CEO's You Should Know x The Arc Baltimore

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
iHeartMedia Presents CEOs you should know. I am John Dinkle,
former president and publisher of The Baltimore Business Journal and
now founder and CEO of Dinkle Business Development. This is
iHeartRadio CEOs you should know. I'm here today with Kathleen
McNally Durkin, CEO of the Ark Baltimore. Welcome Kathleen, and
thanks for being here.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thank you, John, appreciate you inviting me.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah, no, looking forward to our conversation. It's been been
a little lot since we caught up, so let's begin
by getting to know the organization a little bit more
so for those who may not be similar. Can you
tell us about the Ark Baltimore.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Sure, absolutely so the Ark Baltimore. Well, I'll start with
our mission statement. Our mission is to support people with
developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives with a sense of belonging,
purpose and meaningful relationships. And if you'll you or me,
I like to unpackage that a little so, you know,

(00:57):
when we talk about leading fulfilling lives, if I were
to ask you that question or you know, someone else,
everyone defines that differently, and that's kind of the key
piece of our mission statement is that the person that
we work for. The person with the developmental disabilities defines
the life that they want to live, and then we

(01:19):
then draw our supports around how they define what they
want as a fulfilling life. So we were started in
nineteen forty nine, so we're starting on our big anniversary year,
seventy fifth anniversary.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, that's great, congratulations, it's nice.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Thank you. Yeah, we are really excited. But we were
started by eight parents, so and I like to say
we were started around a kitchen table. So it was
a time when there was nothing for kids and adults
with developmental disabilities. And this group of parents said, that's
not okay. You know, it was a time when even
public access, you know, there was no access to public

(01:57):
education for these children. And so a bunch of parents
got together and taking it out. Now, my kids deserve more,
and that was kind of a hallmark and the grounding
of who we are still to this day is a
grassroots advocacy organization as well as obviously a service or
or you know organization that supports you know, people to
have those lives that we talked about. So we you know,

(02:21):
we were mostly well when we started, we were staffed
by families and volunteers and you know, so again very grassroots,
but today we have about seven hundred you know, full
and part time staff. Wow, and we serve across Baltimore
City and Baltimore County.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
That's fantastic. Yeah, and what do you have what are
your plans for your big seventy five.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Well, we have a big gallap planned. So October eighteenth,
we're having our what we're calling Carrots and Cocktails and
it's going to be at the Maryland Science Center. So
you are invited, John, So, but so it's gonna be
a you know, very celebratory. We we usually have an
art and a round event around that time of year,

(03:07):
which was the greatest way, thank you. We love that event. So,
and it's focused on the art of people with disabilities
and it's a very competitive process to get your art selected.
And then it was you know, an auction and there
was a live auction as silent auction, and sixty percent
of the profits went to the artist. And so we

(03:27):
are going to have a kind of an artist alley
as part of this this, Yeah, Carrots and Cocktails. So
and then it's just going to be lots of fun
food and you know, just bringing back people that were
you know, emeritis board members or people that were significant
in our history and theyde you know, significant changes over
the years. So it'll be a very focus on our future,

(03:48):
but also really celebrating our rich history.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
That's right. That sounds like a really fun of that. Now,
how could the business community to get involved.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
In that, Well, I mean they can get involve in
a lot of ways. Obviously we are always looking for donors.
But but I will say that I'm going to switch
your question around a little bit if you don't mind. Yeah,
the way we frame it, the way we look at it.
We have a large workforce development program, and so we

(04:20):
look at it in the way of like what can
we do for the business community. So when we go
out and we go to chamber events or you know,
whatever kind of things, and we meet folks from the
business community, we start with what what do you need?
What is your business need? What are you looking for?
What kind of employees? Because everybody's looking for employees and

(04:42):
and so we look we start with what, you know,
what does that business need, and how can we help
you meet that need? But in terms of our mission,
certainly employment is a big part of our mission. You know,
if you think about people having fulfilling lives and a
sense of belonging or purpose, you get that from work often,
so we do. We have a very large employment program
where we've matched somebody with an employer in the community

