National Disability Provider Association Names Temeake Lowe Recipient of 2022 DSP of the Year Award

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

The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) has announced that Temeake Lowe, a direct support professional with RHA Health in Georgia, has been named the recipient of the 2022 DSP of the Year award. Temeake joins 50 other recipients of ANCOR’s 2022 Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards, chosen from a field of more than 300 outstanding nominees.

Since 2007, ANCOR’s annual DSP of the Year awards recognize outstanding professionals who deliver long-term supports and services to people with I/DD. The awards celebrate the important role DSPs play in ensuring individuals with I/DD are included and empowered in the community, and raise awareness about a direct support workforce in crisis. Inadequate investments in this essential workforce have led to turnover rates approaching 50 percent, as well as double-digit vacancy rates—challenges that have been amplified significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“From helping people with activities of daily living to supporting them to connect with long-lost family members and so much more, direct support professionals like [award recipient’s name] are proof-positive of the crucial roles this workforce plays in communities across the country,” said Heidi Mansir, president of ANCOR’s Board of Directors and executive director of Uplift, Inc., a disability service provider based in Gardiner, Maine. “ANCOR is proud to celebrate [award recipient’s name] and the 50 other professionals who comprise the 2022 class of outstanding honorees.”

Barbara Merrill, chief executive officer for ANCOR, added: “This is the sixteenth consecutive year ANCOR has presented the Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards, and the third class to have been honored since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we’ve been saying it for three years now, the challenges presented by the pandemic have collided with a recruitment and retention crisis in our workforce to wreak previously unthinkable havoc on our system of home- and community-based supports. For that reason, there’s never been a more poignant time to celebrate people like [award recipient’s name] and the more than four dozen other DSPs who exemplify excellence in our field.”

The 2022 DSP of the Year awards will be presented in a ceremony at ANCOR’s 2022 Annual Conference in Miami, Fla., on Wednesday, April 13 at 2:30 pm EDT. Members of the press interested in attending the awards presentation should contact Sean Luechtefeld, Senior Director of Communications for ANCOR, at sluechtefeld@ancor.org or 571.207.9108.

RHA’s Peer Support Services Empower People in Recovery to Help Others

Ethel A. and Tanya S. graduated from substance use programs at RHA – now they work for RHA in North Carolina helping others in recovery.

At RHA, Peer Support is an important part of our substance use services. Our Peer Support Specialists are people with lived experience who have graduated from recovery courses and gone on to receive specialized training in how to support others in recovery.

While Peer Support is not a required element of programs like SAIOP at RHA, most people elect to participate.

“Since embedding Peer Support into SAIOP our success rates and our graduation rates have absolutely skyrocketed,” said Cole S., who leads the Alamance, NC SAIOP Peer Support Team. “Our [Peer Support Specialists] provide an added layer of support of people in recovery. They’re more available than a counselor, they meet with you on a weekly basis, and they provide that sort of warm handhold that gives people the confidence to go to recovery groups or participate in other recovery-oriented activities that might otherwise seem intimidating.”

Cole has worked with many people who have gone on to become Peer Support Specialists themselves. One of those people is Ethel.

Ethel was a Peer Support Specialist with RHA for four years until her recent promotion to Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Before that, though, Ethel was a client seeking services with RHA.

“I actually participated in SAIOP [at RHA] three times,” said Ethel. “I was unsuccessful the first two times, but the third time I was in treatment, with the support of my Peer Support Specialist, Cole, I was successful.”

After graduating from SAIOP, Ethel returned to RHA in a job as a Peer Support Specialist, where she went on to work with many people in recovery—one of whom was Tanya.

“I think my experience in SAIOP at RHA absolutely saved my life. I learned a lot about myself, how to cope with my traumas, and about the disease of addiction… and I enjoyed my time in peer support so much that it inspired me to go into this field once I graduated.” said Tanya.

Although Tanya has only been a Peer Support Specialist with RHA for a few months so far, she reports that the work has had a huge impact on her personally.

“This role is impactful. I am reminded every single day of the exact place I was in, and that means a lot to me. I know how hard it is, I know how difficult life seems in early recovery. I can see myself in [the people I support]. It’s rewarding for me, because I understand, and I can offer them hope that the things they’re going through won’t last forever.” said Tanya.

Ethel echoed Tanya’s sentiment.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to give back what was given to me. There’s something special about peer support and working one-on-one with somebody and watching their growth. I tell people that all the time. Like, with Tanya and others who I’ve worked with who are now successful, to know that you really made a difference [in their recovery] is incredible. You come in hoping that you can do that, but to actually see it, it’s just indescribable.”

Sara H., a Behavioral Health Regional Director with RHA in NC, reports that the team has been great for the community.

“Working with the Alamance Substance Use team is a true honor. They strive to guarantee strong recovery principles and aptitude within our agency and community, and Ethel and Tanya are a cornerstone of this team…”

Ethel, Tanya, and Cole are just a few of the incredible team members helping people in recovery every single day. If you’re interested in Peer Supported Services, or RHA’s other Behavioral Health programs, please visit https://rhahealthservices.org/behavioral-health-services/ to learn more.

Thank you to Ethel, Tanya, and Cole for sharing their experiences and for all the incredible work they do every day!

This Valentine’s Day, RHA is celebrating love — sisterly love!

Jackie Smith and Lee Nichols are twin sisters working for RHA in LaGrange, North Carolina, in a facility formerly known as the Howell Center, which became part of RHA in 2006.

They have both worked in a variety of roles, from direct care to medical records, to I.T., and more. Today, Lee serves as I.T. Manager and Jackie is an Employee Benefits Specialist — and their offices are just down the hall from each other.

“It’s nice knowing she’s just down the hall. We’re both very busy, so we don’t see each other that much during the workday, but there’s just something special about knowing that if I have to work late or I want to come in early, I’ve got a partner in crime,” said Jackie.

Lee echoed her sister’s sentiment.

“We may not speak to each other all day, except in the morning and when she brings me lunch — we’re supposed to take turns [making lunch], but she really does it more than I do — but I still love knowing that she’s here. She’s still my favorite person in the world besides my baby sister, and I love getting to see her every day.”

Jackie and Lee began working together at the Howell Center as teenagers. The sisters were introduced to their work through their mother, who worked as a personal assistant to the director of the center at the time, Irene Howell.

“My mother worked for Ms. Howell for a long time — to the day she died, actually. She was one of [Ms. Howell’s] main people,” Lee noted.

Jackie and Lee have been with the Howell Center, now RHA, for most — or, in Lee’s case, all — of their professional lives. As of January, Lee has been with the business for 43 years. Jackie has been back with the business for 17 years.

When RHA acquired the Howell Center in 2006, Jackie and Lee made the transition to RHA employees.

Jackie noted of the transition: “There’s been so many changes, but I think the one thing that has always been constant, is that we employ great people. [RHA employees] really care about the folks they support, and that’s the one thing that I can say has been constant through the years.”

We are so grateful to Lee and Jackie for their commitment to RHA, and for all of the incredible work they are doing to serve our staff and people supported every day. Thank you both so much!

Seeking Direct Support Professionals to Join our Team — Where Humans Bloom!

At RHA, we’re invested in people, and no one on our team embodies that value more than our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs.) We hope that this video will help familiarize you with – and celebrate – the work that our DSPs do every day.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a DSP, please visit our Careers page to view our current openings, or apply now to join our team and make a difference at a place #WhereHumansBloom.

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.”