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Molly Hammitt

VERMILLION – When a prestigious honor came her way recognizing the important work she does, Molly Hammitt was surprised and honored.

One can sense, though, that the people she encounters each day in her job as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at SESDAC, Inc. in Vermillion – her supervisors, her co-workers, and the people she serves – were very pleased and also not completely caught off guard this spring when she was named 2014 Direct Support Professional of the Year for South Dakota.

The award was presented by the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR). Molly flew to Miami, FL, to take part in ANCOR’s 2014 conference, held May 4-6, entitled “Beyond the Envelope.” While there, she had the opportunity to meet with other DSPs and discuss the important aspects of their work.

She received her award during a special ceremony at the conference on May 6.

The SESDAC, Inc. staff began the preliminary work that eventually led to Molly being nominated for this honor last fall.

“Yearly, ANCOR solicits submission from different community support providers from each state, and in September or October, we started the process internally,” said Joe Hoose, SESDAC, Inc.’s human resource director. “We started to talk with different people within the agency about who could be that person that we would nominate, and we came to a consensus, and Molly was our choice for a nomination.”

The process involved finding an individual who fulfills a strongly defined criteria set by ANCOR.

“One of the neat aspects is that a person that Molly directly supports writes a letter of affirmation talking about how Molly helps that individual, and that’s included in the nomination as well,” Joe said.

Three weeks after the nomination form was sent, Joe received a phone call from ANCOR with news that Molly had been selected as DSP of the Year for South Dakota.

“It was pretty exciting. The woman calling told me the information, and then said we had to keep it under our hat for awhile,” Joe said. “We were able to tell a few key people, but overall we weren’t able to share the news until some time had passed and it was closer to the conference.”

“I didn’t really have any idea about this at first,” Molly said.

“They (the SESDAC, Inc. administrators) had to ask me questions during the application process, so I knew I was nominated, and then after some time I was told I had won the award. It was pretty cool.”

DSPs across the country provide daily support services for the many Americans with disabilities. DSPs are integral in helping people with disabilities participate in their communities and lead full and independent lives.

Joe said Molly’s name repeatedly surfaced as discussions were held among SESDAC, Inc. staff during the process of selecting a nominee.

“In everything we do, we look back at our mission statement, and make sure that what we do is enhancing our mission,” he said.

SESDAC, Inc. is a community-based service agency begun in 1973 in Vermillion that is committed to providing services and support to help individuals realize independence and happiness.

SESDAC, Inc. strives to provide comprehensive services that allow people of varying needs and ability to live in a community setting.

This is achieved through the use of person-centered planning and service allocation which ensures that the right resources and services are available for the right people at the right time.

“As a group, we did talk about the nominee process a few different times, and Molly’s name kept coming up,” Joe said. “We felt that she embodies what it means to build community resources to create a person-centered life. When she supports people, it’s about the people and the relationship that she forms with them. It’s not just a job.

“There are multiple people who can see that, who have thoughts on that and offered different perspectives on that – these are people ranging from our business manager and our maintenance director, to our nursing director and our director of services,” he said. “It wasn’t just our supervisor saying ‘yes, she does a great job.’ There are a lot of people who notice what she does and she does it well.”

“My guess would be that the reason that the state committee chose Molly is that there are up to 10 categories that you need to address in your nomination,” said Rennae O’Connor, SESDAC, Inc.’s services director. “My guess is that many nominations were strong in some categories and not as strong in others. What we found, as we worked through each category and how to address it in the nomination, is there are lots and lots of things to say about Molly in every one of those categories.”

Molly is a native of Elk Point, and a graduate of Elk Point-Jefferson High School. She began working at SESDAC, Inc. in November 2010 while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

“I started working here my sophomore year,” she said. “I had heard about SESDAC from one of my classmates who had worked here, and I also needed a job. I read a little bit about SESDAC, and sent in my application.”

Molly was hired, and soon her life began to be filled with personally fulfilling experiences as she grew into her role as a DSP.

“What I like about this job is supporting these people every day, and seeing them be able to succeed, to meet their goals, and succeed in the community,” she said. “Seeing that happen really makes me feel good about what I do.”

Molly works in one of SESDAC, Inc.’s large group homes.

“There are eight people that I directly support on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

Molly said her classes at USD included required service learning, which is composed of volunteering in the community.

SESDAC was one of the places where students could volunteer.

Both her volunteer work and her time as an employee at SESDAC, Inc., she said, helped her find personal fulfillment.

“It is the culture, the getting out in the community and having all types of interactions with all types of people – that was the goal of that. I graduated, and I was going to go to grad school, but I’m not sure what field I’ll be studying,” she said.

Molly originally had goals to study physical therapy. She’s leaning now towards perhaps directing future studies in the area of social work, in part because of what she’s learned and continues to experience in her role as a DSP at SESDAC, Inc.

It’s a job she’s not ready to leave. At least not yet.

“Over time, as my relationship with the people that I support built up, and I became more comfortable in my role, I’ve really made a connection with them, and … I can’t leave,” Molly said with a laugh. “I’ve definitely found a place here.”

Her work is challenging, but she’s quickly able to define what a good day on the job entails.

“It’s somebody meeting a goal or doing something that was never on their radar to accomplish,” Molly said. “It’s just seeing people become valued and vital members of the community, and integrating them into jobs and groups and everything.”

While in Miami, Molly and a co-worker attended ANCOR’s Direct Support Professional Leadership Academy.

“I learned a lot about being an advocate for DSPs, and the importance of our work,” she said, “and shared a lot of stories with other DSPs. I learned a lot from that.”

“It’s been interesting to watch Molly grow – she’s now a veteran, a full-time staffer who now trains our new staff,” Joe said.

“Watching an employee grow within our organization has been really neat.”