Partners in Care Award
Parent to Parent of Vermont is an organization that “offers a variety of programs and services that support families who have children with special needs.” Their mission is “to nurture and support families whose children have chronic illness, disability, or have been born prematurely; and to encourage the implementation of family-centered policies and practices at all levels.”
Each year, Parent to Parent of Vermont gives the Partners in Care Award to one or two individuals who adopt the practice of family-centered care and provide support to families with children with special needs in Vermont.
When I learned that I had been chosen as one of the two recipients of the 2003 Partners in Care Award, I was very moved. While there are many reasons why this acknowledgment of my work was very significant to me, perhaps the best way to convey its impact on me is to quote from a letter I sent to the folks at Parent to Parent of Vermont after the awards ceremony was held on December 4, 2003:
. . . receiving the Partners in Care Award was not only one of the most gratifying experiences of my career, but also deeply touched me on a personal level. Being a recipient of the award was certainly meaningful because of the recognition of my work in Central and Southern Vermont. It was, however, who recognized it - an organization supporting parents of children with disabilities - that forever seared the experience into my heart. Indeed, because the founding principles of Parent to Parent of Vermont are designed to help pave the way for countless families trying to be an active part of their child's program, December 4, 2003 is a day for which I will always hold gratitude. 
Since I feel truly honored to have been selected for the Partners in Care Award, I have enclosed some pertinent information about it in this section. Amongst this material are copies of various letters of support that were sent to Parent to Parent of Vermont on behalf of my nomination. Because these letters were unsolicited, I am most grateful to be able to include them on this website.
Partners In Care Awards Ceremony
December 4, 2003
Burlington, Vermont
Text of Dr. Patty Prelock's Presentation Speech
It is my honor to present our first Partners In Care Award for 2003 to Phyl Macomber.
Families and colleagues nominated speech language professional, Phyl Macomber, describing her as “the definition of family-centered care.” Let me share with you some of the reasons why we couldn't agree more.
She consistently respects the family by recognizing their values, beliefs, rituals, dreams, concerns, emotions, wants and needs. She encourages professionals to appreciate the strength and knowledge that families possess. extraordinarily respectful of families, really learning their concerns and rallying the team to address them. Phyl has been extremely successful at helping team members work together! This is especially important when there are 4, 5 or 6 related service providers working with one child. With her help they are working smoothly in concert. Phyl is able to bring not only the highest level of professional skills to a team, but also a part of herself. She is involved with many families and various teams of professionals, yet you always feel that Phyl is there for your team only. I've worked in public schools for 18 years and I have interacted with many consultants. Phyl is the most effective consultant I have ever encountered. Phyl has worked with students from preschool to high school in our district. She has helped families navigate the special education process, the Medicaid paperwork and the myriad of professional opinions, always focusing on what works best for the child. From the school perspective, she has helped us to truly include students with significant communication challenges in all aspects of their school day. Her ideas have been so well received that many teachers (in the classroom, gym, music, arts, etc.) continue to use them with all of their students. Phyl always keeps the focus on the child and family. She is keenly aware of the parent's knowledge of and wishes for their child. She involves parents in all aspects of her program from evaluation to implementation. She volunteers to make home visits when appropriate. She goes beyond “just academics” and addresses the child's need for social conversations and expression of feelings. In my more than thirty years in the field of education, I have learned that all the expertise in the world can not bring a team to a higher level of functioning if the members do not have the personal skills to move the team forward. Phyl clearly possesses and demonstrates skills in both of these areas. Phyl's leadership role has enabled my son to become an active and contributing member of his community. She has developed an individual communication program for him using both lo-tech and hi-tech devices that will grow with him. People are curious about his choice boards, schedule, board, social stories, much like people probably were about Braille and sign language years ago. Her efforts have allowed the community to know my son as an independent individual. They will be ready for the next person to come along with communication devices, thanks to Phyl Macomber Through this testimony we concur that Phyl epitomizes the philosophy and practice of family centered care. It is my pleasure to award you with this year's Partners In Care Award honoring a Professional.
