ARIZONA YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES, INC.

3707 N. 7th St., Ste. 200

Phoenix, AZ 85014
602-277-4833
Fax 602-277-4820

March 15, 2022

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter of recommendation for Hunter Novak. Hunter has been employed as a Behavioral
Health Technician/Behavior Coach at Arizona Youth & Family Services, Inc. since July 2021

As a Behavior Coach, Hunter is responsible for providing intensive one-on-one behavior coaching to
severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents and their families or caregivers. His duties
include the following: building rapport with clients and parents/caregivers; developing and teaching
interventions that are specific to each client’s behavioral needs; maintaining daily progress notes and
behavior charts that document observations and a client’s response to interventions; and attending regular
Child and Family Team meetings during which information is presented to and discussed with a multi-
disciplinary team involved in the client’s treatment. Hunter also receives weekly supervision and training
for the services he provides.

Hunter works with clients who are diagnosed with some of the following disorders: Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Adjustment Disorders, Anxiety Disorders,
and Depressive Disorders. He also works with clients with Development Disabilities and diagnosed with
ASD. He works with clients and families who are of Mexican American, African American, bi-racial and
Caucasian ethnicities. He works with clients who are between 2 and 17 years of age. In addition, Hunter
works with a wide range of families including biological families, foster families and children living with
extended family members. And he provides services in homes, schools, and out in the community.

Over the past 8 months I have been one of Hunter’s direct supervisors. In my experience, Hunter is a
hardworking, and creative employee. He genuinely cares about the clients he works with and this is
evident in the positive relationships he has developed with those children and their families. He is
flexible and able to adapt to the individual needs of his clients. He communicates well with supervisors,
shows good boundaries and professionalism, and is always open to feedback and able to make
adjustments to his work or approach as needed. Hunter has shown an ability to be supportive and assertive
depending on the situation and has a kind and friendly demeanor. He has also demonstrated the ability to
stay calm under pressure and works well with clients who have complex needs. Overall, Hunter
possesses the ability to function independently and as part of a team.

It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Hunter Novak as he begins his career in the
field of Education. I am confident he will continue to grow and learn as a teacher, as well as bring a level
of experience that will be beneficial to his peers. Please feel free to contact me if you have any further
questions.

Sincerely,

Christine Patton, Ph.D.

AYFS Program Director