Amari Bates – Michigan Direct Support Professional of the Year
Amari has a great relationship with her clients and fellow employees. She is a hard worker who promotes a welcoming environment for clients and treats them like family. Amari has gained the trust of her clients and their families, understands that each person has individual needs and goals, and tailors her engagement with each person. She ensures that their needs are met and goes the extra mile to get the clients’ input about what they want for their home and what activities they enjoy.
Amari works hard to establish trust with her clients. She has developed a relationship with a client with autism to help them excel in specific personal tasks they could not do independently before moving into the program. Another client struggled with visits out in the community and picking up things that didn’t belong to them. She suggested that the client take her favorite stuffed animal with them on outings. That suggestion helped the client focus on keeping track of their stuffed animal and remove the focus on picking up items that didn’t belong to them.
Amari advocates for her clients to live in a non-judgmental environment. She promotes a welcoming, can-do environment and leads by example with a smile. She has an easygoing spirit that clients seem to gravitate towards, which shows in their reactions when she is around.
