Mt. Prospect human services leader wins national honor

Nancy Morgan, head of the human services department in Mount Prospect, recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers for work done during her 28 years of service in the village.

“I’m still in awe that I was recognized that way by my peers,” Morgan said. “But it’s something that wouldn’t be possible without the staff we have here.”

When Morgan joined the municipal staff in Mount Prospect back in 1984, social services offered by the village were limited to senior citizens. Morgan helped broaden the scope of those services, so that today the village has programs for the homeless, people with mental illness, recent immigrants and others.

One of her recent accomplishments, and one cited by the NASW, was helping to create the Community Connections Center, an important social and educational resource for people living on the south end of the village.

In addition to praising Morgan, officials from the NASW commended Mount Prospect for continuing to fund social services at a time when local governments around the country are scaling back such programs.

Morgan echoed those comments.

“It says a lot about this community that we still offer such a wide range of programs to help our residents,” she said.