Finding the Beat at RHA: A Veteran’s Story

Dewey “DJ” James is a Regional Quality Assurance Specialist with RHA in NC. Before DJ joined the team at RHA, though, he joined the Army.

From 1984 to 1988 DJ was stationed in Germany serving as a Communications Specialist. In 1988, he retired from active duty but remained in the Army reserves until 1990.

“[The army] was a gateway for me to start off my life. They showed me how to be dedicated to what I wanted to do and taught me different leadership techniques to use in the world. It was a great experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” DJ said.

In 1991, DJ took a position as a youth program specialist with Job Corps and worked for two years in Maryland before ultimately leaving that position and moving to Fayetteville, North Carolina in 2001. He took a new job but recalls that it didn’t quite feel right. One day a few years later, a friend approached him about interviewing for a position with RHA.

“I was excited. I told myself, ‘If I get this job, I’m going to stick with it.’ And I have. I really feel like I belong at RHA, and the leadership here – people like Deborah Johnson, Jan Herring, and John White – have taught me a lot. They gave me room to fail and taught me how to grow from those failures.”

DJ has been with RHA since January of 2003. In 2007, he moved into his current role of Regional Quality Assurance Specialist where he has become an invaluable member of the team. DJ’s supervisor, Amber Duggins, said:

“We are so grateful to DJ for his service to our country as well as to the people we support at RHA. DJ truly has a passion for the people and the teams he works with every day. He is willing to step in and support his teams in any way he can, and he remains positive regardless of what the day may bring.”

After nearly two decades with RHA, DJ says there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

“When I left the army in 1988, I remember sharing my thoughts about being a soldier, my service life, and where I thought I was in my life at that time with my dad. My dad, who himself served in the Marines, explained to me… that a person must find their beat in life. I can say I found the beat first when I enlisted in the army, and then found the beat again within RHA over the years. It’s been a perfect beat for me and my family and continues to be to this very day.”

Thank you for your service, DJ, and for your commitment to excellence at RHA! We are so happy to have you here.

A Way Out of the Darkness: Wilmington Substance Use Services Testimonial

The journey to recovery is unique to every person, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to support. Below, one participant in RHA’s SAIOP substance use services in Wilmington, NC, shares their recovery experience:

March 24, 2021, may seem like a normal day for the majority of people but for me it was the first day of my journey to recovery and sobriety. I spent three years in a vicious cycle of drug use that controlled my life. I was unable to save myself from the hold that heroin had on me. I struggled to take back my life. Throughout the last year of my addiction I was searching for a way out of the darkness of addiction and back into the light, but I was unable to find the help I needed.

In the beginning of March I overdosed, and it took six doses of Narcan to bring me back to the world. It took me days to process this, but it made it clear I needed to find help to overcome my addiction. I finally moved back into my family’s home and they began to help me search for ways to get me help. I was in withdrawal and two days later I was checked into The Harbor detox facility in Wilmington run by RHA Behavioral Health Services.

After I finished my stay at The Harbor and went for further treatment at RHA I went into SAIOP at RHA, and they have truly changed my life. Through group sessions you are able to find your way back into control of your life and talk openly with like-minded individuals for the support needed to maintain your sobriety. RHA has guided me through one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life. They are continuing to guide and support me through sobriety.

RHA has many different ways to support a recovering addict. They have doctors to help with medication maintenance and counselors for group and one on one sessions. They are able to assist addicts in ways an addict may not know that they need. The employees of RHA are the most amazing people. Without RHA I would have never made it to four months sober, and have the tools necessary to help me maintain my sobriety to make it through my first year and many more years to come!

What is SAIOP?

RHA offers Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Services (SAIOP) to people struggling with addiction to substances such as alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and opioids. This program is offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for three hours a day. Most of our sites offer morning and evening groups to better meet your needs. SAIOP provides you with the opportunity to participate in group therapy, drug screening, education, and development of healthy coping skills. Our goal is to help you live a healthy life without the use of drugs and alcohol.

