Writing on the Wall: Spring/summer 2024

Spring/Summer 2024
Wall
<strong>Writing</strong>
Wall
on the
For a Smile from Jonathan
One Family’s Journey of Love & Support
3
4 6
Renaissance Man
From poetry writing to fly fishing
Jonathan’s interests are vast
Time to Thrive
2024 Provider Conference enhances
our Provider’s business toolboxes
A Decade Together
Michael and Wendy celebrate ten years
of wishes honored and positive relationships

President’s Corner
John Weatherspoon
As we embrace the spirit of this transitional
time of year from spring into
summer, we have much to celebrate
and reflect upon. The past month has
been eventful, marked by significant
milestones and accomplishments. We
hosted contracted provider conferences,
celebrated Nurses Week, and
witnessed the General Assembly’s
special session to finalize the budget.
Notably, we secured increases for DD
Waiver services and enough waiver
slots to serve everyone on the Priority
One waiting list.
In this newsletter, you will discover
inspiring stories of lifelong relationships
and partnerships. You’ll
also read about our two contracted
provider conferences, both of which
achieved record attendance for our
agency. We took this opportunity to
honor our contracted residential partners
who have been with us for 5, 10,
15, 20, and 25 years!
Nurses Week was another highlight,
with many expressions of gratitude
and appreciation for our dedicated
nursing staff showcased on social media.
This newsletter features an article
dedicated to invaluable contributions
of our Wall nurses. Their daily dedication
and the quality of care elevate
our agency’s standards and services.
We cannot thank them enough for
their unwavering commitment.
The legislative session concluded
successfully, despite a brief interruption
necessitating a special session.
The General Assembly and Governor
reached a budget agreement, approving
3,440 Priority One slots, including
344 Community Living Slots, with
the remainder allocated to Family and
Individual Supports. These slots will
be distributed quarterly over the next
two years.
Although the budget did not fully
meet our initial requests, we achieved
a 3% increase effective July 1, 2024,
with an additional 3% increase scheduled
for July 1, 2025. This is a significant
improvement from last year
when DD Services did not receive
any increase. However, the pressing
question remains: Can we build the
services necessary to accommodate
the influx of individuals entering the
system within such a short timeframe?
From Support Coordination to Private
Agencies, it is evident that we currently
lack the people power required.
Wall is uniquely positioned to address
this need as a statewide agency with
hundreds of contracted partners and
employee-owners who are deeply
committed to the individuals we serve
and to one another. Ensuring the
well-being of our co-workers leads to
higher quality services. We recognize
this and are prepared to welcome new
co-workers and partners who will
help us meet the growing demands
placed upon Wall.
Valued Lives, Meaningful Living!
Guardianship Funds Available
Wall Opportunities and Wishes, or
WOW as it is more commonly known,
is a nonprofit that exists to provide
another level of support outside the
agency services. WOW aims to meet
the needs of Virginians with developmental
disabilities and/or mental
health conditions that cannot be met
in any other way. In the past, we have
assisted with purchase of needed medical
equipment, beds, phones, travel
expenses, and more that the individual
could not afford on their own.
WOW was awarded a grant from
the Greater Lynchburg Community
Foundation to offer financial assistance
to adults for guardianship
proceedings. Though WOW cannot
fully fund any one person’s attorney
and court costs, the hope is to provide
some funds to multiple people
in need. These funds are not limited
to Wall Residences clientele. If you
or someone you know need financial
support with guardianship proceedings,
please let us know.
2
You can reach us by emailing
wownonprofit@gmail.com or calling
(434) 660-0958.
WOW is also seeking board members.
Self-advocates and folks not
affiliated with Wall Residences are
preferred. Meetings and communication
are occasional and virtual. Contact
us if you or someone you know
are interested in this networking and
service opportunity.
~Rebecca Ledingham

