Best Bean in Oklahoma

By Mary Anglin

(Oklahoma City, OK) Before his passing, Dennis Bean was the director of quality assurance for the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD), leaving his mark as a man dedicated to helping individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. He worked to provide direction and support to area providers, like ResCare Oklahoma, through programs, policy development and oversight.

DDSD Director James “Jim” Nicholson presented DSP Virginia Whitman with the Dennis Bean Quality Service Award for Provider Agency Employee of the Year. Ms. Whitman was unaware that she had been nominated and expressed surprise and delight to receive the honor.

The DDSD created an award in Mr. Bean’s honor, which is given to the ‘best beans’ in Oklahoma. These are persons who, just like Mr. Bean, demonstrate excellence, originality and commitment in supporting people with developmental disabilities to lead full and productive lives.

An example of such an outstanding professional was found under the roof of a ResCare Oklahoma home. A ResCare employee for five years, Direct Support Professional Virginia Whitman won the Dennis Bean Quality Service Award for Provider Agency Employee of the Year.

Program Coordinator, and Ms. Whitman’s supervisor, Kari Ait Moussa submitted the nomination.

“Virginia does not see her job as a job, but as family,” Ms. Moussa wrote on the nomination form. “When an individual’s mother became ill and was in the hospital, Virginia stepped in and stayed with the individual for a week and made the individual’s routine feel as normal as possible.”

Ms. Whitman said she did it because, “I just knew there was no one else that would step up and do that. I knew that I could stay. I knew they needed me.”

Ms. Moussa went on to note that Ms. Whitman leads by example.

“She initiates the work to better serve the individual that we provide service to,” she wrote. “She is a team player and knows that it takes all members of an individual’s team to give her the best quality of life.”

Ms. Whitman was honored on Sept. 25 at the Annual DDSD Fall Conference in Oklahoma City. She shyly accepted recognition for her achievement.

“I’m just an everyday, ordinary person,” she said. “You don’t have to dig down deep to find caring.”

Her co-worker, Habilitation Training Specialist Barbara Berry, wouldn’t let Ms. Whitman be so modest. She asked to interrupt. She wanted Ms. Whitman to own her Dennis Bean Quality Service Award.

“I do not believe the individual Virginia cares for would be alive today if she wasn’t loved like she is,” Ms. Berry said. “It’s amazing to everybody that the individual does as well as she does. It’s due to the staff and it’s due to ResCare.”