OGDENSBURG – For dozens of United Helpers employees a job as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Direct Support Professional (DSP) has led to a career with several promotions along the way, that in some instances, lead to management-level positions.
The newly restructured Corporate
Compliance Office at United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills is a
perfect example. Both newly appointed Corporate Compliance Officer Jason
Matthie and newly appointed Corporate Compliance Assistant Stephanie Lancto
began their careers as Direct Support Professionals more than 10 years ago.
“When I started as a DSP, I had
never really lived in one place for more than two years at a time,” Mr. Matthie
said. “I had some friends who worked for United Helpers and I had just moved
back to the area. I thought it would be a good job at the time, but I really
had no concept of a career.”
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| Stephanie Lancto & Jason Matthie |
Ms. Lancto began her career with United Helpers shortly after graduating from high school in 2010.
“I was fresh out of high school and
just looking for a way to make some money,” she said. “I knew someone who was
working at the Spruce Street IRA and applied to be a DSP there.”
She was initially hired in a
per-diem role, but quickly earned a full-time position. In 2016 Ms. Lancto was
promoted to Housing Assistant, a position with the United Helpers Management
Company. She then returned to Behavioral Health and Life Skills in 2020 when
she became an office technician for the Quality Assurance and Staff Development
Departments, holding that position until her most recent promotion.
“When I started with United Helpers
as an 18-year-old kid, I never envisioned I would still be working here as an
adult woman who is now raising a family,” she said.
While some people do enjoy lengthy
careers as a CNA or DSP, which is perfectly fine, Mr. Matthie said there is
room for growth within the organization for people who are looking to advance
their careers without having to move to another employer and “start over.”
Vice President of Human Resources
Michelle Matthews, who began her own career as a CNA more than 25 years ago
said, “The great thing about United Helpers is there are so many opportunities
available. Whether you want to go from being a CNA to an RN or LPN or you want
to change careers entirely, you can do that and still stay within the United
Helpers family.”
She then cited several examples,
including two IT professionals, one who began as a CNA, and the other who began
in Food Services, the Director of Nursing at Rehabilitation and Senior Care in
Canton, who began as a CNA, and a countless number of Program Leaders and
Assistant Program Leaders who began their careers as DSPs.
If you’re interested in advancing
your career, Mr. Matthie said the first step is finding the confidence in
yourself to take the necessary steps needed to pursue the promotion.
“I was one of the shyest kids in my
school, but as I gained experience and confidence in myself, I found that if I
applied myself, I could do almost anything,” he said. “A lot of people get
intimidated when they see new positions posted, but if they apply the
experience and knowledge they gained from whatever job they’re holding now, and
possibly other positions they’ve held in the past, they’ll often find they’re
capable of far greater things than they give themselves credit for.”
Other internal promotions made as
part of the department’s restructuring include Shauna Sears moving from Quality
Assurance Assistant to Quality Assurance Coordinator, Will Robinson moving from
PEACE Specialist to Quality Assurance Specialist and Nicole Bell moving from
DSP to Quality Assurance Technician.
United
Helpers currently has a variety of openings for direct care, nursing,
maintenance, and office positions, with jobs available across the county. To
view a complete listing of available positions, please visit
www.unitedhelpers.org/employment.
