A Summer In Action: Highlights from Peaceful Living

Medicaid Update

Peaceful Living provides Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) through Medicaid dollars, and like many of you, we have been closely following the news regarding the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) from the beginning of debate through passage. The OBBBA is the enactment of President Trump’s budget priorities and includes roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next 10 years amongst other changes. History and research show that federal cuts to Medicaid tend to lead to state cuts in HCBS funding and programs (Health Affairs). 

Broadly, many changes in the OBBBA are not effective immediately and will not begin until around roughly the time of the mid-term elections next year.  Between now and that time, we will be keeping an ear out for the detailed rule-making that will instruct how these changes take effect in detail.  For those interested, the Kaiser Family Foundation has a tracker that details the implementation of the bill.

One area of major concern to providers like Peaceful Living is limits or reductions in funding for Medicaid services through limits and reductions to “Provider Taxes”.  These are healthcare-related taxes implemented by states to supplement funding from the federal government for Medicaid-authorized services (Kaiser Family Foundation).  Because Pennsylvania is a Medicaid Expansion state, it will now be required to reduce provider taxes by 0.5% each year until it is at 3.5% from the current Provider Tax rate of 6%.

Other provisions that we are monitoring are increased administrative burden for Medicaid enrollment (Congressional Budget Office Director’s Letter), disruption to rules scheduled to take effect intended to make enrollment easier, and cost sharing requirements for Medicaid expansion recipients that would require copays for health care services.  We are also watching changes to work requirements in the bill during final rule making; however, the bill does state that medically frail individuals, including adults with intellectual disabilities, are exempt from the requirements.

To plan for the future, Peaceful Living is critically examining our current operations and working to streamline processes and organizational structure to increase efficiency and make the best use of our company talent and resources.  We are considering paths for greater revenue generation as we head toward Performance Based Contracting. We continue to connect with PAR, ANCOR, and other sources to understand the bill’s impact, inform our advocacy, and guide our decision making. 

• Affiliation with Friendship Community

  We are grateful that many of you have been able to meet Mary Ellen Farber, Peaceful Living and Friendship Community’s CEO, at our meet-and-greet event and through other opportunities. With that said, we have received some questions about Peaceful Living’s affiliation with Friendship Community and wanted to clarify the agencies’ relationship.

  Peaceful Living has contracted with Friendship Community under a shared services agreement for two positions: a CEO and a CFO. The shared services agreement was put into place primarily to provide leadership support and expertise to Peaceful Living, but also to give time to explore what further affiliation might look like between Peaceful Living and Friendship Community. The agreement is for one year, which started in May 2025. As we march forward, leaders and board members from both organizations will continue to critically examine what opportunities exist that would ultimately strengthen both organizations in our joint missions of serving people with intellectual disabilities.

• Staff and Parent Meeting Updates

  Mary Ellen and Matt will be taking time to visit each of our programs in person to meet with staff and families. It is also a goal is to give families the chance to connect with Peaceful Living leadership, especially those who may not yet know in their new roles like Dan Ulrich, Tenika Christian, and Efrem Holmes.

  Here are the dates we have lined up:

  • Monday, 8/25 – Creative Gifts Indian Valley and Family Services, at Creative Gifts Indian Valley

  • Monday, 9/22 – Residential, at the main offices

  • Thursday, 10/9 – Creative Gifts Delco

  • Tuesday, 10/14 – Creative Gifts Peace Valley

  Staff meetings will take place at 3:30 p.m., followed by family meetings at 6:30 p.m. Parents and families be on the lookout for individual meeting invitations with a link to register for these meetings.

  We also hosted a well-attended Parent and Family Town Hall in July, and we thank the families who participated in the follow-up survey. We’ve carefully reviewed the feedback and are moving toward a quarterly meeting structure that will allow us to provide more frequent updates and focus on key topics of interest to families.

  Future meetings will incorporate suggested topics from the survey responses, along with updates on the current happenings at Peaceful Living.

• Programmatic Updates

  Family Services
  We are excited to announce we have two new members who are joining our program this August! It will be nice to have new faces in our HUB community.

