WHY OAC?
Open Arms Care supports Tennesseans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), of all ages, to reach their maximum abilities and to lead dignified and meaningful lives. We live by a set of Core Values.
At Open Arms Care CLIENTS…COME FIRST.
They are why we exist. Employees are “Key” to OAC’s success
At Open Arms Care EMPLOYEES…ARE KEY.
Employees are “Key” to our Clients’ success.
At Open Arms Care we seek to DO THE RIGHT THING...
Honesty, Integrity, Mutual Respect and Self Respect are for the clients’ sake and for our own. We will be professional in all of our relationships.
At Open Arms Care INNOVATION…IS VALUED.
Our clients are where they are today because someone sought a better way to provide services.
OUR PASSION IN ACTION
In 2016, when the State of Tennessee needed a provider to build nine special needs homes in East Tennessee, to assist them in closing the last state run institution, they and the family members came to Open Arms Care because of a long history of delivering quality services and a reputation for doing right, they knew we could get the job done. Open Arms Care designed and built nine community based homes with the help of our partners, hired and trained 350 new personnel and spent hundreds of hours getting to know the new clients personal, medical, clinical, intellectual needs to assure a seamless transition to a community setting. We did all that and in May of 2017 we welcomed thirty-six new clients into our family.
OUR HISTORY
In 1988, founding board members of Open Arms Care Corporation; a 501 C (3) nonprofit sought to build community homes, referred to as Intermediate Care Facilities, to meet the lifelong needs of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The homes, 32 in all were built around the major population centers of Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville. Since then we have added the nine additional homes and expanded to the Greeneville area. More recently, Open Arms Care has begun replacing our older homes with newer modern homes with improvements such as enhanced safety equipment, overhead lifts, specialized nursing areas, individual bedrooms, four season patio and garages.
FAMILY
"My daughter is a resident at Open Arms Care and she gets the best care and attention I could ask for, and I know she is being well taken care of. Thank you Open Arms."
– Lynn, mother
EMPLOYEES
"I love working for this company because of the men and women I serve. They are my second family and it's a joy being in their presence. The smile and hugs they give brightens up my day."
– from staff member
OUR BOARD
For more than twenty-five years, Open Arms Care has remained committed to the simple goals of providing for the safety and personal enrichment of those in our care. We celebrate and honor the dignity of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and seek to help them achieve their maximum abilities.
OAC provides each client we serve with lifelong learning and personal development opportunities designed to match the learning style, personal interests and intellectual and physical abilities of each person. We believe that there is no substitute for genuine respect and love, creating bonds that last a lifetime.
The Open Arms Care board serves as stewards to the organization and their tenure ranges from three to more than twenty-five years. Their backgrounds include parents of clients, and others with special knowledge and professional experience in the areas of finance, accounting, law and human resources. The board provides oversight to a professional team of nearly 1,000 caregivers. If you have an interest in learning about opportunities to serve on the Open Arms Care board, please fill out the reply card and we look forward to talking with you.