Welcome to the Staff Communication page. Thank you for the work you do every day!
It's Spirit Week at The Arc Baltimore
12/16/24
It's Spirit Week! We hope everyone can participate, whether you are at one of our day or employment services locations, the main office, or at the home of people we support.
On Monday, wear your finest purple, blue, orange, and gray swag from The Arc!
On Tuesday, dress us in your favorite holiday gear! Wear your finest 4th of July colors, or maybe you just want to get more use out of your Halloween mask!
On Wednesday, gather with your team or co-workers for a themed outfit! Minions, football players, famous pop singers, whatever!
On Thursday, get wild with your hairdo, hat, or socks! The wilder, the better.
On Friday, don’t bother changing out of your comfy yet appropriate (😊) pajamas and wear them to work. Well, maybe, at least, shower.
Lastly, please send any pictures to Kelly Bell (kbell@thearcbaltimore.org) so we can post them on Snaptag and our social media pages! Ensure that we have permission to post pics of anyone featured.
The Arc Baltimore Breakdown of Inclement Weather (snow) Procedures by Departments
12/2/24
Day Centers
Persons Supported Procedures: Announcements regarding delays or closure are posted to:
*WBAL TV The Arc Baltimore Facebook Page The Arc Baltimore Website: www.thearcbaltimore.org Robocall is sent to all parents/caregivers in Day Services only The Arc Baltimore inclement weather line at (410) 296-2272, option 7 Day Center Staff Procedures: - Staff are asked to follow the below worksite reporting procedure in order to ensure extra time for our designated partners to clear walkways and parking lots:
· If 2 hour delay or more is announced on any of the media* above: Staff may report to their worksite by 10:00 A.M., unless otherwise instructed by supervisor
· If Closure is announced on any of the media* above: Staff may report to their worksite by 10:00 A.M., unless otherwise instructed by supervisor
If the weather is so poor that The Arc Closes all sites this will be announced by your immediate Supervisor Only.
Office Staff at 7215 York and Seton
Staff are asked to follow the below worksite reporting procedure in order to ensure extra time for our designated partners to clear walkways and parking lots:
· If 2 hour delay or more is announced on any of the media* above:
Staff may report to their office site by 10:00 A.M.
· If Closure is announced on any of the media above: Staff may report to their office site by 10:00 A.M.
If the weather is so poor that The Arc Closes all sites this will be announced by your immediate Supervisor Only.
Landscape, Janitorial, Policing, Career Catalyst and Project Search
Due to contractual obligations, the staff in these departments are asked to report on-time. If the weather is so poor that The Arc delays/closes these programs, this announcement will be by your immediate Supervisor Only.
All Staff:
Please note:
· Mobility does not honor The Arc Baltimore’s delay schedule during inclement weather events; they will pick up their assigned rides at the usual time slot. Please be aware & communicate this to individuals/care providers to ensure that they do not arrive at the centers before they open.
· All-agency closure of all programs/offices/services is announced by the CEO or her designee only. If all-agency closure, then staff will be informed by call/text from their immediate supervisor only.
· During all inclement weather, liberal leave policy is in effect.
It's Time To Get Creative
10/28/24
Have you ever had a great idea for an engaging training, or even wanted to lead a training about a topic of your choosing?
The training department is looking to offer some new training courses that cover topics that YOU are interested in and can apply to you and/or supporting people in our services! By completing the brief survey below you can let the training department know which trainings have been helpful to you in the past and help identify topics of interest for training you want to see offered in the future. There is also a space to volunteer to lead a training course in any of the topics listed or one that you come up with. If you are interested in leading a class, you would not have to do it on your own! Let’s learn, grow, and have fun together as we build and share skills! Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say!
Direct Support Professionals Month - We Celebrate You!
9/17/24
September Blood Drive
9/10/24
Our next blood drive will be held on Wednesday, September 18th. Please scan the QR code to the right to sign up for an appointment. We will also have a rep from the Red Cross coming in to help people sign up in person. This will be in the next couple of weeks. Information will be passed along once the date is confirmed.
All donors will receive a slip for 4 hours of time off. Donors will also receive a red cross t-shirt and a $15 gift card to a merchant/store of choice.
Questions? Contact Katie Paff at 410-296-2272 x5349.
NADSP Program at The Arc Baltimore
8/16/24
Emails have gone out through iCM to our dedicated DSPs; however, we want to share this information far and wide, so that you can also encourage your DSP colleagues to apply.
