I Am: A Care Moment Between a Residential Youth and Staff

At the ground-breaking event, Diana recited a poem that earned a standing ovation from the crowd titled 'I Am'. We are so proud of her for getting in front of the crowd and showing how amazing, genuine, and bright she is. Residential Therapist Rebecca Rudolph and Program Manager Deanna Howard each worked with Diana, our youth in care who was selected to speak at our groundbreaking ceremony.

Diana is a 14-year-old foster youth who has experienced trauma and is also intellectually and developmentally delayed. Since arriving in January, she has made significant progress. “I've learned to control my anger and use my words to communicate better,” Diana said. She likes the staff and admits they've helped her a lot. She helps her peers too. “They know they can come to me for help,” Diana added.

Diana selected Deanna to sit with her at the ceremony. Deanna indicated that she has a strong rapport with Diana as a result of their many talks in the evening (relationship based). Deanna said she knew Diana was getting nervous on the morning of the event so she continued to encourage her by telling her how great she was going to do (competence centered). Deanna shared that Diana thanked her for allowing her to be part of the ceremony to which Deanna replied, “you got this. You are important and loved. If you get scared up there just look at me,” (Developmentally focused).

Rebecca reinforced these same care principles saying that she practiced the poem with Diana and said she was comfortable working with her because of their good relationship. Rebecca said she read the poem to her a couple times first so Diana could hear the tone and pauses in the poem and then she listened while Diana practiced reading it. Rebecca says she can tell Diana is starting to see that she is loved and cared for by her peers and staff at Hoyleton and knows that is great progress. Both Deanna and Rebecca are so proud of what Diana has accomplished.

Hoyleton | Hiring Military Spouses and Veterans

Hiring Military Spouses and Veterans

The pandemic has proven that Hoyleton hires heroes. However, there are a group of heroes who work for Hoyleton that often go unnoticed. We are speaking of armed forces veterans and their spouses. Hoyleton has not intentionally set out to hire or recruit "Mil-Spouses" as Camille Howard, Hoyleton's Human Resources specialist puts it, "It is always an honor and a pleasure to work with these individuals”, and we have had the pleasure to hire several.

This week we want to introduce you to Camille and her experiences at Hoyleton and as a military spouse herself. Camille can identify which specific characteristics are prevalent in a candidate that wishes to work at Hoyleton. And she is a great person to help everyone involved connect their personal passions and services to the mission and service at Hoyleton.

What does Hoyleton look for when hiring an individual?

Based on a survey by Hoyleton Youth and Family Services conducted in 2019, we found future applicants and current employees value Hoyleton's flexibility. The military, as with Hoyleton, is family-oriented. Being family-focused makes a great fit for family matters and the time it takes to handle last minute events. Camille, herself, has first-hand experience with flexibility from Hoyleton. She describes Hoyleton's policy as "one of the best" from the companies she'd previously worked with. Hoyleton's policy allows for ample time and understanding when a spouse is about to be deployed. Hoyleton also allows for an equal amount of time after they return to bond with family members by a soldier and reacclimating to family life and "normalization"

How does hiring a military spouse or vet benefit the organization?

"You mean besides hiring SUPERHEROES?" Camille gleefully shouts. Being family-focused is probably one of the best benefits because military families are typically very good about making sure the "home-front" is well taken care of. With military-based families having to be prepared at a moment's notice, organization is a great skill that benefits Hoyleton as well. These individuals tend to be mission-focused, have fewer outside work issues to contend with, and adapt to change easily. As a military family that moves frequently, being in different communities holds an additional benefit. Hoyleton represents a diverse group of clients across a large portion of the state. Living in different communities allows a staff member with military experience to relate to a more culturally diverse group of people, especially foster children, who may also move frequently.

How do you see the competencies and diverse background supporting Hoyleton’s mission?

Being the spouse of a service-person, dedication is a primary trait that crosses over to Hoyleton's mission. Dedication plays a significant role because of the nature of Hoyleton's work. We find these particular employees already possess a desire to make the country a better, safer place, which falls directly in line with Hoyleton's mission. Military spouses also seem to hold a high sense of urgency and a high standard that has already been put in place by military policies.

Being a service-person 's spouse, dedication is a primary trait that passes to the mission of Hoyleton. Dedication plays an important part due to the essence of Hoyleton 's work. We consider that these individual workers already have a willingness to make the world a healthier , safer place which is directly in line with the mission of Hoyleton. Military partners often tend to possess a high sense of urgency and a high expectation already set by military policies.

How does Hoyleton reconcile "career gaps”?

Camille believes that every company will profit from such "gaps." "New eyes" she claims will add new ideas to the organization. When recruiting we look at volunteer experience and work in the community to decide if an applicant has appropriate skills needed for the open positions within the Hoyleton. Camille underlines the value of volunteer service on resumes when discussing if community service translates. Skills learned through group or charitable service, such as accounting, correspondence, and organization, translate well into place in the non-profit or even the private sector.

How does Hoyleton recruit military veterans or their spouses?

In the past, Hoyleton worked with the Airman Readiness group at Scott Air Force base to post opportunities. Hoyleton registers for job fairs on the base and utilizes free resources such as Facebook to recruit people of all backgrounds. When asked about the challenges of hiring military Family, Camille says there is little distinction between a "traditional" employee and an employee with military experience. She does state that those with military experience tend to stay with the organization longer. "Mil-spouses" have already done quite a bit of research, and when they decide on a place of employment, they come "hungry" and ready to work, which adds to their dedication and commitment.

In conclusion, Camille shared her perspective of interacting directly with transitioning service members and soldiers' families, by emphasizing their dedication. "There's less chance that an employee will 'ghost' or leave without a notice." It's also her experience that individuals living a military lifestyle are less apt for job hopping and are extremely dependable. She continued, "It goes back to their spouses service to our country, their spouse has committed to defending the United States, and the family mindset is that you don't let anything minor prevent you from serving." There is a mental and emotional commitment set in the family unit.

Hoyleton Youth and Family Services is an equal opportunity employer and values the dedication of all its employees and appreciates the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.

Hoyleton Youth and Family Services is an equal opportunity employer and values the dedication of all its employees and appreciates the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. If you or a family member are in transition between orders or looking at a permanent change of station and are looking for an exemplary, mission-driven organization to continue your career, we encourage you to follow us on social media or reach out to us through our website at www.hoyleton.org/careers.

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