IntegraCare’s innovative Motivational Advancement Program (MAP) has had a significant impact on team members at 15 senior living communities in three states while also inspiring the mentors who provide their expertise and guidance.
“Being able to help our staff grow professionally in their role has been very rewarding,” said MAP mentor Roberta “Bobbi” Bradford, a Resident Wellness Director at Colonial Courtyard at Clearfield in Pennsylvania. “I developed a better relationship with staff, and we are building a stronger team because of the program.
“Team members in the program are eager to learn, and I believe my guidance and experience assisted them in becoming more competent, and I learned with them,” Bradford said. “We challenged each other and I think the mentor role is most rewarding when those participating in the program are engaged.”
The Motivational Advancement Program is available to both full- and part-time team members among IntegraCare’s approximately 815 hourly employees.
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. The inaugural class began in February 2021.
IntegraCare President and Chief Talent Officer Putzier developed the concept of the Motivational Advancement Program, which fits into IntegraCare’s philosophy that its senior living communities are both a great place to work and a great place to live.
“I desired for IntegraCare to have a growth and advancement program that met team members where they are instead of forcing them to fit into a certain mold,” Putzier said. “The architecture of this program is to help our team members be the best they can be within their existing roles, while learning leadership and communication skills.”
Each MAP 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 feature: 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.
“Ultimately, we want to help our team members advance their knowledge, skills, opportunities and compensation,” Putzier said. “More importantly, we desire to have them do that with us because they can see our investment in them. I am already noticing that the mentors are as inspired as the participants. It doesn’t get any better than that.
“Also, in a world where employees are leaving employers left and right, we want to help our team members realize how much they mean to us, our residents and their families,” Putzier said. “It is hard to imagine a better way to do so.”
Bradford certainly has noticed a high level of enthusiasm among the five MAP participants she mentors at Colonial Courtyard at Clearfield.
“It has been extremely positive,” Bradford said. “The team members even come in on their time off, and we compensated them for that. They were all more than willing to come in. I thought that really demonstrated their enthusiasm and their wanting to be an active participant in the program.
“They said to me, unsolicited, how much they like the program, they want to be a part of the program and they’ve learned a lot,” she added. “They felt because of the program we have jelled better as a team.”
Bradford said she has mentored Clearfield’s MAP participants on duties ranging from admission, transfer and discharge of residents; documentation of physician visits; administering and monitoring medications; conversations with family members and responsible parties; and how to best utilize resources and software available at the senior living community.
“I truly love the teaching and learning aspect of my job. I think that helps me become reenergized when I can see students learn and become more confident,” Bradford said. “They become better at what they do. That feeds me. I feel good because I feel like I’ve helped them improve in their position.”
Stories similar to Bradford’s are unfolding throughout IntegraCare communities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia as team members and mentors participate in the program.
“I truly have enjoyed being a part of the Motivational Advancement Program at IntegraCare because it made me feel that we were actually teaching people skills and information they can use when they’re caring for the residents,” Bradford said. “The big outcome is the residents will benefit from this higher level of care.”
If you or someone you know would like to explore career options with IntegraCare, please visit https://jobs.integracare.com/ and start your journey. We look forward to meeting you!