Elizabeth Warmington Garcia, chief clinical officer of The Children’s Guild Alliance, received the 2020 Professional Achievement Award from Case Western Reserve University and was inducted into the Mandel School Hall of Achievement, which recognizes “outstanding alumni, faculty, partners and friends who have greatly impacted the school and the fields of social work and nonprofit management,” according to the school website.

 “Garcia has dedicated her career to serving children and families. She contributes a valuable perspective, having developed skills in both the micro and the macro aspects of the social work field,” according to the website.

 As chief clinical officer of The Children’s Guild Alliance, Garcia works with the clinical leadership throughout the organization, including the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Expanded School-Based Mental Health program, Treatment Foster Care program, residential treatment and the schools. Garcia implements program models and best practice interventions to ensure the continued success of treatment outcomes for children and families.

 As a licensed clinical social worker, Garcia brings more than 25 years of experience providing clinical services as well as managing behavioral health and out-of-home care for children and families.

 Garcia joined The Children’s Guild Alliance in 2011 as director of behavioral health services. She has spearheaded the growth of school-based mental health services into six counties and 90 schools. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Community Behavioral Health Association of Maryland and chairs the Clinical Learning Community. Before joining The Children’s Guild Alliance, Garcia was division director for Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau in Cleveland, Ohio.

 Garcia holds two master’s degrees in social work and nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College.

Monarch Academy Annapolis, a public contract school with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, received a $50,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Maryland Nonprofit Recovery Initiative to fund healthy meal distributions free to school families and Annapolis residents. The school partners with the Maryland Food Bank and Bridge Church of Annapolis to provide meals.

 As part of the effort and in recognition of Thanksgiving, Monarch Academy Annapolis and volunteers distributed 325 turkeys totaling 6,000 pounds to 295 families in Annapolis on Thursday, Nov. 19.

 “Monarch Academy Annapolis values the whole child and looks beyond test scores,” said Rachel Amstutz, principal of Monarch Academy Annapolis. “This is evident in our individualized learning models, our mental health services for students and our efforts to ensure all students get healthy meals, have clean clothes to wear and are productive members of their communities.”

 Monarch Academy Annapolis distributes about 250 meals per week. Meals include fresh produce and are funded through The Children’s Guild Alliance which includes monetary contributions from donors. They are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

 “Fresh produce is especially important in food insecure areas and often hard for people to access, yet so important for good health,” said Kathy Lane, chief of educational services for The Children’s Guild Alliance, which operates Monarch Academy Annapolis. “During these challenging COVID-19 times, Monarch Academy Annapolis wants to ensure not just that our children are still learning but that they continue to be well fed.”

 The grant source, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Maryland Nonprofit Recovery Initiative, received $50 million allocated by Gov. Larry Hogan to help nonprofit organizations with critical operations that have been financially affected by COVID-19 and Maryland’s state of emergency.