  We also have started a new volunteer opportunity at the Souderton Police Department. Our individuals very much enjoy visiting and spending time with the building manager, Sara. From this volunteer opportunity, we have been asked to share more on Peaceful Living’s mission with the Souderton community in the Souderton Borough Newsletter, stay tuned!

  We also will soon be participating in pottery lessons at Engage Art Studios. We look forward to continued growth and experiences to come as the Family Services team works very hard to give the best experience possible.

  Residential
  As you may remember, we opened a new home last quarter to better serve one of our current residents. The home opened in April, and thanks to the dedication of our Residential team, the transition was smooth, and the vacancy was filled the following month. We’re so proud to have welcomed a new individual to Shalom, who is now working on integrating into one of our Creative Gifts Day Programs for the first time, having never attended a day program before. This has been an exciting opportunity for her, and staff has been supportive throughout all the change.

  Across our network of homes, all are now supported by full-time supervisors and two Residential Managers, each overseeing six homes. This structure ensures consistent oversight, strong communication, and ongoing support for staff and the individuals we serve.

  Peace Valley
  This summer at Creative Gifts Peace Valley has been full of new experiences and fun seasonal activities. We kicked things off with two summer barbecues, complete with outdoor picnic activities like water games and fun with our huge parachute. A special highlight was a visit from a talented baker who had appeared on a Kids Food Network bake-off show—our group loved decorating cupcakes alongside him.

  We also enjoyed a trip to the fish hatchery, followed by a fishing outing at a Quakertown campground, where we wrapped up the day by making s’mores around the campfire.

  In July, several of our Peace Valley friends visited “The Wall That Heals,” the traveling Vietnam veterans memorial. They were able to watch the impressive procession of firetrucks, police vehicles, and motorcyclists, and were especially thrilled to see the Huey Helicopter up close.

  Indian Valley
  This quarter’s highlight was our Memorial Day Picnic, which brought together individuals and their families for an afternoon of food, fun, and connection. It was wonderful to see families engaging with one another, sharing stories, and building relationships that strengthen the sense of community at Creative Gifts Indian Valley. The event was filled with smiles and laughter!

  Delco
  Our Delco team is proud to announce that they are hosting their first-ever Community Day celebration on Friday, August 22nd. This event will bring together families, staff, and community partners for a day of connection and celebration.

• Staff Updates

  This quarter, our Talent Tuesday hiring initiative proved to be a great success, bringing over 20 new staff members to Peaceful Living. While we continue to have staff vacancies at all our programs, the number of openings has decreased significantly.

  Another staffing point of pride is that we are fully staffed in all our management roles from our Directors through to our Program Specialists in our three service lines and every role in between. These improvements in staffing help strengthen our programs, enhance consistency for the individuals we support, and position us well for continued growth and stability in the months ahead.

• Electronic Health Record (EHR) Update

  Peaceful Living continues to make steady progress on the rollout of our Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, iCareManager. This system will improve documentation, streamline coordination, and ultimately allow staff to spend more time on direct support.

  To date, all individual demographic information has been successfully loaded into the system. We have also begun loading ISP (Individual Support Plan) information, which includes each person’s specific goals and outcomes. This step of the process is crucial, as it is the foundation for documenting the services we deliver and tracking individual progress.

  In addition, we are now using the EHR’s Admissions module to track new individual referrals. This data will help us meet the reporting requirements of the state’s new Performance Based Contracting initiative.

  Behind the scenes, our team is working to build data connections between the EHR and existing systems including Human Resources, Finance, and Pharmacy. These connections will minimize duplicate data entry, simplify staff onboarding and payroll, and ensure residential individuals' medication records remain accurate and up to date.

• 25th Anniversary Celebration Update

  Our 25th Anniversary Celebration will take place on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at the Holiday Inn in Lansdale, PA. This special evening will celebrate 25 years of belonging and look ahead to Peaceful Living’s exciting future.

