Writing on the Wall: Fall/Winter 2020

ong>Writingong>
on the
Wall
Mandy & Jessica:
Building a dollhouse and
a friendship one paint
stroke at a time. Page 6
3
Something New
New provider Angie Justice shares an
insider’s look at her life with Blair & Whitney
4 8
Adam’s World Expands
Life changing new tools from Therapeutic
Consultation and the Behavior Team
Happy & Healthy
Opening new opportunities through
improved health and wellness

Director’s Corner
John Weatherspoon
This newsletter, like many of our
posts this year, focuses on some of
the amazing accomplishments people
have achieved during this challenging
time. To all who have provided
support to the individuals we serve
over this past year and helped create
these special moments, words cannot
express how appreciative we are.
There is no way to capture all the daily
moments and decisions that made a
world of difference to someone. You
are what makes this such an amazing
agency to be a part of. You are an
inspiration. Thank you.
As 2020 comes to a close, many are
starting to focus on next year. 2021
will be here soon and with it, hope for
a year providing more opportunities
to safely be together. We just need to
finish out this year committed to the
well-being of one another. A vaccine
is on the horizon. Virginia is already
making plans for distribution when
it becomes available. Exact timelines
are unknown, but first responders and
medical personnel will likely have
access to a vaccine by the end of 2020.
Those considered to be at severe risk
will reportedly be next to receive it.
We will be able to resume some of the
activities we once enjoyed at some
point in 2021. When that happens, jobs
will start to come back in struggling
sectors and we will see our friends and
neighbors out in public again. It is in
sight. As everyone makes plans for
this holiday season, I encourage us all
to keep safety and the well-being of
others in the front of our minds.
I look forward to seeing all of you in
person at some point in 2021!
Employee Ownership Goal Achieved
Wall Residences celebrated a long
planned-for milestone on October 2,
2020. We became a 100% employee-owned
company! This is a goal
Jack and Kamala have been working
on for over a decade. As Jack shared
in the Spring 2009 newsletter, “The
quality of work done by the
Wall Residences agency has not
been an accident. Years of effort
by many workers has gone into
making these unique services
possible. So how do we plan
to make sure the work done to
date will carry on through the
generations? (The) solution is
to gradually turn the majority of
the ownership and operation of the
company over to our employees.”
Along with gradual transfers of funds
into the Employee Stock Ownership
Plan (ESOP) account, the ten+ years
of building to this moment included
leadership, ethical practices, and
management training to ensure a
company culture and employee
knowledge base ready to succeed as
an ESOP.
According to the nonprofit National
Center for Employee Ownership
(NCEO), “Extensive research has
“
Extensive research has shown that
employee ownership companies
outperform non-employee ownership
companies by a wide margin.
shown that employee ownership
companies outperform non-employee
ownership companies by a wide margin.
They have been found to grow
about 2.5% per year faster in sales,
employment, and productivity than
would otherwise have been expected,
provide 2.2 times the total retirement
assets as non-ESOP companies, and
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provide dramatically greater job
stability.” To our knowledge, Wall
Residences is the only agency offering
this benefit in Virginia, and there are
fewer than 7,000 ESOP companies in
the entire country in all industries.
The ESOP is intended to provide
additional retirement benefits at no
cost to full-time employees after
a year of service. We are excited
about providing this benefit to our
employee-owners, who become
fully vested in the program after
six years of service. The ESOP
provides the most benefit to each
employee when we work together to
ensure the best care of the individuals
we support, mindful use of company
resources, and proper completion of
regulatory requirements. As Jack said
in 2009, “The goal is clear: to sustain a
tradition of successful, quality services
long into the future for our clients, our
providers, and our employees.”

Left: (l-r) Angie,
Whitney, and Blair
in their home
Below: Whitney
and Cocoa
25
Years
1995: Wall Residences
is first licensed on
December 21, 1995.
One individual is supported
in the home of Jack Wall
and Kamala Bauers.
1997: Services expand to Lynchburg.
1998: First provider meeting held
at Peaks of Otter Lodge.
2000: Services expand to Staunton.
and Southwestern Virginia region.
2002: Services expand to Roanoke.
First day support license received.
Something New
Angie Justice’s house is a place where
the goal is to make each day unique.
“I try to change it up, give new opportunities
for learning and growth. I plan
lots of educational activities with community
integration. I strive to stimulate
and challenge the women I provide for
by exploring new experiences.” One
of those new experiences is the newest
member of the household... a puppy
named Cocoa. Cocoa came to live with
residents Blair and Whitney, and provider
Angie, just a few weeks ago, but
has already brought lots of happiness.
