2019-2020

Annual Report

Table of Contents

4 Executive Management

6 Early Intervention

8 Residential Services

11 Vocational Services

15 Human Resources

16 Quality Resources

17 Development

18 Fiscal

19 Board of Directors

BARC’s mission and commitment to

providing quality supports to

individuals with intellectual

disabilities and autism – this is the

true passion of the agency.

About the Executive Director: Mary Sautter

has over thirty years experience working with

individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Prior to joining BARC, Mary worked for 4

years with ICF/ID programs as both a

Resident Supervisor and Staff Trainer, and

also worked 2 ½ years as a Supported Living

Caseworker. Mary first joined BARC in

1994 as a Program Coordinator in the

Residential Department. After 6 years, she

transferred to the Quality Resources

Department for 2 years. After working for

another agency as the Residential Services

Director for 2 years, Mary returned to BARC

in March 2005 as the Regional Residential

Director for the Upper Bucks area. In 2009,

the department was re-structured and Mary

was promoted to Residential Director. In

January 2020, Mary was again promoted to

the role of Executive Director. Mary holds a

Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from

Gettysburg College and a Master of Science

in Organizational Leadership from

Quinnipiac University. She is an agency

trainer of Putting People First, Gender and

Cultural Diversity, and Is This Abuse Too.

She is a member of the American Association

on Intellectual and Developmental

Disabilities (AAIDD).

BARC Developmental Services (BARC)

is a private, non-profit agency whose

mission is to advocate for and serve

people with intellectual disabilities and

autism. The goals of BARC include

offering exceptional supports in a

fiscally responsible manner,

collaborating with community resources,

remaining small enough to foster a

family-like atmosphere, maintaining

positive relationships with government

entities, and developing talented and

compassionate staff. Individuals are supported in 3 service

departments: Early Intervention,

Vocational, and Residential. Our Early

Intervention Department now provides

home-based services from birth to age

three working cooperatively with the

Bucks County Office of Mental

Health/Developmental Programs. The

Residential Department supports over

100 residents in homes located in Bucks,

Lehigh, and Philadelphia counties. The

type of living situation for each

individual depends on the level of

support they need. The Vocational

Department provides work experience

in various settings: there are two light

manufacturing programs, two food

services training programs, one program

to place workers in community jobs, and

one program to provide community

inclusive activities. Referrals to our

Adult Day Care Programs, Senior

Programs, and Autism Spectrum

Disorder Program continue to grow.

In addition, there are several support

departments that help the Agency fulfill

its mission. The Human Resources

Department provides oversight to

ensure the following: legal compliance;

all employees are

treated fairly; managers

are continually

developing, motivating and

evaluating subordinates;

employees are engaged; and a

comprehensive training program is

in place. Our annual staff surveys

continue to support the importance of

supervisory relationships as critical in

staff satisfaction and our staff reminds

us every year that the majority of these

relationships are very satisfying. The

Quality Resources Department provides essential components of a

comprehensive quality management

process by adhering to our core values

of accountability, integrity, self-respect,

quality, and diversity. The

Development Department continues to

grow, supporting a large fundraising

effort. The Development team is

expanding support into community

integration and awareness programs,

with the participation of many staff and

volunteers. The Fiscal Department

contributes to our financial health by

providing timely financial reports,

analyzing expenses against related

funding, and preparing necessary

funding proposals for extraordinary

needs. Overall, BARC is financially

solid with the diversity of our programs

and funding streams.

As we celebrate 69 years of advocacy

and services to children and adults with

intellectual disabilities and autism, we

are very proud of the quality of service

we provide. Our services have long been

the recipient of praise from our staff,

licensing inspectors, colleagues, and

families that receive the service for their

family members. All associates support

A message from the

Executive Director Mary Sautter, MSOL

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Eric Macklin graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from

Kutztown University. He has worked at BARC Developmental Services for over

25 years, starting as a Direct Support Professional in 1993. He was then

promoted to Assistant Home Manager, Home Manager, Program Manager, ICF

Quality Assurance Manager, Regional Residential Director and Program

Director. Eric held the position of Program Director for ten years prior to

being promoted to Residential Director in January 2020. He is currently a

trainer for Medication Administration, Heartsaver CPR, Heartsaver First Aid,

Is This Abuse & Wheelchair Van Safety. Eric has been a Putting People First

trainer in the past. Additionally, Eric is a member of Peer Review Committee,

Advocacy and Human Rights Committee, and Social / Recreational Committee

that plans events for the individuals to attend and enjoy. Eric is also the Bingo

caller at the now twice annual Handbag Bingo Fundraiser.

Scott Kulp graduated from East Stroudsburg State College with a Bachelor of

Arts degree in Psychology, and from the University of Scranton with a Master

of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.

