Great Expectations for 2019

March 25, 2019 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

Great Expectations for 2019

By: Rosy Rubio

I cannot believe January 2019, is over, February flew by, and March has already begun! How does that happen? My intent was to jumpstart on day one… but better late than never.

Tobosa has been doing exceptional and exciting things. This blog post will outline the great accomplishments and challenges faced in 2018 and will provide you a picture of 2019 and our expectations for it.

2018 Recap

2018, was a big year for Tobosa. It was the 40th anniversary of the creation of the organization and we began planning a celebration with much joy and gusto early in the year. This celebration consumed a lot of staff time, effort, and inspiration in 2018, but we hosted events throughout the year.

Tobosa planned and held its annual events including welcoming the Journey of Hope crew, “Go for the Gold” Golf tournament, Thanksgiving Dinner, and started a new event through children services named “Stepping Out for Children”. All of these events were very successful and brought great exposure to the great services provided by Tobosa.

Strategic Planning Retreat

In addition to these public events, Tobosa held its annual Strategic Planning Retreat in July. We were not able to hold the retreat at the location used in the past years. We settled on the Hurd Gallery and Haciendas in San Patricio. It was a fabulous location during the summer months and helped inspire some great ideas. The group in attendance was quite ambitious and we set goals that reflect that ambition.

Our group brought together management, board members, and staff advisory committee members to create and set ten goals, These goals will impact services throughout the organization for both adult and children’s services. Together, we tailored goals to attract and retain a workforce by identifying and creating an employee brand, to improve the financial position of the organization, and to provide more and higher quality programming. We started working on those goals immediately and will continue through 2021.

Peter Hurd Haciendas, a beautiful place to inspire our ambitious goals

Black Tie Gala

As mentioned earlier, Tobosa celebrated 40 years of providing services to individuals in Chaves County. The event was celebrated with a Black Tie Gala featuring guest speakers Joe H. Madrid, former Tobosa CEO, Angelica Rubio, State Representative, and Timothy Z. Jennings, former NM State Senator. Rick Trevino, the Grammy-winning recording artist, performed as part of the entertainment. His show was amazing and ended the great, fun-filled evening on a high note. Thanks to all who joined us for this amazing celebration!

What a grand evening! Here I am with Mr. Rick Trevino!

In Memoriam

Although we had a very successful year, the Tobosa family also faced some hardships, including the loss of some of its members. Loss is always hard to face even when you know that it is inevitable. We want to honor those we have lost and we want our family and theirs to know they will never be forgotten and have left a memorable impact: Brenda Bachman, Tony Strange, Daniel Madrid, Jackie Males, and Danny Zangara. Thank you so much, we will always miss you.

Into 2019

The Tobosa Book

Looking forward into 2019, we plan to publish our Tobosa Book. The idea was born during a gathering of Tobosa employees several years ago. We were sharing memories, laughter, and some of the stories that remind us why we’re here doing this work. Our team feels that moments like those needed to be captured for posterity, so we are finally going to make this dream a reality.

Expanding Program Development

Tobosa is also focused on expanding program development through emphasizing teaching and learning opportunities for both staff and the individuals we support. We are gearing up to push this change in culture within Tobosa. Although we have engaged in promoting this concept for many years, it has, at times, gotten lost in the shuffle of burdensome requirements, unfunded mandates, etc. We strongly believe that the individuals we support have become increasingly lost in the shuffle and we need to get back to making them and helping them be the focus.

We will continue to do so with CARE:

Compassion

Acceptance

Respect

Engagement

Because:

Together

wE

cAn

Create

cHange

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Diss-ability

March 25, 2019 By Melinda Olivas 2 Comments

Diss-ability

By: Jacob Dicello

Have you ever briefly met someone and had a perception of who they were based on very little interaction? Then months, or even years, later you got to know them better and you realized that your notion of who you perceived them to be was the exact opposite of who they really are. That has undoubtedly happened to all of us. However, I am embarrassed to say that it happened to me in regards to a whole population of people.

