Congratulations to the Department for Persons with Disabilities' Director of Support Coordination, Kris Bulas who was recently honored with the New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP) Leadership Award! Kris received this award at the NJACP statewide conference in Atlantic City on November 16th.
The NJACP represents a dynamic community of diverse providers dedicated to advancing sustainable community-based services and supports that enrich lives and build futures for people with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities across the state. The Department for Persons with Disabilities is a proud member agency.
Kris Bulas has worn many hats in her 20 years working at DPD. She has worked at our day program, Gruenert Center, Wallace House group home and again at Gruenert as an Area Supervisor and then Plan Coordinator. The staff and clients alike loved Kris; she always brought a positive energy to the Center every day and was a team player in supporting the clients who worked at the Center. She knew what worked well and provided suggestions of where we could improve to make DPD even better in supporting the individuals at the Center. Kris became our go to person at the Center when there were tech issues with computers. She had a knack for fixing these issues and helping staff to get their work done, documenting on service plans.
Kris was described by a peer as someone with a strong work ethic, always ready to help, a perfectionist, she makes others feel important – staff and clients alike, raises the morale of those around her, a hard worker always looking for new ways to do her job, gives 100% in all she does and has a great rapport with all the individuals she supports. She is loving and kind, she never says no. Everyone loves Kris. An employee Kris supervises remarked that Kris cares deeply for the individuals DPD serves and, in return, is loved by the individuals and is treated like a rock star when she walks into a room. Words like advocate, caring and understanding also describe Kris. She makes anyone she works with feel important and gives her time when asked. She is a great trainer and is patient with all.
As fee for service approached, DPD implemented Foothold’s software to document on plans in preparation for billing in the new system. Kris had a great understanding of the software and became a leader and trainer on our implementation team. At the same time, Kris became DPD’s first Support Coordinator. Kris formed important relationships with all her participants and their families. One family member recalled that when her son was in the hospital Kris visited to offer emotional support. And when he was moved to hospice, Kris was there to offer a shoulder to cry on, to give words of encouragement and to pray with the mom. She is viewed by the family as a blessing and offered great comfort during a very difficult time.
As the program quickly grew, Kris stepped into her new role as a SC Supervisor. The program has grown tremendously with over 200 participants being supported today by seven employees under Kris’ supervision as the Director of Support Coordination.
Kris continues to be an active trainer for DPD’s residential and day program staff, supporting all to write measurable implementation strategies related to their new ISP’s. She works to ensure all plans are documented properly to achieve accurate and timely billing in fee for service. Without Kris, our program staff would be lost and our transition to fee for service would not have been nearly as successful as it has been thus far.
Kris is an active member of the Foothold users group in NJ, which includes at least 20 provider agencies. She is often looked to by her peers for guidance on best practice and implementation of various documentation forms and strategies. She is also an active member of NJACP’s Support Coordination committee and collaborates with many Support Coordination agencies to identify issues in the system and to provide solutions and suggestions of how we move the system forward.
Our staff and service recipients all hold Kris in high regard and often remark that they would not be where they are today without her support and teamwork. Furthermore, if you were to poll agency staff from other providers in the state, many would know of Kris’ commitment to excellence and her positive attitude, even when faced with an ever changing system, with many challenges to overcome.
The DD field in New Jersey is a better system due to Kris’ contributions and we at DPD are very proud of her contributions to all the people we support at DPD and beyond!