S / MEN’S, FACT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE Kween Faamausili, Behavioral Health Tech – Women’s Mental Health ·        
Kween is always so helpful and kind to all staff. She is always picking up slack for all staff, someone needs help running a group? Kween will run it. Someone needs med pass covered? Kween will pass the meds. Need a day off? Kween will come in and cover you. She is always there for everyone, she is a great listener and an awesome conversator. She is amazingly strong and patient, even when she has a million things happening outside of work she has on her best face for her coworkers and most importantly for the clients. We love Kween!  

TEAM OUTPATIENT; SUGARHOUSE / REDWOODRyan Bolander, Therapist  – Redwood ·        
Ryan has not been at Redwood Outpatient very long, but has worked for Odyssey Houese for 4 years. He is a Cerner super user who has been very patient and kind in helping us understand the proceedures we need to learn. Recently, he experienced a family loss and passed his licensure exam in the same week and yet has not let it impact his work as a therapist, as Cerner support, or as a co-facilitator in Orientation. He is intelligent, kind, calm, and supportive which is a positive influence among staff and our clients. I am grateful to be working with Ryan.  

‍TEAM PARENTS & CHILDREN SERVICES Carolina Smith, Therapist – Parent’s Program ·        

Carolina has been our only individual therapist for our adult client's for bit with our short staffing. She jumped right in and not only did she prioritize the client's needs effectively she also advocated for herself and asked for help in areas she needed support with. She is a rockstar and our client's report they feel safe with her. She is also great with boundaries and supporting our client's with both meeting their needs and teaching them delayed gratification. Our client's have a lot of collaterals with DCFS and she asks her team to attend these when she has other obligations which brings our team closer and feels supportive. She is a great communicator which is critical for so many moving parents for our families and we are so grateful for her presence on our team.  

‍TEAM SCHOOL BASED SERVICES & YOUTH EXPEDITIONEmma Peckenpaugh, Therapist – School Based Services·        
Emma recognized that it would be helpful to have a specific space to staff clients based on age and created a short weekly client staffing meeting that was focused on a younger age group. She generally leads the discussion each week and keeps the focus of the meeting to meeting the needs of the clients. Each of the therapists that attend this meeting can bring concerns about clients, questions about play therapy models and process questions, discharge questions, and other ideas that are focused on helping the therapist meet the needs of the clients better. It has created a place to brainstorm and check in amongst the elementary school therapists on the school based team. This has helped each of the elementary school based therapists be more focused and effective in their work each day at the elementary schools. Emma is a great peer leader on the team and is constantly striving to be a better therapist herself, allowing others to give her feedback and suggestions.  

‍TEAM TRANSITIONAL SERVICES, BOARDING HOMES & FACTJake Smith, Behavioral Health Tech – Boarding Homes·        
Jake has been absolutely amazing when it comes to stepping up and covering shifts here at the Boarding Homes and also stepping out of his comfort zone and moonlighting at other facilities he has been a blessing to work with thank you Jake you are a life saver  ·        

I have only worked with Jake one time, but I swear I've never been around someone more welcoming and outgoing and actually made working graves fun! Jake is so friendly and caring and just overall amazing to be around!  

‍TEAM YOUTH RESIDENTIALBrian Slaugh, Behavioral Health Tech Shift Lead·        
Brian is always willing to help out with the kids and with staff. He is constantly offering to cover shifts when its needed, even when the shifts needed are difficult such as grave. Brian is amazing with the kids and provides the structure the kids need. Our clients have told me that Brian is able to hold them accountable in ways that resonate with them while showing he cares about them. I appreciate Brian's work ethic and he is reliable in everything he does. He has matured as a leader since becoming shift lead, showing his growth mindset by asking for feedback and implementing the coaching he is given. Brian, I appreciate your upfront attitude and your ability to adapt to any situation. I'm grateful to have you on the team, thank you for everything you do!