I used to work with a healthcare agency that did monthly health and wellness presentations for the individuals of Tobosa Developmental Services at their Day-hab program. For about an hour a month, I interacted with the Day-hab group and, without merit, I developed a perception of Tobosa and, more importantly, the individuals we support. (I say “we support” because I was fortunate enough to gain employment with Tobosa a few months ago.) My perception, before I started, was that Tobosa was a glorified babysitting agency. I feel terrible for even saying that. Babysitting.

I don’t feel terrible for my perception of Tobosa’s services, because this accomplished and talented group certainly didn’t and doesn’t need my validation. I feel terrible because the perception I had of the individuals we support was so wrong. Tobosa does NOT babysit anyone. We support individuals with Developmental disabilities. SUPPORT is the keyword.

What bothers me now is how many people there are who may have the same perception I had. The individuals that we support are people first, who happen to have a disability. I have disabilities, but I do not expect people to see me as my disability. If I could, I would climb to the top of a mountain and scream out a clarification about who these individuals truly. I would do that to try to change all of the unfounded perceptions that people may have. I do not climb mountains and do not have a voice that can carry that far. But I do have this blog post: Let’s change that misperception!

Toby completing the Pecos Valley Stampede 5K

DeDe conquering new slopes at Ski Apache

Nothing but smiles as Randy keeps Chevron stocked and organized.

I want to end today’s post with the first thing that Jessica Dunn, (Director of Program Support Services at Tobosa), told me on the first day of training. “Our goal is to teach the individuals the life skills they need so that they no longer need our services. We will consider our job a success when we no longer have one.”

Come see what our Tobosa family is all about and help continue our mission!
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Spirit of the Monkey Room

March 25, 2019 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

Spirit of the Monkey Room

By: Michelle Pruitt

When I took over as Director at Little Steps, I didn’t know that I would find a whole new appreciation for the special people who work directly with children.

Cuteness and Chaos

If you’ve ever wondered what cuteness and chaos all rolled up together looks like, it’s the one-year-old room. Our one-year-old classroom is full of spunk, unique facial expressions, and even sometimes crying. It’s hard being one and wanting a specific baby doll when your friend is already playing with it (never mind the many other baby dolls in the room).

The Monkey Room

Our one-year-old classroom is called the “Monkey Room”. I learned quickly that it is not only a cute name for the room, but it is also the spirit animal these children embrace on a daily basis. During an experience helping out in this classroom one morning, I realized just how much these little ones resemble monkeys. They’ll climb on the table (or anything else), laugh, cry, and just act wild at times. There is definitely never a dull moment in this classroom unless they are sleeping, but even then you never know. Our teachers have done a great job getting these kids on sleeping schedules. Even though they’re only about a year old, if they are told to lay back down, they generally listen.

Spaghetti for lunch! — Munching and Lunching

One of the most entertaining times during the day in the one-year-old room is mealtime. Have you ever seen a one-year-old eat yogurt or spaghetti? I guarantee once you have, the image will never leave you for the rest of your life. The enthusiasm for such delicious food causes complete and total destruction of the floor, plus it becomes an accessory to wear on both their faces and hair. I didn’t know spaghetti sauce could actually stain skin until these last few months.

A kiddo uses her sippy cup one-handed during lunch time. — Simply sipping.

Although not all of these little ones are talking just yet, some definitely are. Whenever food arrives in the room you can hear many of them yell out “papa” and excitement spreads over their tiny little faces. One little girl just this morning, during breakfast, looked at a helper in the class and said: “Hey you, more toast”. Their little personalities really shine through every day.

I love walking into the Monkey Room and being greeted by kids waving, saying “hi”, and even some great hugs. There’s always something new and fun as these kids age up to another classroom and new kiddos move up into this room.

What is your child’s spirit animal?
Come learn and grow with us at Little Steps Learning Center!
Little Steps!

Welcome Monica!

