2021 Annual Review
Dear Friends and Colleagues, While COVID still persisted, 2021 reflects a bit of transition from Service Alternatives (SA) being consumed by COVID to learning to live and work with COVID in our midst. The stories in this annual review reflect this transition. We got back into the classroom, supported more clients to work and engage in their communities, and started working with clients on envisioning a life of re-connection. We embraced some of the silver linings found during COVID and will use them to enrich services and engagement for years to come. Virtual tools like Zoom and YouTube have become long-term additions to our toolbox rather than simply survival techniques. While we experienced such change in both service delivery and employee-community engagement methods, our mission, vision, and core values have remained steadfast. Our values of respect, community, customer service, integrity, employee satisfaction, excellence, and fiscal responsibility provide strength and serve as our foundation regardless of circumstance. Though COVID is not yet in the rearview mirror, our Advocate Advisory Council showed us what is: the learning we can do from communities who have emerged from impactful historical events before us. The stories our council members shared of countries emerging from wartime or communities emerging from the Spanish flu have helped inform our approach to moving out of this current state of emergency and moving forward. We are deeply appreciative and humbled by this perspective. In this year of transition, we have learned to be mindful of the rearview mirror while moving forward to a co-existence with COVID rather than a consumption by COVID. That in itself is progress. I am left with a profound respect for the way in which SA clients, employees, foster parents, and community partners have come together to prioritize safety and well-being of one another. The care and consideration has been heartfelt. The collection of stories represents continued forward movement of advancing the potential of our communities, customers, and ourselves through exceptional service. Thank you to all who have been a part of our journey.
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
Vision: Thriving communities that empower, and are powered by, each person’s unique contributions.
Mission: Advancing the potential of our communities, customers, and ourselves through exceptional service.
Values: Fiscal Responsibility
Community
Respect
Respect
Customer Service
Community
Fiscal Responsibility
Customer Service
Excellence Community
Respect Excellence Customer Service
Respect
Integrity
Integrity
Customer Service
Fiscal Responsibility
Respect
Excellence Employee Satisfaction
Integrity
Excellence
Fiscal Responsibility Employee Satisfaction
Employee Satisfaction
Excellence
Respect
Community
Excellence
Community
Fiscal Responsibility Respect
Excellence
Employee Satisfaction Respect Community Fiscal Responsibility
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
Military Youth Academies Embrace RIGHT RESPONSE® After a year of canceling, rescheduling, and
principles of RIGHT RESPONSE. “Their language
reworking Instructor Certification Courses (ICCs),
was military, so it was a little intimidating, and
RIGHT RESPONSE® launched into 2021 with an
foreign.” Ultimately though, their goals were
abundance of agencies old and new that needed
empathy, education, and creating a safe space
certified instructors. One of the 2021 ICCs took
for their students. “The coolest thing was the
place in Elko, Nevada, where Instructor Trainer
kindness and respect,” Lynn recalled. “The
Lynn Lewis was tasked with training instructors
absolute dedication and compassion that these
for four Youth Academies, which are military
staff have, [their] respect and dignity for these
state-run high schools.
kids, and their hope for the future for them…I
Lynn expressed she was concerned that a
get goose bumps talking about these folks.”
military background might not mesh with the
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
After Lynn conducted the ICC in Elko, RIGHT RESPONSE heard from The SPECTRUM Group, an agency that helps source training for Youth Academies across the country. They sent two instructor candidates to an ICC to be supplemental trainers to other Youth Academies who did not yet have their own RIGHT RESPONSE instructors. The possibility of the government embracing RIGHT RESPONSE for their Youth Academies stemmed
426 Technical Assistance events coordinated 2,080 RIGHT RESPONSE workshops conducted
from this first ICC with the Idaho, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Nevada instructors, and later, expanded to Washington as well. RIGHT RESPONSE is eager to explore this exciting opportunity. It demonstrates the excellence and customer service ingrained in SA’s work.
18,436 RIGHT RESPONSE certificates issued
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
Exchanging Cultures: Sameera’s New Life in America Over the summer, Sameera, an Afghani refugee,
for a translator. However, upon her arrival, they
came to stay at SA’s Overnight Planned Respite
found out she instead speaks Dari. The team
Services (OPRS) program. In 2017, she and her
turned to Google Translate and YouTube to
four brothers left Afghanistan, traveling through
learn conversational Dari and communicate with
five different countries to get to the United States.
Sameera. “It introduced a whole new language
Since arriving in the US, they have spread out to
and world,” Soraya said.
different communities to pursue work and school. During the week Sameera stayed at the respite OPRS Residential Manager, Soraya Sultan-Meer,
home in Tacoma, the Direct Support Professionals
and the team had prepared for Sameera’s stay
took her out almost every day enjoying places
expecting that she would speak Farsi and arranged
like the botanical gardens and the aquarium.
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
71 overnight planned respite stays
89 clients receiving residential services
When staying at OPRS, staff members try to
“It was really a fulfillment of the American
make everyone feel at home. One staff member
dream,” Soraya mused. “They still see it as a
tried to cook Afghani food for her. “And it turns
bright future. Sameera has freedom now—she
out, she likes fries and a burger and nuggets,”
could go and do things that she could never do
Soraya laughed. The team even managed to
in Afghanistan. It made us feel like we had made
coordinate a meeting with her brothers! Sameera’s
the smallest of impacts.”
brothers are hoping one day she will live closer to them. Until then, these meetings are a special
These impacts were clear through Sameera’s
time together.
heartful joy throughout her stay.