(05:05):
and again we've matched somebody that is going to be
an asset to that business, but we helped them to
you know, develop their skills there. We may have job
coach that may come on or if they're learning a
new you know, a new task at work, we help
them to to you know, learn that. We work with
their employer to you know, figure out trainings and things.
And we have a pretty large footprint across Baltimore with

(05:28):
probably two hundred, two hundred and fifty folks that are
competitively employed and in the community. So we work with
a lot of different employers, you know, so retailers, hospitals, schools,
law offices, you know, nursing homes, libraries, I mean, you
name it, we probably have touched that industry. So and
so I would say, you know, it's a combination. Certainly,

(05:51):
we want businesses to be willing to talk to my team,
and you know, we would send out our workforce development
specialists to kind of help them figure out where somebody
that you know, we are trying to find employment for
would be a good match.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, And having had some personal experience with that, and
I remember going on a tour of one of the
healthcare organizations that you guys partner with and they and
you have several workers over there at the time, and
talking with the general manager there, he was saying how
invested they were, how loyal they were, how they came

(06:27):
to work every day with a smile on their face,
and like, you know, just like were he said, there's
some of his best employees because they were just so
happy to be there and happy to be part of
that community and all that, which was awesome to see.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah, and it changes the culture of the employer. That's
what we get a lot we have, you know, folks
that say, oh, you know, they are thinking initially, oh,
I'm going to employ somebody with a disability, but in
the end they say, wow, they have changed my workforce,
you know, and so they get more than they really
even understood at the very beginning of that relationship.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
So yeah, that's that's that's really cool that you do that.
Other than the Supported Employment Service, what other programming do
you all do well.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
We have a large community program, so and our supports
are really designed around a very person centered approach. So
it depends on what that person's supports are, what their
goals are. So and maybe three people like that are
living with you know, roommates that their friends, and we
have staff around the clock. Could be twenty four to
seven awake over night even or it could be just

(07:31):
popping in helping them pay their bills or go fud
shopping or whatever. So the supports are very much designed
around what those individuals need and want. But we have
about probably sixty different homes in the community, so people's
you know, your listener's neighborhood. We may be one of
you know, a neighbor so it might be a house,

(07:51):
might be an apartment. And again that you know, the
staffing is very focused on helping that person to connect
and belong and belong to that neighborhood and make friends
and be part of and giving back to the neighborhood
that they live in.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
Yeah, that's great.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Yeah, and then we also have family programs. We have
a lot of well, we have foster care souse. Philosophically,
we believe children need to be raised in families should
be raised in family environments. It might not always be
the biological parents. So we have a foster care program
and we work with biological parents, but we also have
amazing foster parents. And then we also do supports in

(08:29):
the home of the family. So it might be mom
or dad just need a break and they get rested,
or they might have some estaff person go into the
family's home and you know, be there while they're still
at work or you know whatever. Again, very much individualized
in the designs, but that way families, you know, can
you know, sustain and and you know, stay together as

(08:52):
long as they can. And and then we also have
day service programs, so kind of we have what we
call hubs now and you know done all seat in
Towson and the Homeland area and people come, they touch base,
they connect with some friends, and they go out and
you know, volunteer somewhere, or they go to the movies,
or you know, they take a class whatever they're interested in.

(09:12):
And so it's it's kind of a combination. And some
of that is combined with I might have a part
time job, but then I also want to do other
activities and so so it's you know, engaging them during
their daytime. And we have a large information and referral.
I mean, we probably get over a thousand calls a
year and that really ranges from families and crisis or

(09:34):
somebody needing services and need or you know, help with
their v gene bill or you know, they need specialized
equipment for their child or dental care or whatever. So
we kind of connect them to resources or connect them
to some of our resources. We also have support groups.
You know, we have a mom's group, we have a
dad's group. We have a sibling group for younger siblings

(09:57):
so that they have space to kind of be you know,
the tension being on them because of the child you know,
with a disability. As a sibling, you know, takes takes
a lot of attention to mom and dad and so.
And then we just started an adult sibling group because
again that's a population that really needs some support around.

(10:18):
You know, my my parents are going to pass away.
What is my role for my brother, my sister, you know,
so giving them an outlet and support and all. That's
all unfunded. Those kinds of things. It's just philosophically what
we believe in, and so we do it.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
But that's great.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
We're pretty wide buried.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, it sounds I've got a ton of programming. So,
and I know you mentioned that your your territory, I
guess is Baltimore City and then Baltimore the Bottomore metropolitan area.
Yeah go ahead, sorry.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yeah, Baltimore City in Baltimore County.