January 18, 2019 By Melinda Olivas 8 Comments

Monica is a new contributor to our Tobosa blog. We’re excited to have her writing for us!

Who is Monica?

I was born on April 7, 1982, in Roswell, NM to my parents, Kraig and Eileen. I was the apple of their eye up until I was five years old. At that time, I went through a difficult time because my parents divorced and I remained with my dad, Kraig. My grandmother, Barbara, helped my dad in raising me. My grandparents lived across the street from us, so it was easy for my grandmother to have a big presence in my life.

Monica Patterson - with family as a child — Monica Patterson – with family as a child

I have a baby brother, Kraig, Jr. that is 17 years younger than me and a half-sister, Kelley, that is in her mid-twenties.

I graduated from Roswell High School in 2001 and shortly thereafter I started attending Tobosa Developmental Services. I have been with Tobosa for sixteen years. When I first came to Tobosa, I was not happy being here. I was an angry young girl and I made them know that I was not happy here. I was like a “Tasmanian devil” and hell on wheels. I expressed myself very strongly to my staff, my dad, my grandmother, and anybody that I came into contact with.

Monica - as a child — Monica – as a child

I had staff support 24/7 with one-on-one and sometimes two-on-one. That gives you an idea of how out of control my life was. I think it had to do a lot with my medication.

I believe that when I came to Tobosa it was a life-changing moment. They worked with me and helped me to regulate my medications and they put up with my challenging behaviors. No one at Tobosa gave up on me. My grandmother also did not give up on me. Although sometimes, I thought my grandmother was too much involved with my life.

Gradually, I started to recognize what would trigger me and I would work through my feelings and emotions so that I could interact with my peers and my staff in a positive manner. With this newly gained knowledge, I was able to start accomplishing some of my goals. For example, I am now living independently with two gentlemen. Talk about coming a long way.

I am employed with People First and have been for about five years. My job duties are to advocate for myself and for other individuals with developmental disabilities. With People First, I have advocated with the Know Your Right Campaign, participated in the annual retreat, helped with the Southeast Regional Office Appreciation Celebration for the past three years, and I visit the legislative session in Santa Fe to visit with area legislators and others to advocate for the Developmentally Disabled (DD) population.

I think my biggest accomplishment in my life has been to obtain my own guardianship. My grandmother and my dad were my legal guardians and pretty much made every decision for me whether I liked it or not. They dictated where I lived, how much I smoked, what I wore, who I dated, etc. I know they did it out of love and caring, but I felt smothered all the time. So one day, I visited with my behavior support consultant and she encouraged me to pursue the possibility of me becoming my own guardian.

It was a long process, like about two or three years. But without giving up, even though I wanted to several times, I finally succeeded and the judge granted me guardianship. My dad continues to be my medical power of attorney but I now have control over the majority of my life’s decisions.

Celebrate Giving Tuesday With Tobosa

November 10, 2018 By Melinda Olivas

Giving Tuesday

“Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, Giving Tuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.”

This year on November 27, 2018, Tobosa is joining the Giving Tuesday movement to encourage giving both worldwide and locally.

Gary and Terri Finch graciously donated the old Primm Drug building to Los Pasitos Early Intervention, and we are truly grateful! With the gift of this new facility, Los Pasitos will be able to increase our exceptional quality of service to the children of our wonderful community. However, before we can begin, we need to do some much-needed restoration and furnishing. That’s where you come in!

All fundraising proceeds and donations from this past year and many coming up in the future are going towards this exciting project. We want to give our amazing Los Pasitos team the best opportunity to continue their mission to help children reach their full potential, one tiny step at a time!

Please show your support by contributing this year on #GivingTuesday to help us reach our goal. No amount is too small, especially when it comes from the heart!

#GivingTuesday

To find out more about #GivingTuesday, please visit www.givingtuesday.org

Los Pasitos Early Intervention Program – Bizzell Family Success Story

My name is Kim Bizzell. The Los Pasitos Early Intervention program has changed my family for the better. When we first started working with the Los Pasitos program over three years ago, we were all strangers. Now we are like family. We have worked with the same team ever since we started with Los Pasitos. I consider us very blessed to have had this talented team help my kids over the years.

