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.”

RHA Employee Lacretia Hill Named TNCO Outstanding DSP for Western Tennessee

Lacretia Hill, an RHA Health Services group home supervisor at the Dawn Hill home at RHA’s Memphis, TN unit, was named Tennesse Community Organizations’ (TNCO) 2019 Oustanding DSP for Western Tennessee. She was honored at TNCO’s Annual Awards of Excellence Luncheon on October 16.

PHOTO: Lacretia Hill (middle) with her husband Ricardo Hill, Sr. (right) and RHA Administrator Salihah Jenkins (left) at TNCO’s Annual Awards of Excellence Luncheon on October 16.

Lacretia began working with RHA as a direct support professional in 2007 and since that time she has been promoted to group home supervisor.

RHA Administrator Salihah Jenkins wrote of Lacretia in her nomination letter for the TNCO award: “Lacretia cares deeply about her individuals that she supports and goes above and beyond to ensure that they have a good quality of life and that their needs are met. Lacretia Hill with Kevin ScarboroughShe is very well respected by her staff in her leadership role… It is her priority to ensure that the individuals supported are well taken care of and she helps them advocate and learn about their rights on a daily basis. Lacretia ensures that the individuals supported are valued members of their communities… [Lacretia] does her job with dignity and reflects the core values of RHA on a daily basis.”

PHOTO: Lacretia Hill with Kevin Scarborough of TNCO at the annual awards luncheon on October 16.

RHA thanks and celebrates Lacretia for her dedication to the individuals she supports and for being a role model to others.

Tennessee Community Organizations (TNCO) is a statewide trade association for service provider organizations that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Tennessee.

 


Interested in pursuing a career as a Direct Support Professional with RHA?
Visit our Direct Support Jobs web page for full details.

Two RHA Direct Support Professionals Recognized by The Council on Quality and Leadership During DSP Week

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, September 8 to 14, 2019

During Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, we thank and celebrate all the Direct Support Professionals in our RHA family, who are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities every day. Direct Support Professional Recognition Weeks is presented by the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), The Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP).

This year, The Council on Quality and Leadership has recognized two RHA Direct Support Professionals who are going above and beyond to support the people they serve in setting and meeting goals and pursuing their dreams. Read excerpts of their stories below and click the links to read the full articles on the CQL website.

Beth Triplett: A Positive Source of Support

Beth Triplett works as a Direct Support Professional for RHA Health Services, a CQL-accredited organization providing a broad range of person-centered, integrated, and high-quality supports to thousands of people in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Beth has used the Personal Outcomes Measures® as a valuable tool to gain a better understanding of individually defined outcomes and then use that information to help support opportunities for a more meaningful day. Beth has made such a difference in so many lives, one in particular being Tammy.

Read Beth and Tammy’s full story on CQL’s website.

 

Carla Garrision Greene: Outcomes on the Ballot

Carla Garrision Greene never tells the people she supports that they can’t pursue their dreams. Instead, Carla works to empower people to make their dreams come true. Carla is a Direct Support Professional for RHA Health Services, a CQL-accredited organization providing a broad range of person-centered, integrated, and high-quality supports to thousands of people in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

During a Personal Outcome Measures® interview with Mary, a person receiving supports through RHA Health Services, Carla discovered Mary’s passion for the election process. After observing campaign activities and at one point being turned away from a voting site, Mary made clear in her interview that she wanted to vote in local and national elections.

Read Carla and Tammy’s full story on CQL’s website.

 

 


Interested in pursuing a career as a Direct Support Professional with RHA?
Visit our Direct Support Jobs web page for full details.

The Council on Quality and Leadership is a leader in working with human service organizations and systems to continuously define, measure, and improve quality of life and quality of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, older adults, and youth. CQL offers accreditation, training, certification, research, and consultation services to agencies. RHA is proud to be a CQL-accredited organization.

Employee Spotlight – Taylor Tanner, DSP

We have a fabulous staff and team at the Barnsley Home in Adairsville, GA. Direct Support Professional (DSP) Taylor Tanner is certainly one of them!

Taylor goes above and beyond to make sure that the people she serves are treated with dignity and respect. It is also very important to her that they enjoy all kinds of life experiences. She loves to plan fun events like a field trip to the Tellus Museum because of these activities provide hands-on experience with science and promote new learning opportunities.

