Congratulations to Daisy Flores, Residential Counselor, as the recipient of the April Staff on the Rise recognition. Daisy began working at RISE in November 2021 as a Residential Counselor at Edgewood House and has recently made the transition along with most of the Edgewood House Staff to the new PSAP Treatment Apartments programs at Dominic Hollow.
“I love working with this team! We are tight knit. We know each other well and are able to help each other when needed. We problem solve by talking thing through to find solutions to any issues that may arise,” Daisy shares. “Working as a team makes a big difference when working with individuals with mental health concerns. It makes me feel confident knowing that my team members are available to help me figure out how to reach and connect with the individuals we work with.”
“Daisy is a ray of sunshine that shines through in her work.”
Daisy’s teams members feel the same. Kia Quiroz-Mejia, Residential Counselor, shares, “Daisy and I started at RISE together around the same time. She is a hardworking, passionate, and driven individual! She genuinely cares about the clients and pushes them to always do their best. Daisy is a ray of sunshine, and it is impossible to be upset around her. She is a great person inside and out and it shines through not only in her work but in her character.”
In addition to working her normal shifts, Daisy spent most of the last year working relief at both Edgewood House at the other RISE Community Residences as well. “I did a lot of extra shifts to cover the house when the second wave of COVID first hit the house. I also helped by doing overnight shifts at Milestone Manor and Rain House,” Daisy explains. “But now because I am learning a lot of new things here at the PSAP Treatment Apartments, I’m just doing relief at my own program for the time being.”
“Daisy is a great asset to our team! She is always willing to help!”
Jackie Knowles, PSAP Treatment Apartments Program Director, says, “Daisy is a great asset to our team! She is always willing to help. She has a genuine heart and a personality that shines. Even when she struggles to learn new tasks, she doesn’t give up and gives it her all. It is very inspiring to have her on our team.”
“Jackie is helping me learn about my new position at the Treatment Apartments and the tasks that are required of me such as service plan writing,” Daisy shares. “Jackie is very patient and goes over things step by step to help me do my job efficiently. She is a ball of fire and so encouraging. I was feeling discouraged, and feeling I was not learning what I needed to know to be efficient at my job, but she is very patient with me and helps me, even if I have to review something several times.”
“I am the primary counselor for two residents,” Daisy explains. “I am learning to work with them to help them understand and define their goals and to work towards meeting them. I meet with each resident twice per week to work on objectives that will help them meet their goals. I also make sure their apartments are clean, and that they are taking their medications. I like for them to see me as a person that they can trust and that cares for them rather than someone telling them what to do. I like to encourage them and acknowledge their achievements.”
Daisy has had a long career helping others.
Daisy has had a long career helping others and came to RISE after retiring from the Albany County Division of Children, Youth, and Families where she worked as a specialist support worker for 17 years. “I retired, but I felt I was not ready to stop working, so I put my resume in a job seeking site. RISE called me and after interviewing me, offered me a job. I accepted the job because I am a people person and understand how to work with them. It doesn’t matter what the person’s challenges are, I treat them with respect and dignity while helping them to reach their goals.”
“As a specialist support worker for the county, I helped parents to take care of their children, how to make them her priority, and how to seek the help they need,” Daisy expands. “The most important thing was just to be there for the parents and their children. I am bilingual and I worked with the Hispanic population. I advocated for several immigrant families and helped them learn how to navigate the systems to obtain services and the supports they needed to make their home safe for their children.”
Prior to that Daisy worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) working with seniors in a nursing home. “I made sure the seniors were taken care of, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The ladies I worked with always spoke well of me to their families, who made a point to thank me. One lady even asked to have a piece of her birthday cake her family brought her to be saved for me when I came on shift.” Daisy had to leave her job at the nursing home for family reasons and didn’t work for a few years. Upon returning to the workforce, she earned a associates degree as a medical assistant and worked as a patient associate at various agencies before obtaining her job at the Division of Children, Youth, and Families.
“It is important to me to be compassionate and have empathy.”
It is with this breadth of knowledge and experience that Daisy comes to RISE and gives that same dedication and support to the residents she works with. “It is important to me to be compassionate and have empathy for the people I work with,” she shares. “My mother took her own life and passed away when I was eight years old, so I grew up with my grandparents. Not having a mother helped me be the person I am today. I used my mother’s death as the motivation to make my children my priority, making sure their needs were met. I worked, went to school, and tried to better myself to help them have a good life. I am proud of myself and the care that I give to others. I transformed my pain and use this experience to help others live their best lives, no matter their circumstances.”
Daisy is a single mother of two grown sons. “One of my sons lives in Albany. He is married to a wonderful gal, and they have five kids – four girls and one boy. I am very happy that I get to see them all the time. The other son lives in Florida. He also is married to a wonderful gal, and they have two daughters. I visit them two or four times a year and call or facetime every week or so.”
In her off-time Daisy loves listening to music and spending time with her family. “I am homebody, but I spend time with my sister, who lives here in Albany. She is the most beautiful diamond. She has been my mentor and angel. I enjoy going out to lunch and catching up with her. I spend time with my grandchildren at their home and at I attend their sporting and school events. I make it a point to take time off to celebrate their birthdays and other special events.”
RISE administration appreciates all that Daisy does for the individuals we serve and for all the extra hours she has put in doing relief both in her own program and at the other Community Residences. She is caring, compassionate, and dedicated – all the qualities of a Staff on the Rise. Please join us in congratulating her as our April Staff on the Rise.