Betty Goody
ANCOR'S Direct Support Professional of the Year for the State of Maine 2009
LyAnn Grogan, KFI's Training Coordinator, writes in her nomination of Betty Goody for this award, "It is hard to know where to start when describing the contributions Betty Goody has made to the people she supports. For 15 years she has been at the heart of what we do at KFI and has consistently rolled with the changes, learned, grown and through it all, never forgot that the people she serves are her first priority. She lives and works in a small town and thinks of each person as an individual. She is the "go to" person for our area (Millinocket) whenever anyone has a need or a question. She helps people to use the opportunities and resources of the community that are available to everyone and demonstrates special effort when mentoring new employees. She consistently demonstrates her commitment to the KFI philosophy of supporting people to be valued members of their communities as she develops relationships with people that are respectful and based on mutual trust. She is relentless at helping individuals understand and express their rights and responsibilities and understands that her role in direct support will require flexibility, creativity, and commitment and recognizes the importance of building and maintaining relationships for the people she supports."
LyAnn further contributes, "One of Betty's most precious gifts is her ability to be present with people in crisis in a non-judgmental way, helping people to feel safe and diffusing potentially difficult situations. She is a rock, the unflappable one who willingly takes on all challenges with a confident and casual attitude. Her steadfastness helps everyone accept the difficult work that sometimes must be done. Betty is a large part of why we are successful at what we do."
It is for these reasons, that KFI is proud to feature Betty Goody, Supported Living Facilitator in Millinocket, in this inaugural column.
