People looking for Direct Support Professional (DSP) jobs may be considering the usual criteria: wages, hours, and benefits. They may be looking for career advancement and\/or fulfillment from helping others. But according to Quinn Harrington, who began her eighteen-year career at ALSO as a Direct Support Professional, the most important thing to look for is trust.<\/p>\n
Forbes<\/em><\/a>, Indeed.com<\/a>, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)<\/a> all\u00a0 agree with Quinn. They cite surveys and studies that show that trust in the workplace enhances collaboration, encourages creativity, and decreases stress. Those attributes contribute to improved loyalty and retention. It\u2019s certainly true at ALSO. Just ask Quinn and the many<\/p>\n Supporting people with disabilities has always been a part of Quinn Harrington\u2019s life. Her mother was a caregiver, and her aunt, who had an intellectual\/developmental disability (I\/DD) and lived at Fairview Training Center<\/a>, came home on weekends. So it made sense when Quinn became a Direct Support Professional at ALSO. That\u2019s when she first began appreciating the importance of trust, not just for herself but for the people she supports.<\/p>\n Quinn began working with a client named Jim. \u201cHe didn\u2019t trust people. He had cerebral palsy and needed a lot of care.\u201d But Quinn understood him (Jim communicated with his eyes) and built trust between them. That trust resulted in a lifelong relationship. As Jim moved from place to place with ALSO, so did Quinn, who went from Direct Support Professional to Lead Staff to Area Relief Specialist. \u201cI followed him around. All the way to the end.\u201d Jim eventually died, but not before he got to go on vacation to Las Vegas with Quinn, another resident, and other ALSO staff.<\/p>\n Quinn has seen how trust has helped others like Jim grow. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen the kind of positive behaviors I\u2019ve seen here (at ALSO). I think it\u2019s all because of relationships and trust.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest reasons I\u2019ve stayed with ALSO are the relationships with people like Jim and the other people we support\u2026It\u2019s like a family here.\u201d For Quinn, part of being family is trust. \u201cTo have a family that can trust that I will be there, that trusts me to meet their expectations, makes a big difference for me. I have no problem being there for individuals in very tragic times. That is what a family is for.\u201d Quinn proved that point during the COVID shutdown. \u201cEveryone was terrified\u2026I offered to stay for a month. I didn\u2019t go home. My husband stayed with our kids.\u201d<\/p>\n For Quinn, that sense of family support and trust extends to the ALSO team. \u201cTrust is a very big thing for me. I\u2019ve been in situations\u2026\u201d She pauses. \u201cI lost my child. Everyone was there for me. It was the most amazing thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Quinn believes that trust and relationships make for a great work environment at ALSO.<\/p>\n \u201cOur teammates, we work together,\u201d she says. \u201cFor example, right now I need to go take vitals, so our team talked about which person we\u2019ll work with, who\u2019ll do dinners, who\u2019ll do the chairs. It goes really smooth.\u201d<\/p>\n The support from the top also impresses Quinn. \u201cThis is hands-down the best company as far as appreciating Direct Support Professionals<\/a>. They’re very supportive and giving. They\u2019re always showing staff support. Sometimes it\u2019s shirts or gift cards, or they bring lunch. It\u2019s all the time. That\u2019s what I love.\u201d<\/p>\n At ALSO, Direct Support Professional jobs often turn into careers, not just for Quinn, but for others who discover their purpose at ALSO. As Area Relief Services staff, Quinn trains managers. \u201cAbout six or seven months ago, a person came in. She\u2019d never worked in this field,\u201d says Quinn. \u201cI trained her, and she became a manager within 90 days. That never happens (in other organizations).\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest thing for me is knowing that when I go home I have made a difference in someone’s life,\u201d Quinn says. \u201cWhat makes the job special is building relationships with people who light up when I\u00a0walk in a room, individuals supported as well as our ALSO team. This is hands-down the best position I\u2019ve ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n Quinn plans to stay a part of the ALSO team. \u201cIt has been the best 18 years of my work life. I hope to continue to grow alongside individuals we support as well as our team.\u00a0 I am thankful and love that I am part of the ALSO team, and this is most definitely a place I will always call my home.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a disability advocate searching for a workplace that feels like home, or an individual with I\/DD or family member looking for disability support services<\/a> where staff treat you like one of their own, you can trust ALSO to be that place.<\/p>\n We provide a variety of disability support services, from residential services<\/a> to supported employment<\/a>, with many types of opportunities for individuals with I\/DD and for people interested in jobs working with people with disabilities. Join the ALSO team: Check out ALSO\u2019s career opportunities<\/a> and\/or register for a free tour today!<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From Direct Support Professional to Area Relief Specialist: \u201cThe Best 18 Years of my Work Life\u201d People looking for Direct Support Professional (DSP) jobs may be considering the usual criteria: wages, hours, and benefits. They may be looking for career advancement and\/or fulfillment from helping<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":4289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,30,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-also","category-advocacy","category-all-blogs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nQuinn Harrington, Area Relief Services: 18 Years at ALSO<\/h2>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Like a Family Here\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cTrust is a Very Big Thing for Me\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cHands-Down the Best for Appreciating Direct Support Professionals\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cBuilding Relationships with People Who Light Up When I Walk in a Room\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cThe Best 18 Years of My Work Life\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A Place to Call Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n