27 Aug Annual President’s “Susten” Award Goes to CITC Navigation Team
Organization’s newest public-facing team goes above and beyond to assist program participants
Each summer, CITC designates one team and one individual among its departments and programs to receive the President’s Susten Award. This year, the Susten team award went to CITC’s first point of contact for anyone who visits our service center: the Navigation team.
“In 2024, the Navigation team made an incredible impact on every single participant and partner who walked into the doors of Nat’uh. Grounded in customer-service and participant-led values, this team fully embraces its role as the ‘resource connector’ for participants,” wrote CITC Chief Operating Office LeeAnn Garrick and Director of Strategic Projects and Initiatives Marcy Herman in their co-nomination of the team.
The Navigation team was newly established in 2023 out of a need to better connect people and families with CITC’s services.
“So many people come to CITC for one or two services; they don’t even realize the plethora of programs we offer,” said Billy Blixt, senior manager of the Navigation team.
By the second quarter of the most recent fiscal year, the Navigation team had assisted 9,180 individuals or families. Since its opening, the team as assisted program participants in more than 26,000 active “engagements”—which means they’ve helped people with everything from learning about CITC programs and services, scheduling appointments, answering questions, connecting with resources at partner organizations, or even simply registering with myCITC, a free online app that allows people to search and apply for CITC services.
Although the formation of the Navigation team was intended to improve the experience of CITC’s program participants, the team has also worked to increase interdependence between CITC departments. By appointing “subject matter experts” who sit in on department meetings and become authorities on the services each department provides, the Navigation team collaborated to increase its collective knowledge with the mission to better serve our people.
This year, the team added a Housing Services coordinator and Housing Services manager to develop stronger community partnerships and develop ways to support individuals experiencing homelessness to move toward self-sufficiency.
The team also grew with the addition of a Participant Engagement coordinator, whose job it is to collect, respond to, and implement participant feedback to improve CITC services. Additionally, based on their collective experiences with program participants, the Navigation team created an expectation system to prioritize areas where people need help most. This system allows for more referrals to Navigation’s Integrated Case Management Coordination, a service that allows the team to help individuals complete enrollments for CITC programs or manage multiple services they’re receiving.
“The term ‘Susten,’ meaning ‘trailbreaker,’ perfectly encapsulates the spirit and dedication of our team,” said Billy upon receiving the nomination on behalf of his team. “This recognition is a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional customer service and creating meaningful impacts in the lives of those we serve.”
Congratulations to the members of the CITC Navigation team!:
- Billy Blixt, Sr. Manager of Participant Engagement
- Drea Whiteside-Ferrell, Navigation Specialist III
- Zachary Gaisoa, Navigation Specialist III
- Sylvia Alvarado, Navigation Specialist II
- Terri Fitka, Navigation Specialist I
- Karen Carlson, Navigation Specialist I
- Sid Makar, Eldership
- Jennifer Hill, Participant Engagement Coordinator
- Katherine Driscoll-Farid, Housing Services Coordinator
- Pauline Ahkvaluk, Administrative Assistant