       
|
 |
        |
AFTER 19 YEARS OF SERVICE, ROSEMARIE FISHER RETIRES
For many staff members, Rosemarie's retirement seemed like a lifetime away. Yet, June 22 is quickly approaching. As we prepare to wish Rosemarie a fond farewell, we wanted to give you the opportunity to review Rosalie Manor over the last two decades, to see how this agency has grown, with Rosemarie's vision.
Although you have been with Rosalie Manor (RM) for 19 consecutive years, you have actually been at RM longer than that.
What are some of the major changes that have been made to RM since 1982?
You stated that in 1984 RM operated a residence and the Mother Care program. Since then, what has been added?
Over the past 19 years, you have accomplished many things professionally. What are you most proud of?
This is true. I actually began in 1975 when we were located in Brookfield. I worked as a part time social worker. I stayed until 1978, when I moved to New York and worked at Rosalie Hall, another agency operated by the Misericordia Sisters. I left New York in 1982 and returned to RM in Brookfield as the Executive Director.
We have seen many changes in the 19 years I have been here. Perhaps the most significant change was in 1984, when RM returned to Milwaukee, to our present location. This may have been one of the best decisions made. Being located in Milwaukee allowed us to expand our programming and the number of families served. At the time of the move, we had two residents and our Mother Care program, and our budget was $450,000. Today, we serve more than 3,000 families annually, and our budget is more than $3 million.
We have added several programs over the years because they naturally fit into the services we were already providing. Mother Care was added in 1983, partly because of my experiences in New York at Rosalie Hall. There, we had a connection to a hospital, and we were able to do a lot of outpatient work. As our resident population declined, I realized that we needed to provide outpatient support to mothers and their children. When Mother Care began, RM was located in Brookfield, and the program was housed at St. Joseph's Hospital. Now, Mother Care is housed at Rosalie Manor and recently changed its name to Brighter Tomorrows.
Then, around 1986, funding became available for abstinence programming. It was decided that since we were serving teens AFTER they became pregnant, we should try to do something to prevent teen pregnancies. Therefore, Families United to Prevent Teen Pregnancy was created, and is targeted toward youth between the ages of 9 to 15 years of age.
Supporting Today's Parents (STP) was a program that began with somewhat of a debate in the Board of Directors. Our mission had always been to serve single mothers, and this program was going to work with ALL families. In 1989, the decision was made to begin STP, because we realized that the program would allow us greater access to single mothers.
In 1990, we added the Family Intervention Program due to the high number of referrals of mothers from Milwaukee County because of cocaine or other substance abuse.
Also in the 1990s, the Board made the decision not to add more programming, but to expand our existing programming, which we have been doing ever since.
I think the one thing I am most proud of is that since RM opened in Milwaukee in 1908, the original mission has always been maintained. The consistency of the mission is seen throughout our programs. We never deviated from serving single parents even as we grew to work with two parent families.
I would also like to say that most of our major accomplishments can be attributed to the RM staff as a whole. The quality of programming is directly related to all of our staff, who are all dedicated to our mission. Our case workers are home visiting in neighborhoods that have high levels of crime and violence. They are committed to providing services to families who need them, no matter what the situation. In turn, our families appreciate it and have grown through our services. Also, the majority of our staff view RM as an important part of their lives, and value system, and not just as a job. We have many employees who have been with RM for five or more years, which is remarkable considering the high turn over rates in social services.
In addition, I am very proud that RM has a very good reputation in the community.
On a personal level, I feel my greatest accomplishment has been the ability to maintain financial stability in programming and in the agency in the midst of changing funding streams. And, I am confident that the Board, managers and new Executive Director will continue along this path of stability.