Posted: 3/7/2023

Case Manager's Corner: March 2023

Case manager's corner is Chief Quality & Legal Officer, April Rolle's forum in which to recognize various employees from case management organizations for their outstanding work.

IN THIS EDITION:

- Reina Londono and Demetria Nail at Lutheran Services Florida
- Savannah Diamond at Children's Home Society

Lutheran Services Florida

Reina Londono

Reina is a Dependency Case Manager that was recently acknowledged by Judge Butz on the good work she's doing on a case. Reina is doing a GREAT job and her dedication to safety and strengthening of children and families does not go unnoticed. 

Reina shares, "I had always wanted to work in a field where I would be able to make an impact in peoples’ lives. As a child welfare case manager you impact not only the children’s life but the whole family. Being a child welfare case manager is not an easy job but can be very rewarding and I’m very proud to do it. I would like to thank my LSF coworkers who have helped me in one way or another."

Thinking about an impactful memory, Reina shares, "I have many memories but one of my favorite was that of a 6 year old girl whose birthday was coming up and I asked what she would like for her birthday. I was expecting the usual toys but instead she told me she just wanted a nice dress and some shoes. The excitement in her voice as she described the dress she wanted just melted my heart. So much so that when I got out of work, I went straight to the store and bought her the dress and the cutest shoes to go with it. When I gave her the dress, her eyes lit up. She was so excited and told me it was the best birthday gift ever. Things such as this, make me realize how much we take for granted sometimes and simple things we do, can mean so much for someone else."

A fun fact about Reina is that she loves Wonder Woman and has a Wonder Woman cup and mug collection.  

Demetria Nail

Demetria is a Dependency Case Manager is being recognized for going above and beyond on handling in-home non-judicial cases. The LSF Leadership Team shared, "Keep up the great work and keep pushing forward!!"

Demetria shares her inspiration, "In 2011, I worked for DCF as a Child Care Regulations Counselor. We were on the same area and I remember a mother coming in with her two children. She looked at the CPI and said, 'Here take them, this is all they have.' One of the children was in a stroller and she was crying and reaching for her mom. The other was maybe around 4 or 5 years old. She was just standing there looking at her mom. Mom left their belongings and walked away with a man. I made eye contact with the CPI who said, mom would rather give up her children rather than be put in a shelter with her girls (the shelter did not allow men). That broke my heart into a million pieces because I could not understand how or why. After all those years, that still sticks in my head."

A fun fact about Demetria is that she does not let her kids (let alone anyone) drink out of her cup because she's germophobic. She also shares, "I can be extremely witty. I'm scared of everything. I'm very nosey so this is the perfect job for me."

Children's Home Society

Savannah Diamond

Savannah is a Dependency Case Manager that is inspired to work in child welfare because of her own lived experience. She shares, "Growing up in foster care myself, I wanted to make a difference in the systems and for other kids who were going through what I had. All I want is to be a support for these children and help mend these families."

Savannah continuously goes above and beyond to help her co-workers and exemplifies what great case manager is supposed to be. She is always available to her families and is able to relate to all different type of clients. She has single-handedly saved placements by bridging the gap between caregivers and kiddos to help them understand each other better. She meets every client where they are at, and has a passion to truly make a difference.

Reflecting on a recent success story, Savannah shares, "I am working with a parent who seemed almost impossible to work with since I’ve started on this parent's case, and before that, she had yet to complete any services for almost two years and is now close to reunification with her children."
A fun fact about Savannah is that she loves to take long road trips! Last winter, she drove from Florida to Wyoming.

Everyone here in our Circuit 10 system of care feels honored to have these amazing people working with our families and changing lives. We are so proud of all of our case managers for the very difficult work they do every day and for the support they provide to the children and families that we serve.