Renaissance Man
Jonathan is a man of many talents and
interests. He writes poetry. He fishes.
He enjoys watching baseball and
playing softball. As the many trophies
in his room attest, he’s a fantastic
bowler. A guitar laying on his bed
provides another clue to his talents, as
do the fly tying supplies atop his desk.
Supporting this busy renaissance man
are Parent Providers Laura and Paul.
Paul says,“We found out about Wall
and it has transformed everything.
There were things we wanted to do
for him... couldn’t do for him... a lot
of the time it was ‘no no no.’ Now
most of the time it’s ‘yes.’ It’s really
helped.” The support the family has
received from partnering with Wall
has expanded Jonathan’s life and
impacted the family in unexpected
ways. “The other thing we didn’t
know would have such an impact is
learning more. Moving from being a
parent to understanding more beyond
that with taking care of someone...
we’ve learned a ton. It was an unexpected
blessing.” Paul is quick to give
credit where its due. “Of course, my
wife Laura - Jonathan’s mom - she is
the key to all our success. She really
holds us all together and makes everything
happen.”
That “everything” includes a seaonal
bowling league where Jonathan has
proved to be a superstar. He won the
Male Highest Handicap Award this
past season and is a multi-season Turkeys
winner. A turkey is achieved by
bowling three strikes in a row. Jonathan’s
record is seven at once and his
season included an eye-popping 40
turkeys total! The biggest win though
was learning lessons about teamwork
and making a good friend, who he
still spends time with post-season.
While he enjoys multiple
sports, Jonathan’s greatest
love is fishing. The family
lives just down the road
from a lake, making for
a convenient nearly daily
destination. It’s not just
reeling them in, for Jonathan’s
fishing passion
begins at home where he
meticiously ties beautiful
flies to use with his favorite
rods.
Like all renaissance men,
his interests are diverse.
Outiside of sports, he
enjoys strumming chords
on his guitar, playing video
games, and he writes poetry
and prose in a leather
bound notebook. He’s also
a music fan, with heavy
metal as a favorite. He
shares that music often
inspires his writing.
Jonthan loves being an uncle to his
two nieces and one nephew. He says
his sisters watched out for him. “They
always defended me in high school.”
Now it is Jonathan’s turn to be the
protective one for the littles in his
family. He shares that one young niece
doesn’t understand she could hurt
herself sticking fingers into the floor
vent, so “I watch her, I keep her safe.”
His relationship with his parents is a
positive one too. Jonathan loves living
at home with Laura and Paul, sharing,
“When I come down from my room,
I’m excited to talk to them.”
The family only found out about
Sponsored Residential and the possibility
of being parent providers a few
years ago. Paul says the impact on
Jonathan with his bowling trophy.
their family has been “huge.” Now he
shares the difference being a parent
provider makes. He’s met many at
Jonathan’s bowling league, which
includes ten lanes of bowlers every
week during the school year. Based
on conversations with other parents
while Jonathan bowled and a clear
sense many had never heard about
Sponsored Residential and could
use a network of fellow parents, he
created a parent support group that
will begin meeting this month while
the league is on their summer break.
Community and connection matter.
Sharing resources and sources of
support makes a difference. “Even
if nothing big happens with it (the
group), we can talk and feel like it’s
not just me. I’m not alone.”
~Angie Covington
3

For a Thriving Future
Wall Residences Providers and staff
gathered at the Westin Richmond on
April 23rd and at the Hotel Roanoke
on May 1st for learning and networking
at the 2024 Provider Conference.
The event, called Thrive: Enhancing
Your Business Toolbox, focused on
the business of being a Sponsored
Residential Provider. For the first
time, it was presented as two days of
identical content, allowing Providers
to choose the location and date most
convenient for them. The turnout was
our biggest ever: 168 people attended
the Richmond event and 271 attended
the Roanoke event!
CPA David Didawick shared critical
insights to help Providers navigate
their unique type of income, with
advice on tax implications, retirement
planning, and more. Sessions were
designed to encourage interaction,
tapping into the vast knowledge the
room held at each event. Providers
rose to the occasion, with thoughtful
questions and the willingness to share
experience and advice when they had
the answer needed. Founder Jack Wall
joined David Didawick in answering
questions and sharing from his wealth
of knowledge about our industry and
smart business practices.
CEO John Weatherspoon shared news
about an exciting new benefit: the
Wall Residences Assistance Program
for Contracted Providers. Wall Providers
and their household will have
access to four free, completely confidential
therapy sessions per person
per year through Carilion.
The agenda also included an update
on Credible from IT Director Connie
Littles, state updates from Operations
Officers Deanna Rennon and Amanda
Craig, and agency insights by CEO
John Weatherspoon and Founder/
Board Chair Jack Wall.
Good food and time for conversation
and networking was key to the
conference as well, giving space for
making valuable connections with
others who do the same work and
understand this lifestyle’s rewards
and challenges. The day closed with
recognition of the many incredible
Providers celebrating milestone anniversaries
with Wall Residences. It was
truly inspiring to see the number of
people celebrating 5, 10, 15, 20, and
even 25 years of making a difference!
4

