Effective Relationships with Teams
The Impact of the Mentor & Supervision Specialty at Ability Beyond: Building Stronger Leaders
Jane Davis, President/CEO, and Maren Milliard, Director of People – Talent Acquisition and Talent Development, present recent Mentor and Supervision graduate Alessandra Santiago, Assistant Clinical and Residential Program Manager, with her certificate. From left to right: Maren, Jane, and Alessandra
At Ability Beyond, one of our taglines is “You Can Be Impactful.” One of the ways we put this tagline into practice is through the Pathways to Excellence program. The Pathways to Excellence program offers specialized training to direct care employees, and employees who complete the program are promoted to direct support professionals (DSP). DSPs can also earn advanced certifications in different specialties. One of these specialties is the Mentor & Supervision program, created over 10 years ago for Pathways to Excellence graduates who want to mentor others in the organization or learn skills to be promoted into a supervisory role.
Over the course of four months, Pathways to Excellence participants complete accredited coursework from the College of Direct Support, Frontline & Supervision Management, and engage in 4 four-hour workshops with interactive lessons on leadership topics like time management, goal setting, coaching, stress and burnout, effective communication, and navigating difficult conversations. These workshops are led by Maren Milliard, who is the Director of People – Talent Acquisition & Talent Development, and supported by Kyla Andreasen, Talent Development & Training Supervisor. Participants also learn from current mentors and members of Ability Beyond’s senior leadership team, who start each session with a time for questions and answers.
Giselle Lemus
While developing the program, we received feedback from newly hired full-time direct care employees known as “floaters.” Floaters have open availability throughout the week and are able to travel across various Ability Beyond worksites. Because these Floaters have more shift options available to them, they have the opportunity to trial different worksites in their first 60-75 days at Ability. After this trial period, they permanently transition into one program, where they feel the most connection. While these direct care employees enjoyed exploring different worksites, they struggled to find consistent support from peers when they had questions or needed guidance. This feedback came at the perfect time. It inspired us to have the Mentor & Supervision specialty graduates mentor the newly hired floaters!
After graduating, participants receive a pay increase, a bonus, certification as a Mentor & Supervision Specialist, and become Mentor program members. As Mentors, they support floater employees throughout their first 60-75 days at Ability Beyond. Mentors answer questions and share insights that a trusted peer in their field can provide.
Graduates are celebrated at a ceremony at Ability Beyond’s headquarters in Bethel, Connecticut, where Chief Executive Officer Jane Davis formally presents them with their certificates. The ceremony is often attended by their loved ones, teammates, supervisors, and other team members from across the agency.
What is the Mentor and Mentee Experience Like?
Andreasen works closely with Ability Beyond recruiters to learn about the new hires’ experience level, location preference, and worksite areas of interest. Using this information, she carefully matches the mentee with a mentor who best suits their needs.
One week after starting at Ability Beyond and after completing their initial training requirements, mentees meet their mentors at orientation. The next day, mentor and mentee meet at the mentor’s worksite for on-the-job training. While there, the mentor and mentee tour the site, are introduced to the people supported, and get a glimpse into that site’s everyday workings. A key part of this process is reviewing the on-the-job training packet, which provides criteria a new hire would need to know to work at any Ability Beyond location.
After orientation, mentees begin a 90-day trial period, working shifts at various worksites. During this time, the mentor checks in at least once a week—through email, text, a phone call, or even over a cup of coffee—to offer support, address any questions or concerns, and help the mentee choose their permanent workplace when the trial period ends. The relationship between mentor and mentee is “a good chance for a new person to feel like they have someone in their corner, who is a peer,” Andreasen said.
What do Mentors and Mentees Say about the Experience?
Yanil Ortiz, a former mentee and Life Skills Instructor at Ability Beyond, credits her former mentor, Jenna O’Connell, for helping her find her place at the organization. “My mentor directed me in ways that helped me pick where I wanted to end up,” Ortiz recalls. “She described each house and its dynamics. It helped to have that information…I was initially closed off, but Jenna encouraged me to be open-minded.”
It’s not just the mentees who learn from this experience! Over time, Kyla has found that mentors sharpen their leadership skills and gain confidence.
But it’s not just the mentees who learn from this experience! Over time, Andreasen has found that mentors sharpen their leadership skills and gain confidence. For O’Connell, being a mentor gave her a fresh perspective at work. “It brought me back to what it was like to not only be a brand-new employee to Ability but also new to direct care and working with people with disabilities. I had to remember what it was like to start a new job in a new field.”
The impact of the Mentor & Supervision specialty shows in the numbers. Over the past decade, 179 graduates have completed the program, many of whom have been promoted to leadership positions. Many of these graduates started as mentees themselves, with mentors who helped them find their place at Ability Beyond.