By Mike Pettinella
During her 4 ½ years as an employee at UConnectCare (formerly Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse), Amy Kabel has worn several hats, and she has worn them well.
Hired as a peer recovery advocate in April 2019 to assist those in recovery from substance use disorder, the Batavia resident has been promoted to the director of Grant Management position – a job that is vital to the nonprofit agency’s mission to provide a wide variety of services to those in need.
“We’re excited to announce that Amy has accepted the position of director of Grant Management,” said UConnectCare Chief Executive Officer John Bennett. “Amy has excelled at every level, and the skills she has gained will make her a great addition to the management team.”
Kabel (photo at right) served as the lead peer at The Recovery Station on Clinton Street Road, a supervisory role, before accepting coordinator positions for The Recovery Station, which is under the auspices of the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports and for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
In 2021, she was promoted to assistant director of Grants & Projects, working closely with Rosalie Mangino-Crandall, the former director of Project Innovations and Expansion.
As director of Grant Management, she will oversee a team of about 10 grant-funded employees while searching for and writing grants to fund key programs.
“Fortunately, I was able to learn from Rosalie, who was a fantastic mentor,” Kabel said. “She set a high bar, and I will do my best to keep these programs going.”
Before joining UConnectCare, Kabel was employed as an aide on the surgical floor at United Memorial Medical Center and at Hope Haven, the hospital’s inpatient agency for those struggling with substance use.
She earned an associate’s degree from Genesee Community College and went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Community & Health Services from SUNY Empire State College. Kabel has a daughter, Madison, a social worker in the Buffalo area.