Colleagues of Dungarvin’s Fatmata Bayoh describe her as deeply dedicated, compassionate and innovative – and it was those qualities that led advocacy organization ANCOR to name her Direct Support Professional of the Year for the state of New Jersey.

Fatmata is one of seven Dungarvin Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) across the country to be honored with the award for their states. She traveled to San Diego in early April to be recognized with her colleagues at the ANCOR Connect ’25 conference. We met up with her at the conference, finding her with her 14-year-old son, Abu Bakr, in tow. We asked her how she felt about the honor from ANCOR (American Network of Community Options & Resources).

“It means a lot to mean,” she said. “I’m grateful and very proud. And thinking about all of the great DSPs out there, I am honored.”

Fatmata has been a DSP with Dungarvin for 15 years. Currently, she supports four women who live in a group home in Somerset. They range in age from mid-30s to early 60s, and all have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Fatmata regularly goes the extra mile to help the women become more independent and feel more empowered in their lives, said her supervisor Isata John.

“She consistently provides person-centered support by considering their distinctive needs and goals,” Isata said, describing a time when one of the women wanted to pursue a hobby in art. “Fatmata not only helped her acquire art supplies, but she also arranged for her to attend local art classes, which enhanced the woman’s self-confidence and emotional well-being.”

One of the reasons Fatmata chose a DSP career relates to her father, who has disabilities and lives in her native country of Sierra Leone. “It gives me courage, knowing that I’m helping others when I cannot help my father,” she said.

The opportunity to make a positive difference in someone else’s life is another reason she’s a DSP. “There’s a lot of success in my day-to-day role here,” she said. “Sometimes, even helping one individual achieve a goal, which could be as simple as brushing their teeth – that is very important because you’re helping someone and at some point, you see them able to do it. That is a success to me. Or assisting someone in getting a job, which could be their dream.”

When asked how she would advise people who are considering a DSP career, Fatmata replied that in addition to being personally rewarding, it can be a stepping stone to other impactful roles in the field.

“I’ve worked with so many people, and some have taken other career paths,” she said. “Some people are now case managers, some are nurses, some are even doctors – and they started as DSPs. So, I think it’s a really good field.”

Congratulations to you, Fatmata, from all of your friends at Dungarvin. We are grateful for your leadership and so proud of your well-deserved recognition!

Family Home Providers (FHP) deliver a critical service to individuals in need of support. This model has been gaining traction in Kentucky over the past decade, providing a more personalized level of support to individuals who live in the home of an FHP. But, as with any job, caregiving can be especially demanding when you are essentially responsible for providing care every hour of every day.

Respite allows providers to receive support from other professionals so they can step away from their duties to relax and recharge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, respite services were expanded under the Kentucky Medicaid waiver.

“We started providing respite services earlier this year and it has been extremely well-received by our FHPs,” said Paula Pulley, State Director. “We expect even more FHPs to start utilizing the service because of the critical need to provide time away for self-care for these hardworking professionals.” Paula shared that most of the respite currently provided is to people who live with Dungarvin’s FHPs, with some respite offered to private families as well.

Take the situation of Vandy Kamara, who provides support to two individuals living with him in his home. William, 65, has lived with Vandy for about 10 years, while Paul, 67, has been a part of the household for five years. Vandy has been a FHP with Dungarvin since 2020; Dungarvin entered the Kentucky market in 2017 when it acquired another provider.

Both men Vandy supports lived in a group home prior to moving in with him. Vandy said this about William: “When I started working with him in my home, we just clicked. It was reported that he could be aggressive at times when he lived in a group home. But when I took him in, everything about William changed for the better.” Vandy picked up on positive changes in Paul as well. “Paul has stabilized a lot since moving in with me. I think if you pay attention to people and meet them where they are, they feel heard and seen. As different staff come in and out of the group home, it can be disruptive to the individuals who live there. With the consistency I am able to offer, Paul has been able to feel more settled.”

Because of respite support provided by Dungarvin, Vandy was recently able to go back home to Sierra Leone, after nearly four years away, to visit family and friends. A Dungarvin respite provider cared for both William and Paul while he was away. “I think respite is really important to people like me because it gives us a break to recharge and then come back to give the guys the support they need,” Vandy said. “Because we are contractors, we don’t always have paid vacation time. The respite service allows us to take a break when we need it to come back stronger for the people we support.”

If you provide support to an individual on the SCL or Michelle P Waiver and are interested in respite support or are interested in becoming a respite contractor, please email us at KY-Referrals@dungarvin.com.