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Spring Edition
Destiny Management, Inc.
D E S T I N Y M A N A G E M E N T I N C O R P O R A T E D e s t a b l i s h e d D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 5
Special points of
interest:
• Hand Bell Activity with Kathy Palmer—Heritage Day
Center May 6th
• Burke County Schools Sum-mer Break June
11— August 25
• Catawba County Schools Summer Break
June 13—August 25
• Caldwell County Schools Summer Break
June 12—August 7th
☺☺☺☺ Reminder: Ask your QP
about schedule changes with
school aged consumer’s during
the summer.
☺☺☺☺ Reminder: All paperwork for
billing is due by 8:00 AM
Wednesday. NEW DROPBOX
location in Newton—709
Westside Drive!
Teen Summer Camp 3
A Word from DMI CEO Sherry Hawkins
3
New Qualified Professional Staff
4
Employee Spotlight Nominations
4
Day Support Happenings 4
Summer Sun and Fun Safety Tips: Jeanne Lyle
4
Inside this issue:
If you were inclined to
seek advice on how to find
something good and stick
with it, Betty Lon-
don would be quali-
fied to give you
some pointers. She
has been in the
mental health field
her entire working
life, which for her,
began while she
was still in high
school. “I was six-
teen years old. I
didn’t even know
what MR was,” she said
during a recent interview
at Valley Hills Mall.
“After I graduated high
school, my teacher got me
on at the center and I fell
in love with it. I really,
honestly grew up with
some of those kids. Some
of them were my age.” In
1998, Betty retired from
Western Carolina Center
after 31 years of service.
Shortly after retirement,
Betty went to work for
HomeCare Management
where she was assigned to
work with Joseph Watkins.
Joseph was eight years old
at the time. In December
2005, Joseph’s mother
transferred services to Des-
tiny Management and their
15 year journey continues
together.
“I plan on doing this as
long as I can. When I don’t
have him, I miss him,” she
said.
Being patient and hav-
ing a sense of fun is the
right blend for a suc-
cessful trainer, said
Betty. “Work before
play. Joseph knows
what is required of him
and he knows when we
get our work done we
can have fun.”
Every day has the po-
tential for new discov-
ery if you are willing to do
the leg work, she said.
“With me, he’s used to going
out and doing things. You
have to get to know your
client. You have to find out
what interests them and
expose them to new things.
He amazes me. He has such
an eye for detail.”
Employee Spotlight April 2014
“Perfection” A Tribute to Coty Bristol Coty Bristol captured
Steve Mull’s heart from
the start and held it there
for almost ten years, half
of Coty’s young life. On
March 25, 2014 Coty
passed away after a brief
illness, leaving his long-
time trainer wondering
how anyone else could ever
come close to the superhero.
“After one week, I fell in love
with Coty. It took him three
months to fall in love with
me,” said Steve, recalling the
early days at Glen Alpine
Elementary. At the time
Steve was completing his de-
gree in Early Childhood De-
velopment. One of his last
classes in his degree pro-
gram was an Exceptional
Children’s class. He was
later hired as a Teacher’s
Assistant and began work-
ing with Coty in October of
2004.
“I loved to eat and he loved
to eat. It took him an hour
and half to eat and I knew
continued page 2
continued page 2
truck Coty would not let Steve get rid
of.
“I didn’t work with him. I corrupted
him,” Steve re-
members with a
smile. “I can’t
tell you one aca-
demic thing I’ve
done for Coty,
but we just got
out and did
things. I always
made a way to
have fun no
matter what we
were wearing or
what the weather was. ”
Whether it was at the skating rink, or
his favorite restaurant, or his senior
prom, Coty was babe magnet.
“He had beautiful eyes and all the
girls loved his eyelashes and said
they wished they had them,” Steve
said, showing a picture of Coty taken
on his 19th birthday last October at
Hooters. “I was like...what a pick-up
line! Coty would just laugh.”
The difficult season’s of pneumonia,
back surgery, intestinal surgery,
colonoscopy bags and G-tubes, only
created a stronger bond of trust and
friendship.
“This was one super great team,”
describes Peggy England, who
served as the Destiny Management
QP for the case for five years. “You
could always feel the love, respect
and see the fun times they shared
together. I will miss my friend Coty,
but realize I am a better person by
him having been in my life.”
