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March 28, 2024

When Joean Referred Vejica…

March 20, 2023

It Was a Win-Win! Joean Got an Employee Referral Bonus, and Vejica Is Realizing Her Career Goals

One of the best ways that VNS Health hires clinicians and home health aides is through referrals from our own team members. All referrals are welcome—whether you’re referring a relative, a friend, a colleague you used to work with, or even a casual acquaintance. As you’ll see in the following story, it’s easy to refer someone—and, if that person is hired, you could receive a bonus for as much as $7,000!  To learn more and to find out how to make a referral, click here.

The Team Members:

Joean Taitt, Program Manager, FRIENDS Program, Behavioral Health

Vejica Fernandez Garcia, Family Advocate, FRIENDS Program, Behavioral Health

The Backstory:

Joean: I actually met Vejica through Denise, a mutual friend of ours, who was another person I had brought into the organization. Denise spoke highly of Vejica, so I interviewed her and got her résumé. Since Vejica wasn’t a social worker, we didn’t have a place for her at the clinic where I work, but she sounded wonderful, and based on her experience and her future career goals, I knew that VNS Health was the place for her. I sent her résumé to my then-supervisor, Patricia Kissi, and they took it from there.

Vejica: This was the most seamless employment process I’ve ever experienced! I had just had a baby and was finishing maternity leave and looking for work. I didn’t know specifically what field I wanted to go into, but I knew that I wanted something in the social-service arena. I have a degree in Human Services, with a concentration in Counseling. Joean contacted me and asked me a few questions about my work experience, and then the director of the Behavioral Health Program in the Bronx called me the very next day to schedule an interview. It was wonderful! The director explained exactly what the position was—a family advocate for a program called Promise Zone, which services nine schools in the Bronx—as well as the positive impact the program had on the participating families. And then I got an email offering me the position.

How’s It Going?

Joean: Vejica has been with us for a little over a year now. She’s wonderful and she’s very happy here at VNS Health, as am I. The employee referral bonus I received came in two increments—the first half at the beginning of Vejica’s employment, and the second half after Vejica had been here for six months. She loves her job and I got a bonus—so it’s a really nice, mutually beneficial arrangement all around!

Vejica: As a family advocate, my job is to support families whose children are enrolled into the Promise Zone program. The program is dedicated to meeting the needs of children and families. In the aftermath of the pandemic, many families and children are in need of support and resources. That support ranges from something as simple as locating their closest food pantry or getting them clothing donations to helping them understand what mental health challenges are, helping them advocate for their child’s needs, and acquiring mental health resources (which are limited and scarce in various parts of the Bronx). In my previous job, I was a paraprofessional supervisor for children with brain injuries, which involved some of the same skills when it came to supporting families.

Final Thoughts:

Joean: I absolutely encourage others to use the employee referral program! We’re always in need of qualified clinicians and home health aides who really believe in the mission and the work we do here. VNS Health is a wonderful organization, and it’s rewarding to refer someone and watch them flourish and grow here. I am very proud to be associated with VNS Health and the work we do at Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS). The tremendous support and team collaborations I’ve experienced thus far have been instrumental to my growth in my position at VNS Health.

Vejica: I’m so very happy here. I not only love my current position, but VNS Health has a program that will help finance my continuing education, and possibly even enable me to do an internship while working a full-time job. I’m looking forward to ultimately getting a master’s in social work, and I couldn’t imagine a more supportive work environment in which to achieve my career goals.