As a reminder, the application window for the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) program is open until August 23. If you think someone would be interested in professional development and they haven’t yet participated in one of the information sessions, don’t worry—it’s not too late!
Please have them fill out an application as soon as possible and reach out to the training department (trainingdept@thearcbaltimore.org) with any questions or for further guidance. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow professionally, enhance your knowledge, and receive financial incentives.
2023 Annual Report | Inclusive Democracy
7/15/24
Our annual report, Inclusive Democracy, reflects upon the significant impact and growth we experienced in 2023 and features New Hope for All members, a group of advocates who believe strongly in being included in all communities and having full citizenship rights.
We encourage you to meet the New Hope for All members who reflect on the importance of advocacy and voting as powerful tools for change.
Call For Art
7/8/24
Artists of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities looking to have their art showcased and auctioned off at this year's Art in the Round must submit their artwork by Friday, September 6th. Please don't delay!
All artwork must be accompanied by a completed Artist Packet.
We will notify selected artists by Wednesday, September 18th. Selected artists will receive two complimentary tickets to the event.
Awardees Honored at Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner
5/6/24
What a spectacular evening we had celebrating at our annual awards dinner which included board elections and recognition of community partners, staff, and people that we support. Many thanks to our friend Jamie Costello who emceed along with our Board President Erik Daly and CEO Kathleen Durkin.
We were truly inspired by the room filled with passionate changemakers! Our guests heard incredible stories about the amazing work our staff, board, people we support, and community partners are doing to create a more inclusive Baltimore.
We were especially honored to recognize those who have championed The Arc Baltimore's mission, to celebrate our incoming Board President, Tiana Wynn who received the gavel from our outgoing President, Erik Daly! Please help us continue to celebrate our awardees’ achievements.
Awardees Announced | Tickets Now Available
3/25/24
Tickets are now available for the Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner. Please join us as we celebrate the many staff members, people with disabilities whom we support, and community partners who have given so much of themselves to The Arc's mission and deserve recognition.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels - Pikesville
1726 Reisterstown Rd | Pikesville, MD 21208
6:00 PM - Served dinner and drinks
7:30 PM - Annual Meeting & Awards Program
Tickets:
$25 per person - staff, retirees and supported people
$50 per person - all other guests
It PAY$ To Have Friends...Employee Referral Program
3/14/24
It PAY$ to have Friends, refer a friend and earn $500. How would you like to earn “Lunch on US”? The top 3 employees with the most referrals during Spring Hiring Event on April 11, 2024, from 4:00pm-7:00pm will receive “Lunch on US” and bragging rights until the next hiring event.
There is no cap on the number of referrals. The referral bonus will be paid once the referral is hired and successfully passes their 90-day probationary period. Please refer to the attached referral program guidelines or email hrrecruitmentteam@thearcbaltimore.org .
Research Opportunity for DSPs
Get paid up to $75
The University of Maryland is currently recruiting participants for a study about challenges with communication between autistic and non-autistic people in the workplace and how communication could be improved through features added to video calling platforms.
Professionals who support autistic people on issues related to employment are invited to participate in an interview or focus group about their observations of workplace challenges for autistic people. Interviews and focus groups take place in a format that works best for you: either on Zoom, in person at the University of Maryland, through synchronous chat, or through a survey with long-form text responses. All interviews and focus groups will be recorded. Participation will take 1.5-2.5 hours in total, and you’ll be paid up to $75 via an online gift card (for a retailer of your choice) for your time.
Interested? Visit this webpage (https://go.umd.edu/fit-study) to learn more and complete the screening questionnaire.
Questions? Email fit@umd.edu or leave a message at 301-405-8561.
It’s time to show our appreciation. Please plan to submit nominations to recognize some of the extraordinary people in The Arc Baltimore community. Categories for awards include employees, people we support, and community partners. Plan to share the awards information with your teams to consider who you can nominate.
The deadline for nominations is March 6th. Don’t pass up this opportunity. Awards will be presented at the Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on May 1st at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Baltimore North - Pikesville.
Use the link above to submit your nomination online, or click the link below for the award descriptions that includes the nomination form.
Weather Alert for Friday, January 19, 2024
Due to the inclement weather, on Friday, January 19, 2024, The Arc's day services locations in Dundalk, Homeland, Towson, and the Seton Business Park will be closed.
All programming in contract services (landscaping, janitorial and custodial) will be closed.
The Arc's main office will open at 10 am, and all trainings will begin at their scheduled time at 10 am.
