VALLEY — The San Luis Valley Joint Interagency Oversight Group (SLV Joint IOG) is pleased to honor two partner agency staff members with the “Boots on the Ground” award in recognition of employees who exemplify the spirit of cross-systems collaboration.

The award recipients for October and December 2017 were Lucas Cashman, Haley DoBell, Annette Mobbley and Adelaida Olivas.   

Lucas Cashman is always working on how to better collaborate with schools and agencies to provide the best care for children in the San Luis Valley. He truly exemplifies cross-system collaboration. He quickly discovers resources and has a unique ability to piece those resources together into a workable plan of action. He then eagerly and tenaciously pursues the plan working with others to eliminate barriers. He has high expectations of himself and those he works with. He will challenge clients, families and co-workers to strive towards realistic yet optimistic goals.

Haley DoBell has shown such compassion, understanding and respect for the families she is working with, many times going above and beyond to help the families. Haley has taken on her work with enthusiasm and persistence showing genuine interest in her client’s lives and how she can help them.  She is also an incredible caseworker. She attends every staffing, WRAP meetings, provides transports, works overtime and gets documentation in timely without complaint. Haley is brave and thinks outside the box to best help families she is working with.  Her colleagues have been privileged to witness her efforts and compassion for the people she serves. Haley is very deserving of this award.

Annette Mobbley began her judicial career in 2006, as a judicial assistant with the 12th Judicial District Courts. She has also worked as a SB94 Case Manager performing a variety of duties including; case management, detention bed management, pre-adjudication supervision, and making recommendations to the courts ensuring the most appropriate and least restrictive placement options for juveniles. Annette is currently a probation officer. Although her title changed over the years, Annette continued the important work of serving youth in her positions. Annette has shown passion and commitment to serving youth, and exemplifies the spirit of cross-systems collaboration. If anyone has ever worked to serve youth, you know without question that it is not an effort done in isolation of others…it necessitates a truly dedicated team, one committed to effective collaboration to best meet the needs of a child! Annette is an admirable example of this.

Adelaida is a probation officer for the 12th Judicial District, and is tireless in her support of those juveniles she supervises as well as those she has supervised in the past who continue to maintain that connection with her. She makes it clear to those clients that she is available for them if they need anything, even if she is no longer supervising them. She is persistent in finding what best fits the child’s needs. 

When Adelaida feels she has hit a roadblock, she doesn’t stop. She finds a way around it. She utilizes her connections to determine if they know someone in a different agency or location who could help with a specific issue. She regularly goes above and beyond her job duties to ensure the juveniles are receiving the services they need. She has stepped in and prepared paperwork normally completed by other agencies in order to expedite services for youth. One time when someone said they thought a child should be committed to the Division of Youth Services, Adelaida turned and emphatically stated, “I’m not ready to give up on her! We haven’t tried everything yet.”

Established in 2008, the SLV Joint IOG, funded through Colorado State House Bill 1451, currently includes Alamosa and Rio Grande Counties. More than 20 agencies participate in the SLV Joint IOG; the 12th Judicial District Probation Department and Senate Bill 94 Program, Alamosa County Department of Human Services, Alamosa County Public Health Department, Alamosa School District, Center for Restorative Programs, Colorado Division of Youth Corrections, Colorado Health Partnerships, Crossroads’ Turning Points, Del Norte School District, Monte Vista School District, Rio Grande County Department of Social Services, Teri Sisneros, Rio Grande County Family Representative, Rio Grande County Public Health Department, San Luis Valley Early Childhood Council, San Luis Valley Behavioral Health Group, San Luis Valley BOCES, Sargent School District, Signal Behavioral Health Network, and Tu Casa.

The goal of the SLV Joint IOG is to develop collaborative approaches for the provision of individualized, strength-based, family-centered, and culturally sensitive services to children, youth, and families. The SLV Joint IOG works to increase the quality and appropriateness of services while encouraging cost sharing and reducing service duplication and fragmentation. 

For more information about the SLV Joint IOG, visit slv1451.org, or contact Carrie Heltzel, director, at carrieheltzel @gmail.com.

Captions: From left are Teri Sisneros, Lynn Balderas Haley DoBell and Luke Yoder./Courtesy photos

From left are Bill Gurule, Adelaida Olivas and Luke Yoder.

From left are Luke Yoder, Lucas Cashman and Charlie Kuhns.

From left are Luke Yoder, Annette Mobbley and Bill Gurule.