  We are currently working with our corporate sponsors to ensure the event is a meaningful celebration of our mission and the people we support. Please continue checking your email and following us on social media for the latest updates.

  Follow us here:
  Facebook: facebook.com/creatingbelonging
  Instagram: instagram.com/peacefullivingpa
  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/peacefullivingpa

• Residential Inspection Results

  Our most recent residential inspection in July was largely positive, with only minor violations noted. Most of the citations we received were related to training documentation.

  Overall, inspectors found our homes to be well-organized, and they noted that the individuals we support are proud of where they live. They even characterized the overall results as an A-, though there is no official grading system.

Transforming Care Together

Quarterly Update – April 2025

As we move into spring, Peaceful Living continues to make meaningful progress during this important season of transition and growth. With major initiatives underway and our 25th anniversary on the horizon, our focus remains on creating belonging by providing exceptional care, building strong teams, and planning boldly for the future.

We are pleased to share a significant update regarding our executive leadership. Peaceful Living has entered into a shared services agreement for executive services with Friendship Community, a respected provider based in Lititz, Pennsylvania, with more than 50 years of experience supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Friendship Community shares Peaceful Living’s Christ-centered mission and commitment to empowering individuals with IDD to live abundant lives rooted in dignity, purpose, and belonging.

As part of this collaboration, we are excited to welcome Mary Ellen Farber, CEO of Friendship Community, who will now provide executive oversight to Peaceful Living beginning May 1st, 2025. Mary Ellen brings extensive experience and a deep heart for service. She is a licensed Personal Care, Assisted Living, and Nursing Home Administrator and holds multiple degrees in Business and Organizational Leadership. Additionally, she serves as a board member of PAR (Pennsylvania Advocates and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities).

Her career has been dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, and she shares Peaceful Living’s vision for inclusive, supportive communities. With her passion for leadership, her gift for building strong teams, and her commitment to faith-driven service, Mary Ellen will compassionately support Peaceful Living’s mission and help guide our next chapter of growth and impact.

As part of this transition, Matt Ricci, who has faithfully served as our Chief Operating Officer, will become Executive Director of Peaceful Living. In this new role, Matt will continue to lead our daily operations and staff, ensuring continuity, stability, and mission alignment across the organization.

Meanwhile, Michelle Rassler will conclude her service to Peaceful Living at the end of May, helping Mary Ellen transition into her new role at Peaceful Living throughout the month. Afterwards, Michelle will continue to support Peaceful Living by serving on a newly formed advisory committee, comprised of board members from both Peaceful Living and Friendship Community, that will provide oversight and guidance for the shared services. We are deeply grateful for her leadership over the past several months and for her diligent work in guiding us during this time of transition for the organization.

To welcome Mary Ellen and support this new relationship with Friendship Community, we are working on plans for a meet-and-greet opportunity where families and caregivers can connect with Mary Ellen and members of Friendship Community’s Board. We look forward to sharing more details about this event in the coming weeks.

Beyond this new relationship, we remain actively focused on several key initiatives at Peaceful Living:

Maintaining Quality Care and Programming
We’re proud to report excellent licensing outcomes across our Creative Gifts Day Programs. Most recently, both Peace Valley and Indian Valley received perfect inspections — zero citations and high praise from licensing representatives. These achievements speak volumes about the consistency and quality of care being delivered each day.

Over the past three years, our Delaware County location has also earned three perfect inspections, while Indian Valley has had two in a row, with only one minor citation three years ago. Peace Valley’s progress has been notable too, culminating in this year’s flawless result following just one very small citation last year and a few minor ones the year before.

Our Residential Program has also shown steady improvement over the past three years. Inspections have become increasingly positive across multiple homes, reflecting the diligence of our staff and leadership to uphold quality standards, implement best practices, and proactively address areas of need. This dedication gave us confidence in opening our 12th home this quarter, Leidy House, to better serve one of our current residents. We are working diligently to fill the vacancy her absence has left in Shalom House.

These are the strongest results we’ve seen in years, and they are a testament to the incredible teamwork. Staff rally together across locations to support one another through inspection preparation, and it’s that spirit of collaboration that continues to drive such remarkable outcomes.

