April 27, 2005
Awards Honor Champions of Child Abuse Prevention
Thirteen individuals from across the state received awards Wednesday for their achievements in the field of child abuse prevention.
The awards were presented during the 2005 Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Conference, held in Helena and sponsored by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) in cooperation with CASA of Montana and the Montana Supreme Court Administrator’s Office.
On behalf of the Montana Council on Families, Attorney General Mike McGrath presented the “Celebration of Children” Award to Fred Fisher, regional administrator for the Child and Family Services Division of DPHHS in Helena. He oversees child protective services in Helena, Butte, and Bozeman and was honored for his ongoing efforts to always put the needs and safety of children first.
Supreme Court Justice Jim Rice presented awards on behalf of CASA, an organization of court-appointed special advocates who volunteer to represent children during judicial proceedings involving child abuse and neglect. Award winners were:
- Judges of the Year: District Court Judges Susan Watters of Billings and Kim Christopher of Polson. Watters was recognized for her work on behalf of CASA and the Yellowstone County Family Drug Treatment Court, which was the first of its kind in Montana. Christopher was honored for her work in starting a CASA program in Lake County.
- Program Director of the Year: Anita Nybo of Bozeman. Nybo has worked with the CASA program for 17 years and helped to start the program in Gallatin County.
- Volunteer of the Year: Pat Gibson of Great Falls. Gibson was selected from among 280 CASA volunteers statewide. A former day care operator, she has served as a special advocate for 16 children over the past five years.
Dr. Robert Wynia, director of DPHHS, handed out awards to employees of the department’s Child and Family Services Division and others who showed exceptional talent and dedication over the past year. Winners were:
- Engaging Families in Positive Change Award: Carrie Kangas, Cascade County intake social worker. Kangas was praised for the balance she maintains between keeping children safe and recognizing family strengths.
- Creative Solutions Award: Dave Thorsen, chief of the division’s Fiscal Bureau, Helena. Thorsen was commended for his work in finding creative budget solutions and accurately projecting division expenditures.
- Above and Beyond Awards: Shelly Stone, Centralized Intake, Helena; and Abby Cassidy, acting supervisor of Centralized Intake, Billings. Stone was praised for her willingness to volunteer to cover extra shifts, while Cassidy was honored for volunteering to be acting supervisor of the busiest Centralized Intake office in the state.
- Resource Parents of the Year: Mandy and Mike Richards of Missoula. The Richards have served as foster and adoptive parents of three children, while maintaining an excellent relationship with the biological mother in order to further the best interests of the children.
Youth Achievement of the Year: Kayla and Josh Davis of Billings, siblings who have been in the foster care system since 1990. Both have demonstrated an exceptional drive to succeed and to make positive changes in their lives.
Page last updated: 06/14/2006
