Laurel Life

06/28/2025

06/21/2025

Laurel Life Gives Back

Laurel Life School Based Therapists, Andrea Hagan and Lakin Sellers, recently volunteered their time at their local Salvation Army Soup Kitchen. While there they assisted with setting up the kitchen, serving lunch, and cleaning up after.

Thank you for giving back to your community!

06/13/2025

06/12/2025

Laurel Life Gives Back

Laurel Life School Based Therapist, Cindy Boliek, recently donated her time to assist with the planning of an end of year picnic for a local youth rugby league. Cindy chose to participate in this community service because she has seen first hand the positive impact the rugby league has provided to the youth. She expressed, "I feel part of a community that helps young people build strength of character and friendships."

Thank you for giving back to your community!

06/10/2025

06/05/2025

As a school-based therapist Christina Bowie routinely displays vital indicators to promote collaboration. In the 2023-2024 school year, Christina entered into a school environment where collaboration needed to be nurtured and nourished. Christina exudes warmth and is the “heart and soul” of the classroom setting. Her warmth, positivity, and accepting nature creates a safe space that simply fosters bonds between colleagues and students.

Christina recognizes that working cohesively with team members is vital but a continual and forgiving process. Defeat is not something that Christina takes easily, especially with miscommunications or misunderstandings that can occur within workplace settings. Christina is always ready to pivot and prioritize conversations to restore and repair relationships. She recognizes that our student’s will only be as good as we as are at building positive relationships and morale. This approach can be seen in interventions in the classroom with students. A key phrase often used by the support staff for reflection is, “Do we have grace for ourselves and others?”

Christina’s team leader identifies that the cohesion of the team speaks to Christina’s ability to collaborate with others. Last year when the classroom did not have a teacher, Christina put so much effort into building relationships with all of the teachers that were subbing. She even threw them an appreciation luncheon in which she got all of the students involved. Christina collaborates well with her team, and always reached out when she needs support or a second opinion.

One of the staff who works with Christina says that she is excellent at keeping her team up to date on student needs and challenges. Christina also encourages input from co-workers in a way that makes your opinions feel valued and useful.

Christina’s collaboration efforts are visible in her individual therapy sessions. Christina often pulls from Motivational Interviewing and supporting students in their readiness to change versus imposing her own opinions or feelings. Christina always prioritizes a collaborative approach or partnership when helping a student through a conversation. Christina always seeks to find the student’s own strengths or expertise and draw out their own reason for change, rather than imposing her own. Christina can always find space to show empathy for the student regardless of the severity of their behaviors. Her collaborative approach has fostered an environment where student’s feel empowered and motivated to make positive changes in their lives.

Christina was the change agent that created a culture of collaboration. If you have the privilege of visiting their classroom, you will see elements of trust, honesty, positivity, and empathy. You will see a team of adults and students who feel comfortable working and learning and openly communicating their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.

Thank you for Living Our Values!

06/04/2025

In his almost four years of work with Laurel Life, Kemar has stood out as a model of collaboration. He brought and continues to bring this core value to his work through building trust with and guiding several new co-therapists into the family-based team. He makes sure to collaborate around schedules, treatment goals, session plans, supervisions, and self-care. Kemar is always intentional in working with whoever his co-therapist is, even in the face of difficulty. He strives to collaborate with those in the office when he is working as a solo clinician in order to ensure his families are receiving a team-delivered service. In addition to this, Kemar has an outstanding reputation with the families and community he serves. Not only have the families he works with provided raving remarks about his collaboration with treatment, scheduling, and coordination of services, but the professional agencies he works with, including insurance, have provided positive feedback about his openness, understanding, collaboration, and coordination with families throughout treatment. Out of all of the therapists in family-based program in Cumberland/Perry counties, Kemar has faced and worked through many, many co-therapist changes. Through all of it, he has maintained a collaborative stance encouraging open, honest communication, empathy, trust, and guidance to those he works with.

Thank you for Living Our Values!

05/30/2025

Stella started with us as an intern in her master's program. She quickly was identified as an individual who could cover a paid maternity leave due to her activeness in the classroom and rapport building. Stella without question accepted this opportunity and collaborated quickly with her school and Laurel Life to make this a successful opportunity and transition.

Stella collaborated with another therapist located near her to make sure that she was on track daily, while also utilizing her supervision with myself and her university. She took on being a fulltime masters level student and full time therapist seamlessly. Stella built great relationships within the school district she was in and used her collaboration between the company and the district staff to help with the success of our students.

As time approached for the other therapist to get back from maternity leave, Stella very gracefully was ready to hand the job back over and collaborate with her on what she had missed by filling her in on all of the students. It was within this time we know that we as a company needed to find a home for Stella. She was then offered a position as a sub for transition and school based therapist as this was the only opening available to her. She loves the company and model so much that she took this on to ensure a job with us. Stella used her collaboration within her supervision to advocate and vocalize her want to stay with the company and grow in any aspect that she could. A few weeks after this opportunity, another one arose allowing Stella to accept a job as a full time therapist in a program. Stella was nervous as it was close to the end of the year and she would be coming into established relationships, but her passion for the students and love for therapy and transition made her not hold back. She took the job and collaborated with the program staff and supervisor to make for a smooth transition for herself, the team, and the students.

Stella has shown teamwork in every situation she is put into. She is always willing to lend a helping hand and shows true passion for the organization.

Thank you for Living Our Values!

05/29/2025

05/28/2025

Tabatha takes collaboration in all aspects of her care. She actively engages the client, their families, and outside supports to promote optimum partnership. Tabatha is always keeping team members up-to-date and inviting communication. She goes above and beyond to cooperate with others and allow for a healthy and positive team dynamic. Tabatha also incorporates collaboration in her treatment approaches to best meet her clients and their families where they are at. This includes pulling from ABA and psychotherapy frameworks to provide whole-client care. She truly makes every effort and surpasses expectations. Tabatha is such a valued member in the Cumberland/Perry/Dauphin area and find her approach to care to be outstanding!

Thank you for Living Our Values!

05/22/2025

Joe’s job title explains his collaborative nature – HELP Desk SUPPORT Specialist. Joe started with our agency last June, in a newly created position within a team whose mission is to “be the people who help the people who help people.” He manages the IT Ticketing System, which is the foundation of IT support to all agency staff. He is very patient, professional, and engaging in his interactions with others. He strives to be efficient in his response time to all requests and challenges himself to meet the highest ratings from the outcome surveys completed by staff. Our agency staff have provided direct complimentary feedback to his supervisor such as:
“very helpful”
“did a nice job”
“I love him!!”
“He was very patient”

Joe understands the importance of privacy, confidentiality and corporate compliance with the highly sensitive client and staff information of which he may encounter in his daily tasks. He also recognizes the routine and requirement of constant communication with his fellow IT team members, yet demonstrates professional and healthy boundaries in those interactions. Joe has quickly demonstrated his commitment to our agency and all staff members and promotes progress and growth within our systems.
Joe was also willing to introduce himself and his puzzle skills to our staff last fall through our agency’s first virtual Talent Show!

Thank you for Living Our Values!