Shining a Spotlight on Those Who Exemplify Our Mission.

Cassie received a call from a person she did not know who was very upset, saying she had been on hold for over two hours and had to talk to someone about benefits. Cassie did not put the lady on hold, but instead contacted Stephanie via Teams. Stephanie realized this was not an employee but took the call anyway. The lady was very distraught and said she received a letter from JFS, and if she did not call between 11-11:30, she was going to lose her benefits. She had been on hold since she called at 11. Stephanie looked up the number for JFS, and the lady confirmed that was the number she called; however, the extension in the letter was Stephanie's extension. Stephanie and Cassie were both very professional with the lady and explained who we were and that we could not help her. Neither one put her on hold, and by the time the call was over, the lady had calmed down and appreciated their help. Stephanie suggested she go to JFS in person and that she, Stephanie, would follow up with an email to JFS to vouch for the lady that she had indeed been attempting to get ahold of them so as to not lose her benefits (which she did). Cassie spent time investigating whether the call had come in through DD or where the lady had been on hold. She was not on hold with us, as the call had gone directly to Cassie's line. Overall, I appreciate the professional and helpful manner in which Cassie and Stephanie handled this situation by showing care for a community member.

Cassie received a call from a person she did not know who was very upset, saying she had been on hold for over two hours and had to talk to someone about benefits. Cassie did not put the lady on hold, but instead contacted Stephanie via Teams. Stephanie realized this was not an employee but took the call anyway. The lady was very distraught and said she received a letter from JFS, and if she did not call between 11-11:30, she was going to lose her benefits. She had been on hold since she called at 11. Stephanie looked up the number for JFS, and the lady confirmed that was the number she called; however, the extension in the letter was Stephanie's extension. Stephanie and Cassie were both very professional with the lady and explained who we were and that we could not help her. Neither one put her on hold, and by the time the call was over, the lady had calmed down and appreciated their help. Stephanie suggested she go to JFS in person and that she, Stephanie, would follow up with an email to JFS to vouch for the lady that she had indeed been attempting to get ahold of them so as to not lose her benefits (which she did). Cassie spent time investigating whether the call had come in through DD or where the lady had been on hold. She was not on hold with us, as the call had gone directly to Cassie's line. Overall, I appreciate the professional and helpful manner in which Cassie and Stephanie handled this situation by showing care for a community member.

Kyla transitioned into her role as a 0–5 Developmental Specialist with ease and enthusiasm while continuing to balance her responsibilities in Early Intervention. She took the initiative to learn from another DD program already implementing 3–5 Early Intervention Services and brought that knowledge back to our team, offering thoughtful ideas and recommendations to strengthen and refine our program.

Kyla also created a clear, easy-to-follow flowchart to help the Early Intervention team and other Developmental Specialists better understand the eligibility process and navigate the new 3–5 program. Her willingness to learn, share her knowledge, support her colleagues, and develop helpful resources demonstrates her commitment to providing a high standard of service and helping create a brand of excellence. We are thankful to have Kyla on our team and appreciate all she does to support our staff and the people we serve.

During my displacement this summer while Forest Rose has been under construction, Angie has been so helpful to me in so many ways, like helping me find workstations when the drop-in cubes were full, working with me on large mailings, collecting deliveries because items couldn't be delivered to the school, and helping me with odds and ends. The list goes on. Thank you, Angie, for all your help this summer. I would have been lost over at SSA without you!