Speaker 1 (10:53):
Yeah, gotcha. And so how are you related to the other,
you know, the other arcs, uh, either state wide end
or nationally.

Speaker 2 (11:02):
Sure, so we are. We're all part of sort of
a federation. There's an ARC national and then there are
about six hundred state and local arcs. So almost every
state has a has a you know, an arc of
whatever the state is. So we have ARC in Maryland
and then the local arcs and so there's nine of
us that serve different catchment areas, so to speak. So

(11:26):
we're all independent organizations with our own boards and our
you know, operate our own services and such. But we're
part of this kind of collaborative network together to like
a membership organizations.

Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yeah, okay, talk to those talking about how you're funded.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
We are primarily funded through MEDICAIDS, so we have state
and federal funds and so and then we also you
know have grants here and there, and we have some
contract work and donations and things, but probably eighty five
percent of our funding is state and federal funds and
it's through so we are considered long term care under Medicaid,

(12:04):
so it's an optional service under Medicaid. So we're obviously
watching some conversations going on right now, but yeah, so
Medicaid is our primary funding source. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
Yeah, lots of conversations going on right now. It's a
little crazy out there.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Now.

Speaker 1 (12:20):
The other part of is that through individual donation, corporate sponsor,
corporate donations, things like that.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
Yep, yep, I'll be a book yep.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Okay, great. Now, other than the anniversary, you have any
other effects coming out. So you guys were planning and
putting your energy into that, that's a big one.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Well we are, and we just got done. We just
had a candalyst for chains Award events like two weeks ago,
and then we had our golf tournament last week, so
we've just got done some of our bigger events. So
now we are full steam ahead planning what we're going
to do for the seventy fifth. But the that culminating
in that big you know, science iner events.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
So awesome, awesome, Well great, Well I'm gonta kind of
switch gears a little bit. I love talking about that
leadership on the show and in that role for for
a while now. How would you describe your leadership style?

Speaker 2 (13:13):
I would say mission driven. You know, I think one
of the things that we really talked a lot about
here is the why and and I feel like my
job as the leader is to kind of inspire everybody
to a shared vision and and I do that. I

(13:34):
actually I teach a class for all new hires, So
the first day that folks come, they have to look
at me. So I did that first half hour, you know,
And I go through our mission statement with each word,
you know, and because you know, words have power, and
in our field especially, you know, there's lots of lots

(13:56):
of power in every single you know word we chosen.
Then we have a vision statement that is I don't
think I told you. Our vision statements a world where
all people are valued, their voices are heard, and their
impact is felt. And we talk a lot about that,
and I kind of try from the very moment somebody
walks in our door get them to kind of attach

(14:17):
to the fact that they're you know, we consider them
world changers like that, and obviously we do us through
the work that we do with people with disabilities, but
it's bigger than that, you know, and that we really
encourage them to attach to that idea of you know,
that mission and that's why we do what we do,
and that guides everything that we do. We have something

(14:39):
that we you know, started a few years ago called
a mission test. And so somebody comes to me and
they want to start a new you know whatever program.
We go through this, you know, some questions on this, saying,
you know, does this lead us towards something more community
oriented or is that more segregation or is that you know,
and kind of really testing like all the you know
again in our mission vision and so that folks think

(15:02):
about how am I going to live into that vision statement?
You know, what behaviors am I going to you know,
because not just words? Is what behaviors? Am I going
to do? What actions as an organization, as a person
that are going to lead us closer to you know,
to our mission. I'd also say kind of coaching, you know,
I I do really involve my team and as much
as you know, we can decision making and you know,

(15:24):
I know it slows stuff down, but I think it
buys you know, gets buy in and helps to you know,
bond us. And we talk a lot about authentic communication
and you know, compassionate candor and kind of leading from
any seat. We have some number of leadership programs where
it's not just my senior team or my director level team,
it's people that are in direct support positions that you know,

(15:47):
want to lead from that seed. And so we really
try to do a lot of bi directional communicating, so
it's not just this message coming down from me, it's
really I'm I'm you know. I do something called coffee
with fleeen where you know, people coming, you know, and
it's kay with you know. I literally my mother said,

(16:08):
you know, you spelled that wrong, like but but you know,
it was just a way of having people come in
my door and let's just talk about you know, and
just like because we share the same why.

