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As many of you already know, Wylene accepted one of the top “Ability is Ageless” awards from Operation ABLE. Brenda and Cheryl worked together to submit a beautiful nomination statement, from which I’m pasting in the following excerpts. In the accompanying photograph, you will note in the front row Catrina (Marygrove SSW Intern), Wylene (PVM Oakman Manor SC), Harriet (Madison Heights Co-op SC); in the middle row Brenda and Wylene’s wonderful Mother; in the top row Tim. Cheryl was also present to support Wylene’s acceptance of the award. Wylene, you make us proud to be service coordinators and social workers. You are a true ambassador for both the profession and the kindness of humans.

From the nomination form:

Wylene Jones is a student of life who has degrees in Sociology, Social Work, and Law plus has a passion for French language and culture. After 30 years of service, she retired from the Wayne County Third Judicial Circuit Court. Since her retirement she worked contractual jobs in Social Work until she came to Hannan Foundation in 2008. Working with the seniors at Hannan is her “raison d’etre” (reason for being). She also works in her church as an organist and as a resource to the members. Her enthusiasm is contagious and her sense of humor delights everyone she meets.

Wylene has always been very responsible in carrying out her role as both social worker and service coordinator. She has on occasion come in to complete a task with a client or to pick up a food basket on her day off when this was really needed by the senior. She does lots of extras like baking delicious treats for the residents to insure that they come to the important educational sessions that she coordinates monthly. Even though she only works one day a week at Hannan House in the case management center, she is able to assure that the seniors she works with are able to get services completed in a timely way.

Wylene indicates that she is now doing a job that she loves, with people who are terrific and immensely grateful for even the smallest thing that she does for them. She indicates that she feels that the seniors are her extended family. It is her goal to provide the best services she possibly can and to keep “her seniors” as independent as possible as they march to the inexorable end of their lives.

Wylene brings some unique resources, interests and knowledge to her job such as mental health experience and family counseling, understanding of the legal system, love of classical music and helping residents at Oakman experience the DSO, and her ability to make people laugh! She has helped improve services within Hannan Foundation by serving as a bridge between the roles of service coordinator and the role of the service center case manager/social worker that has helped us understand the similarities and differences. Wylene has enthusiastically embraced the BSW and MSW interns at Hannan. In fact, she has taken the lead in expanding the Hannan internship program to include service coordination. Wylene has always been ready to collaborate with other groups such as the UM School of Social Work to benefit her residents such as serving as a site for the interns’ community service project to complete some of the chore services tasks that require volunteer help. She also helped the residents in her building get weekly banking at the building through collaboration with a mobile credit union. She will do what ever she can to help her residents get services. She is known as the “Closer” at the service center. She has helped to complete and close cases in record time, always keeping her eye on protecting the most vulnerable.

When Wylene began her role as a service coordinator at the Village of Oakman Manor, she started walking first thing in the morning with a resident who was trying to get a walking group going. They have continued these 4 years, walking twice a week in the building and encouraging others to join them. She has served as a role model to many social work students either through placements with her or in helping to provide on-going case supervision in the service center.

Her fellow co-worker writes, “Wylene has made a special contribution to my well-being at Hannan by always being in a good mood and having a positive attitude. She has great character and a wonderful outlook on life in general which allowed her to not only be a wonderful Social Worker but also a great tool of knowledge that assisted me in learning the necessary tools to become the social worker I am today. She was always willing to stop what she was doing to provide those around her the information they needed to assist them in servicing others. Wylene also provided people in the community with that same level of service to ensure their lives would be improved. She is the perfect person to receive this “Ability is Ageless” award.”

Wylene has served in the past as a primary caregiver for family members who have needed help and support and has always put a priority on meeting their needs even as she has successfully provided services for others. She currently lives with her 89-year old mother.