Category Field Services Show all
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Flood Preparation Within Clay County
By Janelle Cheney
Clay County STS and their local Work Detail Crew, along with several other partners, came together the week of April 10 to battle the reoccurring concern of flooding in this community. STS Crew Leader, Andrew Hansen, and Work Detail Crew Leader, Cole Stoll with the Clay County Correctional Center, brought their Crews out to help "Fight the Flood!" Despite ongoing efforts and progress made to avoid flooding, it is best to be prepared for what only Mother Nature can control.
Thank you to the Clay County Sheriff's Department for spearheading these efforts and for trusting our Crews with this significant project, crucial to the safety of this Community. Also coming to the table was JT Lawn Services and Landscaping Inc. They provided much needed equipment and were on-scene to assist and support. They made positive comments and were impressed with the Crew Member's positive attitudes and hard work.
Not only did they provide equipment and support, they offered Job Applications to the Crew Leaders (to share with Agents) and Crew Members, clearly impressed with their work ethic and these programs!!!! It is amazing what can be accomplished when people are communicating, collaborating and willing to work together!
We are so appreciative of the many opportunities afforded to our Crews within Clay County, providing them with employability skills as well as the ability to meet and connect directly with those hiring.
It should also be noted that ISR and the Local Agents worked diligently to encourage all who could be on Crew to participate in this event. True Team Work!!!!
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Shout Out: Field Services' Tracy Hudrlik
Midge Christianson, Director at 6W Community Corrections in Montevideo, saw our Shout Outs in Hotline Online and wanted to submit a special one for Tracy Hudrlik. Midge states:
I noticed in the new Hotline format there are these “shout outs” for different DOC staff. I don’t know if someone outside of the DOC can nominate someone for such a recognition, but if so Tracy Hudrlik deserves one this week! She’s been working with us on two challenging and urgent matters last week and this week, and she’s been so accessible and helpful. Yesterday we had a significant public safety emergency with a client on our caseload who is also a victim of domestic violence that needed to leave the state immediately for her own safety. Tracy responded immediately and was instrumental in facilitating emergency RFRI’s with the receiving state. She is a real gem!
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Agent Rick Young Retires After 31 years
By Janelle Cheney
In the Field we often comment about how thick a client's file is... well, Agent Rick Young's was comparably large - with accolades!
Rick joined Field Services in 1992, reaching Career Agent status in 2001. He received three Achievement Awards between 1996 and 2001. Rick was known for is dedication to providing an Internship opportunity throughout his career and speaking at Criminal Justice Classes, Dare graduations and Elementary Career Days.
Comments found in his file consistently offered, "Flawless Case Audit" and "Best writing skills of anyone in the District!" He received many letters and notes from families and previous clients thanking him for his approach and for helping them through very difficult times. Rick cared about the communities he served, and about Minnesota.
Rick's absence will be felt by many across the State. He was highly efficient in keeping all of us "in the know" of where our clients were and what they were doing. Many L.E. agencies will sense his absence as well as he often connected the dots between Field Services and L.E. in respect to safety and accountability.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, CAREER AGENT, RICK YOUNG!
Career Agent Rick Young -
Shout Out: St. Cloud's Jason "The Mason"
An anonymous person wrote in to thank Jason Kilanowski for his work and example. They wrote:
Jason “The Mason" Kilanowski has been a great resource for DOC career technical teachers statewide. His thoughtful insight on complicated credentialing conversations is always welcomed and respected. Jason practices what he preaches, and is always hard-working. He leads by example. These attributes allowed him to forge strong relationships with his advisory committee and the community, leading to an unequalled employment rate for his students as they re-enter society. Thank you for your dedication to the community we serve!
Thank you to the anonymous sender - Jason will sure be missed when he retires in May!
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Shout Out: Field Services St. Cloud District Staff
By Deb Anderson
Shout out to the staff in the St. Cloud District! The St. Cloud District has been experiencing staff shortages (sometimes more than one in an office) for the past 6 months and these amazing people have stepped up to cover vacant caseloads while managing their own. In addition, they have been participating in projects, mentoring new staff and providing training to other DOC staff. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for their dedication to the district, clients, and stakeholders.
