Pilot Program in Rock Valley

A Place to Belong: Jon's Story

By 7017444915 • February 24, 2026
Home looks different for everyone. For Jon, home is now the place he shares with his sister, Shelly. Jon was already living in Shelly’s home when she became one of Hope Haven’s first Host Home providers. What started as a practical next step quickly grew into something far more meaningfu l. As Shelly shared, “Opening our home to Jon was a blessing we didn’t know we needed.” Through Hope Haven’s Host Home program, individuals with disabilities live in the homes of carefully selected providers who offer guidance, companionship, and everyday support. Host Homes are just one of several residential options at Hope Haven, alongside staffed community living homes, because no two individuals require the same level or style of care. What matters most is creating a place where people can live safely, grow their independence, and feel truly included. For Jon, that environment means being part of everyday family life, whether that’s grocery shopping and shared meals or being able to help with Shelly’s in-home daycare. “Living here makes me feel happy,” Jon says. For Shelly’s family, the experience has been transformative. “We’ve all become more patient and understanding,” she shares. “My boys have learned gratitude, acceptance, and what it means to truly welcome someone into your life.” That mutual impact is what makes Host Homes unique. “It doesn’t feel like a job,” Shelly explains. “It’s more of a relationship. You get to help someone feel independent, yet safe.” She was quick to add that the impact goes both ways. As she puts it, “You just might meet your best friend.” Because of supporters like you, individuals like Jon have the opportunity to live in a home where they are supported and valued — not just as clients, but as people. Your generosity makes it possible for Hope Haven to offer a range of residential supports, creating safe, stable, relationship-centered living options for individuals with disabilities right here in our communities. “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” — Romans 12:10 If you wish to contribute, please CLICK HERE to donate today.  Thank you for your continued support, prayers, and partnership in Hope Haven’s mission.
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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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