After eight years, Sally Campbell is heading west, leaving the Alexandria Healthy Families program to return to Arizona. Campbell's husband accepted a job with the Nature Conservancy in Arizona and moved six weeks ago. "We just finally decided that I needed to move," she said. "I have loved working in Alexandria and am going to miss everyone tremendously."
Ann Kelly, who chairs the Advisory Committee that has worked closely with Campbell said, "During her tenure, Sally really has done a wonderful job of increasing awareness about our program in Alexandria. She has been a wonderful advocate to ensure that our organization stays viable in the state and that we receive the funding we need to keep our programs going."
The program's capacity for serving families has doubled since Campbell became the director. Healthy Families provides intensive services for families from the time a woman finds out she is pregnant until the child is five years of age. Healthcare providers make referrals to the program when they see a high-risk situation.
"When I think about the important things we have accomplished, I think that the community has become much more aware of the unique needs of infants and toddlers who are at risk," Campbell said. "Who children will become is largely formed by the time they are three years old. By the time they are looking at pre school, much of their learning capacity has been develop and so much of that happens within the context of their relationships with their parents. If we really want children to be successful in school and healthy and ready to learn, we really need to begin working with them when they are two months old or a year old."
HEALTHY FAMILIES of Alexandria serves more than 200 families a year. The cost per family is about $3,800 per family.
"When you look at what that means in terms of prevention and in terms of the impact on our Comprehensive Services Act costs, it is well worth the investment," Campbell said.
Lynn Kosanovich will replace Campbell as director of the program. She began working with Healthy Families of Alexandria seven years ago as a family support worker. She has also worked with Healthy Families in Fairfax County.
"I wanted to be a family support worker because I felt that if I truly was going to understand this work, that's where I needed to start," Kosanovich said. "I really wanted to see what it was like to be in the homes and work with the families rather than beginning at some upper level. There's such a variety of families and such a variety of different circumstances; it was a wonderful experience.
"The Healthy Families model is to support and nurture families so that they can become healthy, self-sufficient families and raise children who can become healthy, contributing members to society," said Kosanovich. "That over-all goal and vision will never change. But I'm different from Sally and I have different gifts from what Sally has and I have different interests.
"Over time, as I begin to stop seeing Sally's desk as Sally's desk and Sally's office as Sally's office, I will make my own mark."
Kosanovich will supervise a team of 15 and will work closely with the Healthy Families Advisory Committee.