2018 Value Awards

PSRS adopted four Values earlier this year.  As we have started to incorporate these values into our work and culture, we wanted to acknowledge those who embody them.  Our management and administrative staff nominated their peers for these special awards - we had over 40 nominations!   The PSRS Board of Directors had a hard job to do - they voted for the award recipients.  At our recent retreat, we acknowledged these award winners - we are so proud to have such a dedicated team of people.  PSRS is excited to announce our special award recipients as well as those who received an honorable mention.

ACCOUNTABILITY

We choose every day to meet challenges head-on with purpose and resolve.  We hold ourselves to a higher standard through individual and collective actions, ownership of our responsibilities, and an uncompromised commitment to the health and safety of the people we support.

Alyssa Cribbs

Allie is one of the people that I have come to count on to be a part of the PSRS team, regardless of what is asked of her. She consistently demonstrates a willingness to take ownership of the tasks that she is assigned, whether it is stepping up to help out with the training process, complete possessions inventories for clients, visit sites to review medication requirements, or review client finances. Not only does Allie always lend a helping hand, she holds herself to the highest level of professionalism possible. While she does not expect perfection from anyone, she does expect (and achieves) excellence. Allie’s willingness and ability to hold herself accountable means that nobody else has to. I truly believe that Allie demonstrates the value of accountability every single day.

Andrea Bennetto

Andrea does an exceptional job of ensuring health and safety of our clients as well as meeting state compliance standards. She holds herself responsible at a high level. She has the ability to stay organized and focused to accomplish the many tasks that her position entails.  

COMMUNITY

We are connected within, built on a foundation of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, unified by a strong sense of respect, trust, and shared passion for the work we do.   We reach outward to promote understanding and acceptance of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and to enrich our communities through mutual engagement and inclusion.

Krista Nieman

As PSRS’ relatively new Training Resource Manager, Krista Neiman spends her entire work week building community. Krista consistently advocates for a stronger community for ID/DD individuals within PSRS and in the broader public. Krista has an all inclusive mentality and she firmly believes that everyone deserves a voice and has a right to be heard– staff, clients, families, and stakeholders – and that they should exercise that right to ensure they are included. A community based approach is the foundation of many of the trainings that Krista develops, and it is core to her training delivery when she is presenting to her students.

Krista Aragon

Krista is the first name that I thought of when I read the word “Community.” I’ve known Krista for 3 years, both as a Program Coordinator and as a Program Manager. During this time, she’s been the person I’ve consistently see try to educate the community on the supports that we provide and at the same time encourage clients that she supports to step outside of their own comfort zone to engage in their communities. Krista’s interactions with clients show that more than anything she wants them to feel comfortable in their own skin so that they can better build connections with others. This is most evident during her journey with a client who recently identified as transgender. Krista has worked tirelessly to ensure that that person has access to community resources that can best help her through this process. I am in awe of the level of support that Krista displays to the people she works with.

EXCELLENCE

We embrace the ideals of supported living, providing quality services that empower and teach individuals to live successfully in their communities, with a focus on improving our programs, developing our team, and inspiring those we support to realize their full potential.  We are leaders, partners, and participants in endeavors that have a positive impact on the lives of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Debbie Dillard

In recent months, this person has adjusted her work schedule to be available to work all shifts at various sites within her program.  She has also adjusted her work schedule to work Saturdays and Sundays.  She has on at least two occasions in recent months assisted clients with bed bug treatments.  She also worked hard with physically moving the clients out of Duckpond and into the Maple Valley house. 

Paul Anliker

As the Director of Supported Living, Paul manifests the value of excellence through his level-headed approach to developing his program managers and giving them the opportunity to grow into their management roles. Personally, I always learn something new from him. One thing, I really value from Paul is his ability to hide his anger and response in such a way that you do not feel his frustration. Working with Paul in this level has significantly improve my emotional intelligence skills but more importantly, it has improved my relationship with colleagues at the office, staff and clients. Hence, Paul’s strive for excellence is rubbing off on his program managers in a positive way and thereby fostering a supportive environment that allows his team to have a positive impact on the lives of the clients we support.

INTEGRITY

We act with honesty, transparency, and by upholding ethical standards.  We believe in what we do, staying true to our mission in the face of uncertainty, adversity, and change.

Ismaila Gibba

Ismaila currently manages the largest staff team who provides support and advocacy to one of the largest caseloads at PSRS. Within this caseload, Ismailia's team is responsible for providing support to one of the most challenging people PSRS supports. Ismaila does not allow the compounding responsibilities of his job to affect the integrity he puts forth daily. Ismaila continues to ensure that the people around him understand the feel-good aspect of the job we are awarded of doing, as well as the social justice for which we advocate. Social justice may be a difficult state to achieve, but Ismaila is a reminder of the responsibly we have to honor everyone with opportunity and respect.

Alisha Martin

Alisha always has the staff and clients in mind with every decision she makes for this agency. She makes sure that everyone is held to the same standards and that everyone is doing their best. She has the ability to look at our staff and see the potential in each person and help others to see that potential as well. She is also fair and yet firm on our mission and expectations for our clients when interacting with the staff. 

Honorable Mentions

These outstanding people were nominated by their peers for at least one Value Award:

Sean Boyle

Jeff Couture

Wayne Hansen

Rachael Hansen

Makenna Heiss

Theresa Helm-Buckman

Chad Higman

Lisa Martin

Sem Salinding

Nicole Vailencour