“I like to play with her,” notes Blair,
but Cocoa can most often be found on
Whitney’s lap.
This happy group is a relatively new
household. Angie Justice joined Wall
Residences as a provider in June 2019
after 30 years working with adults who
have intellectual disabilities as a direct
support provider. She is a licensed
pharmacy technician with hospital ICU
and CCU department experience. Blair
notes that Angie is a good provider and
says, “We love her.”
The women fill their days with a huge
range of activities, from historical
museum tours to archaeological digs,
interactive theater to horse races, and
bike rides to cookouts. Two regular
staples for this set who love new
adventures
are the drum
circle and
weekly art
classes.
Blair shares
that she enjoys drawing comic book
characters. One favorite creation
is “Scarecrow.” She lights up even
more when the subject of the drum
circle comes up. “I like the sound,”
she says. A recent accomplishment is
purchasing her own drum, which just
arrived from Amazon.
Just as Angie supports Whitney and
Blair as they try new things, Wall
Residences supports her in her new
role as a provider. “In the beginning,
I had many questions but with the
support of Wall Residences along
with my Program Manager, they were
there for me 100% of the time.” Now,
like the ladies she supports, Angie is
soaring, finding activities that allow
them all to stay safe with social
distancing and face coverings, while
still enjoying things like gardening,
fishing, and yoga. Angie summed
up their life together: “We experience
genuine happiness, great friendship,
exploring fun places together, and
are guaranteed to have days with
countless laughs.”
~Angie Covington
2003: Services expand to Danville.
Over 50 individuals total supported.
First Parent–Provider service begins.
2004: Services expand to Winchester.
2005: Services expand to Richmond.
2006: Services expand to Charlottesville.
2007: Services expand to Fredericksburg
and Northern Virginia region.
Main office opens.
2008: First funds deposited in the ESOP.
2009: Services expand to Hampton and
Newport News.
2010: Community Provider of the Year for
ARC of the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Offices open in Madison Heights and
Galax.
2011: Begin offering sponsored residential
services for children (under 21).
Becky Combs and provider Bayley Alphin
win ARC of New River Valley’s
Renee S. Brown Award.
2012: 51% employee owned.
2013: Executive Director John
Weatherspoon joins the leadership team.
New logo introduced.
2015: Deerfield Home opens –
Lynchburg area (medical shift based
group home).
2016: Behavioral Services added.
WRAP Community Engagement /
Community Coaching services added.
2017: Over 500 individuals supported.
Nursing team added.
2018: Sunfields Home opens – SWVA
(medical shift based group home).
11 office locations across Virginia.
2020: Culpeper office opens.
100% employee owned.
Over 600 individuals supported.
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Your Turn
Did you know that Wall
Residences has a full-time
Behavior Team that serves every
region of the state?
Our highly qualified team
includes Board Certified Behavior
Analysts, Positive Behavior Support
Facilitators, and Licensed
Professional Counselors who
are ready to support you to end
behaviors that stand in the way
of achieving your goals.
When something is difficult,
it may cause frustration.
Therapeutic Consultation can
support many growth areas:
Functional Communication
Task Learning Skills
Personal/Self-Care Skills
Community Living Skills
Self-Direction Skills
Home Living Skills
Employment Skills
Health/Safety Skills
Social Skills
Self-Regulation Skills
Adam’s World Expands
Adam is a thoughtful, caring, humorous,
fun-loving 32-year-old who lives
with his sister, Cindy. Adam’s sister
has been his sole provider since his
parents died, with support from two
very special family friends. He loves
sarcasm, cookies of any kind, coffee,
puzzles, board games, and to be close
to his sister.
Prior to Therapeutic Consultation
Services, Adam communicated with
others by physically moving them or
bringing things to them. He might
lead someone by pulling them where
he wished them to go or bring a mug
to indicate he wanted coffee. Cindy
does not recall Adam ever learning an
alternative form of communication
and noted this has always been how
he communicates. Therapeutic Consultation
identified a goal of functional
communication. During summer
2020, Adam’s team taught him the
Picture Exchange Communication
System (PECS) giving him new ways
of interacting with his family and
friends. Adam quickly learned that
these pictures have value and serve as
his words… making it easier for him
to have his needs and wants met, and
to express himself to his loved ones.