This past Halloween she not only dressed up but made sure that everyone had a costume. The home was beautifully decorated in full Halloween decor and there was plenty of candy to pass out to their neighbors! Taylor is a “team” player and loves providing a sense of community for everyone at the group home. Outside of the workplace Taylor enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves the theater and is currently acting in a dramatic play. As you can tell in her picture she has a bubbly personality and she enjoys life.

Thank you Taylor for the dedication to our home and the positive energy that you bring our way.

RHA Georgia provides a full continuum of residential options for people with disabilities to live in a safe and healthy environment. Our goal is for people to achieve the highest level of independence at home and in the community. Our interdisciplinary teams work closely with family members and guardians and we encourage involvement in all aspects of their loved one’s lives.

For more information about our Georgia programs: contact Euvelia.Brock@rhanet.org

RHA Employee Thomas Carter Recipient of the 2019 Relationships Award

May 17, 2019

National Disability Provider Association Names Thomas Carter Recipient of 2019 Relationships Award

 Recognition honors excellence in workforce providing long-term supports and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

WATCH:  Augusta GA News Channel 6 Story on Mr. Carter

Thomas Carter receives 2019 ANCOR Relationship Award
Thomas Carter (right) receives the 2019 ANCOR Direct Support Professional Relationship Award

Augusta, GA – On May 8, 2019, the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) recognized Thomas Carter, a Direct Support Professional at RHA Health Services in Augusta, GA, with the 2019 Relationship Award.  Thomas joined more than four dozen other recipients of ANCOR’s 2019 Direct Support Professional of the Year awards, chosen from a field of nearly 350 outstanding nominees.

“RHA Health Services is overwhelmingly proud of Thomas, for his award recognition of course, but more importantly for his 40-plus years of dedication and commitment to true community inclusion for the individuals we support,” said Jeanne Duncan, CEO at RHA Health Services. “We cannot think of anyone who more clearly demonstrates the power of person-centered supports, and we’re so grateful that ANCOR has recognized Thomas with this high-profile honor.”

ANCOR Story Room 2019 – RHA Employee Thomas Carter

Awarded annually since 2007, ANCOR’s Direct Support Professional of the Year awards recognize outstanding professionals who provide long-term supports and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The awards and the accompanying presentation at ANCOR’s Annual Conference were created to celebrate the important role Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) play in ensuring individuals with I/DD can be included and empowered in their communities, and to raise awareness about a direct support workforce in crisis. Nationally, turnover rates near 50 percent amount to a significant shortage of DSPs.

“Thomas is so excited, and I am super proud of him,” said Tonya Self, Administrator of RHA’s Augusta, GA unit.  “I am so happy he won and that he is getting the recognition he deserves for his service. He really is an awesome person and makes us all want to be the best version of ourselves we can be. He loves this population and it shows in his dedication to those people we support here in Augusta.”

Barbara Merrill, ANCOR’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “I often describe DSPs as ‘community navigators.’ Far more than just caregivers, DSPs do it all. From navigating civic life to supporting individuals to create a sense of community around them, DSPs make magic in their communities every single day. These awards represent just a fraction of the recognition that individuals like Thomas deserve.”

About Thomas’ Contribution

There are no shortcuts to building long-term, successful relationships. With 41 years of service as a DSP, Thomas Carter is a model and mentor for building strong relationships that enrich the lives of the people he serves.

Although he has supported several individuals during his long tenure as a DSP, Thomas has worked with one particular young man since he was a very young child. Over the 21 years that he has supported him, Thomas has demonstrated reliability, constancy and care. Thomas has worked with this young man to learn how to manage his feelings and try new activities to develop friendships—last year, he even learned how to fish while on his first vacation with other men in his group home!

Thomas’ constant support has helped the young man to build trust in others and develop social skills that have enabled him to successfully live in the group home and develop new friendships. By demonstrating how to create and sustain a long and trusting relationship, Thomas has helped the individual he supports to flourish as a young adult.

When Thomas learned that another individual he supports had not seen his family in over 13 years, he worked diligently to find his relatives. As luck would have it, the long-lost family was holding a reunion a few towns over. Thomas drove the individual to a large family reunion where he was able to “reunite with his family and spend time with family members…that had lost contact.” As his colleagues have summarized, Thomas’ “love, patience and… dedication” have changed lives.

About ANCOR

For nearly 50 years, the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ancor.org) has been a leading advocate for the critical role service providers play in enriching the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). As a national nonprofit trade association, ANCOR represents 1,600+ organizations employing more than a half-million professionals who together serve more than a million individuals with I/DD. Our mission is to advance the ability of our members to support people with I/DD to fully participate in their communities.