Thanks for 28 great years!

For 28 years I had the honor and privilege of working with and supporting the dedicated, hard-working casemanagers of Community Alternatives Unlimited in Chicago, Illinois. I’d like to thank you for giving me that opportunity!

I will always hold CAU in high regard and have long maintained that its casemanagers are the backbone of the organization. Without you, there would be no IT, support, fiscal or administrative departments. Although many staff came and left over the course of 28 years, your challenges remained constant:  pressure to visit clients and record service, the daily struggle to balance ever-increasing caseloads against ever-decreasing resources, and the ongoing challenge of keeping up with seemingly never-ending compliance requirements. Still, you always found ways to persevere.  Your compassion and advocacy on behalf of your clients and their families is admirable, inspirational and heartwarming!

Please know that during my employment at the agency, I was keenly aware of these challenges and did my best to use technology to find innovative ways to save you time or make your caseloads easier to manage. I worked long and hard at my job and, in return, was rewarded with the satisfaction of knowing that my contributions helped make your work lives a little better.

During my time at CAU, I grew and developed both personally and professionally. I was fortunate to have worked with some incredibly dedicated and talented individuals and I thank them for believing in me. My hope is that future IT Directors will be great teachers and learners who will take the time to get to know CAU’s casemanagers, programs and clients and approach their job with passion, empathy, compassion and patience,  ultimately leaving the agency better off than when they arrived.

It was a pleasure working with you. Keep up the great job and best of luck to you in the future!

–Dave