Position: Developmental Assistant II
Years of Service: 17
Janet Williams was named one of the Hudson Valley DDSOO’s 2024 DSPs of the Year because of her exceptional supervising skills and her dedication to the people in her care.
“Janet has been a willing and able vessel of change,” says Erika Watson. “She has taken her professional development to the next level by being more open-minded, willing to adapt her learning methods, and embracing interpersonal leadership lessons from administrators.”
Janet implements recommendations with her team and has been more than willing to ask questions, when necessary, Watson says. When agency training goes out and team training is required, Janet is always the first supervisor to sit with her staff and complete the in-service.
“The people she supervises appreciate her teamwork and leadership efforts in an ever-changing environment,” Watson adds.
Janet participates in the activities occasionally because staffing can be very difficult to find. Janet has been known on several occasions to go above and beyond to provide for a person’s planned activities. The people she supports enjoy the time and effort she puts into planning and taking part in these activities. Based on their nonverbal expressions of laughter and smiles, Janet’s extensive planning and commitment to executing her schedule allow them to enjoy diverse plays, musicals and dinner theaters.
“She has doubled the community inclusion with the people she supports by submitting applications for wheelchair accessible activities, ensuring extra staffing is scheduled. She has often volunteered her time for this when others could not be found,” Watson says.