For more than 30 years, Perspectives Corporation, headquartered in North Kingstown, has been offering support and hope day to day – and even minute to minute – to disabled adults and children in Rhode Island.
Employees of Perspectives say it deserves recognition for several reasons - the company’s high ethical standards, opportunities to move up in the organization and empathetic managers who came up through the ranks.
David Ruppell, founder and executive director of Perspectives, says the human services agency is a great place to work partly because of its policy of promoting from within.
“You have the ability to move within the organization to where your skills are and what you enjoy doing,” Ruppell said. “People like it when … they see a career ladder for themselves.”
Ruppell founded the company in 1977. In the early days it offered residential and other services to adults with developmental disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation. In recent years, the largest part of the clientele has been children with developmental disabilities, autism or hearing loss.
Perspectives’ 800 employees now serve about 250 adults in sheltered or supportive residences; 150 children, mostly in their own homes and schools and about 150 people with employment programs.
Perspectives employees are often called on to make independent decisions, for which they are prepared by continuous training and by support from supervisors at home base.
Perspectives workers also are supported by the organization’s five core values, starting with “ethical conduct.”
This lead value, Ruppell said, “is indispensable. Our people know that twisting the rules even to help someone is never good.”
Dale Smalley, an administrator at Perspectives, started work there about 26 years ago as a direct-care worker. Over the years, she said, excellent in-house training has allowed her to move into management and the deliberate blurring of boundaries between functions has allowed her to work closely with many others.
“We all work together,” Smalley said. “It is a very visionary place. I always feel I am doing the best I can with the best people around me – we all learn from each other. When I go home I feel like my intellect has been challenged and my soul has been nursed.”
Amy Vine, training and projects coordinator for Perspectives, agrees with Ruppell that the movement of managers up through the ranks is good for everyone in the company. The policy provides a morale boost, Vine said, and a sense of solidarity. “When your supervisor has done your job, he can appreciate more what you are doing and what your role is,” Vine said.
Vine said employees of Perspectives find great satisfaction in knowing they are helping people with severe limitations enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. “Our clients don’t have a lot of opportunities without someone to help them,” Vine said. “People who work here can go home feeling like they made a difference in people’s lives.” •
