The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Evelin Merchant as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Impact!

Evelin's nomination reads:

"Evelin is an amazing social worker! She has taken the lead in planning our quarterly awards ceremonies for students at The Strawbridge School. Evelin also took the lead on creating superlative certificates and honor roll certificates for students, and they look amazing. She is very creative and talented, and she's also taken the lead on decorating for these events. Evelin has shown that seeing our student’s smiles and confidence-boosting is important to her. Her presence, creativity, and sincerity have created a lasting impact on our students!"

Congratulations, Evelin, and thank you!

Impact Drives Lasting Change

We seek to make lasting change in the lives of those we work with by providing services that are inclusive, measurable, and durable. We maximize our impact by investing in staff and board development. Feedback presents opportunity for action, which enhances and strengthens our programs and their outcomes.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Paola St. Juste as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Empathy!

Paola's nomination reads:

"A 10-year-old minor in Caminos had recently arrived and was very tearful. He had always slept with his grandmother and was scared to sleep by himself. Paola showed empathy and concern for the minor. She assured him that even though she couldn't come into the room, she would sit outside his room so that he would know that she was there. The minor reported that he felt much safer when she did this and asked her to do this the following night, which she did. Because of Paola's empathy for this minor, she made the transition period much more comfortable for him while he was waiting to be reunited with his father. This is just one example of how she makes a difference every day!"

Congratulations, Paola, and thank you!

Listen and Respond with Empathy

Empathy will guide our programming and culture at all levels. A supportive work and program environment means valuing the voices of all people, ensuring equitable representation, and growing a desire to know and understand others. We recognize that with empathy we will better understand what type of care and encouragement to provide.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Samantha Beyzaie as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Relationships!

Samantha's nomination reads:

"Samantha, one of the UMHC caseworkers goes above and beyond for all her caseload. However, one instance really sticks out. She has a 19-year-old male in the independent living program and went above and beyond to get him involved in a rugby team. Her goal was for him to have peers he could fit in with, gain social skills, and also work on his health at the same time! Even though the youth was not typically open to the idea and had a lot of negative behaviors toward Sam, she kept trying! The youth now enjoys the guys and the team aspect!"

Congratulations, Samantha, and thank you!

Foster Relationships within our Community

Openness and honesty with all stakeholders make for both the best program outcomes and team culture. Inclusive practices are the building blocks for trust. We create space for conversations that grow transparency about our decisions, promises, and understanding of one another.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Erica Gray as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!

Erica's nomination reads:

"Erica has recently taken over the oversight and facilitation of the RCYCP process. This is a certification for direct care professionals necessary to be able to do this special work. She has been a great partner and has deployed her special skills in organization and system development to ensure that the BCC care team understood the process and provides the necessary support to ensure that all are able to complete the certification. Without an active certification BCC's residential program would be missing a critical part of our care force and unable to meet our contractual obligations."

Congratulations, Erica, and thank you!

Safety as A Mindset

We value life, spirit, and health above all else and take action to maintain the safety of our workplaces, programs, and services through a trauma responsive lens. We are personally accountable for our own safety and collectively responsible for the mental, emotional, and physical safety of our community.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Jasmyne Holloway as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Impact!

Jasmyne's nomination reads:

"Nurse Jasmyne is one of the most determined nurses on campus who is persistent, persevering, assertive, and goes after what she wants without allowing the obstacles to hinder her. One story that touched everyone was when she was completing a youth’s assessment with another staff (Ms. Maria). She asked the youth, “How are you feeling?”, and the youth did not respond. Jasmyne asked again, “are you sad?” the youth looked down and said “yes”. With a caring gesture, Ms. Jasmyne and Ms. Maria asked the youth if he would like to see his sister, to which he said “yes”. Ms. Jasmyne went to the sister’s cottage to bring over the youth’s sister. As Ms. Jasmyne was doing this, Ms. Maria reassured the youth that (BCC) was different from where he and his sister had been placed previously and that he wouldn’t be separated from his sister."

