July 2024

Data Management and Analysis - "Putt"ing in the work

The Division's Data Management & Analysis team celebrated the successful completion and submission of four (4) major legislative reports, all sharing a recent due date of July 1. All eight DMA staff members agreed to step away from their screens, software and calculators to engage in a friendly game of mini-golf. Prior to tee-off, a group agreement was made to avoid calculating putting accuracy rates...although a clear winner did emerge, thanks to the venue's technology. Which analyst won you ask? Well, it's kind of a trick question. Hussain Quadri had to leave after a few holes, so for the remaining part of the course we all took turns putting for him. And, in the end, he ended up winning! SO...group effort on the win, and a good metaphor as well: "we're better together!"

Know more about Kelly

"Kelly has implemented many key programs (like SWAP), supports (coaching/training), accountability (reports, statistics), and brought a deep dedication to the rights and needs of our special education population."

Employee of the Month - June

Kelly E. Balderston

Executive Director of Special Education

After moving from North Dakota in the late 90s, I have since called Colorado my home. During my externship as an undergrad, I actually interned as a staff member at what used to be Adams Youth Services Center (now Prairie Vista YSC). It was from that experience I learned about the Division of Youth Services and started my teaching career. Fast forward twenty years, and I ended up back with the Division when my youngest was three months old.

My husband, Justin, and I have three kids: Vanessa (14), Beau (9), and Sophia (8). When we aren't fixing up our house, which was built in the late 1950s, we enjoy traveling, boating, swimming, skiing, and goofing off as a family. Recently, I took up tennis and am working hard to avoid any catastrophic injuries. My other hobby includes furthering my education to ensure DYS remains a leader in special education implementation in order to support positive outcomes for our youth.

Sanctuary in action:

Emotional Intelligence - Kelly has consistently, for the last 6 years, sent handwritten cards, notes, small tokens to express her appreciation for everyone she works with. She has an enormous amount of patience, understanding, and grace.

Social Responsibility - As Executive Director of Special Education, Kelly is a champion not only for all of our youth with special needs, but for all of our youth. She fights hard for their rights and is continually educating legislators, teachers, and staff around best practices for serving this population.

Growth and Change - Kelly is open and committed to change and growth. She listens to different ideas and has a unique way of bringing people together to solve issues and create new processes to bring education forward.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

By Fitzgerald Clark, DYS Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Thought for the month:

There is only one constant in the universe and that is that everything changes.

Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Sanctuary and EDI

The Sanctuary theme of the month is Growth and Change. Many of us have read versions of the two quotes above. Versions of these quotes are often attributed to Heraclitus and Mahatma Gandhi respectively. Although neither actually said it in those words.

For any of us who have worked for the state for a while, we know that change is a part of our jobs here at DYS. Part of what it means to be committed to the work of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is the recognition of the need for change because things are not always as they should be. An EDI champion is committed to the growth and change required to change what is to what should be.

How do we make the work we do better and more effective? How can we be better at impacting the lives of our youth in a positive way? How can we better contribute to creating a healthier and more positive work environment that staff will enjoy and want to stay at? As leaders, regardless of our roles in the organization, our willingness to ask these questions, to search for answers and to commit to promoting the changes necessary to move the work forward is one of the ways that we engage in Growth and Change from an EDI perspective. What we are called to do is to be a conscious agent of change for the better.

July Birthdays

Brian Koch

Traci Trace

Patrick Kane

Theresa Bruner-Leydens

Kerry Marten

Commitment to Growth and Change

July Theme

Text courtesy of Elisa C. Hicks - MSW, MA, CJSP

NCCHC Coordinator, BHMS

Change is difficult because change inevitably involves loss. Healthy humans are inherently social creatures and can attach to anyone and anything.That being the case, the pain of loss does not end as we grow, it just becomes distributed among other relationships. To do something new, you have to stop doing the old thing to which you have grown and attached. The emotions that accompany any loss of attachment are distressing: anxiety, pain, frustration, confusion. Without an opportunity to share this state of loss with anyone else, we rarely move onto the growth piece of any change.

Organizations are comprised entirely of human beings who readily create habits that help us become efficient. We are also constantly signaling either our acceptance or distress to others around us, and those signals create self-fulfilling prophecies that help us feel good or not so good about ourselves and our experiences. This can either contribute to growth or become a hindrance.

Some tips to keep in mind:

In order to make any changes, we must keep the future in mind so we know what goals we want to achieve.
Change is inevitable...how we respond determines if we move with the change or against it.
We support each other's goals.
Open communication, respect, and honesty support ongoing personal and organizational growth.
Making the hard decisions is part of the growth and change process.

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