Posted on October 4, 2024
DSP inspired by his mother’s belief that helping others comes from the heart.
Cristian Martinez always dreamed that one day he would find a career that would be as rewarding as his mother’s.
“My mom worked with elderly adults, and she always said, ‘Helping others comes from the heart.’ I wanted to find something meaningful like that for myself.”
During the COVID pandemic, Cristian had the opportunity to take care of his brother-in-law with special needs who was unable to participate in his Day Program at The ARC. “That experience opened my mind to helping others like him,” he said.
When the COVID restrictions finally ended, he moved on to a local Goodwill where he worked for two years as a dock attendant to receive drive-up donations.
Then in June 2023, he became aware of an opening at Penn-Mar West for a Direct Support Professional (DSP) – a field he was anxious to return to. He quickly applied and was soon hired for the position working out of the Westminster Stoner Building.
Cristian’s job responsibilities are unique in that he spends five days a week supporting four gentlemen with intellectual and developmental disabilities, taking them out into the local community to connect them to meaningful experiences.
The ages of his group range from 25 to 64 and Cristian picks all of them up at their homes in the morning and usually drops them off by 3 or 4 in the afternoon. The group pairings change from day-to-day except for Wednesdays when they all travel together.
Cristian encourages each of the gentlemen to have a say in how they want to spend their day and then helps them to choose from the many options discussed. It’s important to him that everyone feels heard during the planning discussion.
Activities can include bowling or playing basketball, walking at the duck pond, visiting a museum, library or town mall, or something as soothing as listening to church music.
Depending on the weather, some days are spent indoors at the Stoner Building watching movies, playing games or working on art projects.
When things get challenging, Cristian tries to approach each situation in a calm, positive way, especially if anger issues crop up in a public place. “I never talk down to the men but try to deescalate the situation by letting them know we all experience moments of frustration.”
He is learning that it takes time to build trust and uses the example of a gentleman named Paul he has been working with for a year who was non-verbal and now “speaks” to him with his own version of sign language.
When Paul wants to listen to church music, he makes a triangle with his fingers and then moves his hands up-and-down like a conductor. He also makes specific noises to communicate his food choices. “It warms my heart that we have developed a rapport where he feels comfortable talking to me and using his own sign language,” he said.
Cristian is interested in participating in the Career Ladders program to discover more about how he can make a difference with the people he supports.
“I want to learn more and be open to more, asking questions about how I can do things better and differently,” he says. “Every day I am inspired by my peers who are so creative and who always seem to be happy working alongside the people they support. I look up to them.”
Married, with a 9-month-old daughter, Cristian has a lot of responsibilities. But he insists that when he goes home at the end of a busy workday, he is never tired. “I always feel happy and fulfilled, like I have accomplished something worthwhile.”