The Buddy Program Continues To Support New DSPs At Mountain Lake Services

Posted on September 2, 2025

In September 2022, CQL featured Mountain Lake Services for the Buddy Program, which pairs new Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) with veteran DSPs. This initiative provides new staff with training, mentorship, and support to help ensure they are prepared and successful in their role. During National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week in 2025, we’re checking in with Mountain Lake Services for an update about the Buddy Program.

Submitted By: Harold K. Sammis, Mountain Lake Services

Since 2022, the Mountain Lake Services Buddy Program has been putting forth an effort to retain staff while promoting teamwork and leadership. The program’s goals are to ensure that all new Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) have someone to talk to and receive advice and guidance during their first year of employment. This program would not be possible without the continued support of our administration, Executive Director, and Board of Directors. 

Through the Buddy Program, we have aimed to ensure new Direct Support Professionals have a better understanding of their workplace systems, processes, and culture. New employees are connected with dynamic, veteran Direct Support Professionals who go through a rigorous selection process and training. This program goes above and beyond training, providing the new employees with a support network that ensures their continued success throughout their first year of employment. The program is meant to lay the building blocks for a successful career as a Direct Support Professional. 

The Impact Of The Buddy Program

The Buddy Program has benefited new Direct Support Professionals by giving them a professional resource for common questions and guidance, as well as help with a variety of tasks such as understanding our payroll systems, navigating our technological processes, and learning how to communicate concerns through appropriate channels. Our overall satisfaction rate from new employees that have completed the program is well over 90%. Our overall retention rate for the program has varied over the last three years, but has successfully remained between 75%-90% for new employees who were enrolled in the program. 

Over the past few years, we have also improved our data collection from the program as we have reimagined forms to better analyze data from them. This includes our Buddy and new employee surveys, which are completed by both the Buddy and the new employee after their first six months, and again after one year of service. Comments have included: 

• “My Buddy has assisted me with finding outlets to help me succeed in my personal/home life which has helped me be there 100% mentally in my job.” 

• “My Buddy has been wonderful from the start. She was very helpful with the computer(programs) and giving me information I needed to do my job.” 

• “Very Helpful! My Buddy is the reason I’m still here!” 

In addition to the impact on new employees we have also seen a significant impact on the Buddies themselves. Over the past three years we have had six Buddies promoted into management positions, and all have been very successful in their new roles. To better support the Buddies in retaining new Direct Support Professionals, we have also developed training each quarter on specific topics, benefiting the Buddy and the new Direct Support Professionals. Some of these topics include trauma informed approaches, professional communication, corporate culture change, and leadership. This has increased their knowledge of how to support and interact with new employees, management, and other stakeholder groups. 

The Buddy Program has collaborated with Residential and Human Resources teams to provide an improved information flow for new employees, addressing issues or questions which involve their respective departments. 

Confronting Challenges

Over the last three years we have also had challenges. Addressing issues emerging from the pandemic, coupled with a challenging employment landscape, we have worked on evolving to meet the challenges in our field. This includes specifically focusing on retaining and acclimating a new generation of Direct Support Professionals to an ever evolving and changing field. 

We were able to provide feedback to stakeholders across the agency based on data gathered from the Buddy Program. It aids in evaluating the effectiveness of multiple retention strategies, at times providing additional information not available through other mechanisms. This has helped to speed up processes and give additional information regarding retention and operational issues that can be addressed in a timelier fashion.’

Replicating The Buddy Program

We have had the opportunity to share our successes at several conferences in New York over the past few years and have been able to provide technical knowledge and assistance to many other agencies who have been interested in implementing similar programs. We have provided forms, guides, and support to help spread our concept to others in the field. Some of these include the development of compensation plans based on our model, quarterly training layout, and selection of relevant topics and tools to assess the program’s effectiveness and data analysis. 

We are preparing to train a new generation of Buddies, some of whom have participated in the program as new employees. We are looking at continuing our learning and evolution to meet the needs of Mountain Lake Services and our new Direct Support Professionals going into the future. 

About Mountain Lake Services

As the Chapter of The Arc New York in Essex County, the history of Mountain Lake Services is one of evolution, expansion and individual focus. Beginning in 1967 with 15 North Country citizens concerned with the lack of supports for people with disabilities, deciding to form a committee to address these needs, continuing with the opening of Essex Industries and local group homes in 1974, never looking back from that time forward, Mountain Lake Services is a fascinating story with many chapters, many highlights, all involving inclusion, independence, and success. Mountain Lakes Services’ mission is to partner with people of all abilities to live their very best lives. Its vision is to be an inspirational model for advancing people’s journey through excellence, innovation, and connections.

You can learn more about Mountain Lake Services by visiting the organization’s website: https://mountainlakeservices.org/ 

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Since 1969, CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership has been a leader in working with human service organizations and systems to continuously define, measure, and improve quality of life and quality of services for youth, adults, and older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. CQL offers accreditation, training, certification, research, and consultation services to agencies that share our vision of dignity, opportunity, and community for all people.