Congratulations to Ian Vonie, the recipient of the March Staff on the Rise recognition! Ian is the Program Supervisor at Rain House, a RISE Community Residence. He demonstrates an exemplary work ethic, he excels on the job, he is a team player, and he is an inspiration to others.
“Ian is a dedicated employee that strives to ensure the clients we serve are well taken care of.”
Ian started working for RISE as a residential counselor at Rain House in 2014. In October of 2017, after a brief hiatus from RISE, he joined the Progressive Steps Apartment Program (PSAP). Then, in 2019, Rain House suffered a devastating loss when the Program Director, Lorraine Desmond, suddenly passed away. Rain House, formerly known as Stonebridge, was renamed in Lorraine’s honor.
Jacqueline Knowles, who had been the Program Supervisor, stepped in as the Program Director and she hired Ian as the Program Supervisor. “We were both new to these positions,” Ian explaines. “We both had a lot to learn but together Jackie and I figured it out.”
As the Program Supervisor, Ian is a primary counselor for at least one resident, and he supervises two residential counselors. He also oversees the residents’ medication administration and other administrative duties such as coordinating residents’ food stamps and organizing staff and resident trainings. And, of course, there is the day to day running of the program. Ian often feels like a super counselor, “due to staffing restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am often here by myself, so I have to juggle my Program Supervisor duties with seeing to the residents’ needs.”
COVID-19 has had a severe impact on Rain House. Jackie remembers, “In the early days of the pandemic, Ian volunteered to quarantine with our residents for the recommended 14-day period when COVID-19 first impacted our program.” RISE Administration considers that super counselor dedication.
Ian says he looks forward to a time in the future when things return to a semblance of normal, “It is difficult to plan out the week. We never know when a staff member has to quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure and is unable to come into the program. We often have to shift things around to ensure coverage.” And it is Ian who often covers the extra shifts. In October 2020, when Rain House was again under quarantine due to possible COVID-19 exposure, Ian rose to the occasion, working 90+ hours, to ensure the program was fully covered and the needs of the residents were met.
The repercussions of COVID-19 have impacted Rain House in other ways as well. In the past residents had treatment programs, recreational activities at community organizations such as the Senior Center, or they could spend time at the Saratoga Library. Now because of COVID-19 these types of activities are no longer available or have switched to an online format. As a result, Ian worked with Jackie to develop and implement in-house programs and activities including skill building classes, arts and crafts, and groups to focused mental health coping techniques.
Jackie acknowledges Ian’s hard work and dedication to the program, “Ian is a dedicated employee that strives to ensure the clients we serve are well taken care of.” She is grateful for Ian’s help particularly after she assumed the Program Director position and especially over the past year during the pandemic.
Ian’s credits his strong work ethic to his family, “my grandparents had a depression era work ethic, they passed this on to my father, who passed it on to me.”
Ian’s long-term career goals are to become a mental health ambassador, advocating for individuals with mental health diagnoses. He says, “due to the attention mental health has gotten during the COVID-19 pandemic, our country is beginning to realize that mental health is just as important as physical health.” Ian feels that the mental health field needs dedicated advocates to keep up the momentum growing. He is currently working on his bachelor’s in psychology and would like to go on to earn his master’s in human services or social work to eventually become a therapist. Ian shares, “I was inspired to work towards this goal when Lorraine told me I have a talent for talking to people in a therapeutic manner.”
In his down time, Ian enjoys working out, playing golf, reading, playing with his dog, Derek, and he has a unique hobby. Ian explains, “I write screen plays for fun with a friend. It is nothing that we’d ever submit professionally, but we’ve come up with some pretty amusing stuff.”
RISE Administration is appreciative of Ian’s hard work and dedication. Please join us in congratulating him for being the recipient of the March Staff on the Rise recognition award.
In May 2021, Ian became the Program Director of Edgewood House, a RISE community residence.