Arc Human Services staff overcomes pandemic challenges
Photo courtesy of Arc Human Services
Melvette Lane, a direct support professional for Arc Human Services, is a program manager for a group home in Washington. During the last three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, safety and comfort for her staff and residents have been a priority.
Elizabeth Neely, Arc Human Services
Photo courtesy of Arc Human Services
Elizabeth Neely, a direct support professional for Arc Human Services, has been working in two Washington County group homes for six years. She’s focused the last three months on ensuring safety and comfort to the residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melvette Lane has been donning a new look for work: a face mask and a T-shirt that reads, “Not all heroes wear capes.”
Lane is a program manager for an Arc Human Services group home in Washington. In the last three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s faced many new challenges in her job as a direct support professional.
“Our team and staff have put in extra hours, made sacrifices and have supported us to help give our residents all the things they need to remain safe, supported and happy,” Lane said. “We’re trying to make their lives as normal as possible during this pandemic.”
Arc serves hundreds of people with intellectual disabilities, autism and mental health challenges throughout Western Pennsylvania, with 26 group homes in Washington County, according to CEO Edward Picchiarini. Those services include employment, in-home services and behavioral support.
Picchiarini said during the pandemic, the 190 direct support staff that work in Washington County group homes, have gone above and beyond to make sure they and the residents stay safe and healthy. That’s why the company purchased them the “heroes” T-shirts – to say “thank you,” he said.
“Whether it is being extra patient, making sure all of the houses are clean and safe, filling in for staff who had children home from school, or working extra shifts because day services and employment sites have closed, our teams have been remarkable,” Picchiarini said. “They are truly the heart and soul of Arc Human Services.”
Arc’s programs and services often include life skills, many of which are social. In a time of social distancing, many of those opportunities have been put on hold. In some cases, they’ve even had to limit the residents’ visits from family members or friends. Instead, they visit outside or take the resident to their family’s home for a visit.
“That has been one of the true burdens on the support staff,” Picchiarini said. “For some people with disabilities they don’t understand why they can’t give their mom a hug or why the staff members are wearing masks.”
Operation Face Mask Washington County donated 1,000 masks to Arc, which were distributed to staff and residents. Lane said several of her residents didn’t want to wear the masks at first. She said one of the biggest challenges, especially in the beginning of the pandemic, was helping residents process what was happening.
“It was actually giving them the understanding of what is going on and what a pandemic is, and why it’s important to protect yourself from getting it and to not spread it to other people,” Lane said.
Lane works with individuals ages 18 to 26 who face mental health challenges. Once graduating from Arc’s program with the life skills needed, they transition back to the community, Lane said.
Typically as a group, they have three or four outings a week at a park or in the community to build life skills, but with social distancing guidelines, that hasn’t happened. Even the residents’ appointments, medical or otherwise, are done via video conferencing.
“With the pandemic, there are obviously changes to keep them safe, like making sure they’re washing their hands and clothes when they come home from work,” she said. “We also want to help decrease their level of anxiety they may be experiencing with all of this.”
Elizabeth Neely, a direct support staff member at group homes in Washington and Meadow Lands, said one of her residents is “a big hugger.”
“It’s hard for him to understand why nobody wants to hug right now,” Neely said.
Another of her residents, she said, really misses going to work every day.
“He’s so used to his routine of going to work Monday through Friday, and he keeps asking when it’s going to open up again,” Neely said.
At Lane’s house, the residents didn’t get laid off from their jobs, she said.
“We actually had one resident get hired during the pandemic,” she said.
Neely said she’s constantly shopping for supplies and groceries, both personal and for the homes where she works. Another challenge is finding things for the residents to do, now that outings, activities and many social events are off the table.
“One of our residents, who has a lower immune system, loves to go shopping at Goodwill to get puzzles,” Neely said. “That’s something he hasn’t been able to do. So, we’re going out and getting him puzzles with our own money and bringing them to him, so he can have some normalcy.”
Both Lane and Neely said Arc’s workshop center in Meadow Lands has been available for group homes to use, one house at a time, for activities, games and crafts. Neely said they’ve also connected with other group homes through Facetime and Zoom meetings.
“Our staff have brought a sense of safety and normalcy to days where they were struggling with those very concerns themselves, whether through helping folks use technology to connect with loved ones or coming up with fun and creative ways to stay busy,” Holly Callender, executive director of Arc Human Services, said in an emailed statement.