Adam has also struggled with leaving
his home, staying very close to
home for the last 17 years. Adam’s
behavioral support and in-home
support teams have worked together
on shaping this behavior. He has
achieved great success, walking further
into his yard and driveway. He’ll
retrieve mailed packages delivered to
his home. Every Monday morning,
he now walks down the front stairs
and into his driveway to retrieve his
favorite vanilla latte, delivered by a
family friend.
Recently, he has begun participating
in activities in his backyard for longer
durations of time. He spent 45 minutes
in the backyard one afternoon,
enjoying Connect 4 and working on
puzzles. Adam’s new confidence, and
the support of his team, even allowed
him to participate in a small birthday
party in his backyard over the
summer. This is huge progress and
Adam’s ear-to-ear smile lets his team
know how happy he is with these big
goals he is achieving!
If you would like more
information about Therapeutic
Consultation, please e-mail
behavioralteam@
wallresidences.com
or complete the referral form
located on our website.
www.wallresidences.com
Adam has learned
to use the picture exchange
communication system
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The resiliency Adam has shown while
overcoming his fear of going outside,
as well as learning a means of functional
communication are impressive.
The sky is his limit and he sure is
reaching for the stars! We are very
proud of the progress
Adam has made
recently and look
forward to where his
future takes him!
~Patience Holden,
Erin Gurgainous,
& Meredith Kapalka

All Four Badges Earned
Wall Residences qualified for all the
Department of Behavioral Health and
Developmental Services (DBHDS)
assigned Provider Badging Designations.
We have worked to ensure
our agency represents supports to all
advanced areas such as Accessibility,
Autism, Behavioral Supports, and
Complex Health Supports.
Accessibility: Wall Residences is recognized
with expertise
to offer services in
settings that accommodate
people with
physical disabilities.
We have submitted
evidence to verify that
the following features
are present in at least
one service location:
a physical setting that
can accommodate the
use of a wheelchair, an accessible
and sheltered entrance, and access to
accessible transportation. We currently
are the only agency in the state that
has qualified for this badge within the
provider community.
Autism: Wall Residences is recognized
with expertise to offer services
to people with autism. We have
submitted evidence to verify that the
following features are present in at
least one service location: the use of
evidence-based practices, access to a
qualified behavioral interventionist,
and a systematic approach to for skill
development.
Behavioral Supports: Wall Residences
is recognized with expertise
to offer services to people who have
complex behavioral support needs.
We have submitted evidence to verify
that the following features are present
in at least one service location: access
to a qualified behavioral interventionist,
support planning that aligns
with behavioral needs, and consistent
methods of measuring the effectiveness
of the supports provided.
Complex Health Supports: Wall
Residences is recognized with expertise
to offer services to people who
have complex health support needs.
We have submitted
evidence to verify that
the following features
are present in at least
one service location:
access to a registered
nurse who is able to
provide delegation
and oversight, designing
adaptations to
the setting or the use
of specialized equipment,
and the use of health protocols
to support safety and wellness.
The mission and purpose of Wall
Residences is to provide high quality
community services to persons who
have a primary diagnosis of a developmental
disability and/or a long-term
mental illness. The service is provided
in home and community-based environments
and is designed to provide
a high degree of individual attention,
emotional support, and opportunity
for self-expression and individualized
routine. We strive to offer on-going
training and support to Direct Support
Professionals to ensure quality person-centered
supports are provided to
all within our services. Our goal is to
encourage the total health and well-being
of each person, both the individual
who receives support and the worker,
through a holistic approach to services.
~Deanna Rennon
Training
Great News: The new online
training calendar is now live!
You can find it by visiting
www.wallresidences.com and
clicking the Training Calendar link
at the top of the homepage. The
calendar has some helpful tools:
Quickly find the needed event:
You can now filter the calendar by
training event type (Medication
Training, TOVA, CPR/First Aid,
etc.) or by the region where the
training will be held.
Easily check your status:
If you’re not sure if you’ve registered
for a training, you can now
check your registration status.
Find out who else will attend:
You can see a roster of who has
registered for the training already.
Plans changed? No problem:
If you’ve already registered for a
training, you now have the ability
to unregister yourself.
Most trainings continue to be
offered in an online format for
COVID-prevention. You can see
specifics of what is being offered
at any time by visiting the training
calendar on the website. We
encourage you to check it out.
Excellent customer service
remains our top priority and the
training team is hard at work
ensuring the availability of
trainings across the state.