Speaker 1 (16:20):
Yeah, and well, and it's really important that you're you
make yourself accessible like that because I think, you know,
which is a great leadership trade. I think a lot
of folks you know kind of are in that role
and they don't get down to that level as often
as they should. And having that openness and transparency and access,

(16:43):
you know, because you learn a lot, right, I mean,
I do learn a ton when you when you're talking
to folks that are out in the field and you know,
doing the day to day and stuff. That's great.

Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, And we circle back, like we have a you know,
like ninety day meeting with staff after they've been here
and I and I, you know, am there for that?
And I say, like, am I for real? Like you
had this whole thing with me talking about our mission
our vision? Tell me, am I for you know? Or
am I you know? Because I want to be connected
to that and I you know, so I also, you know,

(17:13):
I like when I first started, I went. I spent
the first month just visiting people's houses and just hanging
out with them, man, just because I wanted to hear
from the people that we support, people that I work for.
You know, what do they want? What do they want
to look at? When I'm you know, as the leader,
and so I, you know, I continue to That's where
I mean, that's where I find my energy. I've been
doing this work a long time and that's where I

(17:35):
find my joy, you know, is to be with the
people that we support.

Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yeah, that's great. I appreciate sharing that, Kathleen. So resiliences,
you know, it seems like the buzzword these days, and
especially coming off of COVID and all the fun fun
stuff there. But what what does resilience mean to you?
And how do you feel you demonstrate that when you
lead your team?

Speaker 2 (18:00):
Well, I have to say, seventy five years old, we
have some resilience in this organization, not mean seventy five
the organization. You know, we you know, so I think,
you know, we have reinvented ourselves, you know, because again,
if you're really responding to what our mission is, which
is about people having the lives they want, we're constantly
in a state of change and and so, but being

(18:22):
strategic about that and you know, starting with obviously you know,
where do we want to go? And you know, what
do the people that we support want? But finding you know,
finding like through COVID, you know, we had to reinvent
everything we did and really kind of finding strength in
that chaos and reframing it and kind of adapting it

(18:46):
with the purpose of again our mission and our vision.
I think that's an important thing I think as a leader,
I think, you know, one of the most important things
a leader can do is manage our own energy.

Speaker 1 (18:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (18:59):
So, and you know, emotional contagion and that whole concept.
I think it's really really powerful and I and I'll
be honest, I struggle some days with that and I
have to figure out a way. And you know, like
I was nervous about this interview, so I went to
the gym this morning, you know, like finding ways that,
you know, because if I come in and you know,
the sky's falling on you know, everyone's gonna you know,

(19:22):
people imitate the emotions in the room, right, Yeah. I
think starting with awareness is the most you know, that
allows you to choose a different behavior if you're gonna
you know whatever.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
But yeah, well you bring up a good point about
taking care of yourself and resilience. Something you have to
take care of yourself physically, mentally in order to help
the organization be resilient because if you fall apart, then
the organization is going to fall apart. Well I don't
they fall apart, but you know, but you know what

(19:54):
I mean, I think that's a good point to take.

Speaker 2 (19:57):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think all that stuff like culture,
it all, you know, culture is going to happen by
default or by design, you know. So it's the same
kind of you know, knowing, like I mean, you know,
reframing the chaos is you know, kind of fact concept
like if we're intentional, and you know, because no matter

(20:18):
what we do, we're creating a culture, so we can control,
you know, we can try to create the conditions that
support everybody reach their potential and engage people or or
you know, or they'll you know, fill in the blanks
in other ways, you know. So so I think that
you know, intentionality is really really important and the think

(20:40):
you know, the concept of resilience, but also just having
a positive culture.