Congratulations, Jasmyne, and thank you!

Impact Drives Lasting Change

We seek to make lasting change in the lives of those we work with by providing services that are inclusive, measurable, and durable. We maximize our impact by investing in staff and board development. Feedback presents opportunity for action, which enhances and strengthens our programs and their outcomes.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Mackenzie Tamblin as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Empathy!

Mackenzie's nomination reads:

"Mackenzie was given the very hard task of informing a youth their mother passed away due to COVID. This is news that no person is ever prepared to communicate and one of the hardest tasks a therapist can face. Mackenzie did an amazing job seeking consultation with supervisors, safety planning for the youth potentially going into crisis, and preparing the treatment team for how the information would be communicated to the youth. Mackenzie then had to deliver the news to the youth and did so in a trauma-informed manner, allowing space for the youth to experience his grief, and was a calming presence in a time of turmoil. The empathy that Mackenzie felt for this youth was apparent in all of the conversations and planning she had leading up to sharing this news with the youth."

Congratulations, Mackenzie, and thank you!

Listen and Respond with Empathy

Empathy will guide our programming and culture at all levels. A supportive work and program environment means valuing the voices of all people, ensuring equitable representation, and growing a desire to know and understand others. We recognize that with empathy we will better understand what type of care and encouragement to provide.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Julian Coppola-Zahavi as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Relationships!

Ms. Julian's nomination reads:

"Jules is our Regional Navigator for human trafficking survivors in Anne Arundel County. One of the aspects of Jules' job is forming community partnerships to increase awareness and identification of human trafficking. Jules partnered with Anne Arundel County Public Schools to deliver a pilot virtual training on human trafficking to high school seniors last year, and the program was such a success that Jules has been invited back on numerous occasions this school year to present in high school health classes across the county. We appreciate Jules' work to sustain relationships with this important community partner, not only because relationships are a Core Value but also because of the positive impact this work is having on students. Thank you, Jules!"

Congratulations, Ms. Julian, and thank you!

Foster Relationships within our Community

Openness and honesty with all stakeholders make for both the best program outcomes and team culture. Inclusive practices are the building blocks for trust. We create space for conversations that grow transparency about our decisions, promises, and understanding of one another.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Selina Aviles as the February 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!

Ms. Selina's nomination reads:

"Ms. Selina is a Unit Supervisor for the girls' unit in the Caminos Program in West Virginia. Ms. Selina exemplifies safety on a daily basis. We recently have had several vacancies for Campus Supervisor and Ms. Selina is always quick to fill the vacancy without hesitation while ensuring her tasks are complete for her position as well, ensuring safety for the entire campus, and for all three programs. BCC is safer and better with Selina. We thank you Ms. Selina, te agradezco mucho."

Congratulations, Ms. Selina, and thank you!

Safety as A Mindset

We value life, spirit, and health above all else and take action to maintain the safety of our workplaces, programs, and services through a trauma responsive lens. We are personally accountable for our own safety and collectively responsible for the mental, emotional, and physical safety of our community.

The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Tina Champagne-George as the October 2021 Core Value Award winner for Impact!

Ms. Tina's nomination reads:

"Tina C George offers safety with our Youth by watching the environment due diligence, informing maintenance to keep things fixed at all times, keeping sharp objects in the locked closet, helping Youth to make wise choices, teaching them life skills to perform out in the community at their best, Educated the Youth the world can be dangerous and scary so depending on their reaction and their attempt to play a part within society should be with a positive outlook. Tina embraces the Youth like her own, offers an empathetic ear, consoles them when needed, and uses the techniques taught by our TCI trainers."

Congratulations, Ms. Tina, and thank you!

Impact Drives Lasting Change

We seek to make lasting change in the lives of those we work with by providing services that are inclusive, measurable, and durable. We maximize our impact by investing in staff and board development. Feedback presents opportunity for action, which enhances and strengthens our programs and their outcomes.