Kathy Hager is an energetic woman who just exudes a love for her job. As a Coordinator of one of HCO’s residential programs, she supervises 13 staff members who support the six individuals who live there. It’s a lot of people, which takes a big house. With six bedrooms, three living rooms, three bathrooms, and an office, there is plenty of room for everyone to be comfortable. Because there are six people living in the home, it is the only HCO house that must be licensed by the Minnesota Health Department.

Kathy speaks fondly of the people who live there, a diverse group consisting of five men and one woman. One gentleman who lives there is very independent and is involved in a lot of activities. He likes the family atmosphere at the program and has enjoyed living there since he moved in a few years ago. Another man at Kathy’s program has been with HCO for over 30 years and had even lived at HCO’s first program!

When the lady first moved in, it was due to an emergency situation and happened quickly. Her arrival was initially expected to be temporary – she and her family were waiting for an opening to become available at another HCO home with other women. Once the opening became available, however, she decided she wanted to stay where she was and turned it down! Kathy wasn’t surprised, since the men in the house had been so welcoming with the newcomer. They had become one big, happy family. Kathy says everyone in the house treats each other with respect and are great about giving each other space when they need it.

When the pandemic first began and the stay at home order was put into place, the individuals living there had a very positive, can-do attitude. To keep busy, they liked to partake in virtual activities, make crafts, watch movies, play Wii, and other games. They visited virtually with family and friends on Zoom, talked on the phone, or visited outdoors: masked, and six feet apart. While HCO staff and individuals have gotten used to the “new normal” of living life during a pandemic, the energy and excitement have increased as more places continue to open and events start to resume. The return of warmer weather has been a welcome change, too!

Originally from Burlington, Kathy came to Winona to go to Winona State University, where she majored in criminal justice, with an emphasis in sociology and minor in psychology. She wanted to have a job where she could help people and thought she wanted to work with juvenile delinquents. However, when she did an internship at the courthouse, she “hated it.”

After college, she moved back home to save money and began working in another juvenile program. Despite the new program, she felt like working with juveniles was not for her. She returned to this area and got a job in Rochester with a day program for children and adults with disabilities. When the commute from Fountain City to Rochester began to wear on her, she was happy to be offered a job with HCO shortly after she got married.

Kathy and her husband live in Cochrane and have three children in the CFC school system. She has now been with HCO for 23 years, having started as a Primary Counselor at HCO’s first residential home. She supervised two programs for a while during her career, however, when a person who needed more care moved in to her current program, she gave up the other house so that she could concentrate on the program where she was needed most.

When asked what some of the challenging parts of her job are, she had a difficult time answering. After some thought, she finally shared, “I just really love my job!” She admitted that it was hard to supervise people when she first started, but she got used to it quickly. Now, she greatly enjoys her supervisory duties, and loves mentoring younger generation employees.

The job is often the hardest in the same instances as anyone would encounter when they navigate struggles in their life, like when someone passes away or begins to show signs of dementia. Supporting people in crisis or people who are sick, as well those struggling with mental illness or even seasonal ups and downs can be challenging too. But all those things are a difficult part of life anywhere – not just at work – and HCO staff are able to learn and grow so much themselves when they support others who are going through these challenges.

The best part of working for HCO? The people and the variety, of course. One of the men in her house loves to watch sports, for instance, so she is able to take him to games her kids are in, something they both enjoy. She remembers one snowy day in particular, when all the people in the house baked cookies and played bingo. Another time, her husband said he was sorry that she ended up having to work late one Friday evening. “It wasn’t work,” Kathy laughed. “I got to go to a movie!”

She hopes that young people will continue to give HCO a try. Though staffing is tight these days, she shares that the job is fun and also offers so much flexibility. “HCO is very family-friendly,” Kathy says. “It’s an awesome place to work.”

by Hannah Petersen, 2020 HCO Scholar

 

My first experience with Home and Community Options was auditioning for their annual summer musical in 2018. I am close friends with someone who grew up watching and participating in them – since we had been in other shows together, he had me come along to audition for ‘The Little Mermaid.’ As I was sitting at HCO’s downtown office waiting to audition, a staff member approached me and struck up a conversation. I would later get to know this staff as being Suzanne Horstman, the Executive Director of HCO. She asked me what I was studying at Winona State, and when I replied with social work, she immediately encouraged me to apply for the agency. She quickly informed me of a program that Social Work students employed by HCO can partake in, and with that in mind, sent me in to my audition.

I soon started working at HCO and quickly got involved in HCO’s Northam Scholar Program. The Northam Scholar Program presents a special opportunity for a paid practicum and an amazing learning experience to Social Work students at WSU. This program was developed not only to help HCO retain long-term staff, but also for the Social Work students to receive an immersive and extensive education that will benefit them greatly in their future career(s). I began this program my sophomore year of college, before I was even accepted into the social work program. It started with the completion of my field experience hours at my first program, one of HCO’s Resource Homes. After my acceptance into the Social Work program, I began meeting with the Northam Scholar liaison— Social Work Professor, Jay Palmer. Each semester I was given reading assignments for each class I was taking, which connected what I was learning in class to the training and work I was doing at HCO. These readings were a supplement to what I had been learning, both in my HCO trainings as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) and as a social work student. What I had been learning in trainings and classes was kept in two separate parts of my brain. These readings and meetings with Professor Palmer allowed me to fuse the knowledge I was gaining and apply it to become an even better DSP and social worker.

This semester, I completed the Northam Scholar program by being an administrative intern at HCO’s Central Office. I worked directly underneath Cindi Wiczek, a Program Director and Licensed Social Worker for the agency. I primarily expected to be an administrative intern, learning by following my field instructor around. What I experienced this semester far exceeded what I initially thought. I was able to work on my communication skills by working with various teams throughout the agency, and I was also given many opportunities to learn about policies and exactly what it takes to run a non-profit organization. I attended Director’s meetings, division meetings, various committee meetings, and had other opportunities to further my education as a social worker and a DSP. I expanded my knowledge of different policies that affected the agency and received the opportunity to speak to State Legislators that represent Winona at ARRM’s Virtual Day at the Capitol.

My favorite part of this internship was working with the Leadership Team. HCO provides a familial atmosphere that permeates throughout the organization, which allows for great communication and teamwork. Because this was my final semester at WSU, I also completed my senior project at the agency. I took on a project that the last Scholar was working on and implemented it in programs agency-wide. The idea was for an “All About Me” sheet to be created to help new staff and staff in the open shift pool learn how to best support the individuals they were working with through person-centered supports. I loved being able to communicate with all the Directors and other full-time staff at HCO to implement this project and to have been able to experience being a part of the agency in a different way.

This internship was an amazing opportunity to participate in a wonderful program that has provided me with the chance to expand my education and my knowledge of what it takes to work as a social worker and a Direct Support Professional. All of this would not have been possible without the generous support from the Northam family, who have funded this internship for myself and three other Northam Scholars throughout the years. With their help, I was able to have an amazing experience that I will carry with me in my future with the agency and as a social worker. I would like to thank both the Northam family and everyone at HCO who have provided me with a semester full of learning opportunities and great, fun experiences.

I know that because I had the chance to be a Northam Scholar, I have become a better social worker and a better direct support professional, and I cannot wait to continue working with HCO.

 

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We would like to congratulate Hannah on her recent promotion to Primary Counselor of one of HCO’s Residential Programs!

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!