3 MIN READ

Values Ambassador Spotlight: Katelin Zehr

Nominated by: Lizzi Dollard 

Value: Excellence 

As a Heartspring Residential Home Assistant Supervisor, Katelin “Kat” Zehr is used to having her hands full. But she doesn't let a busy schedule overshadow the positive progress students make every day.

In G1, she handles the daily operations of the home like coordinating goals and activities, ensuring student and staff safety, and communicating with families.

“Since her return, she has had such a positive impact on the staff and students in G1,” her former supervisor, Lizzi Dollard, said. “She helped me implement a new structure with her organizational skills and build a new team. She is someone you can rely on in any given situation, and she keeps safety and our students at the forefront of her work, which inspires and encourages staff to do the same.”

While Kat may have left Heartspring for a short time, she said it was one of the hardest things she’s ever done. She loved making connections with the kids and seeing them grow, but that made it even more special when she returned and was welcomed by a few familiar faces.

Specifically, she mentioned a student who regressed behaviorally while she was away but continues to make progress while he’s at Heartspring.

“This student struggles with most daily living tasks, and it can be difficult to accommodate community or family outings,” Kat said. “This past Family Weekend, we were able to facilitate a pool and arrange a sort of private picnic for the family. It was the first time they were able to spend a couple of hours with him where he was completely content, giggling and playing in the water. I think it was a healing experience for everyone involved.”

Seeing families make memories that wouldn’t have been possible before Heartspring is rewarding for Kat. She said, “This is the one job I’ve ever had where I look forward to coming into work every day.”

With previous experience working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, Kat felt like she could make a bigger difference at Heartspring instead of the daycare facility. Most of our students live in our group homes and she felt her skills were more effective at Heartspring.

“At Heartspring, the kids should be able to feel like they’re at home when they’re away from their families,” Kat said. “We are their family when their family isn’t here, so making sure the kids feel like they’re loved while they’re here is a big priority for me.”

Too often, we hear stories from parents who’ve been told the worst things possible about their children from previous schools or facilities. We don’t do that here.

“I make sure my staff speak to the kids with respect and gentleness because they deserve to feel like they’re liked, even on their hardest days,” Kat said. “I try to emulate that and display it to teach people how to do it, too.”

When it comes to collaboration, the residential homes have each other’s backs. “Every house has their day,” Kat said.

This phrase could be positive or negative, but each residential home team does their best to help fill the gaps for other homes that need it. With the ebb and flow of work, it’s essential to have clear communication between staff at each home and between the homes.

That’s why Kat said the most important skill Heartspring staff can bring to the table is the ability to communicate clearly. Assessing situations, problem-solving on the fly, and regulating emotions are other valuable skills that set teams up for success.

Day in and day out, it can be hard to see the rewarding progress along the way. We’ve seen amazing transformations at Heartspring, but they don’t happen overnight.

“Take the smallest wins and magnify them,” Kat said. “Those are what build into the big steps of progress.”