The Arc Central Chesapeake Region (The Arc) increased the hourly starting wage for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to $17.25/hour. The Arc implemented the market increase to support employees as people throughout the community continue to deal with the effects of an uncertain economy and workforce.

“While The Arc has done a great deal to increase DSP pay, expand employee benefits, and make health care more affordable – it is our ongoing priority to do more,” said Jonathon Rondeau, President & CEO. “DSPs are the backbone of The Arc’s work. Every day I am humbled by the tireless work our DSPs do to ensure quality services for the people we support.”

The rate increase will take effect Sunday, January 29, and DSP hourly wages will increase by an average of 4.83%. The Arc announced additional COLA increases are expected organization-wide in July.

To apply to become a DSP today, click here.

The Arc Central Chesapeake Region (The Arc), a nonprofit committed to transforming lives for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and Michele Tharp, Board Chair, are pleased to welcome Stephanie Lacaze to The Arc’s Board of Directors.

Stephanie brings a diverse background of experiences to The Arc that will be a welcome addition to The Arc’s current advocacy efforts focused on increasing access and opportunity for people with IDD. As a resident of Easton, Maryland, Stephanie brings valuable support as The Arc continues to deepen services throughout the Eastern Shore.

“We are excited to welcome Stephanie to our Board,” said Jonathon Rondeau, President & CEO of The Arc. “Her experience in housing and community development, as well as quality and compliance in the healthcare space, means she will bring a valuable perspective as we continue to invest in our behavioral health services and expand affordable housing across the region.”

Committed to providing quality improvement solutions in a variety of healthcare areas, including disability, health disparity, and behavioral health, Stephanie is eager to support choice and opportunity for people with I/DD on the Eastern Shore. Currently, Stephanie is the Senior Contracts Administrator for Qlarant, a federal contractor headquartered in Easton, Maryland, focusing on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Previously, she served as the Housing and Community Development Coordinator for Kent County, Maryland, and as Deputy/Executive Director for Interfaith Housing Development Corporation of the Maryland Eastern Shore.

“I look forward to contributing to The Arc’s ongoing commitment to address the diverse needs of our community, from greater choice around services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to creating more affordable housing throughout the region,” said Stephanie.

Stephanie earned a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland and her Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Baltimore. She is a 30-year resident of Easton, Maryland.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Dr. King) was a Baptist minister and one of the most influential pioneers in the Civil Rights Movement. As an advocate for non-violent activism, he organized and led marches, sit-ins, and boycotts, uniting people across race, class, religion, and gender boundaries. But did you know Dr. King’s non-violent fights for equality included people with disabilities?

Many people don’t associate disability rights with Dr. King’s campaigns, but his purposeful work helped influence the Disability Rights Movement. He advocated for all people and emphasized that separation is not equal.

“It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people,” said Dr. King. State and Federal governments excluded people with disabilities from conversations about equality. Dr. King set the stage for them to be included in discussions, policies, and laws.

So, what direct contributions did Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement play to the Disability Rights Movement?Continue reading

The State of Maryland legislative session has begun – from now through mid-April, elected officials from across the state have descended on Annapolis to introduce and enact Maryland’s laws.

The session runs from January 11 through April 10, 2023.

The Arc will continue to monitor new legislation as it is introduced and advocate for policies that create greater opportunity and access for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Leading Boldly, The Arc’s new self-advocacy group that supports people to make self-determined decisions in all areas of their daily lives will be a strong, active voice throughout the session. A core area of Living Boldly’s focus is to create conversations and discuss policy decisions that affect people with IDD.

How can you ensure your elected officials make people with IDD a priority?

• Sign up to receive Action Alerts from The Arc. Throughout the session, The Arc will periodically send time-sensitive emails alerting you to specific actions you can take on policies that affect people with IDD. Examples include calling or emailing your elected officials, writing letters of support, or even providing testimonials. You can sign up to receive Action Alerts here.
• Attend Developmental Disabilities Day. On Wednesday, February 22, people with IDD from across the state will gather to raise awareness about the critical issues impacting people with IDD. Join The Arc, Living Boldly, and other supporters as we meet with lawmakers to share our personal stories. You can register for this event here.
• Join Living Boldly. The Arc wants people with IDD to be bold! Our self-advocacy group, Living Boldly, encourages people with IDD to communicate for and represent themselves. The group meets monthly with in-person and virtual sessions. To join the group, contact livingboldly@thearcccr.org.

Contact us if you have any questions about the legislative process or The Arc’s priorities for this session.

Today is a big day! It is the 2023 Legislative Calendar Day.

Calendar Day is an annual tradition, organized by The Arc Maryland, where each Arc chapter meets with their elected officials and appointed leaders to hand out a calendar featuring stories of people supported by each of the chapters.

Calendar Day occurs every year on the second day of the legislative session. This year the session begins Tuesday, January 10, and ends Monday, April 10. 

