Vick to Receive Spirit of Service Award from Human Services Commission

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- Elizabeth Vick, Social Services Specialist II, is set to receive the OKDHS Commission Spirit of Service Award at 11 a.m., January 24, at the Coal County Human Services Center, located at 1 N. Main in Coalgate.
Commissioner Aneta F. Wilkinson, vice chairman and rules committee chair, Tulsa, will present the Spirit of Service Award. Wilkinson spearheaded the creation of the Spirit of Service Award which first recognized an OKDHS staff member in the fall of 2010.

Vick was nominated for her compassion and for providing extraordinary customer service in Coal County. According to her supervisor Gaylin Childers, Vick’s compassion shows in her “head, her heart and her hands.”

Vick was nominated for going far beyond what was expected of her professionally when she voluntarily assisted a group of four siblings, all who had developmental disabilities.

The siblings, whose parents were deceased, needed assistance managing their finances. Vick found a volunteer to act as their payee and finance manager, helped the siblings find appropriate housing and obtain personal care. She even assisted the youngest sibling in getting a job at the local sheltered workshop.

Still, the siblings had needs that could not be addressed by traditional services alone. Vick spent many of her days off taking them on shopping excursions, to medical appointments and even to visit their parents’ graves around Memorial Day. When the three oldest siblings began experiencing significant health problems, Vick worked with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to help them transition to an appropriate care facility.

“Elizabeth ’s dedication shows how the values we hold important, coupled with genuine compassion, make OKDHS an important partner in our communities,” said Acting County Director Ken Province.

The Spirit of Service Award was initiated by the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services in an effort to recognize outstanding employees or employee teams who embody customer service and exemplify excellence, respect, knowledge, resourcefulness, kindness, availability, compassion and helpfulness. Nominations are sent in by OKDHS staff for consideration by the Commission, and typically recognize one team or individual in their hometown on a monthly basis.

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