Speaker 1 (20:45):
You know.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
You know, so we're doing a lot. We have an
engagement committee here. That's like I think we have we
have a kickball tournament next Sunday. I think I'll be
walking on the sideline. But you know, more power to everybody,
you know, But doing the like stuff you know we're doing.
We're you know, we're doing trivia night and like just
trying to just enjoy each other, you know, especially kind
of recovering from COVID that, you know, just being so

(21:10):
virtual in all those things it's been. It's just so
you know, we're bringing the fund back. That that was
one of our campaigns, like yeah, you know, bring the
fun back, you know, because you know, we miss each other.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
Like yeah. And the larger the organization, the harder that is, right,
and the more diverse and activities and engagement activities that
you need to have because yeah, yeah, so that's that's great.
I appreciate that. So looking at you know, seventy five
years man in the past, like what what gets you
excited about the future? Uh, the art Qualtemer.

Speaker 2 (21:44):
I think the power of the disability voice. And I
say that because we just went through session which was
very challenging for our world, our industry. Yeah, and what
made the biggest difference was the people that we you know,
work for the people with disabilities, their allies, their loved ones,

(22:04):
their families, staff as well. But but we really, you know,
this community stands up to you know, and and it's
the disability like we have actually we have tea shirts
that say disability rights Rights and and that you know,
we have a very very active self advocacy group or

(22:26):
advocacy group where uh, people with disability them without disabilities
come together and you know decide what you know, what
we're going to do in terms of session, but broader
than that and really looking at listening to that voice
will change this organization and continue to change this organization.
And and so that you know, I have a meeting
tonight with the group. Actually well but to you know,

(22:50):
listening and so I see, I see more and more
that that community of people with disabilities is really coming
into and amplifying their voice in way that will absolutely
change and lead this organization.

Speaker 1 (23:03):
Well, on the other hand, what what keeps you up
that night?

Speaker 2 (23:06):
Funding? Yeah, you know, I think, yeah, you know, as
I said, we're really watching the conversation at the federal
level with medicaid. And I don't think the average person
that we supported the family really understands that medicaid is
what funds their son or daughter's services, their medicare so
to speak. And we haven't really had that conversation over

(23:31):
the years. It's just we always you know, talked about
you know, stay in federal funds, but but it's really medicaid.
And so that's, yeah, that is something we're watching.

Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, you're certainly not not alone in that, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (23:45):
No, no, exactly, Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean workforce is
always also a challenge in our field, so workforce vacancies
and those kinds of things, because as you know, our
generation ages into also needing care, right, there's less folks
coming into the end of the field to work. So

(24:06):
it's it's right challenge.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah, Well I appreciate you sharing that. Well,
the kind of the wrap things up a little bit.
Is there anything else you'd like our listeners to know
about you and the Art Baltimore.

Speaker 2 (24:20):
Well, the Art Baltimore would welcome them to visit our website.
We have lots of great information. We have lots of
great success stories on there, and we have you know,
all our all our events and things like that will
also be on there. But definitely the workforce page that
you'll see lots of stories about, you know, success stories
of somebody finding this great employment job and what the

(24:44):
business says and those kinds of things. And but yeah,
I you know, I think from my perspective, I think
of the work that we do as one of my
I don't know where I heard this saying years ago,
but you know, we're all just walking each other home again,
and yeah, I don't somebody said it. I don't have it,
so you probably can't quote me and all that, but

(25:05):
you know it's just for me that is, we're all
in this together, you know, and so we're all journeying,
you know together. And so people just abuildings are no different.
And they want the same things that you and I want.
They want to belong, they want to have purpose, they
want to give back, they want to have relationships. And
so I would say to your listeners and the community

(25:27):
at Lawrence, like, you know, look at that and think
about that, and and and as you see people in
your communities, you know, take the time to get to
know somebody and to connect. And because we're all in
this together.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Yeah, yeah, Well thank you. And what's the what's the
website that our listeners should go go look out?

Speaker 2 (25:49):
It's uh the ARC Baltimore so th H E A
r C Baltimore dot org.

Speaker 1 (25:56):
Great, great, awesome, Well, thank you so much, Kathleen. Oh
my gosh, it was great catching up with you. It
was congratulations on the seventy five. That's amazing. I look
forward to seeing you soon and thanks again for taking
my time.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
Thank you, John, have a good one. This has been
iHeartMedia CEOs.

Speaker 1 (26:14):
You should know