When Mack Beatty walked through Kerr’s doors for his first day as a Direct Support Professional (DSP), he was returning to a place that had played an important role in his life.
Twelve years earlier, at age 13, Mack came to Kerr, where he received support in a group home. Now, at 25, he’s beginning his career as a DSP. “I always saw myself coming back in some way, shape, or form,” Mack says. “But becoming a DSP was something I really needed to be intentional about.”
After leaving Kerr, Mack built his career and became involved in advocacy. Over time, he realized he missed working directly with people. “I missed my passion,” he says. “I missed the joy of changing people’s lives, helping people, and really being at the ground level.”
Choosing to become a DSP wasn’t a decision he made lightly. “I wanted to be sure I could enter this side of it professionally, maintain strong boundaries, and come to work and be the best me I can be.”
Some of the people who supported him remain part of his life today. “I have DSPs that I had when I was 13 that I still talk to today,” he shares. “I know the impact a good DSP can have on someone’s life. Having a strong workforce that truly cares is crucial.”
Mack credits the support and opportunities he had along the way with helping him find direction and believe in himself. “The support staff I had, the opportunities I had in the community, and the chance to grow helped me find my confidence and my sense of purpose.”
Today, those experiences continue to shape the way he approaches his work. “Every person’s different. Every person likes different things. Every person has different strengths and different struggles.” For Mack, one lesson has stayed with him over the years. “DSPs work in the residents’ home,” he says. “They don’t live where we work. We work where they live.”
His years in self-advocacy have reinforced that philosophy. “In the self-advocacy world, we have a saying: ‘Nothing about us without us,'” Mack shares. “That’s central to person-centered support. Having people’s voices in conversations and decisions, and hearing and amplifying those voices is really important.”
When asked what he hopes the people he supports experience, his answer was simple. “That sense of safety, continuity, and compassion is so important,” he says. “Being that steady support for them is huge.”
Today, he’s looking forward to making that same kind of difference for others. “Kerr is such a great place. It has so much history, so much growth, and being able to be a part of that growth is really important to me,” he says. “They helped change my life, and I want to do the same for others.”