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The foundation of our work is to provide support to individuals in our care. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the backbone of our organization, working daily with these individuals. Bea Morehouse, Residential Program Coordinator, has spent her career lovingly building relationships with individuals for more than 20 years. Bea is a 2023 ARRM Cares Award winner recognized by our Minnesota association as a DSP who demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to quality services among her peers in the industry. Today, we invite you to watch this short clip and take a peek at a “Day in the Life” of a Direct Support Professional. See what makes Bea so special and why her role at Dungarvin is so important.
Bre is a 39-year-old fun loving woman who lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a complex, genetic disorder that affects multiple systems in the body. The syndrome usually results from partial chromosome deletions that affect how genes turn off and on. The most predominant symptom of PWS is an inability to control eating.
Brandy Gerdes-Schutz is no stranger to serving others. As Senior Director of Compass Career Solutions, Brandy is proud of the work she does. “The people that we help have experienced barriers to finding consistent employment or permanent housing,” she shared. “The state of Washington is trying to solve a chronic homelessness problem, and I feel fortunate to be part of a solution.”
Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead and DHS leaders shared their thanks for the acquisition during a recent visit to Dungarvin headquarters in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Harpstead said she’s routinely checked in with Central Regional Director Karin Stockwell about how the transition has been going for clients and staff as the organization has increased in size.
Just under a month ago, TEN Dungarvin staff were invited to travel to Santa Fe, New Mexico to be honored as ANCOR DSP of the Year Winners! We had the best time honoring them as standout professionals as well as emerging leaders in their field. Relive the magic of Santa Fe and the opportunity to walk across the stage at the ANCOR Connect Conference. We already can't wait for next year's celebration in San Diego! #ANCORConnect24 #ANCORConnect25 #RecognizingExcellence #DSPOfTheYear #dungarvin #dungarvinway #dungarvincareers #sandiego
This past Tuesday, we took some time from the ANCOR Connect conference to get to know each other and to celebrate our Dungarvin DSP of the Year winners from across the country. We learned the difference between mesas, buttes and plateaus (oh my!), visited the historic Los Alamos research facility, and ended up at the amazing Bandelier National Monument. #ANCORConnect24 #RecognizingExcellence #dungarvin #dungarvinway #dungarvincareers
Wrapping up an incredible week celebrating our award-winning DSPs at the 2024 ANCOR Connect conference! Of the 55 winners from across the country, Dungarvin staff took 10 of those, and Doug Simmonsen of Dungarvin Nevada was recognized as the national winner. What an accomplishment! We had the best few days celebrating our hardworking staff, and we’re already looking forward to next year in San Diego. #ANCORConnect24 #RecognizingExcellence #dungarvin #dungarvinway #dungarvincareers #newmexico #santafe #sandiego
Dungarvin's Doug Simmonsen was named ANCOR's National DSP of the Year. In addition to this incredible honor, we had NINE other Dungarvin staff recognized as state winners. We are so proud of each and every one of these consummate professionals and excited to share more of their stories with you over the next several months. Congratulations to the following DSP of the Year winners: • Shonda Amspacher, Oklahoma DSP of the Year • Terri Baber, Indiana DSP of the Year • Anthony Flannery, Kentucky DSP of the Year • Emily Goldstein, Oregon DSP of the Year • Kelley McGuire, North Carolina DSP of the Year • Ngozi Osabu, New Jersey DSP of the Year • Paula Peace, Nevada DSP of the Year • Mariana Santana, Washington DSP of the Year • Ty’Naja Williams, Connecticut DSP of the Year
ANCOR, the leading voice in Washington for community-based disability services providers, has announced that Doug Simmonsen, a direct support professional from Reno, Nevada, has been named the 2024 DSP of the Year. National winner Simmonsen, representing Minnesota-based Dungarvin, leads the list of 54 honorees in this year’s edition of ANCOR’s annual Direct Support Professional (DSP) of the Year Awards. This year’s awards garnered a record-breaking 492 nominations from across the country. Read the full press release at the link!
“The past 10 years at Dungarvin, I have learned so much about Employment Services for the I/DD community. When I started, there were no work opportunities for clients living in foster and group homes to be in integrated employment making a fair wage. I am proud to be a part of one of the first Employment First providers as well as starting Dungarvin Oregon’s Employment Program. We’ve been able to get dozens of clients jobs over the past 10 years, most of whom were considered “unemployable” by the community and sometimes even their own supporters. Getting to see people successfully employed and creating relationships with those not paid to be with them, having the money to go on vacations and buy their loved ones gifts over the holidays and to be able to be in the community independently are just some of the outstanding outcomes Employment Services helps to facilitate. I look forward to continuing to build this program and be an advocate and voice for why this service element is so much more than getting someone a job. We are in the business of changing lives and that is something for which I am extremely proud.”
