I’m pleased to recognize Rose with this important honor. Her perseverance, work ethic and leadership qualities are an inspiration to all women.
Garden City, NY (PRWEB) April 12, 2016
The National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) honors Rose Poney as a 2016-2017 inductee into its VIP Woman of the Year Circle. She is recognized with this prestigious distinction for leadership in business. NAPW is the nation’s leading networking organization exclusively for professional women, boasting more than 850,000 members and over 200 operating Local Chapters.
“I’m pleased to recognize Rose with this important honor,” says NAPW President Star Jones. “Her perseverance, work ethic and leadership qualities are an inspiration to all women.”
Growing up with a sister who has Down syndrome, Rose Poney knows all too well the difficulties faced by individuals with mental illness. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Colby-Sawyer College and pursued a career in mental health so she could help people such as her sister and others with severe and persistent mental illness.
As a Clinical Case Manager at Washington County Mental Health Services, Ms. Poney assists people with managing their day-to-day tasks and daily events. “Having a severe mental illness such as Schizophrenia or PTSD, can make organizing daily life and even accessing the supports that are available extremely difficult for a lot of people,” she said. “What I enjoy most about what I do is building people up to help them succeed on their own and helping them develop their own meaning for their lives.”
Ms. Poney provides constant support and development to her clients, which often includes supportive counseling. Never judgmental, she works hard to make them feel safe, comfortable and accepted. Although she faces the same challenge that most mental health workers face when it comes to funding and program support, she is rewarded not only by the strength and determination of the individuals she helps but also by the generosity, resourcefulness and selflessness of her co-workers.
“To this day, the people who continue to inspire me are the people I help; the strength and courage that it takes to face a world full of stigma and animosity towards them is insurmountable even without their mental illnesses and that has helped me on some of my worse days,” Ms. Poney said. “I would also say the amazing people I work with inspire me as well, they all have so much energy and passion for what we all do. It is genuinely a privilege to work in this field.”
In the future, Ms. Poney plans to fulfill a life-long dream by pursuing a Doctoral degree so that she may continue to make a difference in the lives of those struggling with mental illness.
About NAPW
NAPW’s mission is to provide an exclusive, highly advanced networking forum to successful women executives, professionals and entrepreneurs where they can aspire, connect and achieve. Through innovative resources, unique tools and progressive benefits, professional women interact, exchange ideas, advance their knowledge and empower each other.