Fall_Winter_2017_Newsletter

NONPROFIT U.S. Postage PAID Harrisburg, PA Permit No. 224 Life without Limits is published biannually. Lynda K. Bowen Editor and Designer Robert M. Wallace Marisa Tokarsky UCP Board Chairs 2016-2017 Judith McCowan UCP President and CEO 55 Utley Drive Camp Hill, PA 17011-8028 Warmest regards, - Judith A. McCowan President & CEO, UCP Central PA We are UCP Central PA. And we wouldn’t be here without you. When I toured UCP programs and met Program Manager, Diane Robison, and her team of supervisors, instructors, and direct support professionals (DSPs) I learned the nature of the challenges UCP was facing. I knew that if I leveraged my experience and skills, I could make a difference - and I felt compelled to do so. Today, UCP has an exciting future ahead. Our dedicated employees have guided us through some immense challenges, and today we have an organization-wide strategy in place to overcome these obstacles. As we re-invent how we think about our work, we are creating work teams focused on subject matter expertise in each service area. This collaborative approach will facilitate transformational results for employees and consumers alike. As each team advances through a collegial evaluation, feedback, and goal setting process, I am convinced that our services in every area will benefit demonstrably – and the precious consumers we serve will benefit most of all. Our first priority was to adjust our fiscal planning and resource allocation to enable us to leverage more resources for DSP compensa- tion so as to increase our entry level wages by nearly $4.00 per hour. As we fill key openings in our staff teams, we have reinvented new employee orientation so that it better prepares the employee for success. As we fill each vacancy, we will develop our own pool of substitute employees who we will train and trust to perform highest quality care, consistent with UCP best practice standards. As I look into the future, I see a re-alignment of our adult day programs to better serve consumer ability, engagement, and interests. This will be enhanced by level-specific training for staff on developmental planning for each consumer’s individual progress. In 2018, UCP will debut a rigorous ongoing employee development program. This program will enable employees to master new skills, try new things, and advance in their careers with UCP. There is still more to come once these goals have been fully realized. I will continue to communicate our progress to you seasonally. In the meantime, should you have questions, feel free to reach out to me directly: judith.mccowan@ucpcentralpa.org TM Your support makes what we do possible. Please give as you are able. UCP Central PA 55 Utley Drive Camp Hill, PA 17011-8028 President’s Perspective I first knew that UCP was where I should be when I met then Board Chair Lindsay Jordan and Chair-Elect, the late Robert M. Wallace. It was readily apparent that these individuals were not doing this to have something to add to their professional resume – they cared passionately about the organization and its mission.