Ken wins Meritorious Service Award for Whole State of Pennsylvania! Posted by:Lloyd Woodward--Friday, November 21, 2008

From left to right: Judge Mulligan, Judge Clark, Supervisor Valerie Ketter, Ken, Deputy Director Juvenile Court Russell Carlino, Assistant Administrator Ted Kairys, and Director of Court Services for Allegheny County James Reiland.

Ken was honored on November 6,2008 at the Juvenile Court Jdges' Commission and PA. Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers Annual Awards Program with the Meritorious Service Award.

Both Ken and his wife Debbie have been tirelessly involved in efforts to help their teenager with drug addiction. This nomination focuses on Ken because of his volunteer efforts to help other parents, such as:

(1) Become a leader in Parent Survival Skills Training, attending Saturday morning meetings weekly for several years.
(2) Started and continues to edit the PSST blog, which carries helpful information from diverse sources. (www.gopsst.org.)
(3) Almost single-handedly started the North Hills chapter of PSST.

Ken also gives out his personal phone number to parents and makes himself available for phone calls and even home visits to distraught parents. When Ken gives advice it comes from the heart, because he knows the pain of having a loved one continually struggle with this life threatening disease of addiction.

Ken deserves recognition because of his work with his daughter but also because of his selfless volunteer work to help other parents in their struggles.