“If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk,” the old saying goes.

U-46 employees Monica Rivera and Debra Williams have proven they can do both, as two of 11 winners of the 2016 “Walk the Talk” awards from the Crisis Prevention Institute Midwest Chapter of Certified Instructors.

The award is presented to staff members for their commitment to care, welfare, safety and security of all students and staff.

Rivera is a social worker at Glenbrook Elementary School and Williams is a paraeducator, or classroom assistant, at Willard Elementary School in South Elgin.

Debra Williams works at Willard Elementary School in South Elgin. (CREDIT: School District U-46)

Williams is often asked to work with the children with the most significant behaviors at Willard Elementary School. Students who have an emotional/behavior disorder require patience, care and understanding.

“Deb is great at reading the students and knowing where they are emotionally. As the students transition through their emotions, she is always right there with them,” said Julie Leston, Willard Elementary School principal and fellow CPI Certified Instructor. “Deb has always gone above and beyond to show her students how much she cares about them. Her passion for her students and exceptional use of CPI strategies make her an asset to our Willard team.”

Rivera received the nomination from Glenbrook Principal Cheryl DeRoo and Williams received the nomination from Principal Leston. The two U-46 employees, along with nine other nominees, were recognized last month at a special CPI event. The CPI Midwest Chapter is a networking group of Certified Instructors as part of the CPI Instructor Association.

Monica Rivera is a social worker at Glenbrook Elementary School. (CREDIT: School District U-46)

Rivera’s responsibilities at the Streamwood elementary include general education and individualized education programs for students. She believes in relationships first and welcomes students to school every day. Rivera assesses each student’s nonverbal behavior and predicts the precursors and triggers to their individual behavior. Once those are identified, she then removes or distracts students away from those triggers.

“Monica establishes and re-establishes communication with the students regularly with agility. She knows when to use words or silence to communicate,” said John Heiderscheidt, U-46 Director of School Safety & Culture and fellow CPI Certified Instructor. “Monica respects her clients’ trauma and uses communication to model behavior for their future. She is a caring and passionate professional, making a difference for those she serves, those she shares professional work with and her school social worker colleagues.”

About the Crisis Prevention Institute

The Crisis Prevention Institute is an international training organization that teaches more than one million human services professionals each year how to safely and effectively manage the risks associated with aggressive and violent behavior. For more information on CPI and Midwest Chapter, contact Julie Porter at 414-979-7010 or email jporter@crisisprevention.com<mailto:jporter@crisisprevention.com>.

SOURCE: U-46 School District News Release