To All St. Coletta Staff:

September 13-18^th marks Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week both at St. Coletta of Wisconsin and across the Nation.  Of our 420 staff, more than 300 DSP’s are the front edge of who St. Coletta of Wisconsin is to the persons and families we serve.  Whether in our day programs or in our residential settings you are the love and support of the organization.  You are the embodiment of our mission. 

This year, the year of COVID-19 has been like no other.  No matter what aspect of life the virus has affected us all.  Over the last six months we have adjusted to nearly every aspect of our lives.  Schools closed, restaurants closed, businesses closed and government closed.  We never closed.  St. Coletta continued to provide essential services every day without rest, without a great deal of support.  And we did it together as a family.  Persons served received the same care and the same programing albeit without community integration to the highest level we could.  One more thing, you provided the care with great concern for safety.  We have indeed been fortunate that we have had few persons test positive for the virus and all have recovered.  It is a testament to your attention to detail and early intervention at the first sign of a sore throat, high temperature, or difficulty breathing.

You are clearly passionate about what you do.  You are among the most stable workforce in the nation in our field and it shows.  Our annual retention rate is 74% annually and even higher, 90% per quarter.  Let me personally say with sincerity, thank you for everything you do. 

This year, we have a number of activities planned to mark this special occasion including consumer thank you cards, gift apparel and discounts for more, daily prize drawings, scratch off prize cards, scavenger hunts, among other events.

Thank you for living the St. Coletta values and making “It’s in the People” come to life each day.  I am extremely thankful for you all.

Sincerely,

Ted Behncke

President