I wanted to take a moment to recognize a powerful experience I witnessed while working alongside this case manager on New Year’s Day. In the middle of a busy holiday, this manager received an unexpected call from a frightened mother in our community who had been routed to our case management department. The caller was distressed and seeking help. She shared that she had been drinking heavily for two days and had consumed more than 90 beers. She had contacted the police and was told to go to the ER, but she was unable to leave her home because she had two small children and no available caregiver. Without hesitation, this case manager guided the mother with calm, compassionate authority. She instructed her to call 911 and to tell the dispatcher about the children so the appropriate support could respond. When the manager attempted to collect the caller's full name, the woman gave only her first name and quickly ended the call when asked for her last name.

Concerned that the mother might not follow through, she took immediate ownership of the situation. She placed the 911 call herself to report the interaction. Because of her quick thinking and advocacy, emergency responders were able to locate the mother and her children and connect them to lifesaving support and safety resources. This person didn't see a misrouted phone call. She saw a human being, a safety risk, and an opportunity to intervene when someone had no one else to turn to. Thank you to this manager for caring about people and acting when the stakes were high.