MAINSTAY LIFE SERVICES
Enriching Lives. Unlocking Potential.
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
People with developmental disabilities will live within a community that sustains them and benefits from their participation.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Residential
With dozens of homes across Allegheny County and Washington County, Mainstay supports more than 100 people through specialized homes that help encourage independence, ensure safety and security, and enhance quality of life for people with behavioral health needs, physical disabilities, and autism.
Community Services
SUPPORTED LIVING: Services include health maintenance, wellness activities, meal preparation, decision making, home and personal resources management, and self-care. Other services included are mobility, transportation, socialization, and participating in community activities.
IN-HOME AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Partnering with a person in their home/community setting, we support people as they acquire, maintain, and improve the skills necessary to live more independently and participate meaningfully in their civic life.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION SUPPORT (CPS): CPS helps people as they discover opportunities for community inclusion, build their interests, and develop skills. It encourages active and valued participation in a range of activities and is done in the context of their desired outcomes.
LIFE SHARING: People invite/welcome a person into their home to live in a shared, supportive environment. Life Sharing Partners can be a family member, a family friend, or a community member.
Prader-Willi Syndrome Supports
PWS is a rare genetic disorder that causes insatiable hunger. When not controlled, PWS can lead to excessive eating and life-threatening obesity. As the region’s only provider that specializes in Prader-Willi Syndrome supports, Mainstay is proud to help those who are living with PWS live their best lives as they choose.
Employment Supports
Mainstay provides a person-centered approach to job development and on-the-job support for people with ID/A. After a desired position is obtained, Mainstay helps the person to onboard and learn the job. The goal of Mainstay’s employment supports is to fade away and promote job independence.
Behavioral and Clinical Supports
Behavioral support provides people with strategies that can address any barrier to the person living their best life. Clinical support is provided to people who are seeking help in overcoming barriers to integration into their home, community, or coping with daily life. In July 2022, Mainstay became licensed as a Behavioral Health Clinic to offer specialized therapeutic supports.
Technology Supports
Mainstay is dedicated to using the power of digital connection to enrich lives and unlock potential — whether that’s through medication dispensers, electric bikes, remote supports, and more. To help support its commitment to championing innovations that bridge the gap between people supported and technology that meets their needs, Mainstay has developed relationships with the following organizations: StationMD for telehealth services; Wellbridge Health for virtual coaching for wellness, prevention, and health monitoring; SafeinHome for remote supports; LifeSherpa for employment supports.
Additional Services
Special Needs Pooled Trust: The Trust protects funds for the future while maintaining benefits and facilitating long-term planning. Once a Trust account is opened, the funds may be used for things such as: classes, clothes, medical needs not covered by SSI, tickets, pet supplies, therapy, vacation, and so much more.
Benefits Counseling: Through Benefits Counseling, a person with a disability will receive one-on-one support as they plan and develop their employment goals. Benefits Counseling is individualized to reflect each person's interests, and their financial and independence goals.
Where we work
Awards
Top Nonprofit 2014
Great Nonprofits
Top Work Places 2018
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Top Work Places 2019
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Top Work Places 2020
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Top Work Places 2021
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Top Work Places 2021
Top Work Places USA
Purpose & Values 2022
Top Work Places
Nonprofit Industry 2022
Top Work Places
Top Rated Nonprofit 2022
Great Nonprofits
Top Work Places 2023
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of persons served by all progams
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We aim to grow the number of people supported. NOTE: the decrease from 2020 to 2021 is attributable to closing the summer camp program during the pandemic. The camp is permanently closed.