Mentoring and Supporting Our Team Members
Several internal leadership transitions have taken place recently, creating new opportunities for growth and development among our team. In the coming weeks, we’ll host in-person meet-and-greet opportunities to introduce new team members and provide families and caregivers with the opportunity to connect directly with those who will be working closely with their loved ones.

In addition to these changes, we’re actively developing a defined career ladder for our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). An important step toward improving staff retention, rewarding long-term commitment, and offering a clear pathway for advancement within Peaceful Living.

Stewardship of Resources
As we begin budget planning for the 2025–26 fiscal year, we remain committed to approaching this process with care, responsibility, and a deep understanding of Peaceful Living’s operations and financial structure. Thoughtful stewardship of our resources ensures we can continue to grow sustainably and support our mission well into the future.

Our Human Resources team has been actively supporting this goal through successful Talent Tuesday hiring events and is currently updating policies and incentives aimed at boosting staff retention. These efforts are essential to strengthening our team, enabling us to welcome more individuals in need of services, and helping to fill available spaces in our programs.

Exploring Growth Opportunities
An exciting development in this area is the upcoming launch of our new Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, which will modernize how we manage care, streamline documentation, and improve communication across care teams. Initial planning calls with our vendor, iCareManager, are already underway, and we look forward to rolling out this transformative project in phases over the coming months.

We’re also laying important groundwork for Peaceful Living’s future growth through thoughtful planning for our 25th Anniversary Celebration in December 2025. We are close to finalizing both a date and venue for this milestone event and look forward to bringing our community together to honor our history and cast a bold vision for the future.

We’re also thrilled for our next big milestone: Peaceful Living’s first-ever Day of Giving on May 8–9, 2025. This 24-hour fundraising celebration is all about participation—every gift, no matter the size, helps create belonging for the individuals and families we serve. To learn more and stay up to date on the event, you can follow along here.

Thank you for walking with us through this season of change with patience, hope, and steadfast support. The journey toward our 25th year is well underway, and with your partnership, we remain focused on the people, values, and future that matter most.

Please stay tuned for further communications about opportunities to meet the new leaders at Peaceful Living. These will be valuable opportunities for introductions and conversation as we continue to create belonging by building strong, trusted relationships around the individuals we serve.

With gratitude,

Steve Schwendy
Board President
Peaceful Living

Transitioning Into the New Year with Gratitude

When reflecting on 2024, we celebrate a year of great achievements at Peaceful Living. Our team delivered perfect inspections, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to quality care. We increased the caliber of services through staff credentialing initiatives, ensuring those we serve benefit from the best possible support. Additionally, our unified advocacy efforts contributed to a historic investment in IDD services through the Governor’s state budget—an incredible step forward for our community. These accomplishments reflect the dedication of our staff, the passion of our families, caregivers, and supporters, and the vision of our leadership.

With this in mind, we share news of an important leadership transition. After seven years of service at Peaceful Living, and the last two as CEO, Mike Czekner will be stepping down at the end of February 2025. Mike’s leadership has been characterized by a deep care for the men and women we serve, a commitment to building a strong team, and expert stewardship of the organization’s resources. The Board of Directors thanks Mike for his outstanding service, which has laid a foundation that will benefit the organization for years.

To ensure a smooth transition, we are pleased to announce that Michelle Rassler will move into the CEO position and serve as Interim CEO, effective February 10, 2025. Michelle joined our board in the fall of 2023 and brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, serving mission-focused senior living organizations for 25 years. You can learn more about her career on her LinkedIn profile. Michelle was selected by the Board for her expertise and history in guiding organizations through periods of transition. During this time, she and the Board will continue to collaborate with our partners at Mennonite Health Services (MHS) to strengthen Peaceful Living’s foundation and ensure a smooth transition.

The Board has asked Michelle to focus on four key areas:

1. Maintaining Quality Care and Programming: Ensuring that individuals continue to receive exceptional services and support.