Provider
Conference
2024
www.wallresidences.com
5

A Decade
Together
For Michael and Provider Wendy
Saunders, the bedrock of their decade
together comes down to a very simple
concept. Wendy remembers, “When
Michael first visited, I asked her what
was important to her. She was clear:
she wanted to be treated as an adult.”
From the start, Wendy honored that
wish and the two have happily shared
a home since.
Michael moved in when Wendy’s
only child was a high school senior,
but for most of their time together, it
has been just the two of them. Michael
is adamant; she is not interested
in another housemate! While it is just
the pair of them at home, family is
important to both and their life includes
lots of time with their families.
Michael is close with her parents,
who she speaks with daily, and with
her sister, Evan, whose visits always
lead to fun activities and joy. They
also spend a lot of time with Wendy’s
family who live nearby. Michael is
close to Wendy’s daughter and son-inlaw,
as well as Wendy’s siblings and
their families.
Michael is thoughtful
and kind, with an incredible
memory for birthdays.
Wendy notes, “For
everyone she knows, she
will ask their birthday,
record it on her calendar,
and make sure they
get a gift.” Her sharp
mind also reveals itself
in doing a daily word
search and “entertaining myself with
homework.” Homework can be reading
a magazine, coloring, deciphering
hidden pictures, or doing worksheets
provided by Wendy’s daughter, who
is a teacher.
Michael loves to stay busy and
attends a day program where she
spends time with friends, volunteers
with meals on wheels, helps run recycling
efforts, and particularly likes
Fridays. “Fridays... it’s called individual’s
choice... I can take money
and buy stuff if I want.” Shopping, it
turns out, is not just something fun
at day support on Fridays but also a
mutual hobby. “What do you and me
Michael and Provider Wendy Saunders
have that’s so much... we don’t need
any more?” Wendy asks Michael with
a rueful smile. “Shoes!” responds
Michael and the two discuss the fun
of shopping for shoes and clothes at
Target, Rack Room, and beyond.
Wendy is grateful for Michael’s
presence in her life, saying Michael
keeps her accountable and reminds
her to stop and enjoy the simple joys
that make up a fulfilled life. “It’s easy
to take things for granted. The small
things make her the happiest. We forget
that sometimes. Seeing her enjoying
things... it makes me appreciate
everything so much more.”
~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.
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
Heather Sowers
Roanoke, NRV,
SWVA
(276) 229-8673
Lisa Schalasny
Eastern
Region
(804) 380-4309