He joined BARC Developmental Services in 1976 as a Job Placement

Counselor, was promoted to Rehabilitation Manager at BARC Production

Services Quakertown in 1978, Site Manager of that facility in 1985, Clinical

Supports Administrator for the Vocational Services Department in 1999, and

Director of Vocational Services in 2001. In addition to his duties as Director

of Vocational Services, Scott is also the Director of Development. He is a long

time member of the agency Advocacy/Human Rights/Quality Resources

Committee, the agency Relationship and Sexuality Committee, and a founding

member of the BARC Developmental Services Foundation. Scott celebrated his

40th anniversary with the agency in August 2016 and is the first associate to

achieve this milestone!

Our Executive Staff

Noreen Coleman joined BARC Developmental Services in November 1999. She

started at the Central Bucks Preschool site as the Center Coordinator and

moved into the Program Director of Infant/Toddler and Preschool services

position responsible for Central and Upper Bucks Early Intervention in 2003. In

January 2016, she was promoted to the position of Department Director of

Early Intervention. She is currently a trainer for Preventing Vehicle Accidents

and Gender & Cultural Diversity. Noreen is a member of the Early Intervention

Providers Association of PA as well as the agency committees; Workforce

Enhancement and Advocacy/Human Rights/Quality Resources.

Noreen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from

Millersville University and is Certified K-12 in Pennsylvania.

4

Barry Johnston, Director of Quality Resources, joined BARC Developmental

Services in 1992 as a Rehabilitation Manager in Vocational Services. In 2013,

Barry was promoted to Director of Quality Resources. Barry earned a Master's

Degree in Training and Organizational Development from St. Joseph's

University, a Post-Master's Certificate in Social Service Administration from

Temple University and a Master's Degree in Counseling from Shippensburg

University. He is also a Training Center Faculty member for the American

Heart Association. Barry is a member of the Association for Talent

Development and conducts several training courses for BARC in addition to his

regular job duties. He is also a member of the Society for Human Resources

Management.

Lori Vail joined BARC Developmental Services in August 1993. She received

her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Mankato State University in

1983 and began her professional career as an accountant with the Higher

Education Assistance Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lori started working

for BARC as a part-time Bookkeeper in 1993. She was promoted to Accountant

in 1998, and in 2005 she was promoted to the position of Chief Financial

Officer.

5

Kathy Rancourt joined BARC Developmental Services in May 2007 as

Recruitment Manager. She took on additional Human Resources Generalist

duties and was promoted to Director of Human Resources in October 2013.

Previous to joining BARC, Kathy worked in Human Resources and Volunteer

Coordinator positions for non-profit agencies in the Bucks County area and in

New York State.

Kathy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education/Social

Sciences from Russell Sage College and a Master of Science in Administration,

Human Resources Concentration, from Western Connecticut State University.

She is a member of SHRM, the Society for Human Resources Management, and

the Lehigh Valley chapter of SHRM. Kathy is a Certified Professional (SHRM-

CP) by SHRM and a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) by the Human

Resources Certification Institute.

6

Early Intervention We look forward to the upcoming

year and have plans to move to an

electronic parent survey and to

streamline our paper parent

handbook, and provide parent

information in a brochure with links

to online information since our

parents have indicated a preference

for content in electronic format.

The Early Intervention Department

provides service to over 400 children

and their families in our Infant/Toddler

Program across Bucks County. Services

continue to be provided in the child’s

natural setting during typical family

routines, in their home, child-care or

community. We once again partnered

with the Department of Mental Health

and Developmental Programs to

participate in the Family Coaching Grant

with the Office of Child Development

and Early Learning, expanding the

knowledge and understanding of the

Coaching Model with families and

professionals. We process referrals for

service and provide guidance to our 80

independent contractors providing

Speech, Occupational and Physical

therapies, and the teachers providing

Special Instruction for the families.

The team enjoyed providing a

parent/child playgroup at our Croydon

site. This allowed the children and

parents to learn together. Opportunities

for outings to the park, zoo and farms

for hayrides were enjoyed by the

children, parents and staff alike.

Supporting each family both at home

and in the community is important for

the generalization of new skills.

Parents surveys are completed at the

time a child is transitioning at age three

or exiting due to any reason including

being age appropriate and no longer

needing service. This year the feedback

continues to be very positive.

Some comments from the families:

“We couldn’t be happier with the

program. Our son’s progress surpassed

all of our expectations and he had so

much fun and enjoyed all of it.”

“We were extremely pleased with our

son’s EI experience. His therapists were

wonderful!”

“Our speech therapist was awesome

with my child. She is patient, kind and

makes learning fun for them. She was

always a positive and helpful resource

for problems that would arise.”

“I absolutely loved the team of people I

had for my child. They will be greatly

missed! I especially loved how they

worked together to give him the best

possible help.”

“I had a great experience with my team

members. They did a fantastic job of

educating me on my child’s issues and

provided solutions. Above all, they all

cared about him so much and that meant

a lot to me.”

“Very grateful and satisfied with the

services provided by BARC.”

