One of Long Island’s larger nonprofits, Rise Life Services operates 32 homes, numerous programs, three food pantries, an outpatient clinic and suicide prevention program. While roughly 400 workers daily do a lot of good, the group is devoting time, effort and money to single out and support some exceptional workers, honoring them with an award and financial support.
The nonprofit is giving three Shining Star awards to a clinician, administrator and a creator, recognizing people in various aspects of its operations. This follows its nearly 50 Rising Star awards, two programs designed to recognize and reward workers, while increasing retention.
“It’s helping us develop future leaders. We give them the opportunity to progress in their professional development, finish a college degree, become a higher-level clinician,” said Daniel Dern, Riverhead-based Rise Life Services’ Onboarding manager, HR recruiter and award program creator. “We’re supporting our employees to become the next generation of our leaders.”
RISE is honoring Jennifer Maddalena, a licensed practical nurse who wants to go back to school and become an RN; Crystal Dawson, a creator whose professional dream is to use her passion for music and production to work with disabled individuals; and Eric Van Deusen, an outreach specialist in the suicide prevention program seeking a master’s degree in public policy.
“Part of the role of HR is to take care of the people who take care of the people,” Dern said. “This is our way of making sure we take strides to retain good staff, recognize people who have gone above and beyond, and help them achieve their professional goals.”
How RISE Life Service’s HR program works
Established in 2023, RISE’s Rising Star and Shining Star programs were created to identify future leaders and help them advance.
Rising Star Awards are submitted by colleagues, recognizing staff who demonstrated “exceptional work and embraced the organization’s values.” There were 43 Rising Stars this year who all can apply for the Shining Star award, a monetary prize aimed at supporting their career growth and professional development.
Shining Star winners receive $5,000 for first place, $2,500 for second and $1,000 for third, as well as recognition.
Last year’s winners used funds to further their education and careers, pursuing an LPN certification, completing a degree, and gaining certifications in recreation therapy.
Rx for retention
While the Rising Star and Shining Star programs benefit RISE and its clients, they also increase employee retention.
“The program is working,” Rise Life Services CEO Charles Evdos said. “They’re excited. It created a buzz at the agency. And it improved our retention.”
Rising Stars led to 76 workers being honored, including recognition and compensation.
“Someone tells them they did a great job. They hear it verbally,” Dern said. “For some people, this is the first time they got recognition.”
Of the 76 Rising Stars honored over two years, nearly all (74) remain at RISE. “Many have been promoted,” Dern said.
During the pandemic, RISE was at 40% staffing as Evdos said “overtime went through the roof and we had to bring in temp staff.”
They are now at about 87% — a 47% increase. The program is likely one reason.
“When you have those numbers on retention, the outcome shows it works,” Evdos added.
Read more: RISE Life Services: empowering people and improving lives on Long Island
What winners want
Dern said the nursing position is among the hardest to fill, making training someone from within an ideal path. Jennifer Maddalena’s desire to become an RN, then, could benefit her and the group.
“Jennie has a passion for working with the developmentally disabled,” Dern said. “Not all RNs have that passion. She’s chasing a dream to be an RN with the developmentally disabled, after putting a long career in. This is the perfect opportunity for professional development and upward mobility.”
Dawson would like to go back to Five Towns College, pursuing her interest in production and music. She wants to start a weekly news update that she would produce with individuals with developmental disabilities and add to their website
“Communication is of the utmost importance,” Dern continued. “It doesn’t just come from staff talking with each other, but from the individuals.”
Eric Van Deusen would use funding to make his dreams come true without accumulating big debt to earn a master’s degree in public policy.
“The coursework would affect his day-to-day job,” Dern said. “Make sure we dot our I’s, cross our T’s, and use public policy to grow the program.”
They get a $1 million annual suicide prevention grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health, which Van Deusen hopes to maintain by developing policies and procedures in line with the grant.
There were 276 suicides last year on Long Island, or nearly one a day, making this program a lifeline for so many Long Islanders.
“We focus on teenagers, but we try to help whoever we can,” Dern said.
Evdos said there are 72 individuals in the suicide prevention program. Van Deusen presents in middle schools, although some are leery.
“There’s a fear of even talking about this,” Dern said.
The Rising Stars
The Rising Star program starts in September when peers nominate each other.
“It doesn’t come from a manager,” Dern noted. “It comes from a co-worker.”
Rising Stars this year were celebrated at a holiday party, given a monetary award and certificates and had their picture in the Long Island Press.
After that, seven stepped forward and wrote essays about what they wanted to do with their career, listing professional goals and indicating what they’d do with the money, as possible Shining Stars.
The Shining Star program includes interviews that encourage people to consider career goals.
“They have to be able to start to think about what they’ll do with the rest of their professional career,” Dern added.
Candidates must file a professional development essay, which Dern described as “a professional development awakening.”
RISE pared this down to three Shining Stars selected by a committee charged with more than selecting winners.
“The first thing I say when we start the program is, ‘Are you ready to change somebody’s life?’ That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Dern said. “When we call and say they won money, they cry. The elation is unbelievable.”
Winners on May 7 are given the award and citations from Willow Baer, the state’s acting commissioner of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities.
“They’re glowing with pride,” Dern said. “Go into programs and the certificates are hanging there.”
What winners have done
The program last year helped employees accomplish goals. Justin Mannara, an entry level direct support professional, won last year, using the $5,000 (plus additional education money) to go back to school to be an LPN. He is graduating in November and plans to continue working for RISE.
Rose Slahetka, a residential counselor in the mental health program, used the $2,500 to help pay to attend Suffolk County Community College.
Donald Mulvey, a recreation therapist in the suicide prevention program who won third place last year, made a huge difference in people’s lives, helping save lives, including a girl who jumped the fence and ran into the woods.
“He literally saved this girl’s life,” said Dern. “Over time and trust, he changed her attitude about the world. She looks different, presents differently. She’s more engaging.”
The Rise of RISE
RISE, founded in 1980 as Aid to the Developmentally Disabled by, has a long history of making people’ life better.
It was launched by disabled people’s family members concerned about patients compelled to live in crowded institutions, such the since-shuttered Willowbrook State School on Staten Island. The group in 1984, three years before Willowbrook closed, opened their first residential program in Riverhead.
It went on to expand into a multi-service organization providing residential programs, supported apartments, clinical support and case management for the developmentally disabled, mentally ill and dual diagnosed adults.
Helping the Helpers
In addition to Rising Stars and Shining Stars, RISE does other things to support staff, including $750 in tuition reimbursement.
“The people who win can couple it with tuition reimbursement,” said Dern. “They can put the two together.”
RISE also is lobbying for bigger state reimbursements to pay workers more. “Living on Long Island is so expensive,” said Evdos.
They have met with Gov. Kathy Hochul and are seeking to prompt the legislature to allocate more funding to boost payment.
In addition to recognizing staff, they are forming Rise Productions to create a sort of TV show where RISE’s clients will be reporters and producers.
“It’s part of our No Walls program,” Evdos said. “We try to give them quality of life. We have a center in Huntington that does artwork, music and dance. It’s enhancing that program.”
Cover photo by Bob Giglione
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