Pilot Program in Rock Valley

By 7017444915 July 22, 2025
At Hope Haven, we believe in the profound power of transformation. Every individual carries the potential for growth when given the right support and opportunities. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us of this truth: ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!’ Josh Canny’s story is a powerful testament to this belief. His journey of growth and resilience exemplifies how faith and support can lead to extraordinary change. Josh, born in Spirit Lake, Iowa, found his home at Hope Haven at the age of 18. Now 35, his journey illustrates the power of compassion, opportunity, and community. Josh began in Hope Haven’s Parkview workshop, where he struggled to find fulfillment. However, everything changed with the introduction of the My Choice Employment program, offering Josh the chance to explore community employment. He took this opportunity and thrived. Today, Josh works nearly 40 hours a week at Double HH Manufacturing, contributing across multiple departments. From running machines to packaging, Josh’s versatility and uplifting attitude have become invaluable to his team. Austin Vande Vegte, Operations Manager at Double HH, shares, “Josh’s contributions have had a positive impact on our team. His willingness to learn and help across the plant ensures we deliver quality to our customers on time.” Josh’s journey to independence hasn’t been without challenges. Losing his mother at 13 and experiencing an unstable upbringing left him with little structure or support. For a time, he lived with relatives who didn’t encourage his growth. But at Hope Haven, Josh found stability, relationships built on trust, and the structure he needed to thrive. Over the years, Josh has grown immensely—both at work and in life. He now lives independently in Sioux Center, enjoys cooking, video games, and going out to eat or to the movies with his friends. He has transformed into a kind, respectful person; taking pride in his work ethic and relationships. Amanda, Josh’s longtime Double HH Job Coach, reflects, “Josh has grown so much. Watching him mature and succeed has been like seeing family flourish. I am so proud of the person Josh has become.” Josh’s journey from instability to independence is a powerful example of how lives can be transformed through faith, compassion, and community. At Hope Haven, we know that every individual we serve has their own unique story and potential—just like Josh. Our dedicated staff helps individuals realize their potential, providing the support and encouragement they need to thrive. This story of resilience highlights the importance of supporting individuals in difficult circumstances. With your help, more people like Josh can receive the guidance, care, and opportunities they deserve. Your generosity allows us to expand our programs, equip individuals with necessary resources, and foster environments where they can truly flourish. Together, we can make a lasting impact on their lives and the communities they call home. If you wish to contribute, please CLICK HERE to donate today. At Hope Haven, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your support and prayers in serving our mission now and in the future.
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Thanks to a creative partnership, Hope Haven will soon launch an innovative staffing strategy for its Direct Support Professional Staff. Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Disability Serves and GreatLife based in Kansas are partnering with Hope Haven to offer a strategy that will enough DSP staff to have greater work/life balance while providing the people it serves with more consistency in their daily lives.

The 12-week pilot program will begin in Rock Valley’s adult services programs in January, with agency-wide implementation to follow sometime in the future.

In the summer of 2021, LeAnn Blau, Hope Haven’s Director of Community Living Services, heard representatives of GreatLife Innovations present its staffing model at an ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources) event. One of their seminars covered managing the workforce crisis. “They’ve been looking at different strategies to help manage that and continue to build quality service delivery for the persons with disabilities receiving services,” she said.

After sharing what she learned from that seminar with others at Hope Haven, the leadership staff became familiar with GreatLife’s scheduling model and began a partnership with GreatLife to plan for implementation at Hope Haven. The scheduling model is based on management and retention strategies tested by the University of Kansas. “These are tested systems and different scheduling strategies that have worked for organizations across the United States,” said Blau.

The pilot program’s shift schedule will be based on a front half/back half model, a 12-hour shift structure with consistently scheduled shifts for each staff member. Some staff members will consistently work on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday one week and Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the following week. Other staff members will consistently work Thursday, Friday, Saturday one week, and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the next week. “By working this type of schedule, staff will have over half of the year off. So that’s a big win-win,” said Blau.

“This staffing model will provide the people we support with greater continuity of care. Research shows that this staffing model creates happier staff that stay with the agency longer, resulting in consistent care and better outcomes for the people we support,” explained Carla Kieft, Hope Haven’s Director of Day Habilitation Services.

Doug Smit, Hope Haven’s Director of Mental Health and Family Services, said GreatLife has used this scheduling model for over 15 years and has proven effective. “They have a very low turnover rate,” he said. It’s also been beneficial for the people that they serve because they know who will be working on what day.”

In addition to providing the current staff with a better work-life balance, the team at Hope Haven hopes that this new model of scheduling will attract new staff. Including Double HH Manufacturing, Hope Haven’s staff sits at 608, leaving about 35 open positions at the organization.

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