7

The Early Intervention Department

participated in the State’s 2019

Evidenced Based Implementation Grant

for Home Based Coaching. The grant

was to increase family engagement with

services and expand the skill set of the

teachers/therapists. Courtney Robertson

a contracted Speech & Language

Pathologist is our External Coach. As

the coach she provides support and

resources to the providers. The goal is

to share strategies with each other and

the caregivers to better support the

children in their daily routines.

Alyson Etter, Physical Therapist

I have been an Early Intervention

provider with BARC for the past three

years. The thing I enjoy most about this

setting is the interaction and

involvement I have with families and

their routines. The opportunity to

participate in the coaching grant has

been a unique and enriching experience.

The collaboration I have with my coach

and the team has helped me refocus my

practice and work to become a better

coach for my families. It has guided me

to look past some of my experience and

clinical knowledge and use it as just a

part of my toolkit. Being a coach is

much more than demonstrating and

observing techniques,

and answering questions.

The coaching grant has

helped me shift my primary

focus towards empowering

families and caregivers to be

the leader of the therapy team

and of each individual session.

Using the coaching model more

effectively, I am able to lead caregivers

to ask questions, create goals, and

problem solve as opposed to providing

all of the answers and demonstrating

every approach. This places more

meaning and gives more control to the

families, which impacts their ability and

desire to carry over sessions throughout

their typical day to day routines. The

family I have been working with in this

grant is a prime example of how this can

be very effective. Ms. Giacoponello

now readily leads our sessions and

problem solves. Watching her develop

alongside her child demonstrates the

power behind this approach to therapy. I

look forward to continuing this work

with them and with other families in our

community.

Alyson Etter Physical Therapist

Residential Services The Residential Services program

offered by BARC Developmental

Services provides care and support to

over 100 individuals in over 30 homes

located throughout the areas surrounding

Upper and Central Bucks County. There

are a variety of programs available to

meet the needs of each individual on a

personal level. Intermediate Care

Facilities (ICF/ID) provide structured

24-hour daily supervised programs

where active treatment is the focus. This

concept involves the idea that every

person is able to take part in every

aspect of their daily routine. Direct

Support Professionals ensure this occurs

by providing the level of prompting that

each individual needs. This can be as

little as a few words of encouragement

or a much as taking a person’s hand in

theirs and fully doing the task with

them. The involvement in active

treatment occurs for each individual

during dressing, bathing, eating, taking

medications, communicating, working,

household chores, leisure time, and

community outings. It is sometimes the

case that individuals in an ICF home

have complex medical diagnoses and in

these circumstances the nursing team, in

conjunction with Direct Support

Professionals, work together to make

certain that each individual has a full

and enjoyable life with as many

opportunities as their housemates who

do not have these diagnoses.

Community Living Arrangements

(CLA) provide structured programs with

varying levels of supervision. As with

ICF homes, the focus in BARC’s CLA

homes is on the individual and their

strengths while developing strategies to

work on the areas the individual wants

to improve upon. The team process is

used to develop action plans that are as

detailed as necessary based on the

individual. Each member of the team has

a voice, with the individual’s being the

guiding influence. Supervision levels are

more varied within CLA homes, with

some individuals having periods of time

where no Direct Support Professionals

are in the home. While some individuals

residing in CLA homes within BARC

Developmental Services require

assistance with Activities of Daily

Living, such as showering and cleaning,

often the assistance needed is in social

situations such as during community

outings to develop the skills to interact

with others or during a movie or concert

to learn societal norms.

Two additional residential services

available are Supported Living and Life

Sharing. In Supported Living, an

individual lives alone, or with a

roommate. A Direct Support

Professional assists them for less than 30

hours per week with tasks such as

shopping, cleaning, medication

management, banking and budgeting.

8

Life Sharing arrangements provide

services to individuals living with a in the family’s home. The name of

this service is what the goal is, for

the individual and the family to truly

share all aspects of their lives

together.

BARC Developmental Services

residential department is more than

the four programs it offers. There are

many ‘extras’ that dedicated

associates have developed as a result

of years of caring and striving for the

best. Examples include weekly and

biweekly events for individuals that

include movie night, bowling, indoor

and outdoor swimming, petting zoos,

bingo, holiday themed crafts, and

barbeques. The individuals enjoy an

annual spring formal dance, an

annual track and field event, and an

annual winter holiday dance. Each

year many individuals go on bus

trips and vacations in other states and

countries. Many individuals are

invited to the homes of Direct

Support Professional for holiday

meals.

Wayne By: Christine Undercuffler,

ICF Program Coordinator

9

Wayne has lived with BARC since

1990, first at a home in Sellersville and

then at another home only a few miles

away, still in Sellersville. Many people

know Wayne because of his gentle

nature, big beautiful smile and love of

creating artwork. Wayne also loves most

kinds of food and many different types

of animals. He and his housemates have

a bearded dragon (lizard) named Bob.

