LifeLinks CLASS was excited to receive a large shipment of PPE (personal protective equipment) this week which included nearly 25,000 gowns and thermometers.
The health and safety of direct support professionals and the individuals they support have continued to be our highest priority during the pandemic. Thanks to a new partnership with LifeLinks CLASS supporter Brian Abbott, we were able to procure PPE that would then be redistributed to other agencies in need.
“We did it because we know anecdotally that others were struggling to source PPE, that the costs for smaller orders were exponentially higher,” commented CEO Jean Phelps. “We had the resources to be able to purchase upfront and bring the prices down for everyone because of the size of the orders. We wanted to be helpful to others because we could.”
We partnered with Lowell General Hospital, as well as Abbott, to ensure prompt delivery of all supplies. Once there, our facilities, administrative and nursing teams facilitated the distribution process. “It may be a little more work on our end,” says CFO Adam Shuster, “but we are all in this together.”
PPE waiting for distribution at the LifeLinks CLASS facility in Chelmsford.
In the midst of this pandemic, caravans have become a familiar way to preserve our sense of community – connecting with loved ones and celebrating milestones. A week ago today, the Care Champions Caravan traveled to all 16 of the LifeLinks CLASS group homes to thank our direct support professionals for the incredible dedication they exemplify every day.
Chris Snell, Clinical Director, talks about how the idea came together after speaking with a group home manager, “As he [Simon] spoke to the depths of those struggles it slowly became clear that he was conveying concerns not for himself, but for the safety and well-being of the people that live in the group homes he manages. That conversation opened our eyes to the magnitude of the selflessness our frontline professionals engage in every day during these trying times.” There was a consensus across the leadership team that we needed to show our appreciation in a big way. “Our homes are designed and maintained to blend in with others in the neighborhood. We work very hard at this. The goal here though was the opposite; to shine the brightest spotlight on each of these 16 programs so they stood out,” explains Angela Otieno, Director of Residential Services.
Thanks to a generous donation by Boston Bean Coffee Company, we were able to surprise each of our group homes with care packages. The caravan was met with cheers and waving hands – described by staff as “spectaculous” and “uplifting”. Neighbors even joined in on the fun!
“Our gratitude knows no bounds,” says CEO Jean Phelps. “Our direct support professionals, managers, and nursing staff have willingly and selflessly worked to ensure the safety and health of our residents while keeping them engaged and supported during the Covid-19 pandemic. We always knew that LifeLinks CLASS staff are the best of the best, these past several weeks have proven it over and over. We are proud to salute our care champions and to thank them through this small gesture of our love and appreciation.”
Through collaborations with trusted community partners, our Family Support Center is organizing a variety of virtual events. that touch on health, wellness and performing arts. The events are open to the community and we encourage everyone to join. In addition to virtual events, our family support specialists are rounding up activities that you can take advantage of at home — click here to read more.
Our Day Habilitation and Clinical teams are also organizing events that are open to those in the Day Program and Family Support service portfolio. Our goal is to support you and your loved ones as best we can through this Coronavirus outbreak.
During these times of social distancing, everyone has been searching for creative ways to stay engaged while at home. Our Strive2Thrive (S2T) program took things one step further by using their daily Zoom sessions to delve into the wizarding world of Harry Potter. With input from program participants, Alicia Pagan, a Family Support Specialist, was able to pull together a week of magical adventures for the group.
Which House do you belong to? The Sorting Hat quiz placed participants in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. “I enjoyed being able to share our Hogwarts houses and patronesses and getting insight into what the quizzes shared about everyone. Also just seeing everyone share their own little tidbits of knowledge and more,” said S2T mentor Kiley.
“The Harry Potter Virtual Escape Room was my favorite especially when we accomplished the task together, ” said S2T participant David. Created by a youth services librarian for a local library in Pennsylvania, the Hogwarts Digital Escape Room gave participants the option to participate individually or with friends in a competition.
Halle, a S2T member, explained why the activities were such a success, “I loved Harry Potter week because I was able to connect with my friends who love the Harry Potter franchise as well! I also liked how we toured The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Studios on YouTube, and how we did Harry Potter Trivia because we worked as a team!”
Stay tuned to see what this innovative program comes up with next!
On April 12, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services reached a “hazard pay” agreement effective through May 30 with several unions representing state health and human services workers. As a result, state employees working on the front lines will earn an additional $5 or $10 an hour, enhanced overtime pay, and are eligible for a bonus of up to $500.
This agreement has created an extreme pay disparity that will have catastrophic consequences for community-based human service agencies, compromising our ability to provide quality care and supports to individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability (ID/DD). Paying one group of staff doing this important work substantially more than another sends a very clear message that one group of workers is valued over another.
There are approximately 150,000 human services workers in the Commonwealth who provide critical supports to some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens and families. Many of these employees are still working, having been deemed “essential” by Governor Charlie Baker for their roles providing care and supports for people with intellectual and developmental (ID/DD) disabilities living in the community.
While they may not be as visible as healthcare workers, first responders, and those who are working on the front lines in grocery stores and delivery services, community-based human services staff are putting themselves at risk to support the individuals that they serve. They support a largely invisible population and they do it without fanfare. They are working in group homes, providing vital assistance to individuals with an ID/DD in their homes, coordinating medical services, and executing personalized support plans for families among many other tasks.
Bottom line? The entire ID/DD workforce is essential. Without them, the consequences to the people they serve would be catastrophic. Direct support professionals (DSPs) at Arc-affiliated chapters in all 351 communities of the Commonwealth are taking on additional responsibility in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, including temperature and wellness checks, PPE training, and coordination with health care professionals.
To be clear, we strongly support “hazard pay” for our DSP workforce. To date, many community-based human service agencies have already put temporary “hazard pay” compensation in place with limited additional support from the state. But the sad reality is that nonprofit organizations who rely on state contracts for the majority of their revenue cannot afford to offer a comparable wage increase without commensurate increases in rates on our state contracts. We, like many other organizations, are struggling in this unprecedented time.
Given the already existing pay inequities for provider agencies in comparison to wages paid by the state for the same work, it has become exponentially more challenging for community-based agencies to fill critical human service job openings. Many of our staff work two jobs to provide for their families as it is, and this hazard pay agreement between the state and its employees only exacerbates that inequity.
We fear that in the absence of action on the part of the administration to align the compensation of DSPs in state-run facilities and community-based agencies, we will have a workforce crisis on our hands. We are actively managing a healthcare crisis: this is the worst possible time for a workforce crisis.
The people we serve can’t afford to lose these experienced and dedicated direct care professionals. We urge the administration to act quickly to fix this inequity…before it’s too late.
On April 12, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services reached a “hazard pay” agreement effective through May 30 with several unions representing state health and human services workers. As a result, state employees working on the front lines will earn an additional $5 or $10 an hour, enhanced overtime pay, and are eligible for a bonus of up to $500.