We are excited to be highlighting the winners from this year’s RAVE (Rockstar Awards Virtual Edition).
A reminder to everyone that there is still time to sponsor advocacy perks for Rockstars for our Rockstar Fundraiser! Your donation goes directly to supporting this, and other Youth MOVE National programs!
Jo Dee Nicosia is the recipient of the Dr. Gary M. Blau Professional of the Year Award.
Dr. Gary M. Blau Professional of the Year is given to an individual who distinguishes themselves in the following ways:
- Outstanding and continued service to the profession through active support of youth voice as evidenced by efforts to ensure youth voice is fully integrated into the work.
- Outstanding and continued commitment to youth engagement in a manner consistent with the highest standards of the field. These standards may be met in a variety of ways, including activity that involves exceptional creativity, innovation, intellectual or moral courage, leadership, or scholarship.
- Outstanding research and/or publication in any media or format that contributes to the further understanding and development of authentic engagement of youth voice.
- Outstanding and continued performance as a teacher in the field of social services or a closely related field.
Now, let’s learn a little bit more about Rockstar, Jo Dee Nicosia!
Jo Dee Nicosia is the Director of Programs with the Pinellas County, Florida, affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and serves as the supportive adult to the Youth MOVE Pinellas chapter. In this capacity, she supports youth and young adults who lead collaborative community projects to improve and increase the volume of youth voice within systems of care. For 20 years, she has developed as a social services professional with extensive experience in mental health education, system of care and coalition building, program development, coordination, and evaluation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Illinois University. Mrs. Nicosia is married and is the mother of two beautiful daughters, a Freshman at Florida Atlantic University and a first grader. Her lived experience as a caregiver to her loved ones has gained her the credential of a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist with a family endorsement.
Her work of passion is promoting awareness and enhancing access to recovery services which improve the overall wellness in the community. She advocates for consumer-driven systems and has invested her time to be a trainer, facilitator, and coach for the High-Fidelity Wraparound process. One of her many talents includes bridging the linguistic communication gap between individuals who do not understand the professional speak within our systems of care. This attribute has earned her a reputation of being a fierce advocate for peers, individuals with lived experiences. Jo Dee has several leadership awards from the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, where learning by doing is the model to engage youth. However, learning the ladder of youth engagement through Youth MOVE National allowed for the extension of her advocacy pathway for so many youth and young adult peers to find their voice. To that end, she is so honored to be a recipient of the 2021 Gary Blau Professional of the Year Award
Thank you Jo Dee for being a Rockstar!
Check Out other Rockstar Features on the 2021 Rockstar Page!
