By Nicole Lemire
Site manager Dylan says that the greatest gift that BCArc has given him is life experience, knowledge that cannot be taught in school.
Dylan had previously worked at a different company providing care to children with autism, but eventually decided to leave this job and apply at BCArc. He admired BCArc’s approach to helping individuals and thought that it would be a better fit for him.
“I liked the message that we’re only here to empower their chosen path,” he said. “It’s more positive, more motivational, more tangible goals that you can really work with the individuals and help them to see the results.”
He started off as relief staff at BCArc five years ago, which means having a flexible schedule, and filling in when there are absences at different houses. Eventually, he applied for the assistant site manager position due to his desire to have a full-time position with benefits. Site managers and assistant site managers are responsible for overseeing the home, and the rest of the staff. Since then, he has held the site manager and assistant site manager twice respectively, and has worked in several different BCArc locations.
“It’s like you have another family, it’s like you have another home that you go to during the day.”
In 2020, he made the choice to leave BCArc to provide full-time care for his grandmother who had dementia. He eventually came back to BCArc to help care for an individual that he had previously worked with and formed a connection with who was having medical issues. During this time, Dylan helped to assist this individual in their recovery as well as generally helping around the house to make things run smoother.
Once the individual had recovered and was doing better, Dylan was offered an opportunity to change locations and work at Robert St. He decided to take the offer because he had worked relief there before and was familiar with the women who lived there. He has been working there as site manager ever since.
His favorite activity to do with the ladies is tending to the garden, something that he finds therapeutic and relaxing. They grow a variety of vegetables, and he hopes to eventually expand the garden even more. He also enjoys holding cookouts with the individuals and celebrating holidays together such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“It’s like you have another family, it’s like you have another home that you go to during the day,” he said.
Although Dylan initially did not plan to work with individuals with disabilities – he wanted to be an architect – he has found fulfillment in his career and loves being able to help others and make a difference for them. His time at BCArc has made him reflect on his own life and how he would want to be taken care of, which inspires him to give the best care possible to the individuals.
The most impactful and powerful part of his time at BCArc has been the lessons that he has learned which he has then applied to his life outside of work. He worked with a woman with Alzheimer’s, and felt that his time spent with her helped him to learn how to properly care for his grandmother with dementia.
“When it came time to help my grandmother, this individual gave me the strength to get through it and be ready for someone else in my life,” he said. “That’s knowledge that you can’t buy, you can’t go to college and be taught it, it’s life experience.”