Learn more about RHA’s mental health and substance use services in Wilmington.

DSP Week Spotlight: Gabby G. in TN

Gabby has been a DSP with RHA for two and a half years. She has been in the professional care field for eight years.

What do you love most about being a DSP?

“I love the relationships I’ve formed with different individuals — each one is unique. I love everything about them… I love what I do. I love going into work because even if one of the people I support is having a bad day — everyone has bad days, so we’re just going to work through it. It’s so rewarding.”

What do you think the most important part of your job is?

“Helping [the people I support] to realize that they can do anything that they want to. Some of them may have to try harder at it, but the encouragement I can give them to help them reach their goals and see them light up when they meet them is something special.”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a DSP at RHA?

“It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and patience to do this job. If you can get through all of that, though, it’s one of the best, most rewarding things you can experience.”

Gabby was nominated by Melissa Bartlett, IDD Administrator in TN, who said:

“She always goes above and beyond for [the people we support]. Gabby has also spent several weekends coming to the assistance of staff in other locations. Even though she was not as familiar with the unit/home/persons supported in those locations, they all had nothing but wonderful things to say about her when she arrived and worked there.”

DSP Week Spotlight: Hassan M. in PA

Hassan is a Recovery Support Professional with Salisbury Behavioral Health, a Division of RHA Health Services in Pennsylvania. This is his first direct support role, and October will mark his first work anniversary with the company.

What do you love most about being a DSP?

“I find it very rewarding, and it’s definitely not boring.”

What do you think the most important part of your job is?

“I think the most important part of my job is focus. I have to be aware of what I’m doing. It’s important to be cautious.”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a DSP at RHA?

“It is a very rewarding position. It’s a very fun job, or at least I find it to be one. I work with a really great team and everybody I work with is genuinely a team player.”

Hassan was nominated by Ashley Blum, Personal Care Home Administrator in PA, who said:

“Without Hassan’s help since October, I don’t know where we’d be. Hassan constantly steps up and helps when no one else wants to and does it with a smile. He still comments how happy he is to be here and volunteered to work overnight full time for the 12 weeks our primary overnight staff is out on leave. He is amazing and I am grateful every day for him!”

DSP Week Spotlight: Carrie S. in NC

Carrie S. has been a DSP with RHA for many years.

What do you love most about being a DSP?

“The unique challenges and opportunities as well as the positive impact I make helping each individual achieve their goals of working towards independence makes every day fulfilling and rewarding…this is what I love most about being a DSP.”

What do you think the most important part of your job is?

“The most important part of my job is helping each individual conquer the daily obstacles and challenges they face to live a deep, meaningful, and fulfilling life.”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a DSP at RHA?

“This job isn’t for the halfhearted. This is so much more than a job. You will have the opportunity to make a real difference and contribution in the lives of others. This job is so rewarding and filled with so much love and a true purpose of giving back in this world. It’s far from predictable — I enjoy never knowing what each day will hold. If you’re patient, adaptable, understanding, loving, dedicated, and passionate, then come join our team and discover a much more meaningful purpose in life, filled with endless rewarding days.”

Carrie was nominated by Michelle Robertson, IDD Operations Vice President in NC, who said:

“While Carrie goes above and beyond to help out from a coverage perspective, she is also such a strong advocate. Not just about things the people she supports need, but in making sure that they get to have opportunities. She thinks outside of the box and ensures that we have supplies necessary for them to try new things, go places, do things. She is the epitome of what we look for in a staff member and has all the qualities that you don’t necessarily read in the job description, but that make her the perfect person for the role.”

DSP Week Spotlight: Becca S. in NC

Becca has been a DSP with RHA for over a year. This is her first professional DSP role.

What do you love most about being a DSP?

“Helping take care of the guys every day. If I can bring a smile to their face, then I’m doing something right.”

What do you think the most important part of your job is?

