Square One’s Jenise Katalina Honored by Springfield College
SPRINGFIELD — In recognition of her leadership in supervising social-work students from Springfield College, Square One Chief Family Services Officer Jenise Katalina was recently named Field Supervisor of the Year.
The award was presented by the Springfield College School of Social Work at a ceremonial breakfast on April 26. The recognition comes following Square One’s longstanding partnership with Springfield College and Katalina’s years of leading the school’s aspiring social workers by supervising their field work at Square One.
“Words used to describe Jenise include efficient, effective, an excellent educator, conscientious, and, most of all, compassionate,” said award presenter Sharlene Kerelejza, assistant director of Field Education at Springfield College. “Thank you, Jenise, for all you have given back to our school.”
Kerelejza joined the Square One team in September 2011 as a healthy families home visitor. Within her first year, she was promoted to supervisor in the program, followed by promotions to director of Program Development and assistant vice president of Family Services. She currently serves in a senior-level position as the chief Family Services officer.
Before joining Square One, Katalina served for six years as a supervisor in a Springfield-based residential program for latency-age children struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges related to trauma. Her prior experience includes the supervision and coordination of after-school programs and drop-in teen youth programs with the YMCA of Greater Springfield.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and her master of social work degree from Springfield College. She is a licensed certified social worker in Massachusetts.
Katalina is the past chair of the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal Child Health Commission. She currently serves in a leadership capacity for the Hampden County Perinatal Support Coalition and the Springfield Baby Bottoms Diaper Bank. She serves on the board of directors for MotherWoman and is a Baystate community faculty member for the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health program. She is also a member of many community collaborative groups, including the Project ACCESS Maternal-Child Health Partnership and Springfield’s Project Baby.