2. Mentoring and Supporting Our Team Members: Strengthening our dedicated staff and fostering professional growth throughout the organization.

3. Continued Stewardship of Resources: Managing Peaceful Living’s assets responsibly to ensure long-term sustainability.

4. Exploring Areas for Growth: Identifying opportunities to increase the number of individuals we serve beyond the current 150 and broaden our overall impact.

We ask for your prayers for discernment as the year unfolds. This is an exciting time for Peaceful Living, with a significant milestone on the horizon as we prepare to celebrate our 25th anniversary in December 2025. The Board of Directors is deeply committed to guiding Peaceful Living through this period of transition, and this commitment includes maintaining open communication. You can expect quarterly updates to keep you informed of our progress and plans.

Thank you for your continued support, prayer, and partnership. Together, we will continue to create belonging and build a strong future for the individuals and families we serve.

Warm regards,

Steve Schwendy

Board President

Peaceful Living

Our Community: Jasmine Jackson

Jasmine Jackson

Lead DSP - Delco Creative Gifts

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Delaware County Pennsylvania.

What is your role at Peaceful Living, how did you come to the role you occupy now, and what is something that many may not know about what you do?

I started as a DSP at Peaceful Living in 2021, but now I’m currently a Lead Staff, serving the organization at our Delco location. Having been with Peaceful Living for soon to be four years, stepping into the Lead Staff role was a great opportunity! I've been able to accomplish a lot of my goals as a DSP and now can serve as a role model for my peers.



What is your favorite part of working at Peaceful Living?

My all-time favorite part is coming in to work to see all the beautiful smiles and laughter from my co-workers, but more so from the individuals I love to serve!

One thing my colleagues don’t know about me outside of my responsibilities at Peaceful Living is ______. I am sharing this with you because ______.

My kids are my number one priority! I love sharing this because I want to be a role model to them, too.

I can never resist a good _______

Laugh or conversation.

When I grow up, I want to be a _______

Dental Hygienist.

Who is your hero? Why?

My father is my hero, because not only he has been an amazing father, but he has also been a strong single parent to raise me into the woman I am today!

Peaceful Living Newsletter: July 2024

Click the image above to read more!

Our Community: Tenika Christian

Tenika Christian

Director of Residential Services

Where did you grow up?

Originally, I'm from Antigua which is a Caribbean Island. From there I lived in New York and then settled in Philadelphia, PA for most of my fun years.

What is your role at Peaceful Living, how did you come to the role you occupy now, and what is something that many may not know about what you do?

Currently, I'm the Director of Residential Services. I started working with the IDD provider field in 2007 and started my journey as a Direct Support Professional (DSP). From there I became an in-home supervisor, to a manager of multiple homes, to the Assistant Director of Residential Services to where I sit today.

Knowing where I started as a DSP and reflecting on what I’ve accomplished has me pushing our current DSPs, in-home supervisors, managers, and assistant directors. We all can be guilty of placing limits on ourselves! As a newer leader at Peaceful Living, I make sure to value the relationships, achievements, and goals of our entire residential staff. Playing a part in their success is my responsibility and brings me great satisfaction.

What is your favorite part of working at Peaceful Living?

Hands down, my favorite part of working at Peaceful Living is those we serve. I can visit any one of the homes and our individuals are laughing, smiling, dancing, or giving out hugs.

One thing many of my colleagues don’t know about me outside of my Peaceful Living responsibilities is ______. I am sharing this with you because ______.

I'm not sure, I’ve been here so long I think everyone knows it all. Ha!

My favorite thing to do when I am away from work is...

I love tapping into my creativity and putting my artistic skills to work. Baking, painting, decorating (peep my office), or gardening; anything that’s visually engaging and results in a different outcome from the start, is my thing.

Finish this sentence - I can never resist a good _______

Laugh!

Finish this sentence - When I grow up, I want to be a ________

Nurse

Who is your hero? Why?

God, because his standard is the highest. His lessons and examples always remind me of the daily work I can do to improve.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Not everyone will meet your expectations or standards. Because of that, you must meet people where they are and build from there.