Children’s Home Society’s Institute for Family Honors Social Workers with Family Champion Awards

Greensboro, NC, May 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Institute for Family, an entity of Children’s Home Society of NC (CHS), presented its second annual Family Champion Awards on April 26 at The Duke Endowment in Charlotte, NC. Social workers and family advocates from across North Carolina gathered to honor social workers for the vital role they play in promoting family well-being.

The event’s keynote speaker, Victor Armstrong, MSW, Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, highlighted how social workers have the influence to play a pivotal role in someone’s story.

“I’m extremely hopeful today to all of you, who through your work and your stories, give families hope,” Armstrong said in his address to attendees.

Those who received Family Champion Awards were:

Amy Gunter, Medical Social Worker, Medi Home Hospice
Kielana Ham, Street Outreach Resource Coordinator, Ripple Effect Group
Katherine Lamb, Permanency Planning Social Worker, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Youth and Family Services
Patricia Massey, Social Work Supervisor III, Children and Family Services, Gaston County Department of Health & Human Services 
Roger Suclupe, Clinical Assistant Professor, UNC Charlotte
Emilie Taylor, Permanency Planning Social Worker, Harnett County, North Carolina, Department of Social Services
Angel Thomas, Director of Mental Health, Partners in Learning
Latisha Watson, Care Manager – CMHRP and CMARC Programs, Orange County, North Carolina, Health Department
Steven Yates, Social Worker IA&T – Investigations, Burke County, North Carolina, Department of Social Services

“Whether it’s providing a healthy and safe space for clients to feel at home, or motivating and supporting colleagues by always offering a smile and inspiring staff to be the best versions of themselves, or supporting grieving parents and connecting them with one another – all are examples of the actions of these Family Champions – their dedication forms the backbone of every resilient family,” said Claudia Perry, CHS Institute for Family Director.

The Institute for Family advocates for family well-being in North Carolina and across the nation. The Institute is grounded in listening to families, trusting their lived expertise, and working with them to inform and inspire policies and practices that value families. The Institute capitalizes on Children’s Home Society’s 120-year history of providing direct services for families associated with the child welfare system. The Institute’s impact extends beyond the limits of traditional programs to address the broader conditions facing families that lead to child maltreatment.

Children’s Home Society is dedicated to its mission to promote the right of every child to a permanent, safe, and loving family by providing top-quality, evidence-based programs and services to children and families throughout North Carolina.  Our education and child welfare staff provided services to more than 20,000 individuals last year, educating and preserving families, supporting children and families through transitions, and creating new families.

About Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
Children’s Home Society offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving relationships in every family. For 120 years, Children’s Home Society has provided a broad spectrum of programs and services including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation, and teen responsibility. Children’s Home Society believes in the importance of family, not only in the life of a child but also in the foundation of a community. For more information, visit www.chsnc.org.

Attachment

• Children’s Home Society of NC’s Family Champion Award Winners

CONTACT: Dillard Spring
Children's Home Society of North Carolina
800-632-1400
dspring@chsnc.org