Five years ago this March, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As the world seemed to shut down, Values Into Action knew we had to mobilize to ensure the safety of all. We maintained community connections through innovative approaches.
Values Into Action focused on adapting and preparing to keep everyone as safe as possible. And we succeeded. We were able to keep people safe and engaged through a variety of actions including:
- Forming an Emergency Preparedness & Response Team that met daily for months. This team strategized on obtaining personal protective equipment (PPE). We shared and analyzed the latest updates from government officials. We created communication plans and took action to uphold our person-centered philosophies.
- Engaging both the people we support and our employees to identify optimal staffing schedules to minimize COVID-19 exposure.
- Implementing a weekly evening webinar for everyone to stay connected, receive the latest COVID-19 information, participate in learning opportunities, and simply have fun.
- Creating an online Resource Guide to keep people informed about COVID-19 and provide ideas, activities, and resources to stay engaged while physically distancing. This guide included topics such as disability resources, COVID-19 guidelines and testing, entertainment, physical and mental health, etc.
- Designing remote support for those who chose this option.
Five years later, our dedication to transforming communities remains a priority.
The following articles and videos highlight our efforts.
“What’s been most important from our experience and perspective during this time, is the degree to which people have control over their lives — where they live, who lives with them, who is coming into their home, what type of support is being provided and how that support is provided. All of this personal control has a direct and positive impact on a person’s safety and well-being. This has always been the case and the pandemic has certainly highlighted this.” -Marian Frattarola-Saulino
“In many ways, the pandemic has strengthened our community.
We are using this time of physical distancing to explore new ways of communicating. We are working together to co-produce solutions that will keep everyone as safe as possible and carry us to our new, interdependent future.” -Marian Frattarola-Saulino
As the CEO and co-founder of Values Into Action, Marian knows what it takes to provide truly person-centered services. In this brief video, she argues that the pandemic reveals more than it changes about person-centered supports — namely that they’ve always been vitally important to the health and well-being of those receiving them.
“As a provider of community services, person-centered thinking, planning and practice are means to an end. The end being one that is determined by the person accepting support, who is, as we all are, the expert of their own life. What holds true during this time of COVID-19 is what matters at any other time and in any other context. The amount of control a person has over their own lives, not just their planning and their services.
What we know now and what we have known, is that those with more control, while still at risk, are safer.” – Marian Frattarola-Saulino
As we enter a new era of unknowns – such as the proposed changes to Medicaid funding that will affect the futures of people accepting services through Values Into Action – we remain committed to meaningful action. We will continue to protect the rights and dignity of all.