Catholic Charities’ Yvette Smith Receives Orange County Counselor Recognition Award

GOSHEN — Yvette Smith, a counselor at Catholic Charities' Goshen clinic, received the Richard C. Ward Memorial Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor of the Year Award at the 24 annual Orange County Counselor Recognition Awards hosted by the county's Department of Mental Health,

“On behalf of her Catholic Charities colleagues, it’s my honor to congratulate Yvette on this extremely well-deserved recognition,” said Dean Scher, xxecutive director of Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange County. “An outstanding substance abuse counselor, Yvette has distinguished herself as dedicated professional; she brings both compassion and empathy to the workplace and motivates clients to make positive change in their lives. We are very proud of her accomplishments.”

A resident of Bloomingburg, Smith, a graduate of Dutchess Community College, has been working at Catholic Charities since 2007.

“I’m extremely humbled to receive this award from my colleagues in the profession,” she said. “My life was personally touched by addiction, and that sparked my interest in the field of substance abuse counseling. I’m passionate about helping others and grateful to have the opportunity at Catholic Charities to help others achieve the personal transformation they seek. To be recognized for doing a job I love is extremely rewarding.”