It was fitting that Steve and Coty
would share a final ride together on
March 29, 2014 from Oak Grove
Baptist Church in Nebo to Coty’s
graveside, Steve carefully escorting
his casket in his favorite red truck.
“A very special bond is what hap-
pened with Coty and our families,”
said Steve. “When you’ve had per-
fection, what do you do now.”
he was my kind of guy,” Steve said.
Early on Steve recognized the bench-
mark was set too low for Coty’s poten-
tial abilities, so
he advocated
for more chal-
lenging goals
and slowly
started moving
Coty forward.
With time Coty
was able to
take 14 unas-
sisted steps, sit
unassisted
without falling 34 minutes at a time,
crouch himself around an exercise
ball for two minutes, and take the
stairs daily after school.
“The interest in what would come
next was always there with Coty,”
said Steve.
The pair also covered many miles
away from the classroom setting in
Steve’s red, Chevy S-10 truck— a
From a burnt out light bulb at the
food court, to noticing your gas gauge
being low, nothing gets by Joseph’s
watchful eye.
“It is very important to Joseph that
everything be working. If he sees
someone's lights are out on their car,
he knows they will get a ticket. If the
air fresher dispenser is empty, he
has to refill it.” Joseph is also mind-
ful of rules when they are in public,
according to Betty. “There were some
kids bouncing a ball at Walmart and
he said, ‘Them not supposed to be
doing that!’ ”
Years ago Betty noticed Joseph was
fascinated by lights and ceiling fans,
launching one of their favorite lei-
sure activities together; visiting
Efirds Lighting in Hickory, an empo-
rium of ceiling fans and lamps. “He
knows every make of ceiling fans and
cars.”
Melissa Sears has supervised Betty
since 2007 at Destiny Management
and describes her as a one in a million
trainer. “Maybe it comes naturally or
maybe it is because of her many years
of experience, but she has a way of
incorporating skill training into all of
her client’s activities and interests.
She is goal-oriented, dependable, ener-
getic and has a special bond with Jo-
seph and his family.”
There is not doubt when you are with
Betty and Joseph for any length of
time, you recognize not only a strong
therapeutic relationship, but a valued
friendship years in the making.
“Most people just give up too quick.
You’re not going to get instant, over-
night success in this field. The repe-
tition can be challenging. It may
take years to see improvement for
something you train over and over,
but eventually it pays off. When I
first started working with Joseph, he
didn’t talk. Now I wish I hadn’t en-
couraged it,” she laughed.
And the gift of laughter is something
Joseph has learned to give back to
Betty and anyone else up for a good
joke.
“Why did the ceiling fan cross the
road?” Joseph posed at the close of
the interview. “To get a light kit.”
If you would like to nominate someone to be
featured quarterly in the Employee Spotlight,
please see back page of newsletter for details.
A Tribute to Coty Bristol continued by Geri Garrity
Employee Spotlight continued by Geri Garrity
PAGE 2 DESTINY MANAGEMENT, INC. SPRING EDITION
Destiny Management would like to thank Richard and Christi Bristol for the opportunity to serve Coty from August 2008-March 2014.
Destiny Management will
offer a teen day camp this sum-
mer for Innovations clients ages
12-17 on Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM
beginning June 16-August 22.
Location: Bethany Lutheran
Church 1644 Main Ave., Hickory
Lots of fun activities to include:
Picnics, water activities, dances,
aerobics, age appropriate art/
craft projects, special trips and
outings, game days, barbeques,
movies, Back to School Bash and
more.
If you know of any eligible con-
sumer’s who would like to do
something fun this summer with
other teens, call or contact
Amanda Schur for more informa-
tion.
Program will run under In Home
Skill Building, Personal Care, and
Community Networking services.