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Left: Mandy (left) and Jessica (right) work on
a base for the dollhouse.
Below: The dollhouse kitchen.
Build It Just Right
The first thing you notice when you
walk into the Riffey home is the abundance
of laughter. The second thing is
how impeccably decorated it is, with
a large open kitchen the clear central
hub. This keen eye for decorating
now extends to a miniature scale, with
a new project of constructing, furnishing,
and accessorizing a dollhouse.
Diligently painting the dollhouse’s
base nearby are the lead designers:
Mandy and Jessica. Mandy’s eyes
sparkle as the project’s genesis is
explained. Mandy and providers Sam
and Rachael Riffey love to go to the
beach. Last winter, they began discussing
buying a beach house... an
idea Mandy loved. When COVID restricted
travel, they were looking for a
fun project at home and found a beach
style dollhouse kit. Then Sam happened
upon an even larger farmhouse
style dollhouse. Mandy decided they
should begin with the farmhouse and
all agreed to paint it in a rustic style.
Projects are always better shared with
a friend, so Mandy was quick to invite
Jessica to join in. “It is a fun new
craft project!” exclaims Jessica.
Mandy and Jessica were introduced
by their providers when Jessica came
to live with new Wall Residences provider
Catina Clark about a year ago.
The young women quickly became
fast friends, to the delight of Rachael
and Catina, who have been best
friends for decades. Visiting with the
four women, affection flows continually
in every direction between them.
Dance parties and relaxing at the pool
are lifted up as favorite ways to spend
time together. It is clear they create
fun wherever they go. For now, assembling
their miniature masterpiece
takes center stage.
The hardest part of working on the
dollhouse is the patience it requires,
with waiting for the glue to dry noted
as the most frustrating part. The fun
parts more than make up for the
need to wait though. When asked
her favorite part, Mandy was quick
to answer, “chairs and decorating!”
In fact, Mandy loves decorating and
frequently updates the look of her
bedroom. With the dollhouse project,
she now gets to use those skills on
many rooms!
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On a miniature scale as in real life,
details make the design and the
dollhouse is filled with them! Shiplap
ceilings, a newspaper on the front
porch, and one especially meaningful
detail: the hen in a nest atop the
refrigerator. Before COVID, Mandy
spent hours helping a friend who runs
auctions sort through estates. Her favorite
was a particular style of vintage
candy dishes called “hens in a nest.”
The foursome got a windfall when the
estate of someone who built dollhouses
arrived with lots of miniatures to
explore... including a dollhouse sized
hen in a nest! Once complete, expect
Jessica to be the one to take lots of
pictures of the final product. She
loves her camera and even has an app
that turns her pictures into electronic
puzzles she can spend hours solving.
Their rustic charm dollhouse might
not be done, but they are delighted
with the result so far. Mandy noted,
“The dollhouse looks pretty!” As they
build it, it is clear they are simultaneously
creating something even more
precious: memories and friendship.
Jessica sums it up perfectly when
asked the best part of working on the
dollhouse, saying it is “fun to be with
Mandy!” Mandy agrees and exclaims,
“That’s all!”
~Angie Covington

Meet the Nursing Team
Wall Residences has assured the
health and safety of the people we
serve by including nurses on our
clinical teams. Our team has been in
development since early 2019 and has
grown to cover the state. Available
nursing duties now support every
aspect of team functioning throughout
all services.
Our nurses have diverse experience,
with backgrounds in long-term care,
quality assurance, health and human
services management, mental health
RN Care Managers carry specific
caseloads for providing Skilled Nursing
services under Medicaid Waiver,
which is provided for those individuals
with complex care needs and who
can benefit from RN domain duties
such as assessment, training/teaching,
consultation, and medication, and
documentation review and development.
The RN Skilled Nurse will
also provide supervision to any LPN
working in the home under skilled
nursing or private duty nursing.
