{"id":4301,"date":"2023-12-15T21:58:43","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T21:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alsoweb.org\/?p=4301"},"modified":"2024-03-19T16:57:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T16:57:53","slug":"its-all-about-relationships-long-term-disability-advocates-on-why-they-stay-at-also","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alsoweb.org\/nonprofit-blog\/its-all-about-relationships-long-term-disability-advocates-on-why-they-stay-at-also\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt\u2019s All About Relationships\u201d: Long-Term Disability Advocates on Why They Stay at ALSO"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s All About Relationships\u201d: Long-Term Disability Advocates on Why They Stay at ALSO<\/strong><\/h1>\n

We all have a need to belong, to build lasting relationships. These relationships (or the lack of them) can impact our mental, physical, and emotional health, especially at work<\/a>, where we spend the majority of our time. Positive relationships at work can boost our morale, encourage us to collaborate, and even inspire us to be creative<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I\/DD) tend to have smaller social circles, relationships may be even more important to them. Individuals with I\/DD say that belonging is crucial for their overall wellbeing<\/a>, and that staff-client relationships\u2014especially stable relationships with direct support professionals\u2014are essential to their quality of life<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For John Chatterton, and other long-term ALSO employees<\/a>, it\u2019s the long-standing relationships that make ALSO a great place for disability advocates, and for the \u00a0individuals ALSO supports.<\/p>\n

John Chatterton, Associate Director in Residential Services: 25 Years at ALSO<\/h2>\n

John had never worked with people with I\/DD before coming to ALSO. He began his career with ALSO as a direct support professional in 1998. After just three months, he applied to be a Med Tech (a position now called \u201dLead Staff\u201d). He got the job, but he wasn’t there long\u2014in three weeks he became a manager. He didn’t stay there long, either, as the program director recruited him to work alongside him. \u201cI was lucky enough that I had supervisors who saw my potential and gave me the opportunity to really step up and have an impact on how we do things here,\u201d says John, \u201cThis agency saw something in me that allowed me to become the leader I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, John works as ALSO\u2019s Associate Director in Residential Services. It\u2019s an administrative position, but a very people-oriented one. \u201cI like what I do. It gives me the opportunity to foster the leadership role of managers in the agency,\u201d he says. \u201cIt also allows me to continue to have interactions with people that we support, which is ultimately why we\u2019re all here. That’s what kept me here for the last twenty-five-plus years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe Want People to Have a Voice in the Agency\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cWe want people to feel that they’re cared about. And that’s not only the people we support, but the people that we employ.\u201d John is impressed by the way ALSO demonstrates this care. \u201cWe\u2019re an agency that really wants to foster people to be themselves, and to do their best for the people we support. We’re not a top-down agency. We want people’s ideas\u2014 for them to feel that they have a voice in the agency. If I think I know the best way to do something, and someone else tells me about something that\u2019s working for them that is better than what I do, I’m all for that, and I think most people here are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRelationships Are Everything\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s all about the people for John. \u201c<\/strong>Relationships are everything,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve formed lasting relationships with a lot of individuals, and I’ve had the opportunity to see them grow, succeed, and thrive in life. I’m happy to be a part of that\u2026The other part is the long-term relationships I’ve formed with employees here. I mean, I met my wife here.\u201d John and Miranda Chatterton, ALSO\u2019s Supported Employment Manager<\/a>, met in 2000 while working at ALSO. They married in 2002.<\/p>\n

Aside from his marriage, John thinks his long-term relationships with some of the individuals ALSO supports may be the most impactful. \u201cI’ve kind of become that history piece for the people we support who can’t speak for themselves.\u201d He believes it\u2019s especially important for people who don\u2019t communicate with words to have relationships with disability advocates who can tell newer staff about the individual\u2019s history. \u201cIt’s helpful to have people around who can tell you what people are like now, versus what they were like. Not that the past means everything, but it does play an important role in people\u2019s lives, especially for the people we support.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Agency Supports My Family Members\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

ALSO plays another important role in John\u2019s life. \u201cBrett (Turner), my boss, he always says he wants this agency to be one he would choose to support his family. I can honestly say this agency supports people in my family, and I’m happy that we are the ones supporting them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also happy with the impact that he personally makes on other people\u2019s lives and vice versa. \u201cI could be having the worst day in the world, and I can go to one of our programs and see people doing what they love to do, and everything I was frustrated about goes away. It’s that human connection. That’s what keeps the world turning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone I Know Wants to Stay Here\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cI’ve never worked anywhere else that does this kind of work, but everyone I know either wants to stay here or if they went away, they want to come back,\u201d John says. \u201dWe’ve got to be doing something right.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you are looking to work for an agency that does things right, that cares about people, and encourages a long-lasting work relationship, check out ALSO\u2019s career opportunities<\/a>. We have a variety of career-oriented jobs working with people with disabilities.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re looking for disability support services<\/a> for yourself or a family member, talk to us. We provide support\u2014from residential services<\/a> to supported employment<\/a>\u2014that\u00a0 offers more than help with activities of daily living. We offer a sense of belonging. Learn more about us<\/a> and\/or register for a free tour today!<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s All About Relationships\u201d: Long-Term Disability Advocates on Why They Stay at ALSO We all have a need to belong, to build lasting relationships. 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