Integracare Motivational Advancement Program’s Inaugural Graduates Set Foundation for Future Growth

Updated on February 11, 2022

The inaugural class of IntegraCare’s Motivational Advancement Program (MAP) set a foundation for future classes while gaining valuable skills and insight, as well as a salary increase.

“This innovative program provides a sense of self-worth and it empowers our team members to reach beyond their normal actions and become experts in the field,” said Butch Cassiday, IntegraCare Director of Talent Acquisition and Development after a recent graduation ceremony was held for the first MAP class. 

“It’s not all about money, it’s about having a feeling of self-confidence that someone took the time to guide you and empower you to be better than you thought you could be,” Cassiday added. “It provides opportunities for advancement in their field of expertise. From a financial perspective, it is a significant increase for each step of the program.”

The Motivational Advancement Program is available to both full- and part-time team members. IntegraCare has approximately 815 hourly employees at its 15 senior living communities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

“This is the first company that I have worked for that offered anything like that,” said Frances Adkins, a Cuisineur at Queenstown Landing, an IntegraCare community in Maryland. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. This is the first company that offered anything to help employees advance. I greatly appreciate the ability to learn things I hadn’t already learned that will help me in my career with IntegraCare.”

MAP consists of 2-level and 3-level programs that present the opportunity for full-time staff to annually earn an additional $7,280 to $10,400, respectively, based on performance metrics. There are two training cycles per year. Part-timers with at least 20 hours a week may participate in the program and earn increased compensation at about half of what is offered to those in full-time positions.

“The graduates are all deserving and hard working,” Cassiday said. “They do not take it for granted or feel the additional responsibilities were owed to them. They all worked very hard to make it to graduation. I am also very proud of the mentors, direct supervisors, that took the additional time out of their very busy days to teach, guide and elevate the graduates to believe in themselves.”

The inaugural MAP Class of 2022 assembled in February 2021. Additional classes are prepared to follow the lead of the inaugural group that recently graduated. 

Each training cycle is designed to include no more than 50 participants selected from each of IntegraCare’s communities. Team members may apply or be nominated by a peer or supervisor. The first MAP cycle included 34 IntegraCare team members.

The training cycles include: One-on-one mentoring; peer support; textbook and online instruction; demonstrations and “return demonstration,” showing that the participant understood and can achieve the task demonstrated.

“I was really excited and I was the first applicant in our community,” said Jessica Leonard, a LifeStages Associate at Newhaven Court at Clearview in Butler, Pennsylvania. “I always want to learn new things and get in deeper with IntegraCare as a company and learn the ins and outs of the business.

“I learned about the different domains that are required in activities — for example, the spiritual and emotional support for our residents,” Leonard added, referring to the nine domains of wellness. “There are different domains of residents’ wants and needs that we want to make sure we cover in the activities department.”

Cassiday said the inaugural MAP graduation represented a point of pride for both the participants and the IntegraCare mentors and administrators.

“This is not an easy program,” Cassiday said. “It takes work, dedication and focus. It takes the willingness to stretch yourself beyond what you thought was possible. I am so proud of the graduates and the mentors for making this happen.”

Registration for the next MAP class was held through January 28. Cassiday feels the next class will build on the momentum established by the ground-breaking first group of participants and mentors.

“A strong foundation has been set,” Cassiday said. “I am looking forward to welcoming new participants to the program and welcoming previous graduates who want to continue to grow themselves to the next level.”

To learn more about our career opportunities at IntegraCare visit  https://www.integracare.com/careers/

For more information, contact Butch Cassiday, IntegraCare Director of Talent Acquisition and Development, at [email protected] or 724.940.5544, Ext. 106.

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