CQL is thrilled to continue our Monthly Staff Spotlight series! This is a chance for us to highlight our staff members and for you to learn about our team. For our August article, we’re featuring Brittany Brashaw, CQL Quality Enhancement Specialist.
Elizabeth Sites, CQL Director of Organizational Excellence, nominated Brittany for this month’s CQL staff spotlight. Elizabeth was so excited to nominate and shared: “Brittany Brashaw is the newest full-time member of the CQL team and she has jumped right into the work!” Elizabeth continued, “Brittany brings a passion for quality enhancement and collaboration to her role as a Quality Enhancement Specialist. She is very personable and loves to learn and grow both personally and professionally. If you ever interact with Brittany, you can most easily connect with her by talking about her ‘second birthday’ aka Halloween 🙂.”
We’ve asked Brittany a series of questions about her history, background, experiences with CQL, as well as some questions to get to know her better.
What is your position at CQL and what does that role encompass?
I am a Quality Enhancement Specialist. I work with our partners on various accreditation activities. I provide guidance and support for organizations going through this process to ensure they are able to get the most from their accreditation visit. I also enjoy learning from the organizations I work with and getting a deeper knowledge of services that are provided throughout the US.
Why did you decide to get involved in the human services field?
I feel like this field kind of chose me in a way. I wasn’t very involved in the human services field until I got to college and the more I learned about what was out there the more that sparked my interest to keep learning and growing within the field.
I saw how impactful even what might be considered a small job is in this line of work. I’d be inclined to say there are no small jobs in the human services field, which really made me feel like I was able to make a difference, even if only in one person’s life.
What is your professional history, background, and experience?
I started as a direct support staff in college for people with developmental disabilities. That is what really drove me to get more involved in the DD field and I was able to get a job as a case manager with an agency shortly after graduating. I then moved up to doing serious incident investigations with the inpatient mental health hospitals in my area. After that I had the opportunity to move into a leadership role doing quality assurance work for federally qualified health centers.
After a couple years of QA work, a position became available for me to transition to work with the Alabama Department of Mental Health. I was a monitor for the state for a little over a year when another opportunity to work on the new waiver program in the state opened up and I was able to pilot a new certification process with the assistance of CQL. This is where I was introduced CQL and how I became interested and ultimately moved to the position I have now.
What are skills you have that help you in your work?
- Organization
- Time-Management
- Critical Thinking
Is there anything you would like to share about yourself personally?
I had never traveled to this degree before working with CQL, I hadn’t even been on a plane until my first trip with the company, which was quite an experience! I am happy to say I have found traveling to be enjoyable and flying might just be one of my favorite things now. One of my musts when I travel has been trying out local coffee shops in all the towns I go to, there is something fun and unique about each one I visit.
I enjoy many different hobbies like journal scrapbooking, reading, playing video games (by myself and with friends), and playing Dungeons and Dragons. Getting to be creative with various hobbies is something I’ve always enjoyed!
I have a large immediate family with my parents, three siblings and nine nieces and nephews that I love visiting with whenever I get the chance. I greatly enjoy getting to spend time with my friends and family, but I also value my alone time as well.
CQL Lightning Round!
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be? What is the first thing you would do with your new power?
Teleportation🕴I’d go somewhere I’ve never been before
Name one thing on your bucket list.
Traveling internationally
Describe one trick you use to stay productive.
I bribe myself with a little treat, usually snacks or coffee ☕
What is the first concert you ever attended?
I have actually never been to concert, maybe this should be a bucket list item!
What is one city that you would like to visit? Why?
Not really a specific city but I’d love to go anywhere in Norway!
Name the TV show you could have on repeat 24/7, 365 days a year.
Schitt’s Creek
Do (or did) you play any instruments?
I played the flute for 15 years!
What do you like to do for fun, in your free time?
One thing I didn’t list above as enjoying is going for walks, I absolutely love walking
If you could only eat one food for a full week, what would it be?
Ravioli, or any pasta really 🍝
What is your least favorite household chore?
Mopping, this is why I got a robot vacuum that also mops, saves so much time!
You are suddenly turned into a fruit or vegetable, what did you turn into? Why?
A tomato 🍅 I think I just eat to many tomatoes so I could absolutely see this happening 😂
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About CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership
Since 1969, CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership has been a leader in working with human service organizations and systems to continuously define, measure, and improve quality of life and quality of services for youth, adults, and older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. CQL offers accreditation, training, certification, research, and consultation services to agencies that share our vision of dignity, opportunity, and community for all people.
Brittany Brashaw: August Monthly Staff Spotlight