Wayne likes to stack all of the throw

pillows on the loveseat next to him, and

no one else is supposed to touch them!

Wayne has a brother named Tyrone who

used to live locally. They went to the

same day program back then, so they

saw each other on a weekly basis.

Tyrone moved away and no one was

sure where he went, so he and Wayne

did not see each other for a while.

Eventually, Tyrone’s new provider made

contact. Now Wayne’s Home Manager

(Jen) ensures that he and Tyrone get

together every few months just to hang

out and enjoy some food since this is

what they both prefer.

As long as he has been with BARC,

Wayne has had a difficult time with

medical appointments and procedures.

They would be

unsuccessful and his

team would have great

concern about him not

receiving necessary

medical care. Many staff

over the years have worked

with Wayne and continue to

do so to support him during these

stressful times. Wayne is now able

to complete appointments and

procedures, even if it takes a couple

of times to have success in this area.

Lastly, Wayne has always been pleasant,

but would put his arms out to indicate he

did not want anyone in his personal

space. He would pull away sharply and

make a loud unhappy noise if anyone

touched him, even just on the shoulder

or trying to shake hands. Over the past

two years or so, Wayne has started to

seek out affection from others. It started

with him playing “got your nose” by

grabbing someone’s nose and smiling.

Then he would put his face forward so

his nose could be “gotten” as well. Now

Wayne likes preferred staff and familiar

people to sit next to him. He will lean up

against you and take your hand because

he wants his beard or head rubbed.

Sometimes Wayne even wants to hold

someone familiar’s hand. He loves to

grocery shop and shakes hands with

other shoppers he meets in the store.

In some ways, he is the same Wayne I

met back in 1995. In other ways he has

grown due to compassion, care and

feeling comfortable and safe. I can’t

wait to see where Wayne’s journey takes

him next.

About the author:

Christine (Chris) Walb Undercuffler has been with BARC Developmental Services for over 20 years. She started as a Support Associate with no experience

in the field. She thought she could work at a group home until finding something better. What happened is that she got to know many of the individuals we

support and became invested in being a part of an agency trying to ensure the supported individuals have the best lives possible. She is currently working in

the Residential Department as a Program Coordinator for two of the ICF/ID homes in the Quakertown area.

Chris is the very proud Mom of 20-year old Madison, who is transferring from Montgomery County Community College to West Chester University to

continue her studies in Theater: Design and Production. Chris is currently attending Western Governors University for a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare

Administration, online due to working full-time. Her other interests are spending time with family and friends, theater and other live shows, museums and

art exhibits, walking/hiking (nature, not mountains), traveling and of course her cats.

Karen, also known as

“Pickles” by most of her

friends resides in

Quakertown. Karen is

spunky and loves to joke

around with her staff, family and

friends. She loves Diet Pepsi,

riding her trike in her development,

doing ceramics and playing UNO.

In late January of 2018 Karen became

very ill and was admitted to the hospital

where she was diagnosed with very

serious medical conditions and ended up

in the ICU for quite some time. Karen

wasn't able to breathe on her own. She

was placed on a breathing machine

(ventilator) via a tracheotomy until her

lung status improved. At times the

prognosis seemed very gloomy and she

was heavily sedated to keep her

comfortable. But her family, friends and

BARC family never lost hope. Family

and friends rallied around Karen,

visiting her as much as possible in the

ICU, playing her music, rubbing her feet

and hands with lotion, and creating

vison boards to help the nurses know

what is important to know about Karen.

Eventually Karen began getting stronger

and was transferred on February 21 to a

rehabilitation unit. Karen worked hard

to wean off the ventilator and eventually

be able to breath on her own. On April

11, 2018, Karen was able to come

home. She was thrilled to be back in her

home with her housemate and staff, but

that wasn’t enough for Karen. She was

physically weak and needed to do

PT/OT to regain her strength with the

hopes of getting back to her baseline

prior to the hospitalization. Karen gave

it her all and before we knew it she

could ditch the walker and had regained

full mobility independently. Her

determination and perseverance paid

off.

Soon enough Karen was riding her trike

around her development with her staff,

attending her Yoga classes again, and

participating in all of the activities she

had previously enjoyed. Karen was

back and better than ever. She appeared

to have a new appreciation for her life.

Karen “Pickles” is our miracle and I

cannot think of a better example of true

success!

About the author:

Stephanie began working at BARC Developmental Services in April of 1997. She is now the Program Coordinator for four CLA homes in the Quakertown

area. Additionally, she and her family shared their lives through the Lifesharing Program with Bobby for almost 9 years prior to his untimely passing in

2017. As is a theme with many managers, when Stephanie first started at BARC, it was working directly with the individuals in several of the homes.

