Statement of Appreciation by Sarita Israel – Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal

November 11, 2022

Last week, I was honoured by the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal with an Award of Excellence for Outstanding Service, in the first-ever presentation of such an award. Responses to this announcement by my colleagues, former students, collaborators, and community partners have touched me deeply, and I wish to express my gratitude for all the ways they have sustained my work.

My service with the CIUSSS (at the time Jewish Family Services) began in 1990 on a three-month contract to work on a two-thousand dollar grant from a private foundation. The grant enabled us to develop a tool for the detection of older adult mistreatment situations for frontline workers. At the time, there were very few researchers or practitioners in Quebec working on this issue. As a new social worker I was inspired by the challenge to counter mistreatment which required both development of knowledge, tools and structural change.  We had a vision, and more importantly we were given the needed opportunity by our organization to pursue that vision.

With that support, we put into place specialized services that enabled us to develop, trainings, tools and policies to counter mistreatment. Our leading practices ensured continued attention to this issue. Over the years our students and our academic and community partners have challenged, inspired and contributed to the evolution of our services. Today, we continue to thrive through our mission at the CREGES, a unique Centre of Expertise and Research in Social Gerontology.

The CIUSSS has and continues to provide me with opportunities and support.  I wish to express my appreciation and gratitude to this organization, not only for this award but for their enduring commitment to countering the mistreatment of older adults.

Sincerely,

Sarita Israel