The Love of Family
Jonathan is one of six brothers in a
close-knit family that rallies around
him to provide support and inclusion.
His brothers play an important role
in Jonathan’s life. Parent Providers
Donna and Nick share they are blessed
not only by all their children’s
relationships with each other, but also
by the warm, loving women their five
oldest sons chose to marry.
As the youngest in a highly affectionate,
active, faith-centered household
that has fun being together, Jonathan
thrives on activity. “He grew up with
a lot of noise and hubub of six brothers!”
laughs Donna. The family has
always been very musical and several
work as professional musicians.
Largely non-verbal, Jonathan responds
particularly to music. Nick notes that
Jonathan will listen intently, especially
to “pieces with a purposefully bombastic
sound!” He also will join Nick
on the piano, playing an echo to the
notes sounded. “When music plays,”
Nick says, “He lights up.”
Jonathan is drawn to bright colors
and patterns. When they moved to
their current home, Donna and Nick
wanted Jonathan’s room done first to
give him a place to feel comfortable
quickly amid the changes. They wanted
colorful art but had safety concerns
it could be pulled off the wall by accident.
Artistic daughter-in-law Lexi
helped create safe, compelling art by
taping off and painting bright squares
of color and pattern on the walls.
“Jonathan will lie in bed and look at
the colors and smile,” shares Donna.
Things with a sensory component also
bring him pleasure including water,
texture, and touch.
he visits. They also all coordinated
a visit home together for a week to
allow Donna and Nick a European
vacation. “It meant a lot to us,” says
Donna. While most of the brothers
live a few states away, Matthew and
his wife Mya have moved to the area
so they can become back up workers,
supporting him on an almost daily basis.
“Wall made that possible,” states
Nick. Indeed, a desire to have more
help and the ability to compensate
back up workers with a good wage is
what led Donna and Nick to become
Parent Providers.
As the family expands to the next
generation, new parents Stephen and
Amanda wrote a children’s book for
their young son. “They didn’t want
him to be afraid because sometimes
Jonathan makes noises,” Donna explains.
Through tears, she adds, “It’s
just a picture of how much they love
their brother - all of them.” The book
came in handy as the section about
Jonathan “clearing the area when he
needs his space” was read to the three
year old on a recent visit when Jonathan
made clear he did not want to
be touched at the moment and helped
remind the little one to respect that.
While they are seasoned parents, Donna
and Nick are only a few months
into the journey of being Parent
Providers. They have already seen a
difference. “One of the biggest things
with the agency being person-centered
is offering choices,” notes Donna.
“When it is your own child, you feel
like you know what they want and yet
providing these choices has caused
him to communicate more. It’s been a
very enriching experience for him to
have these new choices... so I appreciate
that Wall nudged me in that direction.”
Nick adds, “The people we met
- it’s a community we’ve gained.”
The couple feel strongly that Jonathan’s
presence in their lives is a
blessing. While admitting there are
hard moments and hard days, Donna
says of her youngest son, “Beautiful
joy, beautiful love - when you have
those moments, it makes it all worth
it. What more could I want than a
smile from Jonathan.”
~Angie Covington
All the brothers make sure Jonathan is
safe, comfortable, and welcome when
Nicholas, Daniel, Matthew, Stephen, Jonathan, and Michael at a family wedding.
7

Nurses Make Us All Better
Wall Residences has shown a unique
commitment to the health and safety
of the individuals in our care by
employing Registered Nurse Care
Managers (RNCMs) in each region
and in the group homes operated by
Wall Residences, as well as RN Trainers
throughout the State. Registered
Nurses have been part of the Wall
team since 2018. An early focus on
select skilled nursing cases quickly
expanded to a fuller presence providing
medical insight and expertise.
Today, the RNCM team supports
program management, Providers,
and DSPs to enhance the care level
individuals receive and be sure
clincal needs are fully met. They are
active across the agency and state,
interacting with Admissions, Quality
Assurance, Compliance, the many
community-based day programs, and
more. The work of our nurses ensures
medical orders are clear per regulations
and licensing requirements,
medical documentation is pertinent to
the person, and paperwork is properly
completed. They ensure we can
serve a person at admission, training
staff members in required skill competencies
such as g-tube or transfer
training. Templates they developed
ensure all standards of care are met
and provide a framework to address
individual needs.
Perhaps the most visible area of
their positive influence is Training.
Wall nurses participate in regional
DBHDS/OIH nursing meetings and
receive training on OIH health and
safety alerts as well as other advanced
learning subjects. They bring this back
to the agency and develop systems,
training, and support, continually
innovating with new protocols to meet
identified needs and promote good
health. Nurses lead training for staff
and Providers, furthering knowledge
and preventing harm. The influence
of our nurses is felt both within and
beyond Wall, as the Lead RNCM also
serves as the Region 1 Community
Nurse Leader.
The RNCM team works hard every
day to provide compassionate support,
clear guidance, accuracy and
consistency, and medical management
leadership. The RNCM team mission
of always serving every supported
individual, Provider, DSP, and staff
member at Wall is kept at the center
of every decision and action.
~Kevyn Burn, RN
Digital Bonus
A peek around our Wall: a look at what has filled the lives of the individuals, Providers, and staff of Wall Residences in
the last few months. Fun, growth, and relationships are what makes for valued lives, meaningful living!