| New CRC director a familiar face |
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| Written by JORDAN CRAVENS Sentinel Staff Writer | ||
| Wednesday, 18 July 2012 09:58 | ||
The agency's new executive director previously worked there for 20 years, including her roles as supervisor of the residential unit, crisis intervention program, treatment foster care and the psychiatric and nursing services. "One of the reasons I am so excited to be back here is that there is so much momentum with treating kids and families," LaFond said. "The leadership is just so bright and so passionate." LaFond, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in Bowling Green after earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Bowling Green State University. She worked in Archbold schools before beginning at CRC in 1979. From there, LaFond took a job at the Wood County Education Service Center as the PATHE Center coordinator in 1999 before returning to CRC in June. As director, LaFond plans to expand outreach to teenagers transitioning to young adults. "We have youths who are transitioning from teenagers to young adults and there are all kinds of issues for these kids," she said. CRC is looking to establish a drop-in center, where these transitioning youth can come in for services or be linked with other services and agencies for the assistance they need. LaFond also hopes to accommodate more youths in the residential unit. Talks are underway for increasing the unit's capacity from six to eight. And making sure the crisis intervention program continues to be available for support and treatment for families is also a priority, she said. "We have staff here who rearranged personal activities, came back from vacation early ... to give support for these families and kids who are in the middle of a traumatic event," she said. "They really go beyond what is expected," she said. "This is not an 8 to 5 job." The agency has a staff member available 24 hours a day for crisis intervention. Accessibility to CRC staff is also a goal for LaFond. "I am a team player. I think sometimes people think of administrators as off on their own and their door is closed. I want to be involved with what is going on and my door is open." LaFond also plans to continue CRC's mission of serving the whole child. This means prevention efforts with both the youth and their support system, outpatient services, intensive home-based services, partial hospitalization, residential unit and other programming. "We want kids to come here and feel safe and welcomed. We want families to know their children are safe when they are here. And we want families to have access to their children while they are here," she said. |
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