Bea Rector Director, Home and Community Services

The last few weeks have been difficult for all of us, both professionally and personally. Usually spring is time for enjoying the outdoors, making plans and getting together with friends and loved ones. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, this spring has been different.

We’re living in a period of uncertainty. You may we wondering, when will my job be back to normal? How can I keep myself and my loved ones healthy? When will I be able to see my friends and family members again?

It’s easy in a time like this to lose focus, which is why I am continually impressed with the flexibility and continued commitment to our work and our mission that all of you have shown. The amount we have accomplished over the last month is incredible. We’ve implemented policies to protect our providers and employees while ensuring our clients continue to receive vital care. We shifted 95% of our HCS staff to telework while ensuring our essential, mission-critical functions continue. We worked with the federal government to get needed flexibility in the wake of the ongoing outbreak. Those are only a fraction of the many projects you have taken on to address the impacts of COVID-19 on our employees, our clients and our providers.

Our work has been profoundly impacted by COVID-19. All the changes and uncertainty can leave us feeling drained and anxious. I encourage you all to practice self-care and self-compassion. If you’re looking for ways to stay connected to others, see our tips on page 8. The Employee Assistance Program has also put together resources specifically related to COVID-19 and can provide one-on-one support.

Although these are difficult times, they are temporary. I look forward to when we can all once again meet face to face. Until then, please continue to take care of yourselves, your families and one another. Thank you for all you do.

HCS MISSION STATEMENT

I’m pleased to announce that we have a new HCS mission statement. You may remember that we decided to revisit our mission in light of our split from Adult Protective Services. We have a clear winner, with nearly 84 percent of our employee votes going to our new mission statement: to transform lives so seniors, people with disabilities and their families receive appropriate, innovative and quality services that maximize independence, dignity and quality of life in their settings of choice.

This new mission is in line with ALTSA’s mission and vision, and it clearly communicates the specifics of HCS’s role in the work of our administration. Thank you to the more than 500 of you who took the time to vote in our poll.

The mission of Home and Community Services is to transform lives so seniors, people with disabilities and their families receive appropriate, innovative and quality services that maximize independence, dignity and quality of life in their settings of choice.