June calendar: Zumba, Bowling, Zahra Baker Park, Tie Dye Craft, Group Games July calendar: Zumba, Bowling, Hickory Dickory Dock, Horseback Riding, Crawdads Game, Movie at the Carolina Aug. calendar: KOOL PARK POOL, BACK TO SCHOOL BASH 828-391-8282
News from DMI President, Sherry Hawkins
TeenTeenTeenTeen campcampcampcamp
PAGE 3 DESTINY MANAGEMENT, INC. SPRING EDITION
In response to our annual surveys to
improve communication, we have de-
veloped a quarterly newsletter to bet-
ter inform you on company changes
and events. We want the newsletter
to be a tool for sharing information,
but we also want it to be a resource to
learn more about the people we serve
and the many workers who continue
to make Destiny Management one of
the best provider agencies in the na-
tion. Each quarter we will feature an
employee in our “Employee Spotlight.”
Individuals for this award will be nomi-
nated by fellow workers by way of a
nomination form. We will also high-
light consumer’s during special activi-
ties such as volunteering, Special
Olympics, summer camp and calendar
events at the day centers. People are
what make Destiny Management a
strong company and we want to con-
tinue to grow in the right direction—
by God’s direction.
When I established this agency in 2005,
it was to give each of our consumer’s
the opportunity to learn new things,
visit new places, make new friends and
establish stronger community connec-
tions. Like each of us, our consumer’s
deserve to pursue a promising future
based on their individual interests and
dreams. I believe this can only be
achieved through a strong team effort,
with our consumer’s being at the heart
our training endeavors. Our business
exists to serve them. On whatever
level you have joined the Destiny team,
I want you know the difference you
make even in the little things, can
make a big difference in the world of
one of our consumer’s. No effort made
on their behalf is too small if it moves
them closer to their destiny.
I want to personally thank you for all
for your faithfulness in contributing
your time, talents and energy in
serving the consumer’s of Destiny
Management.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Please take time to write down any
comments, suggestions or ideas you
might have for the newsletter. I am
looking forward to sharing an excit-
ing 2014 year together with you.
Favorite Scripture:
“For I know the plans I have for
you,” declares the Lord. “Plans
to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and
a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
EMPLOYEE
SPOTLIGHT
AWARD
Destiny Management would like to recognize and feature employees of excellence in the Destiny Man-agement quarterly newsletter. If you would like to nominate an employee to be considered for the “Employee Spotlight” feature, please let us know who they are. All Behavior Technicians recognized for their service will be awarded a $50 Visa Gift Card. How to nominate a Behavior Technician:
• Complete Nomination form and mail to
P.O. Box 537, Drexel NC 28619, or
• Call Human Resources at 391-8282, or
• Give Nomination form to your QP
Nomination forms can be obtained at the corporate office or from your QP. For more information, call Geri Garrity.
Sunburn and simple ways to protect yourself & those you love. It’s that time of year again when there is so much to do outside and so much fun to experience. But it is also the time of year that the sun is closer to us and the rays most damaging to our bodies. Also the sun’s rays are stronger be-tween 10 am and 4 pm. You already know the sim-ple explanation behind sunburn, when your skin is exposed to the sun for a period of time, eventually it burns, turning red and irritated. But it is under the skin where things get a little more completed. Both UVA & UVB rays penetrate the skin and can cause damage. Sunburn you can see but the sun damage isn’t always visible. These ultraviolet lights can alter your DNA, prematurely aging your skin and the DNA damage can contribute to skin cancers, including deadly melanoma. How soon the burn begins depends on your skin type, age, medi-cations you are taking, the sun’s intensity, how long you are exposed, where you are and the time of day. UVR exposure causes 90% of all skin can-cers. Don’t forget the sunglasses; exposure to UVR is associated with cataracts, macular degen-eration and cancers of the eye. If you do get sun-burned, avoid the sun until your sunburn heals, drink plenty of WATER so that you don’t become dehydrated, and apply cool compresses to the site. You can use Aloe and or lotion. Prevention is best- use sunscreen that protects against both UVA & UVB, with a SPF of at least 30, apply any exposed areas of skin liberally about 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours – more frequently if you are sweating heavily or swim-ming. Remember, you can still get burned on overcast days, under umbrellas and behind glass!
Hickory Day Support for AprilHickory Day Support for AprilHickory Day Support for AprilHickory Day Support for April
• Sally led The Earth Day Gro-cery Project for Hickory with assistance from her worker Lindy.
• The day support decorated 50 grocery bags with earth day advice that Lowes Food on 127 in hickory will pack in people groceries this week for them to learn about earth day.
• Day Supports attended the Hickory Crawdads this month.
