“Heather is always one of the first people to offer assistance.”
Please join us in congratulating Heather Ball, the recipient of the June Staff on the Rise recognition!
Heather joined RISE in January 2022 as an Adult Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Care Manager. “What I like most about being an Adult Care Manager,” Heather shares, “is advocating for people – helping those who don’t have a voice find one and helping them to build the skills to eventually advocate for themselves.”
Erica Straight, Care Management Program Director, says, “Heather started just a short while ago. She was set up right away with a full AOT/Heath Home Plus caseload because our Senior AOT Care Manager was leaving the agency. Heather jumped right in and is now successfully working with many of our highest-need individuals. Heather has been able to set boundaries with program participants and they have grown to respect her. Heather is always one of the first people to offer assistance when it is needed. Just recently a fellow co-worker was out sick, and Heather worked wonderfully with the Care Management leadership to help provide continued care and support to the individuals on the co-worker’s caseload. Heather is absolutely a Staff on the Rise who will continue to grow and advance within our agency.”
“Everyone is passionate and caring.”
Heather shares she enjoys being a part of the Care Management Team. “Everyone is passionate and caring,” she says. “We all collaborate well with each other, sharing and bouncing ideas off each other. Additionally, everyone is willing to team up and go out on visits with each other if there are safety concerns. It’s great to be a part of such a caring team.”
As an AOT Care Manager, Heather meets with the individuals on her case load on a weekly basis. She assists them with filling out housing and other applications, connecting to services, making appointments, reviewing provider recommendations, ensuring they are taking their medications, and making sure their basic needs are being met. “I’m very hands on. When it is necessary, I physically take clients to their appointments to help them learn how to talk to their providers about their needs.”
Collaborating with service providers is an aspect of Care Management that Heather enjoys. “I like working together with other service providers in order to help individuals meet their goals,” she explains. “Also, each time I meet with the clients, I check their functioning and if it seems they are off their baseline, I notify their service providers, so having a good relationship with their service providers is essential to their care.”
Heather works in this field to be someone that others can count on.
Heather’s educational and work background is in Human Services. Prior to coming to RISE, Heather worked as a mental health assistant and later as a care manager in the inpatient unit at Ellis Mental Health. She also worked at Schenectady ARC as a supervisor and providing direct care to the individuals they served. She shares that she works in this field to be someone that others can count on. “I know what it is like to not have someone to turn to or count on when things are tough. I want to be there for others and help them see that they can overcome their circumstances and grow through adversity.”
As a Care Manager at RISE, Heather takes advantage of any training opportunities that come her way to help her with her goal to eventually become part of the leadership team. “It is an innate part of my nature to do a good job,” she explains. “I seek to provide excellent care management services and grow with the agency as it expands.”
Heather is close with her family and enjoys spending time with her mother, her two siblings, and her nieces. “My nieces are the best! We go to the park, play in the sprinklers, and go berry picking,” she exclaims. In her spare time, Heather likes to read, go for walks, and take a trip to the beach every summer.
RISE administration appreciates all that Heather does for the agency and for the individuals we serve. She is a team player, compassionate about those we serve, and always willing to lend a helping hand – all the qualities of a Staff on the Rise. Please join us in congratulating Heather as our June Staff on the Rise!
Edit: In July 2022, Heather was promoted to the Senior Adult AOT Care Manager.