Michigan dept of Health and Human Services recognizes five individuals, two teams with awards

Nov. 9, 2010

 

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Ismael Ahmed today recognized five individuals and two teams with service awards.

 

Efforts to improve employee morale, reorganize the administrative hearing notification process to create efficiencies and provide support to foster parents to ensure child safety and well-being were among examples of outstanding efforts by MDHHS employees to carry out the department's mission and demonstrate superior leadership.

 

"MDHHS is better because of these people who go above and beyond to help us fulfill our mission to serve vulnerable children, adults and families," Ahmed said. "I commend them for their outstanding service and dedication."

 

Those honored include:

 

Kate Hanley, of Okemos, the director of the permanency division within the Bureau of Child Welfare, was awarded the Best Practice Leadership Award for her efforts to help children find permanency. Hanley developed and implemented the Permanency Resource Manager program to help children who've waited the longest in foster care find permanent connections. By Sept. 30, 81 percent of temporary court wards and 77 percent of permanent court wards in counties that participate in the program achieved permanency.

 

"She passionately believes all children deserve permanent connections in their lives to ensure stability and success as adults," said Anita Peters, a manager in the Adoption and Youth Services unit, who nominated Hanley for the award.

 

Six departmental Star Awards were given to four individuals and two teams. The Star Award honors outstanding MDHHS employees and teams whose abilities and achievement exemplify MDHHS values and goals, including leadership, integrity, excellence, inclusion and teamwork.

 

Star Award individual honorees include:

 

• Teresa Marvin, of Portland, an Early On parent liaison in the Central Office Children's Protective Services. She has worked for the department for 10 years and demonstrates integrity and fairness in all she does, while helping fellow employees recognize their own strengths.
• LaTasha McKinney-Newell, of Canton, a district secretary in the Wayne County Inkster district office. She has been with MDHHS for four years and is recognized for her strong organizations skills that have allowed her to improve the administrative hearing process.
• Sharon L. Rowland, of Redford Township, a Jobs, Education and Training specialist in the Wayne County Greydale/Grand River district office. She has spent 13 years at MDHHS and is dedicated to providing excellent customer service.

 

• Kaye Smith-Clay, of Detroit, a department manager at the Wayne County Greydale/Grand River district office currently assigned to Cadillac Place. She has worked for MDHHS for 20 years, and makes a practice of soliciting input from key stakeholders, actively listens and provides follow up in a timely manner.  

Star Award team honorees include:

 

The Cash and Employment and Training Policy Unit, which is in Adult and Family Services. Members of the unit have consistently proved themselves to be dedicated, hard-working, professional experts who developed a training program, traveled through the state to train staff - all while maintaining their regular duties. Team members include:

 

• Dale Shaw, of Dewitt, cash assistance policy analyst.
• Tausha Drain, of Lansing, department analyst.
• Dawn M. Sweeney, of Potterville, employment and training policy analyst.
• Bobi Dixon, of Grand Ledge, disability policy analyst.
• Pam Hartenburg, of Eaton Rapids, employment and training program specialist.

 

The Grandmont Service Center Administrative Support Unit, which consists of duties like answering phones, assisting clients with submitting applications and registering applications. The service center opened in May 2010. At that time, the team, which was a mix of clerical staff from various districts, worked for six weeks without a supervisor. The team showed individual and collective leadership and adapted quickly. Team members include:

 

• Andrea Andrews, of Belleville, general office assistant.
• Doreen Gartrell, of Detroit, general office assistant.
• Germaine Harville, of Detroit, administrative services manager.
• Dennis Locke, of Detroit, general office assistant.
• Mi Wha McBrien, of Huntington Woods, program manager.
• Valerie Metzler, of Detroit, word processing assistant.
• Yvonne Owens, of Taylor, general office assistant.
• Andrea Strong, of Roseville, general office assistant.
• Yaita Turner, of Southfield, word processing assistant.
• LaClair Winbush, of Oak Park, district secretary.

 

 

For more information about MDHHS, please visit www.michigan.gov/mdhhs . Follow DHS on Twitter @MichiganDHS or become a fan at www.facebook.com/MichiganDHS .