Name: Leslee Ferguson
Program: 27, 39, 41
Job Title: Area Manager

Can you explain your job title a little bit more in-depth for me, meaning what does an Area Manager do?  

I oversee a lot of what would be the licensing portion of the program, along with the services that we’re providing within the programs and then placement within foster care.  

What kind of licenses are you in charge of getting in order?  

Our programs are licensed in different ways. Our Crisis Residential Center and Hope Program are licensed as a CRC (Crisis Residential Center) and with part of that licensing process, there are specific WAC (Washington Administrative Code) items that we have to follow in order for our license to be in good standing and for children to continue to be placed in our program. Our program at Malu is licensed as a Group Care Program. This has to be in place in order for that program to continue to be licensed and provide services. Then our foster care program has its own CPA licensing. Every site has a little bit of a different structure that has to be followed in order to continue to provide services.  

What did you do yesterday? 

Yesterday was our regional team meeting. The managers from Region 3, our licensure, admin assistant, and administrator get together and we do our monthly meeting. After that, I had a team meeting for a child within a family inquiring about services, and then I had a meeting with the foster parent and the social worker for the family I met with previously.  

Out of everything you did yesterday, what was normal or typical? Was there anything uncommon about your day?  

Our regional team meeting was pretty typical. However, something a little different did happen. BRS (Behavior Rehabilitation Service) and WISe (Wraparound with Intensive Services) don’t normally work together, but we have the amazing opportunity for all 3 companies to come together and support a family together, collaboratively. There’s a lot to sort through since this is the first time we’ve ever collaborated with multiple other companies, but yesterday was the first team meeting that BRS, WISe, the family, and the child have all had together.  

How do you make sure that we are always showing a deep profound respect towards our clients and customers? 

I think that we’re really good about meeting families where they’re at. That’s really important to me because it allows us to show empathy. In this moment the goal is happier, healthier, and a more productive ways of living for everyone. We can help support clients and families through those stages. I think that it’s critically important that people really see that families are doing the best they can right now with the resources that they have available to them. With that, it reminds us to always have a respectful approach towards every situation. 
 

If I could talk to one of your clients or customers, what would they say are the ways that you respect them and show the SA Values?  

I feel that Excellence is the value that stands out the most with the services that we provide.  I believe people are experts about themselves and so it’s important to me to really respect that, whether it be the kids that we are supporting, or the parents or foster parents. I approach this work with the mindset that they are the expert of themselves, and we are going to come in and help support them achieve the goals that they’ve identified are important to them in order to have a healthier, happier way of living. I want that family or that child or that team that we’re working with to really feel that we are invested in them and what is important to them. 

Join the conversation on our Facebook page!