RSA Award of Excellence

Each year, Regional Support Associates (RSA) works in partnership with over 150 organizations in the social services, health, justice and education fields.  The RSA Award of Excellence is presented at our annual conference and was created to recognize the outstanding work of our community partners.  Any direct-service professional or manager working in the RSA catchment area in our field is eligible for nomination.

2007 Award

Mary Lou Adams
Community Living Windsor

Mary Lou Adams has worked for Community Living Windsor for 26 years and currently holds a key management position focusing on accommodation support.

A native of Windsor, Ontario, Mary Lou is a graduate of St. Clair College (the MRC Program). It has been noted that "her warm smile and engaging manner draws people to her immediately". She is considered a "go to person" for her colleagues and various members of the community. Her forthright attitude along with her extensive knowledge, allows her to be an ideal mentor for new staff and managers at her agency. She has also been asked to develop, review and evaluate many of the CL Windsor services.

As a founding member of what formerly was known as the community-based Dual Diagnosis Committee, Mary Lou has advocated for and assisted in creating best practices to ensure access and leading-edged dual diagnosis services. Her emphasis on a person-centred approach with a focus on "the whole person" has made her a valuable member of the group planning specialized psychiatric & other clinical services for individuals with ID. She keeps pace with ever-changing service delivery models, while maintaining a strong grasp on the values and guiding principles held so dearly in our field. She continues to involve families and ordinary citizens in meaningful ways, into the everyday lives of people with disabilities.

In addition to everything else Mary Lou is involved in, she gladly gives of her personal time to fund raise for various causes. In particular, she raises funds for the annual fiesta project to help children with disabilities in Nicaugua. Her colleagues note that she is simply "trusted & adored by individuals and families". Mary Lou and her husband have two children and five grandchildren.

For 2007, we are proud to announce that the winner of the RSA Award of Excellence is MARY LOU ADAMS!