The Wall Residences nursing team
provides nurse delegated training for
medical care tasks normally provided
by a nurse, to include g-tube care,
RNs have diligently worked with the
care team staff to develop protocols
for medical management which are
founded in standards of care practice
and meet individualized needs. The
team has introduced templates for
primary conditions, and which are
approved by the Office of Integrated
Health at DBHDS. Our RN staff have
improved how medical documents are
used and understood, have improved
health risk factors through clarification
of over-the-counter orders, and
have developed health care policies
Kevyn Burn, RN
Lead RN Care Manager
Also Covers Eastern and
Northern Regions
Dana Pflieger, RN
Central Virginia
Region
Kim Ridpath, RN
Southwestern Virginia
Region
Nicole Dow, RN
Central Virginia WR
Group Homes
Brittany Hash, RN
Southwest Virginia WR
Group Homes
care, care of people with brain disorders,
geriatrics, rehabilitation, acute
care, emergency care, and hospice
care. We are well-prepared to meet
the wide variety of individual care
needs and provide comprehensive assessment
of supports. RN staff covers
each region under Registered Nurse
Care Management (RNCM) and within
our agency operated group homes
in management and supervision. We
also have LPN nursing staff in group
homes for direct care nursing tasks
and collaboration with the RN.
medication management, ostomy
care, advanced respiratory care, and
more. The training provided is under
the Board of Nursing, Board of Pharmacy,
and Department of Behavioral
Health and Developmental services
regulations. RNCM may also provide
specific small group trainings for the
homes to meet individual needs and
care.
In the role of RN Care Manager, our
nurses are a resource for medical
management and collaborate with
providers, AR/guardians, Regional
Coordinators, and Quality Assurance
Team members, as well as with
support coordinators or medical
providers in the community. The
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to support optimum care, such as for
those who are in hospice care. We are
currently working on mitigating risks
associated with fall prevention.
The RN staff are involved with
admissions to all levels of service,
assuring training is in place and medical
conditions are fully supported.
RNCM also may assist with hospitalizations
through advocacy and
discharge planning. Our RN team is
involved at the regional or State level,
through attendance and leadership in
the DBHDS/OIH Nursing meetings
which occur monthly with continuing
education.
~Kevyn Burn

Healthy & Happy
Mannix came to live with provider
Christie Eubank in March of 2020,
after a lifetime of struggling with his
weight. At the time, he weighed 243
pounds and relied on continuous oxygen.
He had severe sleep apnea, high
blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Soon after, Mannix had his annual
physical and it was suggested he work
on a healthy lifestyle plan. He began
by learning to make healthy meal
choices and walking daily. These
efforts paid off as the pounds began
to melt away. He now loves eating
salads with carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes,
and ranch dressing. Chicken
salad is another new favorite.
Today, Mannix weighs 165 pounds
and his health has changed drastically
for the better. “I have lots more
energy!” Not only does he feel better,
the statics prove his progress. He no
longer needs oxygen, and his blood
pressure and cholesterol are within
normal limits. Mannix shares, “It was
hard but it’s worth it.”
Positive health changes have brought
a new look for Mannix too. He’s
excited to show off his very first pair
of blue jeans and loves the ability to
dress nicely in jeans and polos. One
particularly special article of clothing
was a bathing suit. Mannix had never
owned one and wanted one badly.
Christie bought a pair of trunks that
he used as inspiration. By the time
they opened the backyard pool in
May, the inspiration swim trunks had
to be replaced... they were too big for
Mannix! New trunks
were acquired and Mannix
got to enjoy another
first: a dip in the pool.
Mannix’s healthy transformation!
The pair shared there
were many things
Mannix was never
given the chance to do
before coming to Wall
Residences. “I felt like
a prisoner before and no one cared
about me,” Mannix confides. With his
health improved, Mannix is taking
on new challenges. He loves riding
the lawn mower, an activity denied
to him since childhood. His next big
goal is learning to swim: giving those
longed for swim trunks a good workout!
“I’m eating a whole lot better. I
got all new clothes,” Mannix said. Of
course, good health is its own reward
too. “I feel happy and love the way I
look. I’m breathing a whole lot better.
I feel stronger and I get to do a lot
more activities.”
~Angie Covington
Know Someone Who Could Benefit from Our Services?
The Wall Residences Admissions team has staff in all parts of the state to respond to your referral needs and
answer questions about the services we offer. We work quickly to find the right match for longterm success
while striving for the quickest placement in services possible. The Admissions Team is here to serve you.
www.wallresidences.com
Alex Jackson
Admissions
Director
(434) 610-7578
Emily Eagle
Central Virginia, Danville,
Charlottesville, Staunton/
Waynesboro/Lexington
(434) 907-5067
Ashea Green
Northern
Region
(202) 760-6411
Brooke Keen
Roanoke, NRV,
SWVA
(540) 250-8482
Lisa Schalasny
Northern &
Eastern Regions
(804) 380-4309
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