Behind the Scenes With Our SLC Community Managers

At Help in the Home, the Community Managers of our Supported Living Community are some of the most important pieces to the puzzle. They are the glue that holds our community together. Our clients deserve to feel supported and loved — and our Community Managers are on the front lines, making sure they build that feeling on a day-to-day basis. 

But what kind of special person does it take to do this job? We chatted with some of our Community Managers about what it takes to make a difference in this career, some of their biggest challenges, and their favorite memories at HITH. 

Read on to learn more about what our community managers do and how they support our members: 

What kind of character traits are necessary in a community manager? 

“Patience” is the common theme mentioned by our Community Managers. This career isn’t always easy, and progress is almost never immediate, so our Community Managers have to be patient above all. 

Our Community Managers have to be great listeners as well: Look to actually understand what’s going on, and validate community members’ concerns without dismissing them. 

Another word that describes our Community Managers? Acceptance! They have to be able to respect each community member and accept that person wherever they are. Everyone is different, and are at different levels of progress — so being able to accept those differences is important for the Community Managers. 

Above all, our Community Managers have big hearts. They’re not just here. They *want* to be here, and they have a love for service. 

What kind of ongoing training do you take part in as a Community Manager? 

Monthly, we have an outside consultant join us for trainings that allows us to process challenges as a team. Two training topics that have been most helpful: Self-care and burnout. Just because our community managers do such a great job at taking care of others doesn’t mean they should slip on taking care of themselves too! 

We’ve also offered seminars on the transition from being an employee to a supervisor, as well as delegation, for Walter, our community manager supervisor. 

What does progress with a client look like? 

Progress of our community members is evolutionary: It’s not necessarily an on-and-off switch where progress suddenly appears. Instead, it’s gradual. Part of what drives that gradual success is consistency. Our Community Managers work to instill consistent good habits in our community members, so that they’re able to build on their progress day by day. 

Progress also looks vastly different for each community member. One client’s success may look completely different than their neighbor’s success. So being able to recognize those differences, and appreciate varying levels of progress in our clients, is important for our Community Managers. 

How is the Community Manager position/role vital to the community members’ success?

In short: Our Community Managers have everything to do with our members’ success. The enthusiasm they bring can’t be faked, so it’s crucial that we bring in Community Managers who are here for the right reasons, and who truly have a heart for service. 

Our Community Managers are vital to our clients’ progress. They are the ones who spend the most time with them, from one-on-one attention to taking care of their daily needs — care can range from helping with changing a lightbulb to getting dinner, all while providing emotional support . After spending enough time with the community members, our Community Managers learn their likes and dislikes, and get to know them as people.

Community members need to feel comfortable with our Community Managers in order to see progress. If there’s not a comfort level between the two, progress will stall. So it’s also vital that we have Community Managers who are able to build trust between themselves and the community members. They are there to listen to them and make them feel supported.

What is the biggest challenge a Community Manager might face? 

It can sometimes take a while to get to know clients so a Community Manager might struggle at first with how to connect with them on a personal level. But typically, these are issues that can be settled the more time they spend with each other. 

What has been your favorite moment as a Community Manager at HITH?

Our annual cookout is a common favorite memory — among both our community members and our Community Managers. This is an event full of camaraderie and the chance to see everyone enjoying being around each other. This is where we cheer on each other’s success and share in our clients’ individual talents, certifications, and recognitions. 

Individual relationships can also serve as wonderful memories for our Community Managers. Sometimes they’re greeted with a daily hug from one of our community members. Sometimes they celebrate one of our members getting a million views on his YouTube video. Each memory can be a good memory — our Community Managers learn something from each relationship they build with our members.

What made you want to be a Community Manager? 

The common inspiration for someone wanting to become a Community Manager here is their desire to work with people. That one-on-one interaction is what drives them. They value relationships above anything else, and the chance to work as a Community Manager is a chance to build those relationships at work every day.

Making a difference is also a huge motivator for our Community Managers. They get into this line of work so that they can help people reach their goals, live a healthy lifestyle, and have better relationships in their lives. 

Our community members are truly our family and our Community Managers are the ones making sure that relationship stays strong every day. They are the building blocks to the trust, love, and support that we’ve built at Help in the Home. 

For more information about our SLC, click HERE. Call us at 866-967-9994 or send us a message HERE

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