Stephanie speaks fondly of those days and says it gives her great insight when leading her teams. Stephanie has an associate’s degree in business and

merchandising. She is just shy of her bachelor’s degree and hopes to one day return to school once her children are more independent because you are

never too old to stop learning. Stephanie is a Personal Outcomes interviewer for BARC, previously she was a Mandt trainer and will be re-certified as a

Mandt trainer this year. She has also taught Non-Verbal communication in the past. She is raising her two children, Carter and Lyla, and their Border

Collie, Polly. Stephanie enjoys photography, trout fishing, painting, traveling, finding unique things at thrift stores and spending time with her family.

10

Karen By: Stephanie Giberson,

CLA Program Coordinator

The Community Participation Supports

(CPS) Program continues to be a major

focus for the department. The Office of

Developmental Programs (ODP) has set

the expectation that the individuals we

support in our facility based programs at

BARC Production Services Quakertown

and Warminster (BSPS & BPSW) must

spend at least 25% of their time in

community activities of their choice.

During 2019, the number of folks we

serve who enjoyed community inclusive

events increased significantly, as did the

places they go to and the things they do

in the community. While we have not

yet reached the goal of 25%

participation, we continue to focus our

efforts on doing so. At the present time,

about half the people we serve are going

on community outings regularly. At

BPSW there are six (6) different outings

each day. Program Specialists are also

working diligently with Supports

Coordinators and team members to

acquire variances for folks who do not

wish to be involved in community

outings, or who wish to do so, but not

25% of the time.

ODP has also mandated that all Program

Specialists and staff who supervise our

Direct Support Professionals (DSP)

complete a rigorous certification training

that takes 40 – 60 hours to complete,

known as ACRE training (Association

of Community Rehabilitation

Educators). The training is a

combination of on-line course work and

11

field assignments guiding a supported

individual through the community

employment process.

The JOBS Program (Joint Opportunities

for Business and Society) experienced a

major resurgence in 2019. The program

received a record number of referrals

from various OVR Counselors. Brynn

Zwickel, JOBS Manager, did an

outstanding job securing employment

for those on her caseload. She achieved

a record number of job placements in

2019.

Bill Keleher, Sales Representative,

continues to attract new customers, and

maintain positive working relationships

with existing contract customers.

Through his efforts, and the jobs he has

brought into the shops, our folks in the

Workshop program have increased their

work skills and productivity, improved

their earnings, and take pride in doing a

good job.

Our dedicated and capable staff are the

heart and soul of the department. They

continually strive to meet and exceed

expectations, providing quality care and

supports to those we serve. Inspectors

from the Department of Health, who

oversee our ICF programs, continue to

offer praise to our staff regarding the

standard of care offered, and the quality

of the services we provide, with no

citations for well over two years, which

is remarkable!

Vocational Services The annual Capital Campaign

Solicitation (CCS) continues to

directly benefit the Food Services

Programs at both our Quakertown

and Warminster sites. Our donors

have steadfastly supported this

campaign through their very

generous donations enabling us to

provide free and delicious lunches to

our folks who cannot afford to buy

lunch on a regular basis, and to offset

costs.

The Capital Improvement Plans for

both sites, and the Strategic Plan for

the department, are the critical

benchmarks to ensuring we maintain

and enhance our facilities, making

them safe and welcoming to all. Our

full-time Maintenance Technician

splits his time between BPSQ and

BPSW, and has done a fine job

keeping both sites in excellent

condition, completing a number of

vital projects.

The new decade will bring new

challenges that we will continue to

address in a positive and proactive

manner as dedication to our mission

remains our guiding and primary

focus.

12

up when staff

complimented her on her

fashionable clothes. Tosha

also began joking with staff

and peers and having fun with

everyone. She also likes to

compliment others letting them

that know that they look nice. Tosha

is very kind, well –mannered, and

considerate. Tosha once stood up in the

program room and talked to everyone

about treating others with kindness.

Tosha always has something nice to say

about others. Once, a staff wore a yellow

shirt to work and as soon as Tosha saw

this staff, she said “here comes the sun”.

This sure brightened the staff person’s

day.

Tosha has a great work ethic. She is a

very hardworking, diligent, and

wonderful worker. According to staff

who work with her, Tosha works with

good focus. Tosha creates a good quality

of work with minimal errors. She is also

flexible and will move around to

different areas of the workshop to try

new jobs. Tosha will also sometimes

seek out learning or trying the various

new jobs that are available. In addition

to her job responsibilities on the

production line, Tosha also does trash

duties; collecting trash from the

Cafeteria, bathrooms, and staff offices.

This is a job she shares with other peers

so she has specific days that the does

trash collection. She always has a smile

on her face when she is working.

Tosha is a self-advocate, and she let her

team members know that she was ready

to work in the community. So she

worked very hard on the job application

process with her OVR counselor and in

December, Tosha got the call that she

had been hired as a seasonal worker at

Kohl’s Department Store in Plymouth

Meeting. Tosha was overjoyed because

all her hard work had paid off. Tosha

started working at Kohl’s in December

and it took her a while to get used to the

new rules and expectations of

community employment. She had to

adjust to a new working environment

and new people; she worked hard to

prove that she deserved her new job. At

the end of the Christmas Season, Tosha

found out that she was hired as a

permanent dressing room attendant at

Kohl’s and she was overjoyed. She

works three days a week at Kohl’s –

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and

the other 2 two days – Tuesdays and

Thursdays, are spent working at the

BPSQ Workshop.

