Brabaw Honored With Life Improved Award

Dawn L. Brabaw, of Canton was recently honored with the Summer 2017 Life Improved Award. Ms. Brabaw, who works as an RN for the United Helpers ACT Team was nominated for the award by two of her colleagues with the team. From left, United Helpers CEO Stephen E. Knight, ACT Team Family Education Specialist Amy Chisolm, Ms. Brabaw and ACT Team Program Manager Nicole Kennedy. Both Ms. Kennedy and Ms. Chisolm nominated her for the honor.

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.

Internship Leads to Full-time Career With United Helpers

OGDENSBURG – Like many college students Taylor Elliott, of Gouverneur wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life after graduating from high school.

Taylor Elliott

“Even during my senior year in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my degree,” she said, adding she began her college career as a Vet Tech major before ultimately majoring in Applied Psychology.

While taking courses towards her degree in applied psychology Ms. Elliott met Jennifer Waite, who works as a licensed social worker with United Helpers’ ACT Team and Angela Doe, who serves as the behavioral health services coordinator. Both women also teach courses at SUNY Canton.

“I knew Jennifer worked with the ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Team so I spoke with her and then asked Angela about internship opportunities. She asked if I was ready to work with the persistently mentally ill, and I replied, ‘I think so. It should be an experience.’”

That conversation took place last summer with Ms. Elliott beginning an internship with the ACT Team in August. She completed that internship in November, but even before her internship was over, Ms. Elliott had found a full-time job with United Helpers.

“I was hired before I even graduated, but I had no idea this was going to lead to a job,” Ms. Elliott said. “I was shocked when Angela and Meg asked me to come in for an interview.”

Ms. Elliott now works full-time as a Health Home Care Coordinator traveling the county and meeting with people in their homes to help coordinate things such as medical appointments, mental health appointments, education and employment opportunities and more.

“It’s been awesome. I really like the atmosphere and I really enjoy helping others,” she said. “I don’t even feel like I’m coming to work.”

Ms. Elliott said another of her classmates is also currently doing an internship with United Helpers and is actually the first intern the Care Coordination Department has ever had.

“It’s been a really great experience. During my internship I learned more than I ever thought I would and now I have a full-time career too,” she said.

United Helpers employs more than 1,000 people and is one of the largest health care and human service providers in St. Lawrence County, offering a wide variety of employment opportunities for everything from nursing and marketing to accounting and behavior health counseling.

If you think an internship or career at United Helpers may be right for you, please visit www.unitedhelpers.org or contact the United Helpers Human Resources Department at (315) 393-3074.