Sometimes we find the path to our life’s work in a roundabout way.

Jeannie is originally from Tomah, Wisconsin and enrolled at Winona State University because her brother and his wife lived in Winona. Though they moved to La Crosse shortly after she arrived, Jeannie stayed in Winona at WSU. Because she enjoyed theater and music in high school (she played saxophone in the band, sang in the show choir, and was in theater productions), she thought she wanted to major in music education in college. However, she soon discovered that being in the front of a classroom was not for her.

When her academic advisor asked her what she wanted to do with her life, Jeannie didn’t know. She was sure she wanted to work with people, but when asked if she had ever considered social work, Jeannie confessed that she hadn’t. It was then that her advisor began enumerating all the various types of social work jobs that were available, and Jeannie thought she’d give it a shot. She took an introductory Social Work course and remembers that on the first day, the professor said, “If you are more interested in money, this isn’t the place for you. We work with people.”  Jeannie’s first thought? “I can do this!” She ended up having a double major in music and social work.

During college, she was working part-time at Walmart when one of her co-workers suggested she try a job at HCO. She was first hired in a part-time position providing in-home services, and loved the work. After graduation, she accepted a full-time job in one of HCO’s residential programs before transferring to the Saehler program in May of 2019.

The Saehler program is a resource home that serves up to 23 individuals on an intermittent basis. The variety of individuals, their needs, and their programs are what makes Saehler a fast-paced and exciting place to be. Their ages range anywhere from 17 to 70 years old, and their needs are just as varied. They work on personal cares, life skills, social boundaries, budgeting skills, and other things. For some, Saehler is the first place outside of the family home where they go to build their independence and begin to stretch their wings. For others, Saehler is a jumping off point for working towards being able to live on their own.

For individuals in the program, Saehler has always been a place to meet new people, socialize, learn, and have fun. When the pandemic hit last spring, the Saehler program had to temporarily close. A pandemic was not a thing that most of the individuals had ever even heard of, so explaining the phenomenon was tough. Even though Cindi Wiczek, the Division Director, and Shelby Hoff, the supervisor at Saehler, did most of the communication with parents, guardians, and individuals at Saehler to explain the temporary closing, Jeannie says it was an extremely emotional transition. Over the past year, however, Jeannie has been happy to see a number of the Saehler individuals through Zoom, and has enjoyed getting to catch up with them when they call her occasionally to chat.

From the fast-paced, busy environment of Saehler, Jeannie has most recently settled in at Crocus Circle, where life moves at a more relaxed pace. Of the three individuals who live there, two of them are retired and each morning often begins with watching The Price Is Right. To pass the time during the pandemic, they’ve been taking long rides in the country – which they enjoy – going through neighboring little towns, like Pickwick. One of the guys likes to fish, so another staff member took him ice fishing. (Jeannie doesn’t ice fish!)

They try to make everyday events special and special events even more special. One of the men has been having regular Zoom dinner dates with his girlfriend. They had a tailgate party at home for the Super Bowl and are looking forward to an upcoming birthday of one of the individuals. A special menu, a cake (maybe from HyVee’s bakery), and decorations set the day apart from others and are something to look forward to.

The availability of COVID-19 vaccines has really uplifted people’s spirits. They are all eager to get back out into the community more. Jeannie says there is a sense of hope in the house now, and the individuals HCO serves aren’t the only ones looking forward to freer, brighter days.

In the summer of 2019, Jeannie was the stage manager for the HCO musical, My Fair Lady. Her love of acting and singing had her involved with musicals before – often on stage – but this role was new and challenging for her. Working on musicals gives Jeannie a chance to meet HCO people she doesn’t usually run in to and is a great way to feel more a part of the organization, she says. She has great memories of previous musicals, such as the time during Shrek that one of the individuals was assigned a line. He practiced and practiced, and when the performance finally came, he delivered it perfectly. He was so proud of himself, he immediately cried, “YES!” and gave a big fist pump. A little out of character, but everyone loved it!

Jeannie is certified to teach CBT classes (Competency Based Training) to HCO staff, and is able to continue to do so via Zoom. She is passionate about the material, which teaches person-centered thinking. Staff learn to think about not only what is important for a person, but important to a person. What is it that the individuals they work with want to do? Where do they want to go? What do they want to accomplish to make them happy and fulfilled? She says she still gets a bit nervous speaking in front of a class, but knows it gets easier with time.

Outside of COVID, Jeannie typically loves to attend music events and festivals in Winona and in the surrounding area. She is good friends with one of the individuals she used to work with when she was a part-timer, and they like to have dinner together on a regular basis.

Jeannie is very glad she found social work, and HCO, and encourages others to apply with Home and Community Options. She says it’s an organization that treats its staff in a caring way and that the work is very rewarding.

“The people are what make it different from other places. The individuals you work with teach you a great deal – especially about yourself.”

