New Chief Operating Officer Jackie Bui Introduces “the Menu”
YES rang in the New Year with new Chief Operating Officer Jackie Bui. While the role is new for Jackie, she has been a YES employee since 1996.
After immigrating to the US with her family at a young age, Jackie became interested in helping bi-cultural children and youth and received a Master’s at the University of Washington in Social Work. Soon after, she joined YES and has served in multiple roles, from Youth and Family Therapist to Director of Community Services and Inclusion.
“My commitment to the organization is to lead with integrity, transparency, and accountability and to do everything I can to help the agency achieve its mission and goals while positively impacting our community and promoting a wellness and productive work environment for employees.”
In her new role as Chief Operating Officer, Jackie introduces reframing ways to respond to clients’ needs and various opportunities for staff to engage with clients at YES for both clients and staff through an initiative called “the menu.”
This new initiative will improve access to services for clients who could choose various services beyond the traditional 1-to-1 counseling approach. Clients would be able to be supported through group therapies, clients in a crisis may benefit from brief therapy, and those with more intense challenges supported through YES’ new WISe program and be assigned to a care coordinator to provide case management services.
The new initiative also allows counselors to vary how they provide services and engage with clients. While 1-to-1 therapy with multiple clients may be overwhelming for counselors, “the menu” offers them the opportunity to explore other ways of supporting clients through their interests and passions, whether that’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy groups, education programs on alcohol and drugs or anxiety and depression groups.
WATCH AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JACKIE
Learn about Jackie, her family’s immigration to the US, her long history with YES, and her plans to reimagine and transform YES to best face our current and future realities in this exclusive fireside chat with CEO David W. Downing.