“Being able to be there for the guys.”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a DSP at RHA?

“They need to put not themselves first, but others first. They need to be able to put their feelings aside. A lot of these folks have intellectual disabilities, and we need to be their ears, eyes, and voice. For most of them, we are the only voice they might have. We need to be able to be that for them.”

Becca was nominated by Cindy Myers, IDD Operations Vice President in NC, who said:

“Becca takes each day and makes the best of it. She is an amazing advocate for the health and safety of the people we support, always looking for ways to make their lives better. Becca radiates positivity and passion throughout her workday. Becca truly wants to learn and rise to new challenges so she can be the best support she can be for the people supported at Wildcat.”

DSP Week Spotlight: Theresa R. in PA

Theresa has been a direct support professional with Growth Horizons, a Division of RHA Health Services in PA, for 18 years.

What do you love most about being a DSP?

“I’ve done it my whole life. I like the hands-on aspects of the job. I like watching the individuals be able to accomplish their goals and complete them, and to experience the joy with them when they do. It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed. There’s just a joy in working with people that you get to watch grow, and accomplish things, and do things—they become family to me. It’s not just a job.”

What do you think the most important part of your job is?

“Protecting my individuals, providing them with what they need, taking care of all their daily needs, and making a safe environment for them.”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a DSP at RHA?

“Come in with an open mind and know that there’s just not a simple job description. Whatever’s handed to you, you have to do it. It’s not ‘you work so many hours, then you go home,’ you know? Be open to change. You know, I’ve been with my individuals for a long time, and they’ve changed—they’ve aged. You have to go along with the aging process.”

Theresa was nominated by Beth Davidson and Nicholas Whitfield. Nicholas said:

“[Theresa] has been with us for 18 years. During the pandemic, she has made the health and safety of the people she serves her highest priority. She wouldn’t think of calling out, and never has. Her three individuals that she serves have some extensive medical needs, she takes their care very seriously. Amidst all this you would think she would voice a complaint or two, but she has only said how lucky she was to be able to serve these individuals during this time.”

DSP Week Spotlight: Janet L. in NC

Janet has been with RHA since 1994! This is the only DSP role she’s ever held.

What do you love most about being a DSP?

“I love assisting others with doing things that they wouldn’t be able to do by themselves. I love establishing a rapport with them, so when they hear me, they smile.”

What do you think the most important part of your job is?

“Making sure that we provide all-inclusive support for people. I have a lot of important things though—more than one. Other important things include making sure they eat properly, and their medications are administered properly.”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a DSP at RHA?

“It’s a good job, and you learn a lot. You have to be patient. You have to be a leader, not a follower. You have to take initiative, and you have to be sociable. I enjoy my job. Never take anything to work with you — if you’re having a bad day, the people we serve will feed off that. So always go to work with a positive attitude, even if you’re having a bad day.”

Janet was nominated by Jan Herring, IDD Operations Vice President in NC, and Samantha Scott, IDD Administrator in NC, who said:

“Janet is passionate about the people she assists every day, and her passion is demonstrated with every task completed and every outcome achieved. Janet readily shares her vast store of knowledge and experience with coworkers as well as new hires for other homes. Janet is one of the employees that stepped up during this trying year and displayed her commitment to the people we support and the company.”

DSP Week Spotlight: Amanda A. in GA

Amanda A. has been a Direct Support Professional with RHA in Georgia since July 2020. This is her first DSP role.

What do you love most about being a DSP?

“It’s the people I support. Trying to put it into any other words…. I really don’t even know how. It’s one of their laughs, it’s the way the other one has to have a hug any time she sees me. It’s them and the joy that they bring to me.”

What do you think the most important part of your job is?

“For me, it’s treating the individuals as if they were my family—the way I would want my family to be treated if they lived in a home like this.”

What would you say to someone who is considering becoming a DSP at RHA?

