by Kathryn Moery
You may be familiar with the term DSP, or Direct Service Professional, but what exactly is a BSP? Far from being a typo, a Behavior Support Personnel (BSP) is a specially trained staff member whose role is to help individuals engage more successfully with their environment. BSPs provide targeted support that enables residents to participate more fully in daily life and activities.
To become a BSP, individuals must first complete certification as a Direct Service Professional (DSP). This foundational training covers essential areas, including safety care, verbal de-escalation, physical management, and proactive intervention techniques.
Misericordia will be celebrating Nurses’ Week from May 5 – 9. The nursing staff includes:
Nurses/Nurse Practitioners/Nursing Secretaries who manage the day-to-day health of the residents and provide campus-wide care 24/7, 365 days a year. There are over 140 nurses, including LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses), RNs (Registered Nurses) and BSNs (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
We are asking that families write notes of thanks and appreciation to the staff and email them to
Please note:
Heart & Soil, our new composting and employment opportunity program, is operated by Misericordia residents alongside their dedicated staff. The composting team has launched their services to the Misericordia community.
Please note, the program is currently operating in a limited radius and participation eligibility is limited by how much ground they can cover per day. People can share their info on the initial sign-up form to help the program determine if they are within our operation radius. They plan to expand that radius as they grow and more sign-ups outside of their current radius will help determine potential expansion.
Thank you again to the more than 400 families and friends of Misericordia who set up a 2025 giving page and to the hundreds who collected donations in their communities. We continue to see an outpouring of support – having received more than 9,000 online donations – and are so grateful.
If you have not had a chance to set up your giving page or have not emailed your page out to all your friends and family, there is still time. We will keep our Candy Days Giving Site open until July 1. For instructions on how to set up your page, please visit:
General Information Email:
Volunteers Needed: sign up at links below
Congratulations to our very own Fr. Bart Winters, recipient of the Sister Katie Visionary Award at this year's Lumiere Gala for Marillac Saint Vincent. A very well deserved recognition and we are so grateful he is now apart of the Misericordia Family!
The Misericordia Gift Shop is hosting an event open to the Misericordia Staff. At this event, items in the gift shop inventory will be sold at a significant discount as a sign of appreciation to all of our incredible Staff Members.
Volunteers are needed to set up the sale on Monday (5/12), Tuesday (5/13) and Wednesday (5/14). On Thursday (5/15) and Friday (5/16), the days of the sale, volunteers are also needed. Many aspects of volunteering will involve lifting and moving around, so please wear comfy shoes and be prepared for a bit of manual labor!
Click here to review the available slots and sign up.
by Barb Quaintance
Misericordia needs many new staff to not only fill vacancies, but to staff the new residences at Rosemary Park. Human Resources is hard at work recruiting staff and training them on their job responsibilities and the culture of Misericordia.
When DSPs and Qs are hired, they are hired for a specific residential area. Then, all direct care staff—DSPs, Qs, DT Instructors—go through a four-week new staff orientation, conducted by Misericordia’s Staff Development team. The most recent classes had 55 participants. Here’s what’s covered in the orientation:
The MFA General Meeting was held last Sunday, April 13, 2025, in the Jean Marie Ryan Center at Misericordia. The meeting was well attended. We were given valuable information from Father Jack and senior staff about current and future initiatives and plans. We elected a slate of new and continuing MFA Board members.
For those who were unable to attend, please click the play button on the image to watch the meeting.
Deborah and Scott Early, MFA Chairs
by Linda Buchalo
As part of the Misericordia community, we know that groups from all over the country look to Misericordia as the model for caring for people with disabilities. In fact, some families have relocated to the Chicago area for the express purpose of having their children reside at Misericordia Home. What makes this place so special?
At its very core, the culture of Misericordia is driven by five specific values, which are exemplified by residents, staff, families, and the organization itself. These values, collectively known as A Community of Believers, make Misericordia the community that it is—a group of individuals connected by common beliefs and values.
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