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Unsung Hero Award
Jewish Family
Services awarded Jones Nhinson Williams and Oya Alatur
with its Unsung Hero Award. Mr. Williams is the Agency’s Care
Manager working exclusively with Émigrés. Ms. Oyatur is one of the
Agency’s clinicians. She assists children to older adults providing
out-patient mental health services.
Mr. Williams,
originally from Liberia is a naturalized citizen of the United
States. He speaks more than three languages and is literate in more
than 4 African dialects. He began working for JFS in 2007, becoming
indispensable shortly thereafter. He is one of the first people with
whom the émigré families meet following their initial orientation
period. His case management services focus on skills building and
job retention to assist the families in achieving economic
self-sufficiency and community integration within the first 5 years
of refugee status in the United States. He also interprets state and
federal policies for the émigrés to ensure fulfillment of
expectations. During 2010, he served more that 97 individuals
arriving from Afghanistan, Burma, Cameroon, Cuba, D. R. Congo,
Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti,
Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Lithuania, Nepal,
Peru, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Ukraine. Although not
Jewish he prides himself as an employee of Jewish Family Services
and frequently refers to himself as being Jewish in values.
Oya Alatur, LCSW
has been with JFS since 2000 when the agency’s counseling staff
numbered 3 and all shared one office! She accepted many assignments
out-of-office not the least of which was facilitating puppet shows
at Head Start programs in Wilmington to assist children understand
the parameters of violent behaviors and the impact upon their
families. By 2005, she was assigned her own office, with a window.
But she still devoted many hours in the community counseling women
residing in shelters. Regardless of the growing demands placed upon
her for documentation and written reports, her dedication to her
clients and commitment to the Agency far surpassed expectations. Her
ability to lead her peers in accepting performance targets while
providing quality service has helped the Agency create a caring and
nurturing work environment and a reputation as one of the foremost
out-patient mental health facilities in New Castle County.
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