May 2013

Paula Barron, RC at DTAP, is staff member of the month. Paula always goes above and beyond in her duties at the DTA program. One resident in particular commented that "a client certainly gets their monies worth when they have Paula as a counselor"! They consistently have commented that she invests significant time in trying to teach them skills needed. She always follows up on any significant issues. Resident safety is always her primary concern. She has excellent observation skills and on a number of occasions has alerted her supervisor to potential crisis situations. Her services, progress notes, and any other assignments are always completed in a thorough timely manner. Paula was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. During the past four years, she has had numerous surgeries. Prior to her leave of absence, she ensures she gets her work done in advance to help the residents and staff with a smooth transition of her caseload. She comes back to work as quickly as possible and resumes her duties, in an effort to have the least impact on the program as possible. One resident, Paula recently had on her caseload, was diagnosed with advance stages of COPD and given six months to live. During this time, Paula was a main support to him. Paula maintained close contact with Hospice, and she provided an enormous amount of support in helping this resident prepare for his death. She was also at his bedside the majority of the time in the days leading to his death. She provided an incredible amount of support to his sister and even staff during this difficult time. Paula is a compassionate person, and DTAP is fortunate to have her part of our team.  Congratulations!