When Michelle stepped into the Community Services nursing role, she dove in wholeheartedly. She sought feedback from direct care team members and nurses. Based on their suggestions, she reorganized the space and supplies and collaborated with maintenance to reposition cabinets and add whiteboard space. Michelle also took the opportunity to visit during respite weekends, meeting with her nursing and direct care team and the children being supported, to gain a deeper understanding of their needs. She is readily available and often stops by or calls to see how the weekend is going.   

Respite services give parents a valuable opportunity to take a break while ChildServe’s Supported Community Living (SCL) services are designed to help children build the skills necessary for more independence. Michelle recognizes how crucial these services are for keeping children and young adults at home and the substantial difference they can make for families. As demand for group respite services continues to grow, Michelle has played a key role in establishing a fourth weekend of respite services this past year. This expansion has enabled existing families to make greater use of the service and allowed new families to be enrolled. One family in particular took a sibling to a movie theater for the first time, which hadn’t been a possibility for them before.   

Michelle has increased family satisfaction by thinking outside the box. Michelle successfully enrolled several children into our specialized respite program, which increased access for both existing participants and those on the waitlist.  She has also been proactive in working with families to advocate for SCL services with case managers for children who meet the criteria for these services. Michelle collaborates with team members to identify gaps in service, develops strategies to address these gaps, and implements solutions that enable us to reach more children.

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Michelle started as ChildServe’s Nursing Supervisor for our Community Services in October 2023. Michelle previously worked at ChildServe, providing care in ChildServe Homes, Respite and Homecare services.  

Michelle has a "can do" attitude. During the COVID-19 pandemic, at times we were unable to hold respite groups due the additional strain on our nursing resources. Since Michelle has been at ChildServe, we have successfully added additional respite groups and hired seven nurses to make these services possible. We’ve also been able to look at enrolling children who require specialized respite care in their homes for the first time in several years. 

Michelle goes above and beyond for the individuals she serves and her fellow team members. Recently, Michelle was caring for an individual who she felt could benefit from Supported Community Living and worked with the team to get this service added. When the MCO did not authorize the amount of service needed, Michelle took the steps to formally appeal on behalf of the family and secured additional service authorization. 

Michelle is present as she supports her nursing team on group respite weekends by being available and supportive. She has helped create a culture that our nurses want to be part of. Michelle has been an amazing addition to our team. I appreciate her commitment to the children we serve and her commitment to providing the best care possible. We’re so grateful to have her here at ChildServe!