Supervisor Spotlight: Kathryn Kaiser

Madonna House, our Intensive Residential Rehabilitation program for women and women with children, has an accomplished leader guiding the program. Kathryn Kaiser, Program Director, has been with Madonna House since September. In that time, she has acclimated to the cultures of two agencies and guided her program into an exciting future. “There’s something to learn every day,” she said.

Kathryn has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hilbert College. Through her education, Kathryn saw how “mental health and addiction were related,” which is what drove her to become involved in recovery. She was pleased to note that our residents surprise and impress her constantly.

Thanks to Kathryn’s leadership, Madonna House easily managed what could have been a tumultuous transition between agencies. Instead of experiencing hardship, she and her program met the challenge with patience and conviction. She noted that the aforementioned transition went “very smoothly” and that Cazenovia Recovery was “proactive.” Kathryn is very grateful for the backing she receives throughout the agency. “From the top down, the support has been amazing,” she said. “I’ve never seen so many people work so hard for one cause.”

At Madonna House, Kathryn loves “to see the growth in the women.” Many are there with their children while they learn how to become better parents. “It’s great to see their enthusiasm about parenting,” she said. Residents exude courage during their stay, as well.  “They wake up with a positive attitude and they push us to challenge them.”

One thing Kathryn would love to focus on in the future is finding suitable housing for her residents and their kids after they discharge. She noticed that there’s a lack of housing options for women in recovery with children, though our Supportive Living program there meets part of the need.

At one point when the program was in the process of hiring some new staff members, Kathryn took over a caseload. She and her staff were struggling to find appropriate housing referrals to the women who were discharging. Difficulties do not deter Kathryn, however. Instead, she worked with her staff, the residents, and their families to find appropriate placements. Each resident ended up “exactly where they wanted to be.” Thankfully for the women at Madonna House and Cazenovia Recovery, Kathryn is where she wants to be, as well.