May 10, 2016 03:53 PM UTC

State Employees Honored on Public Service Recognition Week

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• by: Colorado WINS

The first week of May is Public Service Recognition Week and here at Colorado WINS there’s no shortage of members we’re proud of.

Read a few profiles of the dedicated public servants who work hard each day to make Colorado the best state in the nation. They devote their lives to helping others, whether it’s through ensuring that former foster care youth have a home or that mentally ill patients get the right treatment. Each one of them performs a vital function as public employees.

Ricardo Matthias, Youth Engagement Specialist with the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare

Ricardo Matthias, Youth Engagement Specialist with the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare

Working with young people has been Ricardo’s passion and calling since he graduated from college with a degree in psychology. He’s been working as a public servant for the past 22 years, helping young men and women with little family support to make the best of their lives.

“It’s important to make sure that when people are thinking about policies that impact young people they don’t forget about the young persons they are trying to help,” he said. “That’s why we need to have a young person sitting at that table who can say, ‘From my experience of going through foster care, this is what I think and this is what we need.’”

Read more here.

Jessica Flermoen, Licensed Psychologist, Centennial Correctional Facility

Jessica Flermoen, Licensed Psychologist, Centennial Correctional Facility

Jessica is a licensed psychologist and has worked for the state for nearly 4 years at the Centennial Correctional Facility. She offers individual and group therapy to the male offender population that suffer from severe mental illness or character pathology.

“I’ve wanted to be a psychologist since I was really young and I chose to work in corrections primarily to give voice to the people who don’t have one,” Jessica said.

As a public servant, Jessica goes above and beyond what her job description calls for. She works long hours, manages an intense caseload and does extra research into programs that deal with self-injury and can help offenders. She puts extra care in making sure her clients transition from incarceration into the community by helping them ensure that care is appropriate and maintained during that transition.

Read more here.

Ron Price, Correctional Officer, Limon Correctional Facility

Ron Price, Correctional Officer, Limon Correctional Facility

Law enforcement has always been part of Ron’s life, but it wasn’t until he began to work as a Corrections Officer that he finally found a career, not just a job. He’s worked at Limon Correctional Facility for just over 2 years.

“My job is not easy,” Ron said. “Some days are amazing but some days are just non-stop go, go, go. You have to deal with all kinds of stuff, but facing it head on is part of the job. You have no idea what your day is until you walk through the door. You always hope that it’s going to be a good day, but you never really know until you get there.”

Read more here.

Miguel Musacchia, Registered Nurse, Colorado Mental Health Institute at Ft. Logan

Miguel Musacchia, Registered Nurse, Colorado Mental Health Institute at Ft. Logan

Miguel has had a few careers in his life, including time as a Marine and as a chef in New Orleans. But public service was his calling and it was part of the reason he decided to become a registered nurse.

For the past three years he’s been a nurse, working with mentally ill patients at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Ft. Logan.

“At Ft. Logan we work with a challenging clientele,” Miguel said. “You can easily just write our patients off, clock in and out just to get paid, but for me this kind of job is more than just a job. It’s something you really have to believe in.