Thank you for all the extra work!!!
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Shout Out for Wade Lennox, Milaca FS Office & LSCMI Trainer
By Rachel L. Miller
Shout out to DOC Felony Agent Wade Lennox! Wade has been an LSCMI trainer for several years. Over the last couple of years, he has volunteered to help with LSCMI training at Statewide Training Academy several times. On top of that, he has stepped up to do refresher training over and over again to help DOC staff keep fresh on their assessment skills. Thanks, Wade, for taking this on in addition to all your other work!
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Shout Out: Agents Wendy Ortiz and Kaitlyn Hansen
By Holly VanPelt
Brad Nelson, Ignition Interlock Coordinator for the Third Judicial District sent a letter of appreciation regarding Agent Wendy Ortiz and Agent Kaitlyn Hansen out of the Albert Lea Office. In the letter, he recognized Wendy for being a member of the Ignition Interlock Program since it began in 2016, and Kaitlyn for her recent persistence in helping one of her clients overcome several obstacles in obtaining a valid driver's license with ignition interlock.
The success of this program is a direct result of partnerships like this. Thank you Wendy and Kaitlyn for your dedication and teamwork!
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Shout Out: Corrections Agent Alex Earl
By Holly VanPelt
Corrections Agent Alex Earl visited a local community college recently to meet with first year human services students. He was asked to share current drug trends but ended up speaking more about his job as a probation officer. He took the opportunity to educate the students about how we use cognitive behavioral interventions and other tools to help people change their thinking and ultimately their behavior.
He also co-facilitates Decision Points with a county probation officer on a weekly basis and helps out with a jail Decision Points group on a rotating basis. In addition to this, he recently joined the Opioid Advisory Committee in Mower County and is meeting with local partners to connect and brainstorm ways to address the current opiate crisis affecting our local community.
Thank you Alex for going above and beyond and for partnering with local stakeholders!
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Shout Out: Goodhue County STS Crew Lead Wade Mallon
By Jenny McMahon
I would like to give a shout out to Wade Mallon and the STS program in Goodhue County. I received a letter from a participant of the program who stated the following:
"I am grateful for the time I spent working with Wade, who I found to be very dedicated to the program and its mission. He was willing to spend extra time and effort educating me on each job we were a part of, so that I got the most out of the experience and felt appreciated. I learned a great deal in my brief time on the crew, including valuable skills in carpentry, painting, snow removal, tree care and trimming, and proper use, care, and maintenance of various tools used in these specialized jobs.
It is unfortunate that many counties throughout Minnesota have discontinued or significantly limited their STS programs following the COVID 19 pandemic, and I sincerely hope that your program continues to thrive in the coming years."
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Shout Out: Corrections Agent Sr. Justin Ball
By Roman George
The evening of Tuesday, March 21, during a Weather Alert in the Fargo/Moorhead area, Hennepin County ISR learned that an incarcerated person with multiple high risk factors had pled guilty, was sentenced, and given credit for time served and may have been released in the immediate area.
Through multiple communications, Corrections Agent Sr. Justin Ball - under late night blizzard conditions - responded immediately and located the individual being processed and released from the Cass County Jail in Fargo, ND.
Justin connected with the individual that was hungry, homeless, and with no financial means to care for himself. Justin transported him back into Moorhead, Minnesota where he purchased food and provided him with bedding and shelter at the local DOC leased residence for the night. The following day, Justin provided the individual with additional food and resources to help assist in his transition, including providing him with an additional overnight stay because of the deteriorating weather and road conditions.
In addition to his work with the individual, Justin continued working with his current caseload and communication with Hennepin County and Central Transport to assist in transporting him back to his approved placement in Hennepin County.
On the morning of Thursday, March 23, Justin transported the individual to Detroit Lakes where he connected with Central Transport who transported the individual home.
Justin Ball has been providing Special Supervision throughout the Moorhead area for more than a decade and has always been responsive to individuals, the department, and stakeholders in need!