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
Interns Making a Lasting Impact for SA Youth SA’s Kennewick office, in Eastern Washington,
The three agreed the best way to make an impact
has long been a place where SA serves foster
was to create a more welcoming space for the
children. Opal Svancara, Clinical Area Manager,
children that frequent the SA office. And by all
viewed the office as an adult space; while it
accounts, they succeeded! They redecorated two
allowed for kids, it wasn’t built for them. As part of
rooms in the office suite, completing their project
an internship program to complete their degrees
in one intense weekend. They painted the walls
in Social Work, Sharla Sloppy, Lili Valladares,
with bright colors, added hopeful quotes, and
and Elizabeth Cisneros were asked to complete
brought in new activities, crafts, and learning
a project that would create a long-lasting impact
tools. “They were on fire!” Opal remarked. “And
for SA.
they looked like they were having fun. We just appreciate them so much, and they did make a lasting impact. It will help kids for a long time.”
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
70 emergency placements for youth
498 children, youth, and families served
Once the space was complete, one child suggested having their counseling in the new playroom— that’s how comfortable they were in the space! Especially in the age of COVID restrictions, when community spaces were unavailable or uncertain, rooms specifically engineered to
24 youth moved to permanent homes 276 families received evidenced based practice services
create a safe space for the youth supported by SA felt important and impactful. Now, instead of children coming into the office while the adults do paperwork, they are visiting a positive space curated for them that provides the opportunity to craft, relax, and play.
47 licensed foster homes
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
Helping Clients Find Their Passion For the Employment Services (ES) team, navigating
Ashlee Wiley, Area Manager for Employment
ever-changing COVID protocols to help clients
Services, emphasized the importance and
find work that was safe and met their specific
success of the person-centered approach,
needs often felt like a roller coaster. The team
particularly in 2021. With so many industries
showed incredible resilience and flexibility in
experiencing staffing shortages, new doors
the face of staffing shortages. They generated
could be opened for clients. The ES team took
momentum with fresh energy brought by newly
the opportunity to deeply explore clients’ dreams
hired employees, ultimately increasing the number
and unique interests to connect them with jobs
of client job placements by 25% in 2021.
and community inclusion activities that would be meaningful to them.
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
The ES team made the most of virtual resources like YouTube and Zoom to help clients research and learn about new fields and job skills. Clients participated in activities such as fitness classes, canvas painting, beading, and many attended virtual informational interviews. Others were able to receive smartphones from community partners and learn how to use them to gain further independence. One client who loves animals was hired at a vet clinic, and SA was able to support her employment through COVID by bringing work back and forth for her so she could work from home. It is this kind of creativity and passion that defined 2021 and drove the ES team toward success!
150 clients served in employment services 221 businesses partnered with for employment services
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
Engaging Employees’ Potential Employee engagement opportunities are central
build relationships in the absence of in-person
to SA’s culture, connecting different service areas,
gatherings.
broadening perspectives, and shining a light on the work being done throughout the company.
The Rising Stars 2021 capstone projects showcased
One opportunity is Rising Stars, the emerging
amazing creativity: One Rising Star successfully
leadership training program for developing
used motivational interviewing with clients, while
leaders companywide. Each year, a cohort of
another incorporated their passion of singing and
participants is selected to attend trainings,
songwriting into their work. A third Rising Star
workshops, and networking events. Building
created an Excel document that improved the
upon feedback, program leaders incorporated
efficiency of the reimbursement process within SA’s
seasonal virtual cafés anFd monthly resiliency
foster care program. These are some examples
groups where participants could connect and
of the leadership from this program.
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
2,177 people trained by SA
46 leadership trainings provided
1,681 hours of training provided In September, National Direct Service Professional
Good Day, SA!, monthly video episodes shared
(DSP) Appreciation Week was celebrated by
companywide, also flourished this year. The purpose
recognizing the Direct Support Professionals that
of Good Day, SA! is to support each employee to
make up 75% of SA’s staff. Each leadership team
connect consistently with SA on topics that are
made their own thank you videos, acknowledging
engaging, interesting, and informative. Episodes
the enormous load DSPs have been carrying
include giving employees access to company
since the beginning of the pandemic. 75 raffle
updates from the CEO, bringing awareness to
prizes were also given out as a way of saying
the variety of services provided each day, and
thank you, and every DSP received an SA pen
an opportunity to highlight meaningful moments
and card hand-signed by the Executive Team.
for clients and staff. Good Day, SA! episodes are available on the SA YouTube channel to view at any time.
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
Client Voices Driving Positivity & Progress Established in 2018 as an opportunity for clients
to listen, validate, and give individual opinions
to advise SA as experts in recipients of services,
with respect and kindness.
the Advocate Advisory Council (AAC) has inspired growth and new policies that have had a ripple
In 2021, the AAC was defined by positivity.
effect across all of SA. “The AAC is a master
Council members have a sense of camaraderie
class on how to be in a room with a lot of ideas
and resilience that spreads to those around
and different perspectives and opinions and give
them. They truly felt like everyone was in the
respect to everyone who’s speaking,” Summer
pandemic together, not just at SA, but as larger
Simpson, an AAC facilitator explained. Council
communities, and even globally. During council
members have a deep understanding of how
meetings, members expressed how much they
2021 Service Alternatives Annual Review
104 Dialectical Behavior Therapy groups facilitated 480,000+ hours of direct support provided to all clients
are looking forward to life after the pandemic and status and to honor AAC members’ time and getting back to their normal community activities expertise, each member will receive their own safely. They shared many ideas of ways SA can business cards. celebrate when that day finally arrives. To learn more about the AAC, follow this QR While council meetings remained virtual in 2021, code for a short video. meeting coordinators maintained a personal touch by hand-delivering snack bags to AAC members before meetings so that they could still feel connected as a community. To recognize
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