“You Can’t Take Anything at Face Value”
Supporting people with IDD helped Jason to grow too
By Kathleen Stauffer
Finding his niche took Jason a little time and a lot of patience. Manufacturing, maintenance, casinos, restaurants – he tried them all. Jason’s Uncle Don worked for the state serving people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities so Jason decided to give it a try.
“I started when I was a kid. I learned to better myself when I realized how much impact you can have.” The 39-year-old husband and father of two says working with people with IDD taught him to look past the superficial. “It changes the way you look at everything because you can’t take anything at face value. You have to look at the root of things.”
“My kids have met the people I work with. The kids fully understand it. They like it. It makes them more understanding. They understand we’re all people.”
Jason was recruited by Seacorp, Inc., prior to the agency’s merger with The Arc New London County; more recently, The Arc NLC joined The Arc Quinebaug Valley becoming The Arc Eastern Connecticut. Tall, handsome and charismatic, Jason flashes a winning smile. He wanted a meaningful career with opportunity and a chance to make a difference.
Jason was born patient. “I’ve always been patient. I have no problem waiting for things. I don’t like waiting. But I wait.” Over the last decade, Jason worked his way up from direct support professional to residential manager.
“I’ve worked for quite a few companies in a variety of departments. Of all the companies, this is the best because it’s family oriented. We’re a tightknit, family group. We all know each other. If somebody needs something, we help. At the end of the day, we’re a team.”
Jason enjoys the pace. “You never really know what’s going to happen. Some days are awesome; others, not so much.” Everyone pitches in to get the job done properly. Nobody struggles alone. “If you can’t do it, there’s a whole bunch of us who can help.”
“I’ve always been a people person. When I realized how much impact you can have, it was the only way I could see myself professionally. I really can’t see myself anywhere else.”
Kathleen Stauffer is chief executive officer of The Arc Eastern Connecticut. For information on The Arc, go to www.thearcnlc.org and www.qvarc.org. For more articles by this author visit www.kathleenstauffer.com
