Celebrating Direct Support Professionals Week

September 10, 2025

We are grateful to have a team of compassionate and dedicated Direct Support Professionals at BHN who play a vital role in supporting and enriching the lives of those we serve. We thank you for your hard work and dedication and for being the heart and soul of BHN. You are truly appreciated!


This week, we take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible work our DSPs do every day. Your commitment, empathy, and resilience make a lasting impact, not just on the individuals you support, but on our entire organization and community.


We asked a few of our team members to share what makes their work meaningful. Here’s what they had to say:

We are grateful to have a team of compassionate and dedicated Direct Support Professionals at BHN who play a vital role in supporting and enriching the lives of those we serve. We thank you for your hard work and dedication and for being the heart and soul of BHN. You are truly appreciated!


This week, we take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible work our DSPs do every day. Your commitment, empathy, and resilience make a lasting impact, not just on the individuals you support, but on our entire organization and community.


We asked a few of our team members to share what makes their work meaningful. Here’s what they had to say:

Rossi R., Residential Supervisor

Making a positive change in individuals’ lives is what makes my work meaningful.

What have you learned from the individuals you support? “Patience and to never judge anyone based on their actions.”

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? “The smiles, the core memories we create, and learning from different cultures. One of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had was helping Jacinto, a 94-year-old individual we support, fulfill a lifelong wish. He had asked to return to Puerto Rico for 20 years, and in 2019, we made it happen. He tells me every day: ‘Si yo me muero mañana, muero feliz porque gracias a ti pude volver a mi isla bonita Puerto Rico.’ (‘If I die tomorrow, I’ll go happy because thanks to you I was able to go back home to my beautiful island of Puerto Rico.’) Moments like these remind me why this work matters.”

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? “The smiles, the core memories we create, and learning from different cultures. One of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had was helping Jacinto, a 94-year-old individual we support, fulfill a lifelong wish. He had asked to return to Puerto Rico for 20 years, and in 2019, we made it happen. He tells me every day: ‘Si yo me muero mañana, muero feliz porque gracias a ti pude volver a mi isla bonita Puerto Rico.’ (‘If I die tomorrow, I’ll go happy because thanks to you I was able to go back home to my beautiful island of Puerto Rico.’) Moments like these remind me why this work matters.”

Mike B. Residential Supervisor

I feel pride every day knowing that I have made a positive impact on the life of someone who truly needs my help.

What makes your work meaningful? “I began my work in the Human Services field in 1991. I immediately fell in love with helping people who had difficulty helping themselves. The little things that we do for our people served each day seem to make the most difference. The heartfelt ‘Thank you’ I get from the people I support makes me feel as though I am really making a difference. Helping someone to try something for the first time makes my heart shine.”

 

What have you learned from the individuals you support? “I have learned to be more patient. I am a go-go-go person. I have slowed down to truly listen to their concerns and let them express it in their own time and way. I have learned to be a little more patient every day. I am growing just like the people I serve are.”

 

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the satisfaction and pride in people served when they learn something new and share their excitement with me.”

Stephen H. ILS Support Specialist

What makes your work meaningful? “I originally chose to do this work fifteen years ago when my older brother Michael sustained catastrophic brain injuries when he was physically assaulted in a random act of violence. 


My wife at the time and I were planning to have him come live with us after he was done learning to walk and talk again. His recovery after that was going to be years in the making, so I decided to get a job working with DBIS clients to develop the necessary skills required to properly assist an individual in that situation.


Unfortunately, within two years, the individual suddenly passed away due to complications related to his injuries and my help was no longer needed, but I decided during the time I had already spent working with the DBIS population that I enjoyed working with my clients and found the entire experience rewarding, so I decided to continue on; to this day I look forward to assisting individuals in a variety of fields of human services, and find it offers mutual fulfillment.

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