[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 33 (Thursday, February 27, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING JAMES J. CASION, CEO OF BAKER VICTORY SERVICES, UPON THE 
                       OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 2014

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor my good friend and 
colleague James J. Casion as he retires from an impressive and 
fulfilling career of service. Jim's body of work unquestionably has 
improved the lives of those among us in need of special services, 
especially the mentally and physically disabled.
   Since 1995, Jim has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Baker 
Victory Services, an organization that evolved from Father Nelson 
Baker's extensive social services programs. Today, Baker Victory 
provides extensive social services including adoption, residential, 
educational, outpatient, and services for the developmentally disabled. 
The organization is recognized as a leading institution in the field of 
behavioral health.
   Jim's impact on Baker Victory Services and its predecessor 
organizations is commendable and noteworthy, as he has served in the 
Associate or Executive capacity since 1980. His comprehensive knowledge 
of the institution and its many facilities, built throughout his 
career, provides him with intimate knowledge of the challenges and best 
practices in his field.
   Jim's passion for providing care and dignity extends into the 
classroom. His personal educational background includes an associate's 
degree in Liberal Arts from Orange County Community College, and three 
degrees and certificates from the University at Buffalo--a bachelor's 
degree in psychology, a Master's degree in Counseling, and completed a 
course of Special Study in Community Mental Health and Rehabilitation 
Counseling. To share his passion and expertise with students of the 
field, Jim has taught courses serving as an Adjunct Professor at the 
Canisius College Graduate School of Education, Trocaire College and 
Erie Community College.
   In addition to his work at Baker Victory, Jim has served on 
countless boards dedicated to improving care in our community and our 
nation. Some of his past and present appointments and memberships 
include the Canisius College Graduate School of Education, the Erie 
County Community Coordinating Council on Children and Families, the 
Coalition for New York State Children's Mental Health Services, the 
Child Welfare League of America, Care Management Coalition, Quality 
Behavioral Health, the National Association for Children's Behavioral 
Health, the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York, the 
Trauma Informed Community Initiative, and Dopkins and Company.
   Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to honor my friend Jim Casion 
and congratulate him upon the occasion of his retirement. His selfless 
work and compassion is inspiring and I admire his mission to provide 
all people with quality care so they may lead dignified, fulfilling 
lives. I am so grateful for his work, and sincerely wish him all the 
best in his retirement.

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