“It takes a special kind of heart [to be a DSP.] It’s not for someone who just thinks that it’s an easy paycheck. It’s a job for someone that really cares.”

Amanda was nominated by Debbie Stehling, IDD Operations Vice President in Georgia, who said:

“Amanda consistently goes out of her way to make those we serve and support at RHA feel empowered and are cared for every second of every day. Amanda is compassionate and sincere in all interactions with those she supports, she puts them first with a willing and cheerful smile. Through the day-to-day interactions Amanda has with people supported, it is evident how much she cares for the individuals we serve at RHA. We are so thankful for Amanda and her love for supporting those we serve.”

Recognizing RHA START Teams & Outstanding NC START Staff Members

Celebrating the START Community

The 2021 START National Training Institute was held virtually from May 3^rd through May 5^th 2021. As part of the event, three RHA NC START staff members were awarded for outstanding work. The winners are listed below, along with more details about their individual awards.

2021 START Leadership Award: Demetra Grigley

“Demetra rises to every challenge with positivity and a can-do attitude. Her perspective as a seasoned member of the START team helped others to stay mindful/focused on the day.”

This START Team Leadership Award recognizes a START Leader who demonstrates a thorough understanding of the START model and has made significant contributions to improving the quality of life for people supported through START. This recipient exemplifies the START philosophy of positive engagement with individuals, families, and the service system.

Nominated by Andrea Caoili; Amy Huff; Ann Doucette; Michelle Klutz – North Carolina West

2021 START Team Member Award | Team Leader / Certified START Coordinator: Luis Hernandez

“Luis is endlessly curious and a fierce advocate for those we support. Luis asks the hard questions and pursues answers utilizing all resources available to him.”

This START Team Member Award recognizes a Certified START Coordinator or Team Leader who demonstrates a thorough understanding of the START model and has made significant contributions to improving the quality of life for people supported through START. This recipient exemplifies the START philosophy of positive engagement with individuals, families, and the service system. START Coordinators should be with a program for at least 1 year and must be certified.

Nominated by Kenya Williams; Suzy Mayberry; Kerri Shaw; Sara Stanton – North Carolina East

2021 Therapeutic Supports Award | Resource Center Counselor: Latoya Ward

“Latoya works tirelessly to find new creative ways to support our guests; to help them feel safe, loved and to feel purpose. she is a calming gentle force which reassures everyone that ‘everything will be ok.’”

This START Team Member Award recognizes a START Resource Center Counselor who demonstrates a thorough understanding of the START model and has made significant contributions to improving the quality of life for people supported through START. This recipient exemplifies the START philosophy of positive engagement with individuals, families, and the service system.

Nominated by Kerri Shaw; Steve Tuzo

Poster Competition

RHA START West submitted and presented a research poster during the Virtual 2021 START National Training Institute. The poster won 2^nd Place at the event: the presentation and poster are linked below.

Click here to view a presentation about the efficacy of virtual crisis response during the COVID-19 Pandemic

About START

START stands for Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources & Treatment. START is a comprehensive model of service supports that optimizes independence, treatment, and community living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and behavioral health needs.

The Center for START Services at the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability/UCED is a national initiative that works to strengthen efficiencies and service outcomes for individuals with IDD and behavioral health needs in the community.

START in North Carolina

NC START consists of several statewide community crisis support programs for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and complex behavioral or mental health needs. Crisis prevention and intervention services are provided through crisis response, clinical consultation, training, and respite.

NC START operates throughout the state of North Carolina as three distinct programs (West, Central, and East). The programs began serving adults (18 and older) in 2009 and expanded to children (6-17) in 2016.

RHA Health Services operates the West and East programs in North Carolina. The NC START West program operates through a collaboration with VAYA Health and includes clinical teams in Asheville and Concord, with a Resource Center in Statesville. The NC START East program operates through a collaboration with Trillium Health Resources and includes clinical teams in New Bern, Wilmington, and Greenville, with a Resource Center in New Bern.