“Always expect the unexpected.” That’s what Dungarvin Indiana Program Director Steven Crose said with a laugh and a shake of his head.
Almost three years ago, he began working for the company in Indianapolis after an unexpected leave from his previous job. Although he applied for a different role at Dungarvin first, he became a Program Director, overseeing a few homes while working on the Shared Living model.
A Program Director’s job, he explained, looks different every day. There are changes in schedules and lots of phone calls that keep each day exciting. He starts with checking on his “Leads,” who are responsible for each home he oversees, and then he moves on to checking emails,
Steven with his girlfriend.
responding to calls and texts, paying bills and checking to see if there are any issues for him to resolve. Additionally, he visits homes and individuals to check on them or resolve issues.
Steven has given his phone number to the individuals served in the homes he oversees. This provides reassurance to them and a direct method of contact, if needed. While they can use it to inform him of issues or to ask questions, they often use it to check on him.
“I was sick a few weeks ago, out a few days from the office. I had three individuals call me every single day asking me, ‘are you feeling any better? Ok, just want to make sure,’ and that would be the end of the conversation. Then, they’d call me back a couple hours later to ask me
the same thing again.” Steven smiled, and after a pause, said, “This job is hard. Being on call can be tiring. But it’s also very rewarding to see the way you impact the lives of the individuals, and how you get to build meaningful relationships with them.”
The job of a Program Director is similar to that of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts, from the “Harry Potter” book series and movie franchise. While you don’t always see him, you know he’s always doing something important for the sake of the school (or, in this case, for the sake of the houses Steven oversees).
Whether it’s paying bills, making sure buildings are safe or going to a home when there’s issue to resolve, Program Directors wear a lot of hats to keep everything in order.
Steven also advocates for individuals when needed. In one example, a person served was in the hospital and the staff there were planning to release him before Steven felt they should. He argued on behalf of the man and insisted the hospital provide the care the man needed before releasing him. “They agreed, and everything resolved smoothly,” Steven said. “Sometimes the individuals don’t know what they need, so it’s important that I’m a voice for them.
Although Steven loves his job, it does present significant challenges at times. Being a Program Director requires a lot of communication and multitasking, and, sometimes, taking emergency calls at any time of day or night. He takes these things in stride, however, by doing fun activities outside of work spending time with people he cares about and enjoying time with his dog, Layla.
“No day is the same. You never know what an issue or a highlight might be for an individual or a staff, but you should always expect the unexpected,” Steven said. “It could be a call in the afternoon to let you know that an individual beat a high score on their video game, even if you have no idea what they’re talking about.”
If you are interested in working with Dungarvin, please visit www.DungarvinCareers.com to see open positions near you.