“Morgan has been indispensable and essential in the success of the Child and Youth Care Management.”
Please join us in congratulating Morgan Murdza, the recipient of the December Staff on the Rise recognition! Morgan, who was recently promoted to be the Youth Care Management Program Supervisor, possesses an exemplary work ethic, excels at her job, is a team player, and she is an inspiration to others. Morgan has been with RISE since June 2020 when she started as a Youth Care Manager. She was quickly promoted to be a Senior Youth Care Manager and began helping supervise the Youth Care Management Team. Morgan says she loves working in Care Management and is enjoying her new role and the responsibilities she now has as the program supervisor.
Erika Straight, Care Management Program Director says, “Morgan has been indispensable and essential in the success of the Child and Youth Care Management program and its expansion into surrounding counties and school districts. She plays a crucial role in both Care Management and the agency’s success. Morgan is methodical and very thorough in her approach to her work. She possesses a positive attitude that radiates to everyone around her. Morgan treats everyone – coworkers and our program participants – with the upmost respect. Morgan exemplifies the agency’s mission and our core values with genuineness and inspires us all to do the same!”
“One of the things I am most excited about is kickstarting the expansion of Youth Care Management into Schenectady.”
As the program supervisor, Morgan’s duties include coordinating the billing, managing crisis, providing support, supervising the Youth Senior Care Managers, offering them guidance in the supervision of the rest of the Youth Care Management team, and assuming a leadership role in both the weekly staff meeting and the weekly leadership meeting. “One of the things I am most excited about in this position,” Morgan exclaims, “is kickstarting the expansion of Youth Care Management into Schenectady. The expansion into Schenectady began with a collaboration between Youth Care Management and Young Parents United to provide care management services for the pregnant and parenting adolescents receiving services from their agency. This led to connecting with social workers at one of the middle schools. Our plan is to contact the social workers at other middle and elementary schools in Schenectady to obtain referrals for youth and families in need of our services.”
“I have a passion for helping vulnerable individuals get their needs met.”
Morgan’s desire to help people stems from her personal experiences which brought her in close contact with professionals in this field. “My brother and my uncle were in a severe car accident, and my father passed away after a battle with cancer. Managing the trauma surrounding these events was hard but made easier by the caring professionals that assisted me and my family during those difficult times,” Morgan shares. “I knew I always wanted to help people, but I didn’t really know in what capacity – whether it be as a lawyer, a nurse, a teacher. It took me a while but when I settled on my major and started working towards my Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Relationships, I was able to focus that desire on a towards human services.” While she was obtaining her degree, Morgan, did field work in her internships and worked summer jobs in a variety of settings including a nursing home, a day care, an emergency shelter, shadowing a social worker for kindergarten through second grade, and as a summer camp for adults with developmental disabilities. “At the time I was deciding between working in social work, education, and counseling,” Morgan shares. “I feel that by settling in on Care Management, I am in a position that touches on all three of these areas.”
The strong work ethic Morgan possesses and the drive to do things well is something that she feels she has always had within her. “It comes from an internal pressure to be perfect and do things correctly. “But,” Morgan explains, “I’ve figured out how to use this pressure constructively so that it aids me in my work.” Her ability to use this trait constructively shows in the leadership abilities she has demonstrated since being in Care Management and has been rewarded in through the promotions she has received. “However,” Morgan expands, “it takes more than a drive to do all things well, to really make it in this field. You need to have a passion and love for this work. I love working with the kids and their families. I have a passion for helping vulnerable individuals get their needs met. And I really enjoy working with other service providers in the community while working towards meeting those needs. I have gained a lot of knowledge from this collaboration.”
“I am a such a cat person and a homebody.”
At home, Morgan loves spending time with her cats. “I am a such a cat person and a homebody,” she shares. She also enjoys reading, self-care such as facials and other skin care treatments, going on road trips, and hanging out with her family and friends going to the beach, watching movies, playing games, or chit chatting by the fireplace. “I am really close with my family, including my mom, step-dad, and my brothers. They all live close by in Corinth, so I get to see them often.”
RISE administration appreciates all that Morgan does for the agency and for the youth and their families that we serve. She is highly motivated, compassionate, and dedicated – all the qualities of a Staff on the Rise. Please join us in congratulating her as the recipient of the December Staff on the Rise recognition.