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EBP Society's 2020 IMPACT! Award Recipients Announced

For Immediate Release:

Atlanta, GA - April 12, 2021 - Today the EBP Society announced the recipients of its annual "EB IMPACT!" Award. The EBP Society's "EB IMPACT!" Award is given to an agency for outstanding achievement in the area of evidence-based initiatives designed to build staff capacity for assistively and collaboratively helping customers succeed. The award emphasizes implementation success they demnstrate.

For 2020 we have two (2) recipients who exhibited tremendous courage and perseverance in achieving success in the face of a debilitating COVID-19 pandemic.

Our recipients are;

  • County of Summit ADM Board in Ohio

  • State of Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

WHAT WAS ACHIEVED

Outstanding Agency Name: County of Summit ADM Board

  • Implementation Management: Dr. Aaron Ellington, Evidence Based Practices Coordinator/Acting Associate Director of Clinical Services
  • Agency Leadership: Aimee Wade, Interim Executive Director/Associate Director of Clinical Services
    (Jerry Craig, Former Executive Director)

County of Summit ADM Board initiated a pilot program (before COVID-19) to evaluate five of the 24 provider agencies it oversees. The effort gathered data which was used to determine the degree those pilot agencies are evidence-based. The results of the evaluation was then use to recommend steps to align with evidence-based frameworks.

This tremendous achievement involved some 350 employees, entailed coordinating the gathering and evaluation of survey data, reviewing recommendations, training staff, and so much more - all this during the pandemic. We also congratulate the teams at the pilot agencies and their leadership for their perseverance.

The entire effort probably would not have been possible were it not for the tireless persistence and precise coordination of Dr. Aaron Ellington, Evidence Based Practices Coordinator/Acting Associate Director of Clinical Services, who drove the program, working with Aimee Wade, Interim Executive Director/Associate Director of Clinical Services.

 

 

Outstanding Agency Name: Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC)

  • Implementation Management: Mia Smith, Planning and Policy Development Specialist
  • Agency Leadership: Laura Thompson, Program Director

Prior to COVID-19, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) of Georgia initiated an aggressive plan aimed at training some 500 services providers on the evidence-based method, "Seeking Safety" developed by Dr. Lisa Najavits. All the training was scheduled to occur in various parts of Georgia starting March of 2020. Then of course the pandemic hit, all travel was restricted along with large gatherings. Through it all only one training session (out of ten) was rescheduled. The agency recovered quickly from the disruption, moved all training online and continued as planned. Services providers themselves adapted as they sought avenues to continue to serve their clients. As part of the training, providers also received guidance on how to work with clients remotely, while being sensitive to the trauma implications brought on by COVID-19.

We congratulate the service provider agencies, their leadership and staff as well as court personnel providing direct services who also underwent the training under the challenging circumstances. We also commend the CJCC team under the leadership of Director Laura Thompson. Especially noteworthy is the tireless effort of Mia Smith, Planning and Policy Development Specialist, who coordinated the entire effort and pushed until all providers were trained.

In announcing the recognition Sobem Nwoko, President, Joyfields Institute and Founder, EBP Society noted, "Our IMPACT! Award recipients this year are particularly noteworthy because they overcame such tremendous odds considering the pandemic, its challenges for providers and clients being served. They worked with their providers and got it done. They made a huge impact."

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EBP Society is the growing community of professionals committed to the application of evidence-based frameworks in work being done. www.ebpsociety.org

Learn more about IMPACT! Awards

Joyfields Institute is helping to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based frameworks worldwide. www.joyfields.org

Contact:

Yvette Hughes
770-409-8780
[email protected]