The Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) is pleased to announce that two CASCW staff have received Outstanding Service Awards from the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH).

Traci LaLiberte, CASCW’s Executive Director, was nominated by Anu Family Services for her work on a variety of children’s mental health initiatives. JaeRan Kim, Stability, Permanency, and Adoption Coordinator at CASCW, was nominated by Fraser for her extraordinary achievements and leadership in the field of children’s mental health, specifically in the areas of foster care and adoption.

The Outstanding Service Award is given to individuals who have had a significant, positive influence on the lives of children with mental health needs. The Outstanding Service Award is open to Educators, Social Workers, Physicians, Juvenile Justice Professionals, Administrators, Parents, Youth or other Public Servants who have shown extraordinary achievement and/or leadership in the field of children’s mental health. The award recipients will be celebrated at MACMH’s Evening of Heart, Silent Auction and Award Gala on Friday, November 7th at the Town & Country Club of St. Paul, MN.

The Outstanding Service Award recognizes an individual who has met most of the following criteria:

  • Contributed to the body of knowledge of children’s mental health
  • Demonstrated compassion for children with mental health disorders and their families
  • Promoted collaboration and service integration for youth with mental health problems
  • Engaged in efforts that raise awareness about children’s mental health
  • Advocated on behalf of children with mental health needs
  • Developed and/or implemented innovative, successful methods of collaborating with those involved in the life of a child with mental health disorders
  • Provided a lasting contribution to the children’s mental health field
  • Educated, trained, motivated, and/or mentored peers regarding child and adolescent mental health

Other award recipients for 2014 are

  • Jane Ellison, MS, LMFT, IMH-E(IV), who is an Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist, Manager of the Greater St. Cloud area Thrive, and instructor at the University of Minnesota; and
  • Don Shelby, who is a retired WCCO news anchor and reporter and the volunteer chair of the Washburn Center for Children’s Capital Campaign.

For more information on the 18th Annual Outstanding Service Awards, view the MACMH press release here.