[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9391]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO MONICA THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2012

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to honor 
Monica Thomas, a model servant of the needs of the public, a person 
dedicated to the importance of family, and native New Yorker. She is 
Division Director of Homeless Services at Volunteers of America and 
currently enrolled at Bernard Baruch College to obtain her second 
Master's Degree in Public Administration.
  Monica Thomas was called to action. After realizing the devastating 
impacts of drug addiction she sought a career in Addiction Counseling. 
In her first job she counseled homeless men, who also suffered from 
addiction problems and mental illness, and eventually rising to 
Assistant Program Director. She sought to learn more about the 
populations she served and received a ``JFK Jr. Fellowship'' 
scholarship to pursue undergraduate studies at Empire State College in 
1996 where she focused in Social Administration and Addiction Studies 
and received New York State Certification in Alcohol and Substance 
Abuse Treatment.
  In 1999, Monica Thomas attended Hunter College School of Social Work 
for a Master's in Social Work with a Specialty in Aging Health. She 
developed and implemented a substance abuse treatment model 
specifically for the elderly population and was promoted to Program 
Director of the Elder Care Unit at Odyssey House. Additionally, she was 
nominated and received the New York State CASAC of the Year Award, the 
highest award bestowed upon individuals who hold a New York State 
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Certification. Monica received her New York 
State Social Work Certification immediately completing her graduate 
studies in 2003.
  Monica then worked in an executive management position overseeing 
residential services for an agency that focused on assisting pregnant 
women recover from addiction, and subsequently was appointed Vice 
President of Clinical Operations for a drug treatment organization in 
Fairfield, Connecticut. In her various roles, she designed and 
developed systems and policies that met the growing needs of the 
population while simultaneously engaging with the community to gain 
support for the programs under her leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Ms. Monica Thomas for her 
efforts advocating for the well-being of our disenfranchised fellow 
citizens.