• April is Autism Awareness April is Autism Awareness April is Autism Awareness April is Autism Awareness Month Month Month Month
Autism is the Fastest-growing developmental disability; 1,148% growth rate.
1 percent of the population of children in the U.S. ages 3-17 have an autism spectrum disorder.
Prevalence is estimated at 1 in 68 births. 1 to 1.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder.
For more information about DMI Day Programs contact: Phillip Holland/Bright Future’s Day Center Hickory (828)855-1807, or Peggy Eng-land/Heritage Day Center Drexel (828)391-8282.
Sun and Fun— Summer
Safety Tips by Jeanne Lyle, RN DAY SUPPORT DAY SUPPORT DAY SUPPORT DAY SUPPORT
HAPPENINGSHAPPENINGSHAPPENINGSHAPPENINGS
New Clinical Supervisors added to DMI 2013-2014 Amanda Schnur April 2013
Amanda Schnur graduated from CVCC with
A.A.S. in healthcare management and Gardner
Webb University with a B.S. in human services.
She is currently working towards a masters de-
gree at Grand Canyon University. She has a var-
ied background including college campus and
medical office administrative work, social ser-
vices (adult services, foster care, child welfare),
group home management and 5 plus years ex-
perience in mental health case management. She
accepted a transfer within the county to become
a CAP (Innovations) case manger early in her
career and immediately fell in love with the IDD
population.
Diana Thomas October 2013
I began my career at the West Virginia School for
the Deaf and Blind as a "houseparent" (what we
refer to as a Behavior Technician now). After
working there for two years, I decided that I
wanted to further my career and moved to NC to
attend Lenoir-Rhyne College to obtain a teaching
degree in the field of Hearing-Impaired. I be-
came interested in the area of the Multiple-
Impaired/Hearing Impaired population and did
student teaching at The NC School for the Deaf
and Western Carolina Center. I recently retired
from the state of NC (September 2014) after spend-
ing 31 years and 6 months in the classroom. My
teaching career involves teaching at Western Caro-
lina Center, Broughton Hospital (MR/MI Unit), and
Western Youth Institution (Special Education class-
room). I hold a B.A. Degree from Lenoir-Rhyne
College in Hearing-Impaired K-12 and M.A. Degree
from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Cross-Categorical Spe-
cial Education. I am a National Board Certified
Teacher and am also certified as a Mentor
Teacher. I have truly been blessed by my students
and continue to be amazed each day at what they
are able to accomplish and overcome.
Patricia Barrier October 2013
I attended Appalachian State Univ. for undergradu-
ate work in Special Education where I received a BS
degree in 1970. I returned to ASU by joining a cohort
of professionals that met from 2005-2007 one night
a week and every weekend. to receive my mas-
ters. My MA is in behavioral disabilities and Specific
Learning Disabilities. I have worked in a variety of
places including J Iverson Riddle Institute, Western
Youth Correctional Facility, Broughton Hospital,
Alexander County for half a year, Caldwell County
for a half year. I finished up my career with Burke
County Schools with 23 years of teaching in the
resource classroom. I worked with Intensive In Home
team through A Caring Alternative part time
while I taught school. I also worked part time
with Homecare Management. I love working in
this field. I feel that it is a calling or gift from
God.
DeNea Huffman January 2014
My name is De'Nea Huffman. I am married and
have two sons. We live in the George
Hildebrand school community. Growing up in
Morganton people either worked at one of the
prison or in the field with people with handi-
caps, both of my parents worked at Western
Carolina Center. I grew up wanting to help
people with special needs. I spent 15 years at JI
Riddlle Ins. While I worked there I worked on a
degree in special education. Later, I received a
masters in behavior. I was a QMRP for several
years before I went to Burke county as a
teacher. I realized that I wanted to work in the
early intervention area. So I went back to school
to add birth to kindergarten to my degree. I
worked with 5 year olds for thirteen years. I
also worked with English Second Language
students for 5 years. I decided after I retired
from the school system that I wanted to con-
tinue working with individuals with disabilities. I
work about 25 hours a week with Destiny Man-
agement. I feel like this is where I should finish
out my working years. I have found a home.
DESTINY MANAGEMENT, INC. PAGE 4 SPRING EDITION