Tosha continues to work very hard at

Kohl’s. She is on point with her job

tasks and has great interactions with

both the Kohl’s customers and her

coworkers. Tosha was recently

recognized for all of her hard work with

assisting in Loss Prevention. According

to her job coach, she does an awesome

job of collecting and turning in tags that

have been torn off by shoplifters.

Tosha is an awesome lady, and we all

wish her continued success in her

community job, as well as her job at the

Quakertown Workshop.

Tosha started attending the BPSQ day

program with a Residential 1:1 staff due

to behavioral concerns. She was then

attending on a trial basis because the

team did not know if the BARC day

program would be a good fit for her.

During that time, Tosha was very quiet

and kept to herself a lot. Overall she

seemed unhappy and would rarely speak

to anyone. After her trial period was

over, Tosha was accepted to attend the

day program full time.

Once Tosha started attending on a

regular basis, she began to open up to

staff. She started having conversations

with staff about things that are important

to her. Tosha talked to staff about

clothes, her hair, and nails. Tosha has a

great sense of style and always dresses

up in the latest fashions. She would light

Tosha By: BARC Production Services

Quakertown Staff

On the morning of July 9, 2019 Huns

places on his knitted hat, glides into his

wool gloves, and zips up his insulated

jacket as he declares he is ready to

embark on his new expedition. He takes

a deep breath, and then steps foot into

the cold blast of air and exhales as he

watches his puff of heated breath leave

his body. Huns is surrounded by cases

of chilled soda bottles, crates full of

white milk, and racks of ready-to-

purchase beverages. Huns is now an

official “Customer Service Associate”

of the Bensalem Boulevard Wawa! His

task: stock the cooler-shelves of

beverages in the “cold box” by

transferring the bottles from their

delivery packages and crates.

Huns’ body immediately warms up

from the excitement he has developed

of striving towards learning the names

of numerous Wawa iced tea flavors. I

explain to Huns, “It’s a scavenger hunt,

look to see what rows need to be

stocked and find its matching bottle on

the delivery shelf.” Due to Huns’ focus

and attention to detail, it does not take

him long to build his momentum to

fulfil this mission.

Each week now, Huns

dedicates sixteen hours

of ensuring the parking lot

and inside of the store are

welcoming for patrons, and is

maintaining the stocked rows

of beverages in the cold-box.

Much praise is given to Huns from

his co-workers and managers for his

eagerness to fulfill any additional tasks

he is asked to complete, and for the

quality of work he consistently

produces.

The remaining hours of Huns’ week are

spent at home with his mother and

rescued-pup, Blondie. Huns’ mother

states that Huns is “good to everyone”,

she is proud of him because he is a help

not only to her, but also to his brother,

nieces, and nephews. Huns takes on the

town at night by occasionally going to

Miller’s Ale House to get some wings,

and seasonally attends the Summer

Concert Series to listen to u7 music and

to see people he knows. Some of Huns’

hobbies include purchasing the local

newspaper so he can follow the

Philadelphia Sixers and Flyers, and

Huns By: Brynn Zwickel,

CPS/JOBS Manager

taking Blondie on three walks per day.

Huns’ expedition in life is full of

achievements, only because, he takes on

adversity with courage and bravery

resulting him in reaching the tops of

mountains.

About the author:

Brynn graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services in 2016. She joined the BARC

team as an Intern in 2016 and directly upon graduation moved into her role of Production Coach, and then a Program Specialist, at BARC Production

Services Warminster. In September 2017, she was promoted to JOBS Manager, and in July 2018 she moved into the CPS/JOBS Manager position. In 2019,

she entered her fourth year of being a Unified Partner in the running sports of Special Olympics Bucks County. Brynn also holds CESP certification, which

is now required to provide community employment supports.

13

comes in with a smile and

acknowledges every person that walks

by. She brings this energy with her

every other Monday at the Holy

Redeemer Thrift Shop. When she walks

into the store she says “hello” to every

employee and volunteer. They are

always very excited to see her because

of the hard work she does. Yaymarie

wipes down anything that is dusty,

hangs and sorts the clothes, wipes down

the mirrors, and organizes the jewelry.

Yaymarie says she helps her mom with

the dishes and cleaning so she knows

how to clean things properly. When she

is doing a task and a customer has a

question, Yaymarie is very good at

helping the customer and directing them

to someone who works there. Each

week she is improving tremendously on

each task. She walks into the thrift shop

and knows exactly where to go and who

to see to find out what she has to do for

the afternoon.

