Dee Hiatt, the Colorado state director for Dungarvin, knows that everyone’s rights, dreams and aspirations are equal and worth protecting – even if everyone doesn’t have an equal playing field.
Dungarvin is a national company that provides individualistic support services to individuals that need it, including residential services, day services, supported employment, supported foster care, children’s services, respite care and providing host homes.
The company has been serving the Wheat Ridge/Lakeside communities since the 1990s.
“We make sure everybody’s rights and everybody’s choices are respected and supported, just like everybody else,” Hiatt said. “Someone is advocating for them, and we make sure their health is in check. But the big emphasis is on the choice, dignity and respect of these individuals.”
Those individuals could be adults with disabilities, children and their families, those struggling with mental or behavioral health challenges, and even those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
It’s all about providing a tailored, individualistic approach to each person in care, and providing support and oversight so that they can accomplish what they want in life.
“Really, the heart of what we do is to say, ‘Hey, what do you want? What kind of goals do you have? What do you want to do or who do you want to work for?’” Hiatt said. “And really make sure that they have every single opportunity to voice that and work toward that.”
Sometimes these goals might be financial goals, personal goals, or to reach a point where they can live by themselves and thrive in their independence.
“Just because you have a disability – whatever kind – it’s just part of the human condition. You deserve and can be a part of the community. You have the right to guide your own life, make your own decisions. Part of what we do is make sure you can do that with whatever support you need and nobody else is taking away your rights to do that,” she said.
Hiatt said she’d like the community to be more aware of what Dungarvin does and she encourages them to participate if they are interested.
It could directly impact and change local lives, including yours.
“That’s the thing I don’t think people know about,” she said. “There are opportunities to make money, care for people, give back, all that stuff. I feel like we have a huge impact on the people we serve. I can’t tell you how dedicated our employees are to the people that we serve. Again, any time of day, they’re there. And they are passionate about it. I have employees who have been doing this for 25 years, 10 years, 12 years, 16, 18 years. This is what they do. It’s more than a job; it’s where they find purpose.”
Dungarvin is located at 4704 Harlan St. For more information, visit https://www.dungarvin.com/about-us/.
