[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 40 (Monday, April 3, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E494-E495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              A TRIBUTE TO MARIE I. HOLNESS-FLEMMING, LCSW

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 3, 2006

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Marie Isabel 
Holness-Flemming, Senior Associate Director of Social Work Services at 
North Brooklyn Health Network. I hope my colleagues will join me in 
recognizing her accomplishments.
  Ms. Holness-Flemming is an accomplished professional, dedicated to 
helping people cope with illness and crisis. As a social work 
professional for over 20 years she has worked with and developed 
programs to service a wide variety of populations such as critical ill 
newborns, the elderly, persons with HIV/AIDS, victims of violence and 
substance abuse.
  Ms. Holness-Flemming was born in Panama City, Republic of Panama to 
Boswell and Vera Holness. At the age of two, she immigrated with her 
family to the U.S. where they settled In the Bronx. Education, highly 
valued in her household, Ms. Holness-Flemming was a New York State 
Regent Scholarship winner. She went on to attend Union College In 
Schenectady, New York obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology 
and Psychology. After working for several years with preschool children 
as a day care teacher, she returned to academia and obtained a Master 
of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work.
  Pursuing her interest in children, she worked for a child-abuse 
prevention agency focusing on ``at risk'' families in order to prevent 
children from entering the foster care system. Understanding that 
violence in the household was not only directed toward the children, 
she developed support groups for victims of domestic violence in an 
effort to empower women to protect themselves as well as their 
children. In 1987, she then joined the social work staff at Lincoln 
Medical and Mental Health Center where she served for 14 years in a 
variety of positions moving from direct practice to program development 
and administration. She worked as a Social Work Supervisor, Discharge 
Planning Coordinator, and Coordinator for HIV AIDS testing counseling 
programs, Director of Social Work and Associate Director for the 
Emergency Department. Ms. Holness-Flemming was honored by the 
Generations+ Health Network as one of its outstanding women in March 
2001.
  Currently, at the North Brooklyn Health Network, Ms. Holness-Flemming 
is responsible for

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the social work staff at Woodhull Medical Center's Chemical Dependency 
Program and Cumberland Diagnostic and Treatment Center's Mental Health 
Program. She was instrumental in the implementation of the department's 
computer-based discharge planning program and has developed an ongoing 
education program for staff to ensure they are informed and are 
providing quality care. She is involved in a number of community 
outreach projects to promote closer ties to the surrounding community. 
Ms. Holness-Flemming is a member of the hospital's Ethics Committee and 
Acute Care Flow team. She is a member of the National Association of 
Social Workers, NASW, and the Counsel of Social Work Adminstrators.
  Ms. Holness-Flemming is a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church and 
the Homeowner Association where she has assisted in numerous food and 
clothing drives. She has volunteered time to assist the elderly in 
nursing homes and worked with the homeless. Ms. Holness-Flemming counts 
her family as her primary support system. She still resides in the 
Bronx with her husband of eight years, Tony Flemming, and her mother. 
In her free time she enjoys gardening, reading, watching ballet and 
modem dance and going to museums.
  Mr. Speaker, Marie Isabel Holness-Flemming's selfless service has 
continuously demonstrated a level of altruistic dedication that makes 
her worthy of our recognition today.
    

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