Connie & Yaymarie

About the author:

Brittany Kodroff is a student from Pennsylvania State University. She is currently doing her internship at BARC and will graduate May of 2020 with a

Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services.

14

By: Brittany Kodroff,

Intern

Connie started

volunteering at Holy

Redeemer Thrift Shop in

2019. Every Wednesday

afternoon Connie waits

patiently to depart to her

volunteer shift. When she arrives,

she tells all of the workers that she

is ready to work today. At the thrift

shop, Connie does multiple tasks, which

include cleaning the shoe racks, cleaning

the mirrors, and sorting and hanging the

clothes. Connie tends to try to move fast

so she can move on to the next task, but

she has improved by taking her time and

making sure everything is done the right

way. When it is time to return to BPSW

she always says “Wow, I worked hard

today, I did a lot”. She is very proud of

her accomplishments at the thrift shop.

Each week she improves her skills.

Connie brings her enthusiasm and

motivation to BARC and the thrift shop

every day.

Yaymarie can light up any room that she

walks into. Each day at BARC she

The role of the Human Resources

Department is to ensure that quality

professional support is provided to the

children and adults served by BARC

Developmental Services. The

department remains committed to

making appropriate hires and helping to

maintain a culture at BARC that is

inclusive and provides opportunities for

job satisfaction and growth. This is done

through recruitment, orientation,

training, benefits administration and on-

going employee relations guidance to

supervisors.

BARC Developmental Services

employed an average of nearly 260 full

time, part time and provisional staff in

2019 and seventy-two new associates

were hired. It continues to be

challenging to fill open direct care

positions with permanent BARC staff;

however, there is low turnover in

management and supervisory positions.

New direct care positions were created

in response to increased levels of

support needed for some individuals. We

are pleased to continue our partnership

with Penn State Abington’s

Rehabilitation and Human Services

undergraduate program. The agency

provides internship opportunities for

students completing their degree

requirements and many interns choose to

remain with BARC after graduation to

begin their careers.

Just as important as recruitment is

retention of valued associates and

providing a career path for those who

desire more responsibility. Through a

supervisory training course as well as

one-on-one conversations with Human

Resources staff, supervisors are trained

in best practices to encourage open

communication, development and

guidance of associates. Both Agency-

wide and Department specific training is

provided to ensure staff meet regulatory

requirements and have up-to-date

knowledge and skills to perform their

job to the best of their ability. The Job

Opportunity process is used to request

changes in position and last year ten

associates were promoted. Several

associates took advantage of the

Educational Assistance Awards to

continue their education.

Associate benefit offerings are reviewed

annually, and plans are amended as

needed in order to continue to offer an

attractive benefit package to all eligible

associates. In October and November,

the Human Resources Department

facilitated thirteen open enrollment

presentations at three locations. These

meetings are an opportunity for staff to

learn more about the excellent benefit

package offered at BARC and to make

the selections that are best for their

individual situation.

Information Systems is also an integral

part of the Human Resources

Department and ensures the

Human Resources continuity of network and computer

services throughout the agency

through planning, technical

leadership and project

implementation. Service is provided

to approximately 120 users in five

office locations and all group homes

throughout Bucks County by

monitoring and administering the

day to day security, availability and

maintenance of the network and

agency website.

A long-standing BARC tradition is

the annual Length of Service

ceremony and reception held in

October at Peace Valley Park. In

2019 twenty-three associates who

reached employment milestones of 5,

10, 15, 20, 25 30 and 35 years of

service were recognized. At this

ceremony, the fourth annual Justin T.

Schram Award, created by the

BARC Foundation to honor the

memory of the son of former

Executive Director Robert H.

Schram, was presented to two

associates and one runner-up. These

associates were nominated by their

peers for their outstanding

contributions to the individuals at

BARC and the winners were selected

by BARC Foundation members. This

ceremony is highly anticipated and

an opportunity for all to learn about

the inspiring work done at BARC Developmental Services every day.

15

16

The Quality Resources Department,

guided and oversighted by the

Advocacy/Human Rights Committee of

BARC Developmental Services,

continues to focus on quality

improvement and risk management for

persons supported by the agency.

Quality Resources is responsible for the

agency’s incident management system

and the agency's Quality Management

Plan. The Advocacy/Human Rights

Committee, in collaboration with

Quality Resources, oversights activities

through a monthly review of reportable

incidents.

Quality Resources provides oversight

and risk management of the agency’s

medication administration practices

through a monthly analysis of errors.

The Advocacy/Human Rights

Committee reviews individual and

aggregate medication error data each

month.

Quality Resources continues review

protocols for individuals who have

critical concerns in the areas of

behavioral health, physical health,

and risk of restraints. The Peer

Review Committee provides reviews

of selected individual treatment plans

throughout the year. Reviews focus

on the plan's clinical appropriateness,

safety, informed consent, credentials

and training. The Peer Review

Committee provides monthly review

and semi-annual approval of all

restrictive treatment plans.

