In honor of 2020’s –  DSP (Direct Support Professionals) week in September, Ability Beyond proudly recognized several incredible staff members.

Kristy Camilli- IL/Transitional/CRS 

• Kristy is inspired to go above and beyond in her roll because she has a soft spot for individuals with special needs. She likes to see what they can achieve, what they can learn, and how far that can take them in life. Kristy’s strongest trait is her communication skills. She communicates well with our individuals and other staff. She is able to motivate our individuals to be the best they can be, even when other staff have made attempts and receive constant refusals she manages to engage and have then participate in a variety of activities.

 Lourdes Loveras- Whippoorwill 

• Lourdes is inspired to go above and beyond in her role because of the individuals who strive through their own challenges with a smile on their face day in and day. She feels that this shows her that she can strive to achieve too. Lourdes has come in on her time off to assist staff with any help that may be needed with a huge smile on her face. Lourdes is always positive and willing to go the extra mile, somehow she always finds a solution to things and makes it work.

Nicole Goodman- ARPM Nicholas Dr 

• Nicole is inspired to go above and beyond in her role because being that one person that the individuals can count on consistently is important so that they can trust her to provide the tools and resources for them to succeed. She knows that having someone to lean on makes all the difference. Nicole always makes sure to carve time out of her day to listen and talk to our folks. She is a great problem solver.

Stephanie Robbins- CT Day Program 

• Stephanie is inspired to go above and beyond in her role to try and give the individuals a voice. She tries and give them every opportunity possible. Everyone is special in their own way and she likes to make them feel important. Stephanie has a natural way of elevating everyone around her, from being a pleasant face and positive attitude to running activities and programs. Honestly, there has never been something that I haven’t asked her to do that she didn’t rise to the occasion for.

Stephen DeVita- WOW Day

• Stephen is inspired to go above and beyond in his role because the individuals spend the majority of their time at program with our team, so as LSI’s and DSPs it is important that they set the stage for how fulfilling, productive, and enjoyable their day is going to be. Stephen has become an important role model to the individuals in his care and took the time before the pandemic started to actively seek out ways to gain more knowledge on how he could become a mentor and positive role model. Stephen has a very friendly and caring personality and he goes out of his way to ensure that the individuals in his care have a spectacular day.

Susan Sharpe- Howland 

• Susan is inspired to go above and beyond in her role because she has passion to meet the needs of the individuals, especially because they can’t advocate for themselves. Plus after working at Ability Beyond for 6 years, and caring for the guys day after day they have become family to her. Susan is always offering to take on extra tasks. She is truly invested and interested in her job and is always looking to learn new things so she can continue to grow and develop. Susan is one of the most caring and detail oriented staff we have. Her nursing skills and knowledge are exceptional and she stands out as a leader. This is more than a job to Susan. 

Tessa Jack-Simpson- Ritch Drive 

• Tessa is inspired to go above and beyond n her role because she loves caring for others and contributing positivity to their lives. She sees the impact of her work from the perspective of how she would want her loved ones to be treated. Tessa builds bonds with families, extends herself to assist in whatever is needed, and is always willing to put in the extra effort to make sure that each individual is able to enjoy each day to the fullest.

 In addition, two of our DSP’s, Darrien Smith and Marguerite Heyward were selected out of 700 nation Direct Support Professionals to be awarded recognition by MITC, a software company in conjunction with ANCOR) and receive $300 each in prize money. Congratulations to everyone and a great big THANK YOU to everyone, for all that you do!