Congratulations to Janessa Ellmers, the recipient of the April Staff on the Rise recognition! Janessa was recently promoted to Senior Adult Care Manager. She demonstrates an excellent work ethic, often going above and beyond her duties by taking on extra projects that makes both her and her coworkers’ jobs easier. She is a team player and an inspiration to others on the Care Management Team.
“Janessa plays a crucial role in our Care Management Team. We are happy to have her.”
Janessa shares that she enjoys being a Care Manager because she loves helping others. “One of the most rewarding things for me,” she explains, “is when you see an individual achieve something and they look at you with the most wonderful smile on their face and you can feel pride for them. That is one of the things that gets me going every morning.” She also enjoys the support and dedication of her co-workers, “everyone is so supportive,” she says, “we all build each other up.”
As a Senior Adult Care Manager, Janessa supervises other Adult Care Managers, offering guidance and support, and she trains new hires when they join the team. She also carries a full case load of about 40 individuals, connecting them to services, resources, and support in the community. When asked about what she enjoys about being a Senior Care Manager, she shares, “every day is unique and full of opportunity to help others live a fuller, richer life.”
Janessa is required to keep up to date with policies that govern the work she and the rest of the Care Management team does. Additionally, she works on several projects to help enrich the team such as creating resources guides and other helpful documents which she calls “cheat sheets.” These include a food pantry list, training resources, community and housing resources, and a guide on how to use Netsmart, the Care Management electronic health record.
Sharon Anderson, Care Management Program Director, praises Janessa and her work, “having Janessa on our Care Management team has made a huge difference. With the never ending ‘surprises’ that may pop up at any time of the day, Janessa doesn’t skip a beat. She still finds a way to get her work done and offer a helping hand to her co-workers if needed. Janessa plays a crucial role in our Care Management Team. We are happy to have her.”
Janessa has a bachelor’s degree in anthology and a master’s degree in social work. She is currently working towards becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Originally, she had intended on becoming a clinical social worker or a therapist. However, through her work at RISE, she has discovered she enjoys working on a macro level that centers on investigating larger scale social problems and developing and implementing social interventions to make positive change at the community, state, and national levels. She says, “working at RISE is great because there are leadership opportunities available and with the new programs that are being developed there are several opportunities to grow.”
In order to maintain her excellent work ethic Janessa prioritizes wellness and taking care of herself. She makes it a point to use her lunch breaks to recharge during the day. She uses her down time to take walks, do yoga, and Zumba classes. She also likes to look at photos on Instagram, visit with her friends, and she is looking forward to being able to go out to a movie theater again. She says that she has learned that it is okay and important to ask for help when she needs it.
RISE Administration is appreciative of Janessa’s hard work and dedication. Please join us in congratulating her for being the recipient of the April Staff on the Rise recognition.