What It Takes To Be Happy as a Residential Support Staff for the Developmentally Disabled Community...

Being a Support Staff for the Developmentally Disabled community can be a fantastic way of life - but it can also be very challenging. In the residential environment, this job involves a deep level of care, a care so internal that the pay and the hours can be shrugged off - but how?

It seems that depression and eroding personal health are elements that surface all too often for the soldiers serving "in the trenches", as I like to call it. The main struggles we face in this field: loneliness, maintaining a personal life outside of work, and low pay are all REAL.

How do we create balance in our minds? How do we find harmony in this field for our personal self? To my sisters & brothers working in the Residential field, let me tell you that it IS possible...

Tip #1 - Remember that you are adding worthwhile and substantive depth to your inner self!

Working in such close quarters with the Developmentally Disabled Community, as a Residential Support Staff, side-by-side, sometimes it seems everywhere you go (especially as a live-in!), you begin to learn a very valuable lesson, a lesson that is priceless, and only REAL (I love that word) submersion and human connections can provide it.

The "Human Library", a place found in Copenhagen, Denmark, has a slogan that always resonates with me...

Learning who people really are...not what they seem or appear to be, learning NOT to judge others based on outwardly appearance, behaviors, whether due to some type of neurological difference like Autism, skin color, gender, sexual orientation....you name it. No one can buy this mantra, and it is definitely part of the bigger paycheck of working in this field.

Tip #2 - Keep in mind that caring for others is something to be proud of!

Caring for others is DEFINITELY something to be proud of! Wear this as a quiet badge of honor wherever you go in your life. Although it's easy to say all the reasons why this job is unappealing to many, it's not as easy to understand the greater reward.

At the end of the road lurks a unique satisfaction for you, remembering that while you were here, you fought the good fight. Your record as a caring and supportive Residential Support Staff for the Developmentally Disabled Community proves that money or greed is not what motivates you -and that is certainly something to cherish without regret.

"Some of us are aware that it's good for us to care." – Marvin Gaye

Tip #3 - Remember to take care of yourself!

This is one of the most important elements of this lifestyle. It is easy to get run down. Working hours that don't mesh with most of your friends and family, having to reschedule holidays you don't get off, overnights and stress weighing on you, and sometimes hardly anyone to have deep conversations with because the person(s) you serve happen to be non-verbal, for example. Depression can take hold of you in this world, and the pay is usually not commensurate with the work.

Paul White, a renown member and leader of Madison's Developmentally Disabled Community for many years, who unfortunately passed away unexpectedly, in his infinite wisdom, taught me, and many others in the field that taking care of yourself IS A PRIORITY. Essentially, if you're not feeling right, if you yourself are in need of care, how can you care for others?

Remember those words between shifts when you're thinking about eating junk food because you're too tired to cook. Remember those words when you wake up in the morning - and maintain your personal health. Get regular physicals. Consider keeping a watch on diet and exercise, how much quality sleep you're getting - all great ways to counteract the trials we face.

You've Got This.

Questions? Feel free to email me at jeff.rumbaugh@thetranslation-bc.com. Thanks for tuning in and stay REAL!! Jeff 🫶🏼

"Sometimes all it takes is a good translator."