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Dawn L. Brabaw, of
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OGDENSBURG – It has often been said that it
takes a special kind of person to work in human services – patience, caring and
understanding are all personality traits essential to finding success in that
career path.
Dawn
Brabaw, RN exhibits all those traits and more.
Ms.
Brabaw, of Canton ,
who works with the United Helpers ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Team as
its registered nurse was nominated for the Summer 2017 Life Improved Award by
ACT Team Program Manager Nicole Kennedy and ACT Team Family Education
Specialist Amy Chisholm.
“As
the registered nurse on the team, Dawn is often the primary contact person for
ACT recipients who have significant medical problems. She possesses highly
desirable characteristics necessary for community treatment which include
patience, empathy, optimism, persuasiveness, flexibility, good judgment and
‘street smarts,’” Ms. Kennedy said.
Prior
to joining the ACT Team, Ms, Brabaw worked as a Hospice Nurse giving her
valuable experience that is being put to use as the team is now working with a
gentleman suffering from terminal cancer.
“She
has gone above and beyond to meet his needs to assist with pain management and
connecting with his providers for continuity of care,” Ms. Chisholm said. “She
has been extremely helpful in helping us to work with him, as she has such a
beautiful perspective on end of life.”
In
addition to working for the ACT Team, Ms. Brabaw has also provided assistance
to the staff at the Behavioral Health Clinic and served as a liaison of sorts
between the team and other community agencies.
“She
is often engaged with extended treatment teams outside of the United Helpers
organization. She is instrumental in gathering information and knowledge from
outside community programs and sharing her knowledge with those programs, as
well as our team,” Ms. Kennedy said. “Dawn has a clear understanding of the
major goal of ACT, which is to help clients live successfully in the community.
Through her advocacy of the ACT program and her continued efforts to educate
the community in regard to mental illness, she is not only a great contributor
United Helpers, but our community as a whole."
The United Helpers Life Improved Awards were created in 2015
as a way to recognize employees who go above and beyond and exhibit the traits
behind the organization’s Life Improved mantra. Awards are distributed in the
winter and summer each year with employees being nominated for the honor by
their co-workers.
