Congratulations to our employees recently recognized by their programs/departments as Mission Makers! Your dedication to our mission, vision, and values is highlighted through your work everyday!
Meet our April Mission Makers:
Alysen Allen, Senior BHP, School Based, Central Maine. The School-Based Services team wants to recognize Alysen Allen for her outstanding work ethic. The demands of her position are very changing and often changing day to day and Aly has been able to meet those demands with a positive attitude and without complaints. In recent weeks Aly has been providing an extensive amount of sub coverage to various consumers within our program. Providing sub coverage is not an easy task and there are often a lot of last-minute changes that occur to her schedule and we want to ensure that she is truly acknowledged for her hard work and dedication. Thank you Aly for all that you do for your team!
Jacob Ezell BHP, School-Based Services, Southern Maine. Jacob has been working with his consumer throughout the school year and has done an excellent job navigating numerous plan changes. He adapts quickly and effectively, demonstrating flexibility and strong problem-solving skills. Jacob consistently maintains a positive attitude and communicates thoughtful ideas to his supervisor on how to improve his consumer’s daily experience. He goes above and beyond, showing true dedication to both his consumer and the team!
Sarah Hood, BHP, School-Based, Southern Maine. Sarah has done a wonderful job stepping into her role as a BHP with a high school consumer. Sarah has formed great relationships with school staff and works well as a part of a team to best support her consumer. Sarah has built a nice relationship with her consumer where she is able to joke around and have fun while still holding expectations and encouraging the consumer to complete his expectations as independently as possible. We’re so lucky to have her on our team!
Kris Kellerhals, Behavioral Health Professional, Central ME. Kris works in School-Based Services, working with a consumer who is in his first year of High School. This has been a big transition for this student, and Kris has provided absolutely stellar treatment plan integrity, helping his consumer learn and access the tools he needs to become successful in his classroom environment. As we push out of the self-contained space and into those big school hallways, we feel lucky that Kris is on the team.
Joanne McKay, Shared Living Coordinator. Joanne consistently demonstrates excellence in her role through her reliability, professionalism, and positivity! Always on track and highly organized, ensuring that all responsibilities are completed not only in a timely manner, but with a high level of quality and attention to detail. Her work reflects a strong commitment to both compliance and the people we serve. She is all-around an amazing person to work with. Her dedication and consistency make a meaningful impact on both our team and the individuals we serve.
Nicole Pare, BHP, School-Based Services, Central Maine. Nicole has been a BHP within the Central Maine Region going on 8 years. Although she currently only works within the School Based Program, Nicole has experience with in-home support services as well. Nicole shows up daily to work with a positive attitude and high energy. This school year, she has demonstrated an outstanding ability to maintain solid boundaries while ensuring high quality work without burnout. She has also engaged in providing sub coverage to School-Based consumers as needed. Nicole, we are so grateful to have you as part of our Team!
Joshlyn Rinaldi BHP, School-Based Services, Southern Maine. Joshlyn recently started working with a new consumer and has done an excellent job. She consistently follows the behavior plan and actively seeks out feedback to continue improving. Joshlyn is a strong communicator and maintains a positive attitude, even during challenging moments with her consumer. We are very lucky to have her as part of our team!
Shelby Shurtleff, Field Supervisor/Program Manager Central Maine RCS/SB Programs. Shelby is a Senior BHP within the Central Maine office who is also in the process of transitioning into becoming a Field Supervisor. Shelby continues to demonstrate commitment and flexibility in managing the responsibility of two challenging roles at this time. She is incredibly hardworking and reliable. Shelby you are true asset to the Team and we are so lucky to have you!
Jennifer Smith, BHP, RCS, Central ME. The role of an in-home BHP is not an easy one, but Jennifer Smith is truly made for this position. She plays a critical role in the home where she provides services and has been a consistent support to this family for several years. She is greatly appreciated not only by the family but also by Woodfords. Her consumer has made meaningful progress during her time in the home, and she has built a strong, positive relationship with him. Even when the work becomes stressful, Jen remains steady and reliable, always making sure to communicate with her supervisors and seek support when needed. She is deeply valued and makes a genuine difference every day.
Carolyn (Cara) Stevens, Assistant Lead Teacher, Westbrook SPPS. Cara was nominated by her peers for her immense and extremely impressive growth both personally and professionally during her time here at Woodfords. It has truly been a pleasure to watch her flourish in her new role, recently stepping up as an Assistant Lead teacher in the Katahdin classroom. She has jumped right in, soaking up all the information as quickly as possible about each student in her room to ensure that the best quality services are being provided. She is energetic, flexible, determined to learn, and truly shining in this position. She steps right up when her lead teacher is out, be-bopping to every staff to check in throughout the day, immediately dropping a task if needed to support, asking providers great questions, and advocating for both the student and staff needs. She remains calm under pressure and takes feedback so well. She really has become a role model for so many, taking on anything that comes her way with a smile on her face and a go-getter attitude. She is a friend to all and a favorite amongst the students across the board. Thank you Cara, for the light and positivity you bring with you each and every day. You have stepped into leadership with grace and ease and we are so proud of you. Congratulations!
David Wiley, DSP, Expeditions. David exemplifies what it means to be a Mission Maker within our HCBS Community Support Program. He brings consumer engagement to an exceptional level through his positive energy, natural sense of humor, and genuine participation alongside the individuals he supports. His approach creates an environment where individuals feel motivated, valued, and excited to engage in activities and skill-building opportunities. Through his actions, David demonstrates a deep commitment to providing high-quality, engaging supports. He truly embodies the mission of Expeditions by fostering connection, promoting growth, and ensuring that each individual feels respected, supported, and empowered. David is a valued member of the team and a true asset to the program.
Paige Yourch, Ed Tech, Westbrook, ECS. Paige was nominated by her peers for jumping in so seamlessly to the Woodpeckers team. It is said that she perhaps may secretly be a magical unicorn, appearing one day out of nowhere like she has been here all along with us. She has already demonstrated amazing skills both with the students and with her data book. This work seems to come very naturally to her as she can really balance everything thrown her way while remaining cool, calm, and collected. She asks wonderful questions, showing a genuine curiosity in the important work that we do here. She is a fast learner and does a great job at actively implementing feedback to support her learning in the classroom. She is proactive at communicating with providers, ensuring programming is being moved on at an appropriate rate, and also took it upon herself to complete an early self-book check when she knew she would be out of the classroom for the day. She demonstrates intrinsic motivation and a very impressive skill set for someone so new to the organization. She is kind, approachable, and easy to get along with. We are so thrilled to have Paige on our Preschool team and cannot wait to watch her grow in the Ed Tech role. Thank you, for all that you do!