Misericordia Community of Believers: Connection
by Linda Buchalo
Today’s article focuses on the second Community of Believers core value: Connection.
The Community of Believers document summarizes this core value as follows: We value relationships, connecting to our residents and to one another with a caring heart. Our residents are valued for who they are, and we seek to connect to that loving person within them. We connect to our co-workers as well, honoring each other.
The general atmosphere is one of friendliness, and this is evident as you stroll through the campus, take an official tour, or attend one of the many activities taking place. Residents and staff greet each other by name, and it’s amazing to realize that staff from all over the campus are familiar with so many of the residents. Likewise, residents know many of the staff. Indeed, life at Misericordia provides our family members with the connections that most of us take for granted in our own communities. The integrated setting provides this common dimension that is often missing in the lives of people with disabilities.
Misericordia's First Core Value: The Quality of Life
by Linda Buchalo
This article begins an in-depth exploration of each of the core values that make up the Misericordia Community of Believers. Today we focus on the first core value: Quality of Life.
The Community of Believers document summarizes this core value as follows: We value excellence and strive for it in all we do. Each of our residents is a valued person and deserves a worthwhile, quality life. Our staff creates and maintains a professional workplace, which benefits them and provides the residents with a positive environment in which to live. We are committed to this goal.
Behavioral Support Personnel: Making a Difference 
by Kathryn Moery
You may be familiar with the term DSP, or Direct Service Professional, but what exactly is a BSP? Far from being a typo, a Behavior Support Personnel (BSP) is a specially trained staff member whose role is to help individuals engage more successfully with their environment. BSPs provide targeted support that enables residents to participate more fully in daily life and activities.
To become a BSP, individuals must first complete certification as a Direct Service Professional (DSP). This foundational training covers essential areas, including safety care, verbal de-escalation, physical management, and proactive intervention techniques.
New Staff Orientation: Welcome to Misericordia 
by Barb Quaintance
Misericordia needs many new staff to not only fill vacancies, but to staff the new residences at Rosemary Park. Human Resources is hard at work recruiting staff and training them on their job responsibilities and the culture of Misericordia.
When DSPs and Qs are hired, they are hired for a specific residential area. Then, all direct care staff—DSPs, Qs, DT Instructors—go through a four-week new staff orientation, conducted by Misericordia’s Staff Development team. The most recent classes had 55 participants. Here’s what’s covered in the orientation:
The Culture of Misericordia: A Community of Believers
by Linda Buchalo
As part of the Misericordia community, we know that groups from all over the country look to Misericordia as the model for caring for people with disabilities. In fact, some families have relocated to the Chicago area for the express purpose of having their children reside at Misericordia Home. What makes this place so special?
At its very core, the culture of Misericordia is driven by five specific values, which are exemplified by residents, staff, families, and the organization itself. These values, collectively known as A Community of Believers, make Misericordia the community that it is—a group of individuals connected by common beliefs and values.
Misericordia Day Services: Something(s) for Everyone 
by Barb Quaintance
Day Services is a broad term used to describe all the programming that happens on the Misericordia campus, as well as in the surrounding community. This includes work opportunities, volunteering, art, fitness, horticulture and educational classes. Not only is there something for every resident, but there are also many things for every resident!
Within Day Services, there are three divisions:
- Community Day Services (CDS), which supports residents who live in CILAs and Shannon Apartments
- Conway/Holbrook Developmental Training (DT), whose participants are residents who live on campus.
- McAuley Developmental Training, which is tailored for McAuley residents who are too medically fragile to attend at Conway.
The Ministry Department at Misericordia: Tending to the Spiritual Needs of Residents, Staff and Families 
by Barb Quaintance
Misericordia takes care of the physical needs of its residents, of course. It also offers them day services and recreation and employment opportunities and fun and friendship. But Misericordia also tends to their spiritual and religious needs, a privilege and responsibility joyfully attended to by the Ministry Department: Father Bart Winters (VP of Mission), Andrew Blomquist (Director of Ministry) and Kathy Morris (Ministry Coordinator). Under the overall guidance of Fr. Jack Clair, who began his journey at Misericordia as Chaplain (and who now serves as President), they approach their ministry as one of “presence”, accompanying residents, staff and families alike along their journey of life and faith.
Family Fest: Powered By Volunteers 
by Barb Quaintance
Family Fest doesn’t happen by accident. Dozens of Misericordia staff work year-round to produce the event. But they don’t act alone. Literally hundreds of volunteers work on the day of the Fest, as well as beforehand, setting it up and then taking it all down. And a big thanks goes to Paul Schwartz and many others for pulling together the volunteer person-power!
Want to learn more about Family Fest volunteers?
- How many volunteers are there on the day of Fest? There were over 1200 volunteers that day. Many more helped with set up in the days leading up to Fest, and volunteers also helped pull down the tents and do the necessary cleanup.
- How many total hours do Fest volunteers put in? On the day of Fest, volunteers put in at least 2100 hours.
- How many different volunteer roles/opportunities are there? Sixty-five individual areas are staffed entirely by volunteers. They include running the information booth, all of the food areas, admission gates, in-crowd entertainment, and selling raffle tickets. There are many other crucial volunteer roles in the days leading up to the fest, too: supporting the kitchen, bakery and the physical planning crew that sets up all of the tables, chairs, banners, stage and archways. After Fest, volunteers support cleaning and resetting the campus.
- How old are the youngest volunteers? The oldest? The youngest ‘official’ volunteers are 13, although many younger kids participate in the family booth or area. And the oldest volunteer is 90! He hand paints many of the boards that are hung around campus.
- Do the residents volunteer at Fest? Yes! This year, residents helped with recycling and garbage detail and a few residents were recruited to pull raffle winners. Of course, dozens of residents performed on the main stage! Many Shannon, CILA and Village residents helped the day after Fest, too.
- What’s the most popular Fest volunteer role? The Fest activity that requires the most support is the Children’s Games area for kids, 11 and under. Throughout the day, 150 people helped children play games, organized lines and distributed prizes.
- Could Misericordia put on Fest without volunteers? No! The Family Fest wouldn’t be possible without volunteer support. It’s estimated that the value of all of those volunteer hours is more than $35,000.
Family Fest “By the Numbers" 
by Barb Quaintance
When you were at Family Fest last weekend, eating a hot dog or enjoying a beer, did you wonder just how much food it takes to feed everyone at Fest? The answer: a lot! Take a look at these numbers:
1,000 pounds of fried chicken
500 half chickens
150 corned beef sandwiches
Fit For Success - Misericordia Invests in Staff Development 
by Barb Quaintance
We all know remarkable Misericordia staff; staff who are engaging, loving with the residents and leaders within their areas. These remarkable staff want to do even better, learn more, connect with other staff and, generally, make Misericordia an even better place.
Begun in 2021, Fit For Success is a staff development program, led by SD/HR staff Mary Ann Goode, Kristina Lipsey and Saul Hernandez. It not only provides staff with practical skills, it helps connect them to the Misericordia mission and their peers across campus. Open to all staff who have been employed for at least six months and with the approval of their Director, approximately 125 staff have completed the program. About fifteen staff--from DT Instructors to Housekeeping staff to Qs to DSPs—form a class and engage in two tiers of training. The focus of the tiers are:
- Tier One: Identity
- In this tier, staff explore topics such as how to be a better leader, how to be aware of their own judgements and biases, how to enhance their listening skills, how to communicate effectively and what their role can be in managing conflict.
- Tier Two: TeamworkBuilding on the skills explored in Tier One, participants examine—and practice--how to apply those skills with their teams.
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