Tuf

The Los Pasitos team started seeing my son Tuf when he was 18 months old. At first, he would not speak or communicate and showed severe delays. This team never gave up on him, never got frustrated with him, and always kept trying to help him. At two years old, Tuf was diagnosed with Autism. The team wasn’t just there for Tuf. They were there for me. They helped me help my son open up and start learning, and they were there for me for support.

The Los Pasitos team and I worked together to help Tuf start learning in the ways that work for him. He started speaking, and now my son and I can communicate. Tuf is now enrolled at a local school and he is doing very well. If Los Pasitos hadn’t paved the path for Tuf, the road to success would have been much more difficult, and he probably wouldn’t be where he is now.

Tye

My son Tye started in the Los Pasitos program when he was ten months old. He worked with the team there until he turned three. At first, Tye had problems crawling and with his balance. Within a few months of our team working with him though, not only was he crawling but he was walking. The improvements he made over a short period with the help of Los Pasitos were just incredible.

Tryp

My youngest son Tryp, also started with Los Pasitos around ten months and is still in the program. Tryp had a very rough start when he was born. He was severely ill and almost didn’t survive his first year. He had already been in the hospital four times before he was eight months old. When our team started working with him, he had severe delays. He refused to sit up, do tummy time, or anything physically active. All he would do was lay on his back. Over the past few months, not only has Tryp learned to sit up on his own with no assistance, but he can now scoot himself across the floor to get what he wants. We’re excited to see him make progress towards walking.

My family and I are grateful for all the hard work and dedication we have received from our Los Pasitos Early Intervention team.

40 Years of Excellence With Tobosa

October 26, 2018 By Rosy Rubio Leave a Comment

If you do not know about Tobosa, this is my opportunity to introduce you to what we do and who we are. I’m excited to share with you some inside information about Tobosa’s forty years of operations.

Fundamentally, Tobosa is here to provide critical and essential services to people of all ages who need help in learning everyday tasks and work skills. Throughout the last forty years, continuing today, services to our clients are Tobosa’s primary focus.

The last forty years have not always been easy. There have been challenges from things like lack of funding, lack of workforce, changes in expectations, to changes in standards and service. All of these things have caused struggles and stress in our day to day operations. Yet we persevere because our work is important.

What makes our work fulfilling is to see and hear about the progress and successes being made by the adults, children, and families we serve. I know some of you may think, “this is what we hear from all non-profits.” We invite you to make the time to see and experience the smiles and joys that we see in the individuals we support daily. We want you to be able to fully appreciate what we have witnessed and really understand why we do what we do.

Our History

Tobosa began serving clients in September 1978, birthed from the grassroots efforts of parents who wanted a better life for their children than they could expect during that time. The newly formed charter members of the Board of Directors hired an Executive Director who unfortunately vanished. And I mean literally vanished after leaving for Christmas Break, and never returned. This left the charter Board members with a major dilemma. However, led by Baudelio (Bobby) Ramirez, the Board was able to recruit a new Executive Director and move forward. Bobby remained active on the Board of Directors until his death in 2006.

I don’t like to say this, but when we first started, we had very little to offer, but then we found Joe H. Madrid. Joe was hired to be our new Executive Director in April 1979 and was expected to arrive on May 1, 1979. We eagerly prepared for his arrival but he never showed up that day. We didn’t have cell phones back then, so we decided he had also vanished. Imagine our surprise when he actually came in the next day. The joke was on us! He came in like a Tasmanian Devil and cleared the deck of all driftwood. If I am still here, it’s because I was “damn good”. My t-shirt said so the day he arrived.

Before joining us, Joe spent ten years in the Midwest learning about new services for people with a variety of special needs. He brought that experience and knowledge to Tobosa to establish the future vision and the foundation of the corporation. The staff all bought into his vision, hit the road running, and haven’t stopped.

