AWS Foundation staff visited Carey Services on Dec. 20 to present a check for the foundation’s recent $188,000 award to the agency for a Life Success Coach initiative. Shown are (right to left): Patti Hays, AWS Foundation CEO; Jim Allbaugh, Carey Services’ president and CEO; Joni Schmalzried, AWS Foundation chief program officer, and Greg Maynard, Carey Services’ director of fund development.

Carey Services’ leadership and several individuals the agency served joined with AWS Foundation to officially announce a $188,000 programming award.

The funds awarded will be used to create a curriculum focused on increasing the tools direct support professionals are provided when supporting Carey Services’ individuals with varying needs. The Life Success Coach initiative strives to get the highest level of outcomes for individuals by increasing the continuity of care through retention of experienced direct support professionals. DSPs are individuals trained to support those with disabilities. Increased DSP retention is a goal not only for Carey Services, but also other providers nationwide.

“We believe that, in properly executing this grant, we will see results at our organization in the form of even more positive outcomes for those we serve and decreased turnover of direct care employees,” said Jim Allbaugh, Carey Services’ president and chief executive officer. “We are extremely grateful to AWS Foundation for seeing the possibilities in our grant proposal and for deciding to support us with the funding to create this initiative.”

The grant award will fund research and curriculum development along with the hiring of a person to oversee the program. Patti Hays, CEO of AWS Foundation, said AWSF was intrigued by the creative approach Carey Services is proposing to address this issue. “Our hopes are that this pilot program will produce positive outcomes that can lead to program replication across the state.”

Carey Services staff members are planning to conduct a larger public event in the coming weeks to discuss the grant opportunity in more detail.

“We know we’re not alone in having people we serve – and those doing the serving – deal with challenging issues,” Allbaugh said. “We’re thankful AWS Foundation embraced our vision for a different way of looking at the challenge and is providing their support to work on a way to support others.”