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) deserve to be seen, heard, and advocated for in our state legislature. So, they rally in Annapolis with their families, supporters, and Direct Support Professionals (DSP) to pass out calendars and meet with legislators to provide information on their legislative priorities. Continue reading

The Arc wants people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to be bold!

Our new self-advocacy group, Living Boldly, encourages people with IDD to communicate for and represent themselves. We believe they should play a huge role in decision-making in all areas of their daily lives and public policy decisions.

Living Boldly meets monthly and advocates on various issues concerning people with I/DD.

As the 2023 legislative session approaches, Living Boldly has the following priorities:

• Calendar Day – On January 12, 2023, the day before the legislative session begins, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region will join The Arc Maryland in raising awareness and advocating for people with I/DD. Legislative Calendars, sharing unique, personal stories from each chapter, are hand-delivered to the legislative representatives by members of the group.
• Developmental Disabilities Day (DD Day) – On Wednesday, February 23, people with IDD, their families, advocates, and service providers will rally in Annapolis to educate legislators on issues that are important to our community.

Are you interested in joining Leading Boldly? Please reach out to Greg Snyder at livingboldly@thearcccr.org to find out how you can be a part of the group.

Over the last five years, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region has taken significant steps to deepen our services and commitment to the regions and communities we serve. Enterprise-wide, The Arc and its subsidiaries have each experienced significant growth and continue to expand services.

Some significant milestones include:

• Growing programs and services by nearly 82% to support over 3,000 people state-wide
• On-boarding an average of 25 Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) per month to support the needs of the people we serve
• Launching a comprehensive Behavioral Health program using a trauma-informed model to better support the mental health needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Doubling available support for programs like Holiday Giving and the Family Fund
• Expanding Chesapeake Neighbors, hiring its inaugural executive director, and growing the property management team

As we continue to meet the needs of the community, we realize that our current headquarters in Severn, Maryland, has reached capacity. To better support our growing operations, we are proud to announce that we will open The Arc’s new corporate headquarters at 999 Corporate Boulevard in Linthicum, Maryland, in April 2023.

Who is moving to the new location?

The Arc’s new corporate headquarters will house many of our executive and corporate support areas, including the Office of the CEO, Finance, External Relations, People & Culture, and Self-Directed Services Administration and Stakeholder Relations. The headquarters will also operate as a shared space for programs and will include an additional Community Hub and Behavioral Health Suite.

What will happen to the current Severn office?

The Arc’s Severn location will continue to be an integral part of our operations. With a focus on Program Operations, the site will continue to host our Talent Acquisition team, Living Options & Services, Day Services, a Behavioral Health Suite, Information Technology, and Chesapeake Neighbors.

We will complete renovations to the new corporate headquarters in Linthicum ahead of moving in April 2023. We invite the community to join us for an open house on Thursday, April 20th, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM  to visit our additional space. More details to come in March 2023.

Questions about the project? Please reach out to us at info@thearcccr.org.

 

 

For over 15 years, The Arc has provided gifts, toys, and food support for kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their siblings. The Arc’s Holiday Giving program is unique in allowing families to request specific items, wrapping paper, and accessories, as well as providing a $100 grocery gift card for families to put together a holiday meal.

Since the start of the pandemic, Holiday Giving has doubled annually in the number of families seeking support. In the fall, we anticipated serving 250 kids. With significant support from the community, we are pleased to share that the 2022 Holiday Giving Program supported 394 kids throughout nine counties in Maryland.

This program is only possible because of the generous support of our community. We thank the 66 individuals and businesses who adopted and shopped for the kids, the 25 private donors who raised over $22,000 to ensure we were able to support everyone who applied, and our corporate sponsor – M&T Bank, for contributing $15,000, and nearly 30 volunteers to make the program successful.

If you would like to support this program in 2023 – please reach out to us at give@thearcccr.org.

At The Arc, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the backbone of what we do. This is a critical and sometimes challenging role that isn’t for everyone.

A DSP plays an important, diverse role in the life of the person they support. DSPs advocate for the person they support to have full independence and autonomy in decisions. DSPs create opportunities for people to live, work, and connect with the community around them. DSPs facilitate activities in the community based on each person’s unique interests and goals. And DSPs support new learning and skills, from personal accountability to learning to cook a new meal.

Throughout the pandemic and beyond, The Arc’s DSPs have continued to find new ways for the people we support to connect with their families, friends, and community. They’ve supported people in everything from creating and participating in a bowling league, organizing group events to spend time with their friends, applying for and landing a new dream job, and learning a new meal to surprise a lucky fiancé.

The Arc is successful because of the resilience, creativity, and gentleness of every DSP. They are facilitators, partners, and opportunity creators. Most of all, they are an example of exceptional dedication and service.

We invite you to join The Arc as a Direct Support Professional and experience a job where every moment is truly meaningful.

The Arc’s offices in Severn, Annapolis, and Easton will open on time. All services will operate as scheduled. People supported in Workforce Development should follow the operating status of their employer.