For thirty-seven years, Joe was our fearless leader. When he retired in 2015, I was selected to take the helm and lead the corporation’s operations into the future. Through those years and continuing today, I have seen many volunteer Board members and staff members who have left the corporation but their thoughts and actions continue to influence Tobosa’s direction. Many of our current staff members have made a tremendous difference, by working with us for a significant number of years. We rely on our experienced staff to be the core leaders of our services and community.

A Success Story

Let’s return to my favorite topic: the progress and successes experienced by the individuals of all ages that we support. One of my favorite stories is about Domingo Romero. I met Domingo at the Special Olympics in Albuquerque many years ago. He saw the Tobosa group and came over and introduced himself. He wanted to know more about us. We visited with Domingo and shared some information about our programming with him. Shortly thereafter, Joe Madrid received a call from someone saying “Joe, come pick me up.” It was Domingo! Joe asked him for additional information: where he was, what was going on in his life, why he wanted to come to Tobosa. He just stated, “ ‘Cause I liked what I saw in Albuquerque at the Special Olympics.”

Young Mingo Romero. — **Young Mingo Romero**

After that call, we began the process to bring Domingo to Tobosa. From the time we picked him up in Las Vegas, NM from his aunt’s house, I have watched “Mingo” go through the various phases of life. From him living independently in his younger years, to today, in his golden years, needing 24/7 staff support.

One of my favorite memories of Mingo was when he worked hard and earned the very first “Bob Thomas Award” for making the biggest strides toward independence. It was a really big deal.

We went to Santa Fe to a fancy dinner where the award was presented. Mingo dressed up in his finest clothes and looked very handsome. He knew about the award so he dressed as best as he could. He was so very proud that he had the biggest smile on his face. That smile lit him up for days and still lights him up now.

He still comes in to see me and proudly reminds me about the time we went to pick up his award. I am so happy that I was able to share that special moment with him. It still brings tears to my eyes.

**Mingo Romero wins the first Bob Thomas Award.**

Today, I find Mingo has grown much older (like me) and is showing the signs of old age. Even so, he still proudly holds his head up and copes with the challenges that old age has presented him. I admire his continuing strength of character when I see him in pain, but still saying “hello” as best he can. We all love that man.

Rosy and Mingo — **Rosy Rubio and Domingo “Mingo” Romero**

The Future

I come to the end of this blog post with hope that I have given you more perspective on Tobosa. What we experience day to day is very special. I also hope I’ve given you insight into the kinds of relationships that we build with the individuals we support. I invite you to join us at our 40th Anniversary Gala where we will celebrate Tobosa, the individuals, the staff, and the successes we have been fortunate enough to be a part of in the past forty years. We’re also excited for you to join us in looking forward to what we will do in the future, together.

Rosy Rubio, CEO

Join Us at our Gala!

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way

February 20, 2018 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

February 11th through 17th was Random Acts of Kindness Week, and it paved the way for National Random Acts of Kindness Day. It all started with one simple phrase written on a placemat by Anne Herbert back in 1982: “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” A quiet storm was evolving, and in 1993, Anne published a book called “Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty” that opened the floodgate of newspaper articles, radio station air time, and class assignments devoted to stories about this cause. The momentum has not slowed, and people continue working towards building a kinder world.

Image of us chalking positive messages — Chalking positive messages

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Can you imagine one full week dedicated to committing random acts of kindness? It’s just magnificent, and you can bet Tobosa was more than willing to do our part in spreading kindness. This year Tobosa held its second annual RAK Week Scavenger Hunt to bring a little joy to our wonderful Roswell community. The rules are simple; be kind!