Awarded Top Workplace.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
A sign of staff engagement that supports recruitment / retention is performance on the annual Energage Top Workplace Survey. 1=Yes (aim to maintain); 0=No; NOTE: We received the award again in 2023.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
At Mainstay Life Services, our dedicated staff supports the need to succeed. We're an exceptional group of people with a very special goal: To help people with developmental disabilities live life to their fullest potential by providing the specialized support they need to turn their dreams into reality.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We offer a variety of meaningful programs that are tailored to individual needs. Everyone we support has the opportunity to actively participate in community life based on their own personal needs and desires. Our programs include: Residential Care, Home and Community Supports, Prader-Willi Syndrome Support, Life Sharing, and Specialized Support and Education.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The history of Mainstay is based upon the stories of two exceptional organizations working together toward one common goal. Horizon Homes Inc. and Idlewood Center, both established in the late 1960's and both pioneers in providing home support for people with developmental disabilities in Allegheny County, came together in 1999 to from Mainstay. Led by a small group of parents, family members and community leaders, these two organizations offered safe havens for children and adults with developmental disabilities and gave them the opportunity to enjoy more self-determined lives within a neighborhood setting. Today, Mainstay supports over 350 people and is recognized as one of the top providers in the region.
Mainstay boasts higher employee retention rates than its peers, which leads to consistency in service provision and reduced recruiting costs. Nearly 30% of staff has seniority of 10+ years and 14% more than 20 years.
Over the last 20 years, Mainstay has moved to home ownership as a financial model, ensuring fiscal soundness. This has enabled the organization to maintain the highest quality service at a cost lower than or at the average per diem rate. Mainstay's future in its core programming and financial viability is assured due to the government mandates and funding stream availability to help serve those with disabilities.
In terms of administrative capability, Mainstay has implemented revised personnel policies, pay plan and benefits, operational policies and procedures, and has amended its vision, mission and values statements. These modifications provide a solid base for future decision-making and management of external critical issues. Computer hardware and software has been integrated into Mainstay's programs and management. An intranet system allows staff to work jointly on projects by using the computer's common file sharing. Mainstay ranks high among nonprofits utilizing technology. This success has allowed the organization to increase efficiencies while maintaining personalized attention to programs and issues that arise.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Mainstay's primary accomplishment is the ability to provide the assistance needed to develop each person's full potential for community participation, inclusion, and personal development. Mainstay offers programs and support with sensitivity, respect, dignity, compassion, and responsiveness to individual needs, while focusing on quality outcomes. Mainstay collaborates with numerous agencies to assure the maximum potential of each person served. The organization continues to focus on its history and core mission of lifetime care through the provision of quality services. This program focus, along with Mainstay's commitment to personally serve each client, has afforded the organization a robust and stable client base.
According to the most recently released Chatham University's Independent Monitoring for Quality survey, Mainstay provides quality services. Consumer interviewees reported satisfaction with the performance of staff, the services they receive, and their lives. Respondents' quality of life exceeds the averages of other human service agencies across Allegheny County and Pennsylvania.
Because of its good work, Mainstay has been:
Named the Most Meaningful Place to Work by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in addition to being recognized as a Top Workplace for the fourth time.
One of just a handful of Pittsburgh nonprofits to be awarded Top Nonprofit status by Great Nonprofits.
One of several selected nonprofits to complete the Bayer Center's BoardsWork! at no cost.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
MAINSTAY LIFE SERVICES
Board of directorsas of 10/31/2023
Mr. Jack Ryan
Henderson Brothers
Jack Ryan
Henderson Brothers, Inc.
James Gemperle
Alcoa, Inc. (Retired)
Marvin Gold
Fundraising Consultant
Judith Hulick
Teacher (Retired)
Thomas Junker
Bucey & Junker
John Lovelace
UPMC
Robert O'Gara
Point Park University
Richard Swartz
Bloomfield-Garfield Corp.
Janna Chiurazzi Young
Campbell's
Linda Zane
Slippery Rock University
Lauren Zetts
Covestro
Rebekah Herman
PNC
Traysean Harris
Advocate
Suzanne Ross
TIAA (Retired)
Peter Fleming
Wilke & Associates LLP
Rosemarie Cooper
University of Pittsburgh
Mahmood (Mike) Usman
Beacon Health Options of PA
Reid Wolfe
Achieva (Retired)
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/31/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.