Meet Debi: How a teacher looking for a change found a new career as a GoodLife DSP
GoodLife’s Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) work – and often live – alongside our seniors and people with disabilities to provide daily teaching, support, and companionship, which are vital to each resident’s quality of life. DSP Debi Hobelman stops by the blog to tell us how she went from thinking of her job at GoodLife as something to help her through… read more
GoodLife U Episode 1: The National DSP Crisis
Our new GoodLife U Video Blog and Podcast series is kicking off with a discussion about the national workforce crisis. Realistically, this crisis isn’t new–we’ve watched it ebb and flow across the years. But this season feels a little different, and in many ways we are facing some unprecedented challenges. In the past, when unemployment is high we’ve had a… watch now
Meet Victor: Living the GoodLife through independent, connected, and community living
It brings us incredible joy to see our vision and mission being lived out. As we continue to reimagine independence for seniors and those with disabilities through empowering, connected, and purposeful community living, hearing stories of happiness and fulfillment from our residents is the only way we truly know we’re on to something great. Today we visit with Victor (and… read more
A GoodLife Board Member’s Perspective: Meet Ellen
You can’t miss it, with its abstract brushstrokes and vibrant colors. The artwork that hangs on the wall in her lake home is an easy conversation starter. “What a cool painting! Where did you get that?” guests ask. “Let me tell you about Delbert,” answers Ellen with a sparkle in her eye. Ellen lives for this kind of moment—an opportunity… read more
The Quest for the GoodLife | Bonus Episode
In 2020 we took viewers on our Quest for the GoodLife with Dr. Mike Strouse and covered a lot of ground. We discussed the history of care and why, now more than ever, we need a new paradigm of care (Episode 1); we shared with you how the seed for the Neighborhood Network was planted, and what we’ve done for… watch now
Meet Zach: How life skills learned through the RISE program lead to independence
GoodLife’s uniquely-created work program, TEAM Work, and RISE, the a day-services program for semi-independent adults, provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) within the Neighborhood Network opportunities to work, learn, and grow in a safe, inclusive, and familiar environment. Today we visit with one of our Neighborhood Network residents and RISE participants, Zach Brown. Zach shares what he’s learning… read more
Partners in independent living for seniors
What happens when two organizations partner to support and promote independent living? We go further. Working together to reimagine care For years, GoodLife and Community Village Lawrence (CVL) have been supporting each other’s work to help seniors age in their own homes. In fact, CVL served as a valuable mentor to GoodLife as we developed the Vibrant Village program—a dynamic… read more
Introducing GoodLife U
Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the backbone of the workforce behind community living and service support models for individuals living with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and seniors. For more than thirty years, the DSP workforce has been one of the most unstable workforces nationwide. Recently, statistics showed that annual turnover rates for DSPs were at 50%, in comparison to… watch now
A Team Leader’s Perspective: Meet Kassie
GoodLife serves adults with disabilities in family-style home settings. Our direct support staff provides daily teaching, support and companionship, which are vital to each client’s quality of life. Team Leaders manage individual homes to help ensure a safe and meaningful experience for our residents. Today, Kassie Johnston shares what it means to be a team leader and why she values… read more
The Year Ahead: What We’re Excited for in 2021
Despite an uncertain and challenging year, 2020 changed the way GoodLife does business for the better. We are eager to carry all we learned into 2021, and excited to share what’s next for GoodLife. Below are just a few things we’re looking forward to: Serving seniors: In 2020, we put our expansion of senior services on hold to adapt to… read more