Quality Resources

Development

17

In the past year, the Development

Department coordinated the following

fundraising events: The Ivyland

Invitational for BARC Developmental

Services golf outing, which took place at

Five Ponds Golf Course in Warminster

and generated $8,500; the Mercedes-

Benz Raffle Party at Spring Mill Manor

in Ivyland where 415 tickets were sold

netting $18,000; the Gift Card Raffle,

held in conjunction with the Mercedes

Benz Raffle, sold 550 tickets and

generated $7,000; the Annual Autumn

Luncheon, which took place at Spring

Mill Manor in Ivyland generated a profit

of $8,500, and the Phillies/Trenton

Thunder Raffle that netted $3,000 after

expenses. The Community Capitol

Campaign, which began in 2013, has

generated $43,000 in contributions this

past year and was used to support our

Hot Lunch initiative that provides our

vocationally supported individuals with

free, nutritious lunches throughout the

year.

In 2019, Development continued its

partnership with the Residential

Social/Recreational Committee.

Another successful Designer Handbag

Bingo event, which took place at Trinity

Episcopal Church in Buckingham, and

generated a profit of $6,000 for the

Residential Activities Fund was

orchestrated. Due to the event’s

resounding success, in 2020, two

Designer Handbag Bingo events will be

held, one in the Spring and one in the

Fall. In addition, the department

continues to manage a Spring and Fall

apparel fundraiser, a catalogue of BARC

Developmental Services branded

clothing and accessories available for

purchase to our associates, individuals

and their families.

In 2018, the Development team worked

closely with the Vocational Department

on the design and execution of the Trees

of Life at both BARC Production

Services Warminster and Quakertown.

Donors are able to purchase bronze

leaves or boulders in honor or memory

of their friends and/or family.

Collectively, the Tree of Life fundraiser

has generated $4,000.

The department was also instrumental in

overseeing the Annual Membership

drive, which generated 182 members

and $13,000 in donations. They continue

to ensure that PROGRESS, our agency

newsletter, is completed and mailed to

supporters two times per year.

Throughout 2019, the Development

Department coordinated and distributed

12 issues of Hand In Hand, a monthly,

associate driven newsletter, and

coordinated and designed the agency

Annual Report.

The department continues to send an

email based newsletter, Bits of

BARC, which is distributed to our

growing email base of supporters

each month.

The Development Department

continues to remain active in keeping

the agency website content up to

date. In an effort to gain more

visibility and more website traffic,

the Social Media Committee

continues to maintain active agency

Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram

pages.

The BARC Foundation continues to

remain fully operational. There are

currently three supporters

participating in our Charitable Gift

Annuity program.

18

Fiscal The Fiscal Department remains

dedicated to the agency, the

programs and the individuals

supported by BARC Developmental

Services. This commitment is

evident in the ongoing efforts to

provide timely and meaningful

financial reports; accurately project

income and expenses to ensure stable

programs with proper fiscal

planning; obtain additional funding

for extraordinary expenses to

continue quality care and meet the

needs of the individuals served; and

support the service departments with

timely and accurate information.

The department monitors income and

expenses for all programs throughout

the year and works proactively with

the service departments to ensure

continued revenue for all programs

predicated on reasonable and rational

needs of the individuals we support.

In fiscal year 2018-19, we obtained

additional funding from the

Pennsylvania Department of Human

Services, Office of Developmental

Programs (ODP) which was

necessary for the agency to capably

support the individuals’ ongoing and

changing needs. A request for

additional funding for fiscal year

2019-20 was approved by Bucks.

County MH/DP and additional funding

is under consideration by ODP/ICF.

Fiscal Year 2018-19 closed with a

surplus on annual expenses of

$25,081,783 offset by revenue of

$25,508,320. As of 6/30/19, assets were

$11,352,780 and liabilities were

$6,259,262 for net assets of $5,093,518.

We are proud to report that the auditors

continue to be satisfied with our internal

controls and note no material

weaknesses. This is a reflection of the

dedication, concern, professionalism and

teamwork demonstrated by each

member of the Fiscal Department in

cooperation with our service

departments on behalf of the individuals

that we support.

84%

8% 8%

2018-2019 Revenue

PA Dept. of HumanServices - $21,510,271

Bucks County MH/DPFunding - $2,052,900

Other - $1,945,149

Dr. Dana Teeling-Hernandez

19

Philip J. Carey

1st Vice-President

1st

Vice President

J. Scott Kramer, Esquire

Secretary

Richard E. Brown, Jr.

Kathleen Grasmeder

Sherri T. Portnoy

Patricia A. Schuck

Teresa “Teddy” Manero

President

President

Michael W. Mills, Esquire

Treasurer

Meet Our Board of Directors

Nicholas Ciliberto

4950 York Road, P.O. Box 470

Holicong, Pennsylvania 18928-0470

info@barcprograms.net

www.barcprograms.org

To serve and advocate for people with

intellectual disabilities and autism.