Image of Kathy leaving complimentary popcorn at a redbox — Complimentary popcorn with your movie thanks to Kathy

Teams receive a list filled with kind acts to complete throughout the week and capture the moments with photos because as we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words. The list has an assortment of acts, just to name a few, from chalking positive messages, returning stray shopping carts, taping popcorn to Redbox locations, holding a door open for someone, and dropping off special treats to first responders. Teams are also encouraged to come up with kind acts that are not listed. There were several who delivered food to the homeless and blankets to Chaves County Disaster Relief Services. One never knows the impact of a smile and five-minute conversation could have on a total stranger.

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

At the end of the hunt, Tobosa rewards the thoughtful scavengers with a personal kind gesture, but that doesn’t take away from the joy and excitement they benefit from their mission of RAK Week. Although this week has come and gone, kindness will forever live in every one of us. Our organization prides itself on giving back throughout the year from both our children and adult services, and we hope to inspire you in doing the same.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples” –Mother Teresa

Image of Dawn, Dede, and Lynnett handing out flowers — Dawn, Dede & Lynnett handing out flowers

Image of Brian, Cecil and Joey delivering coloring books — Brian, Cecil and Joey delivering coloring books to Familia Dental

Image of harry throwing away litter. — Harry keeping Roswell beautiful

Image of Melissa and Felicia feeding the homeless — Melissa & Felicia feeding the homeless, handing out flowers & donating money

Image of us delivering donuts to Chaves County CASA — Delivering donuts to Chaves County CASA

Image of David & Sammy delivering donuts — David & Sammy delivering donuts to RFD Station 1

From the Ground Up

February 1, 2018 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

We at Tobosa send out a huge thanks to all those who attended the grand opening of our new Day Programming facility, the Joe H. Madrid Educational Center. Joe Madrid is the former CEO of Tobosa who served in that capacity for 37 years and retired in December of 2015. The naming of the building was in his honor.

Joe H. Madrid and Cecil Rhodes cutting the red ribbon — Joe H. Madrid and Cecil Rhodes had the honor of cutting the Red Ribbon

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This event was co-hosted by the Roswell Chamber of Commerce, Roswell Chamber of Commerce Redcoats, Little Steps Learning Center, and Los Pasitos Early Intervention. The new center is located on a southeast lot of Tobosa’s administrative office. With this new addition, we now have a trifecta on the block of our Administration building (110 E. Summit) and Little Steps Learning Center (111 E. Reed).

In attendance were Tobosa staff, individuals, Rosy Rubio (CEO), our Board of Directors Joe Lovato (Chair), Terri Douglas (Vice-Chair), Lori Ordonez (Treasurer), Dennis Pabst, Joe Vargas, Daniel Lopez, and Louie Mestas. Chaves County Commissioners, Mr. Robert Corn, and Mr. Will Cavin; Chavez County Manager, Mr. Stan Riggs; Chaves County employees Sandra Rodriguez, Bill Williams, Annabell Molina and Georgianna Hunt. Also in attendance were Dora Batista and Christine Cisneros with SENM Economic Development, Council of Government and Mr. Hal Barnet, ASA Architects.

The purpose of our Day Hab facility is to have a common place where staff and the individuals supported by Tobosa can meet during the week and participate in daily activities coordinated by the Day Hab Team Lead, Alfred Velasquez. These activities include various arts & crafts, karaoke, BINGO, exercise & cooking classes. We also host presentations from people within community organizations.

We are looking forward to using the new building and being able to bring in more educational classes for our individuals to teach life skills. The new center is not just for our organization; everyone is invited to join in all the fun. The center’s hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday. There is a posting on our Facebook page of weekly happenings.

Everyone here at Tobosa is very excited about what is in store for the new center! Again, we are so grateful to everyone involved for making this happen from start to end. We could not do this without our fantastic supporters. Thank you!

Celebrating Tobosa’s 39 years of service

October 11, 2017 By Melinda Olivas Leave a Comment

On Friday, September 29th, Tobosa commemorated our 39 years at the Annual Awards Celebration! We have exciting get-togethers throughout the year, but this is that special occasion for everyone to glam, spruce up, and reflect on the special moments from the year. Most importantly, we use this occasion to honor our incredible employees and individuals.
Mayor Dennis Kintigh got things rolling by acknowledging Direct Support Professionals (DSP) and proclaiming that September 25th through the 29th as “Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week at Tobosa Developmental Services.” Direct Support Professionals work with our individuals on a day-to day-basis and they are back-bone of the organization.

