Our long-standing team member, Elyssa Forester, employment services manager, has gracefully navigated her 15-year tenure at LifeView Group through personal challenges and a deep-seated love for legal intricacies.
Elyssa began working with us while she was still in college in 2009, initially assuming the entry-level role of behavior health technician at Lakeview Center’s West Florida Community Care Center program.
In 2012, Elyssa transferred to Lakeview’s Acute Stabilization Unit (ASU) department, first as a behavioral health technician and then in 2013 as a unit coordinator, where she discovered her passion for the behind-the-scenes administrative role. From there, she solidified this passion by transferring to the records and compliance department as a records custodian in March 2014.
Reflecting on her journey, she shares, “I loved audits. I loved figuring out how things worked and how the laws were read versus how we needed to interpret them to make them work for the company.”
That same year, Elyssa switched titles once again to an employment compliance coordinator, where she remained until 2017 when the department restructured to take on other duties. Her title remained the same in the newly rebranded employment services department.
After a brief hiatus in the benefits department in 2018, Elyssa missed her previous work interpreting the law and returned in 2019 as an employment compliance auditor.
The infamous year 2020 came around and quickly became a pivotal year for Elyssa. Not only did COVID-19 hit, making this a challenging time in general, but Elyssa stepped in despite being short-staffed to ensure that the in-office workplace shift to a virtual work-from-home was as seamless as possible.
Her hard work paid off, and later that year, with the help of her supervisor, April Millender, director of recruiting and employment services, and Sandy Whitaker, vice president of corporate development, Elyssa began a two-year process that would allow her to gain the experience she needed to rise in the ranks.
From employment services auditor to team lead, supervisor and ultimately manager—the position she holds today—Elyssa demonstrated initiative and consistently grew in each role she undertook. This evolution shines a light on Elyssa’s adaptability and her exploration of various departments within LifeView Group.
Throughout her ascent, Elyssa credits her mentors – April, Sandy, and others – for their unwavering support and guidance, stating, “I don’t think I would still be here, much less be in the position that I’m in now if it weren’t for some leaders who saw something in me and kept pushing.”
Not only does Elyssa embody the spirit of resilience and growth, but she did this all while raising two children, getting married, finishing her bachelor’s degree and grappling through her own personal mental health struggles. Her passion for learning and growing is a true testament to the opportunities for advancement.