 

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HCO congratulates Jeannie on her recent promotion to Program Coordinator.
We are so excited for her and are looking forward to supporting her as she expands her skills in this new role!

When Derek Scott finished his double major in Geology and Environmental Science at Winona State University, he did what you might expect right after graduation: he got a job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Though he did get to work on a trout stream restoration project, most of his job revolved around sitting in front of a computer working with maps day after day. He had been looking forward to more of a challenge and found he was not happy in his job.

At the time, Derek’s girlfriend was working as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Home and Community Options.  She encouraged him to think about a career change, or at least consider a job at HCO for the interim. He finally took her advice and applied. Derek has since advanced to become a Program Assistant with HCO in early 2018, and his girlfriend is now teaching special education at Winona Senior High School. “It isn’t rocks,” Derek jokes, “but it isn’t sitting at a computer all day, that’s for sure!” Each day presents a new challenge, and Derek has found that it’s a job that makes him feel as if he has accomplished something: giving support to others who need it. Even when things get hectic at times, when he thinks back to his previous desk job, he knows he can handle the chaos.

Derek cares for one man and three women who live together. They range in age from mid-twenties to eighties, and all have very different personalities. A number of the individuals in the home are non-verbal, although one woman does use some sign language. “It can be a challenge to understand non-verbal individuals,” says Derek, “but you learn to interpret signs and also to give the individuals options to choose.” That is something Derek teaches new staff at the program. Don’t just assume that someone who can’t speak doesn’t want to have a choice and a say in his/her life.

The young man, who moved to the program from his family home, has seemed to really settle in. “It is wonderful to see how his independence is blossoming,” Derek says. “He takes pride in helping the women when they need it. He likes to watch YouTube and Netflix while the women listen to music.” Derek can see this individual going on to live with some other men, or even independently, down the road.

Derek works to support these individuals in a variety of ways. He helps with physical therapy like walking, using a stander to assist with improving movement, or arm strengthening exercises. One woman has been exploring new foods with Derek’s help. Though she is mostly non-verbal, she definitely lets you know when she likes something and is always game for trying new things – like avocados! She also likes to listen to music and loves Lawrence Welk. “If it were up to her,” Derek jokes, “we would probably be watching Lawrence Welk nine hours a day!” She recently retired from DAC, and had begun helping pack backpacks full of food for school kids that may not have had enough to eat at home on the weekends. “When the local schools switched over to distance-learning because of COVID, they were no longer doing the backpacks program.” Derek shares. “It was really too bad – it was one of her favorite activities to do each week. So, one thing I came up with is to have her and one of her housemates help me sort and put away groceries on grocery day. So far, they have both seemed to really enjoy it and it gets them working together as a team.”

COVID-19 has affected the individuals Derek supports in a myriad of ways. All of the individuals in the house have difficulty wearing a mask for long periods of time, so it has been extremely important to make sure the individuals keep a 6-foot distance between each other. This hasn’t been too difficult because they all have their own “areas” of the house, but splitting them up during meal times has been a challenge. Staff wear surgical masks during all shifts. Gowns and additional types of PPE are worn regularly based on the level or type of care that is needed. Routine sanitation and disinfection also occur throughout each day in order to help reduce the risk of potential exposure.

The beginning of the pandemic was fairly difficult for a couple of the individuals who are very social and like to have a routine. One of the hardest parts was trying to explain to them exactly what was unsafe and why. Being unable to go to places that they normally would, and not being able to enjoy social outings in the same way really affected them early on. Another individual is much more reserved and prefers to spend time alone, so it was a big adjustment to suddenly have everyone around all the time. She was struggling a lot when Derek first began working at the program, but has become more comfortable in the house over time.

On the other hand, one of the individuals is absolutely loving the changes to her routine. Derek believes that having more one-on-one time with her has really improved the support that they have been able to provide to her. Her personality has blossomed so much during the pandemic, and her roommates and staff have learned much more about her. She sings and hums almost all day now, which was something she hasn’t done for several years.

They all have definitely experienced some “cabin fever” moments here and there, but over time, they have sort of found their “new” daily routine. Staff at the program work hard to get everyone out of the house regularly, as well as keep them connected with friends and loved ones. Van rides occur daily, and they frequently take socially-distanced walks around town.  They have been keeping busy by doing a variety of activities around the house, and afternoon naps have also become very popular.

While it was a big change coming to work at HCO, Derek shares that everyone on staff worked to help train him for the job and were very supportive. Sometimes, you just end up learning on the job when something new and different comes at you. “It’s a good environment,” Derek says, “and every day brings something new – even humor.” He never dreads going to work and he likes knowing that he can go home after each shift feeling good about his work.

Despite the career switch, Derek does still follow his passion for stones. He has a small online business selling gems and crystals, and enjoys searching for ethically sourced stones. He likes to know the “name of the person who pulled it out of the ground.” He has been known to take crystals to work on occasion to show to the individuals he works with, and they, too, marvel at the beauty of things that come from the earth.