Karlah Paul Promoted to Residential Services Program Director
We are pleased to announce that Karlah Paul has been promoted to Residential Program Director! Her promotion comes with the recent restructuring of our Residential Services Program, which took place earlier this year. Karlah steps into this role after serving as Program Director of Teens Learning Choices. She recently spoke with us about what her new responsibilities and goals will be, and what she’s looking forward to.
Please describe your new role.
There are two parts to my role. The first is to support both group homes in general and all that it entails from referrals, supervision and training, to inventory and budgeting, to team building activities and outings, and more. Primarily, I will support the Program Managers to ensure the group homes run effectively and that we remain in compliance with our policies and procedures so we’re always providing quality care. Working with the leadership team, I will set new goals and best practices for the residential program.
Working with my team, I will also develop a new training series specific to our residential program so that staff in both of our group homes are trained in the same practices and procedures we believe in. This training series will help to ensure we’re meeting licensing requirements, providing the best service we can to the residents, and support staff in their professional and personal development. I also hope our new trainings will create more collaboration between our homes, which operated independently for some many years before our restructure.
Can you tell us more about your goals for creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive program?
When people think about the group homes, they think we’re diverse because we’re mostly staff of color. But when you look at us there’s not much actual diversity with the exception of age and experience. I would like to hire more people of different backgrounds and ethnicities and expand our language capacity. For example, I know we have two residents in both homes who are native Spanish speakers. However, we don’t necessarily have Spanish-speaking counselors who can help them if they need support. So having staff who can speak various languages and can bring different perspectives and cultures is very important.
I believe creating a better work environment starts with leadership being intentional about who we’re hiring. We're trying to be more inclusive of other cultures and identities in hiring, and we’re trying to hire people who will help us move in a progressive direction and overall understands and takes action on our mission.
Do you have an overall goal for yourself at Bridges Homeward?
I have a few!
To have a more unified, organized work environment and space within the residential program. I want staff to be able to depend on each other in a professional capacity, and overall, to just be happy to come into work and genuinely enjoy what they do. Improving staff morale is a top priority but also assessing people’s strengths and bringing them out so it can be used while on the floor.
To strengthen myself as a supervisor, and to further develop myself personally and professionally. My goal is to be patient with myself and others. To meet my goals and consistently be challenged and supported by the team. I have an open-door policy with communication and transparency. I think that will help strengthen bonds over time.
To be creative, try new things, and allow staff the space to voice what they want to see. I want to give counselors more of a voice in our program. They're on the floor every day, so they see things I don’t get to see. This also fits with my goal of being more intentional and inclusive when it comes to staff.
What are you looking forward to doing in your new role?
I’m looking forward to the milestones and important moments our residents will experience: the graduations, the trips to Six Flags, laughter around the dinner table, the Thanksgiving and Christmas events we host over the holidays. The trips that residents could go on went away with COVID, so I'm looking forward to bringing those back and having our homes go on trips together. It’s easy to talk about the stressors and the chaos that will come during the restructuring process but being able to experience the ups and downs from beginning to end is what I look forward to.
Plus, I’m excited to work with my team! I have a really strong leadership team. I feel extremely supported in this process, and I’m excited to see what great work comes from this. Getting everyone together and on the same page will be a challenge, but I believe it’s a process that will help stretch the leadership team but also see who sticks around and will push through the hard times.
Do you have a philosophy or motto with which you approach your work?
I do! “Do what you love and love what you do.” I believe that anywhere you go, if you do what you love and love what you do, you’ll never feel like you’re actually working. You’ll love to wake up every day and tackle it. I genuinely enjoy what I do.