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Amongst our *attending guests were members of the Board of Directors:

*Joe Lovato, Board Chair
*Terri Douglass, Board Vice – Chair
*Freddy Washington, Board Secretary
*Lori Ordonez, Board Treasurer
Joe Vargas, Board Member
Dennis Pabst, Board Member
Daniel Lopez, Board Member
*Louis Mestas, Board Member
Travis Daniels, Board Member

Other dignitaries included former CEO Joe H. Madrid and his wonderful wife, Linda. We are overcome with a wondrous feeling when these community leaders come out and give support to this organization’s driving force. It’s a tell-tale sign that the passion still remains within former staffers. We take great pride in this and our aspiration is to convey this pride to the community and everyone who is a part of Tobosa. We want to see people come in for a job and stay for a family. For this exact reason, we put on this celebration every year devoted to the people that make this transformation with us. Without them, we would not have been able to sustain the success we’ve achieved for 39 years.

Individual Success Awards:

5 years:
Dustin Gilbert
Amanda Mote

10 years:
Esmera Gomez

15 Years:
Toby Appel
David East
Monica Patterson

25 Years:
Jackie Males
Melissa Ybarra

35 Years:
Tory Arthur
Martin Eudy
Lawrence Moncada
Cecil Rhodes

Employee Service Awards:

5 Years:
Gwyn Burd, Los Pasitos
Jessica Dunn, Program Services Supports
Guadalupe Garcia, Little Steps Learning Center
Crysten Gass Pope, Los Pasitos
Margie Hernandez, Tobosa Nursing
Jacqueline Jones, Tobosa Adult Services
Terry Lucero, Tobosa Adult Services
Bridgette Ross-Ornelas, Tobosa Adult Services

10 Years:
Amanda McClure, Tobosa Adult Services

15 Years:
Robert Clement, Tobosa Nursing
Linette Washington, Tobosa Adult Services

35 Years:
Joan Blodgett, Tobosa Office Personnel

Of course, the main event everyone anticipates is the revealing of Individual Achiever of the Year, Employee of the Year, and Outstanding Service Employee. These are the ones who go above and beyond without hesitation. What makes this so special is that every single person is nominated, not by upper management, but by fellow co-workers; their peers who have become friends and family and recognize their effort. They take the time to write the nominee’s name down along with all the wonderful qualities that make them stand out. The same is done for the individuals of Tobosa and their achievements. From becoming more self-sufficient to owning their own business; individuals know they have the support and encouragement from their direct care staff and this organization.

Employee of the Year Nominees:

Mary Crist, Judy MacDougal, Tanisha Paiz, Scott Lasiter, Mario Silvas, Mary Trujillo, Kathy Sigala, Andrew Garza, Beatriz Bustamante, Gracie Raigoza, Lorenzo Valencia, D’ana Mendoza, Jennifer Herbain

picture of andrew garza — Winner: Andrew Garza

Individual Achiever of the Year Nominees:

Virginia Markwell, Jessica Richardson, Daniel Madrid, Martin Eudy, Dustin Gilbert, Monica Patterson, Denise Lopez, Ronnie Hamilton

picture of Dustin Gilbert — Winner: Dustin Gilbert

We also have astounding employees that work in the children’s services at Little Steps Learning Center and Early Intervention Program. The Learning Center cares for and teaches children from the ages of one to twelve from all walks of life & developmental stages. The Early Intervention Program helps families with children who are at risk for developmental delays by providing services from birth to age three. Again, nominees are chosen by their peers based on their exceptional work ethic and dedication.

