Our Storytellers: Our story through the eyes of our employees

Vicki Mackenzie, Manager, Human Resources

How long have you been here and what was it like when you started?

I have worked for Jefferson Center for twenty years.  When I first started here back in 1997, I was part of the Summit Center team, the vocational clubhouse program. The Clubhouse model at Summit Center, involved inviting members (in the Clubhouse model, consumers are called members) to Summit Center to manage all the operations of the program. This involved staff and members working side-by-side as colleagues, to build confidence and strengthen work skills, with the hope of getting members into a paid Transitional Employment Placement (TEP) in the community. I had the privilege of working as a job coach teaching members their new positions at Coors Brewery, Lakewood Library and at the Kong Pet Toy Company in Golden.

What is your proudest accomplishment at the Center?

I am particularly proud of the work I did in helping to create the Veterans Services program. My own personal experience led me to identify an opportunity to help veterans and their families with support during and after deployments, and with reintegration back into their communities. As part of Jefferson Center’s Leadership Academy class of 2009, we created the Veteran Services program here at Jefferson Center.  This program helps our military men and woman, as well as their family members with mental health, substance use and community resources.

What kind of changes have you seen?

After working at Summit Center, I joined the Human Resources team in August of 2002. The Center was smaller then, and I knew everyone by name. That was one of the beautiful things about working at the Center when it was smaller, you had really great relationships with people and you knew everyone. We continue to have such a wonderful culture here at Jefferson Center, and that’s what keeps me here – along with the mission of helping those people that need mental health services.