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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 B5 HEALTHCARE HEROES | 2024 Awards Winner Category | Mental Health Care Provider Ryan MacDonough InterCommunity Director of Community Support Services R yan MacDonough is a licensed clinical social worker at Inter- Community. He oversees multiple community-based services including various levels of case management, crisis and residential/supportive housing services for people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. What have been your significant contributions to your organization? In general, my focus has been on improving community-based services. In particular, I have worked for our Community Support Program to help it achieve high quality marks, which resulted in an 18% increase in funding. at allows us to provide higher-quality services to those in need. I have also started to supervise a residential substance abuse program and helped with meeting ASAM requirements, which is directly related to how residen- tial treatment programs are funded. I have also worked directly with multiple police departments and hospitals to increase communication and teamwork to improve outcomes and better crisis interventions for the clients we serve. Tell us about a challenge in your job that you were able to overcome. Over the past 18 years, I have helped InterCommunity grow from 40 employees to around 400. is involved leading teams in areas I wasn't always familiar with. I had to build relationships with many staff members and clients and focus on skill-building and learning for everyone. What's your next major goal and/or challenge? I think the ongoing challenge for our clients is housing. Access and cost of housing is a major barrier for everyone, especially those with low income and in various stages of recovery. I would love to find a way for all our clients to have safe and secure housing. Personal side: Residence: Cromwell Favorite way to relax: Humor and being outside Winner Category | Mental Health Nancy Lichtenberg Jewish Family Services (JFS) Family Counseling Clinician N ancy Lichtenberg has over 35 years of experience working in nonprofit social service agencies, and 22 of them have been as a psychotherapist with JFS as part of the clinical team. Lichtenberg taught the state-man- dated parenting program for divorcing parents for 20 years and singularly operated FOCUS on KIDS, a court-or- dered program for high-conflict co-par- ents, for 10 years. Prior to coming to JFS, Lichtenberg worked in various settings, including a substance use intensive outreach program, correctional facilities and alternative incarceration centers, and a methadone maintenance treatment program. What have been your significant contributions to your organization? In just the last two years, I've offered 1,181 client sessions and 260 hours of case management for my clients. I have been trained in emotionally focused therapy for couples and internal family systems, in addition to other models of treatment to address anxiety, depres- sion, prolonged grief and distressing family dynamics. As a clinician with a close relation- ship with JFS's Money Coach and other local charitable organizations, I have been able to help many clients with the state of their monetary affairs. Because there are so many dimensions to mental health, including financial health and one's ability to save and plan, I go above and beyond to help clients to connect with resources that are vital to their financial decision-making. I have also been an integral part of JFS earning and maintaining "Getting It Right," a certification that trains staff in sensitivity and awareness of LBGTQ issues and aging. I worked closely with the agency's home health program, Care at Home by JFS, to ensure that home health providers have the training they need to properly serve the LGBTQ senior population. Our Healthcare Heroes Think Possible Scan to learn more gaylord.org Tricia McDonough Ryan, PhD, MCert Global Mental Health Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychologist Supporting the brain health of children impacted by war and migration through regional and international partnerships. Emily Meise, MS OTR/L, CLT, CBIS, CSRS Inpatient Occupational Therapist Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation Transforming inpatient occupational therapy assessment around the world with the novel Gaylord Occupational Therapy Cognitive (GOT-Cog©) Screen. Winner - Volunteer Winner - Innovation