Children Services Outstanding Service Award Nominees:

Little Steps Learning Center:

Tina Medina, Nicole Landers, Mayra Davila, Margarita Rincon, Yvonne Reyes

Picture of winner, Mayra Davila — Winner: Mayra Davila

Los Pasitos Early Intervention:

Sara Rodriguez, Danielle Clements, Gwyn Burd, Pat Jones, Kaci Rodriguez

picture of winner pat jones — Winner: Pat Jones

Here’s to you all, from child to adult services, outstanding employees with your years of service, and to the continued success of our individuals; Thank you & Congratulations!

picture of sharp dressed men — Sharp dressed men Joey, Brian, and Cecil.

picture of Joe Madrid and his wife Linda — The most interesting man in the world, Joe Madrid, and his lovely wife Linda.

Picture of Tobosa staff. — DSP Josie Chavez, SLP from Direct Therapy Services Vivienne Matlack, DSP Mary Trujillo, Team Lead Chrissy Singleton, DSP Jacob Barrera.

picture of CEO Rosy Rubio and Pat Jones. — Tobosa CEO Rosy Rubio with Outstanding Service Award recipient Pat Jones.

Picture of ladies from Los Pasitos Early Intervention — Wonderful ladies from Los Pasitos Early Intervention: Mayra Lopez, Ana Meza, Pat Jones, Kelsey Kelly, Lacy Kastler.

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Help us maintain this distinguishable atmosphere for our amazing direct support professionals.

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Making a difference for Joey and more

October 4, 2017 By Jessica Dunn Leave a Comment

Attending meetings and trainings have become just an everyday thing for me. It is part of my daily tasks and responsibilities. In August, I was reminded about the importance of our work at Tobosa. We attended a meeting for a Tobosa family centered around how we support individuals with making daily choices. During this meeting/presentation, I was truly inspired and it reminded of the small gratifications that we don’t get to see everyday.

This meeting started with the typical introduction from our Executive Director, Rosy Rubio. We were meeting to discuss the federal mandated CMS Final Rule and how that will have an impact on our agency and the individuals within our services. You can learn more about the CMS Final Rule and get updates in regards to it on www.actnm.org. There were several videos shown regarding the meaning and purpose of Direct Support Professionals (our staff who provide direct support to individuals challenged by developmental disabilities). These videos were followed up by a brief discussion on Person Centered Planning and what that means.

Person Centered Planning is the basis and foundation that Tobosa is set on. We strive daily to make sure our programs and services are geared toward individuals and their needs and wants. When we began discussing this topic in the meeting, Rosy made as in invitation for the crowd to share was her testimony about how she believes that our employees can learn so much from the individuals we support, especially when we sit back and let them make daily choices. I was overwhelmed with joy as Joey, a man receiving supported living services through Tobosa, shared his experience. Joey raised his hand and was called on. It was as if he was moved by his own excitement. He chose to come to the front of the room and address the whole group. Joey who just a year and a half ago, was very shy and did not speak out often, stood and addressed the whole group. He talked about getting to live in a house of his own and getting to live with two other gentlemen that were his friends. Joey also informed the group that he makes his own lunch everyday and enjoys doing so. He gets to pick out what goes in his lunch and then he puts it all in his lunch cooler. Joey went on to share that he also enjoys cooking his own breakfast and that he gets to go and do what he wants to throughout the day. Joey exclaimed these things with such certainty and excitement that it really made me think of all of the things that I take for granted in my own life.

Picture of Joey sings the national anthem. — Joey sings the national anthem at the 39th annual awards ceremony.

After speaking with our group on the daily choices they make in regards to the services they receive from Tobosa, I can say we are right on track with the CMS Final Rule regulations. It is very apparent that the individuals within our service are happy with their autonomy. As I think about the daily choices they make with great enthusiasm, I consider the choices I take for granted. For this reason, I am pledging that I will make my time here at Tobosa count. I will continue to advocate for them and their daily choices. I pledge that I will think outside of the box to create opportunities for them and their daily choices. I will also give to them what I can to make sure governing systems do not interfere with their programming, services, activities, and projects. Make this pledge with me.

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