Flatrock offers fully integrated adult foster care for vulnerable members of our community with disabilities, providing a home, support, inspiration, and a welcoming environment to thrive. The organization’s fully integrated services include 24-hour staffing, counseling, medical care, occupational therapy, and case management, as well as compassionate residential care in a family setting. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Flatrock CEO Nicholas Burnett and COO Carrie Aldrich to learn more about the company.
Nicholas Burnett & Carrie Aldrich
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Could you tell me more about your background?
Flatrock (Nicholas): I was raised in my parents’ care home and knew at a young age that I wanted to follow the same path. I acquired my first care home at the age of 18 and never looked back.
Flatrock (Carrie): My dad is a psychologist who worked in an institution after graduating with his degree. I grew up with a fondness for those with developmental disabilities and wanted to make a meaningful impact. Our varied backgrounds and unique experiences created the perfect union to develop the program at Flatrock.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What are your primary responsibilities at the company?
Flatrock (Nicholas): We oversee a broad range of responsibilities, providing direction and leadership to our team. We are fortunate to have an upper management team that is hard-working, dedicated, and compassionate. They are always prioritizing the residents’ best interests. Carrie and I are also responsible for the strategic growth of the company. With a significant waiting list, we are continuously exploring ways to expand and meet the growing demand of those seeking Flatrock’s care
Flatrock (Carrie): We like to say that we keep our finger on the pulse. Nicholas and I have complementary strengths and weaknesses, which allows for us to be an effective team. We handle tasks based on our skills versus job titles.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far?
Flatrock (Nicholas): When we started this program, we were doing so with the intention of bringing home a nonverbal resident with autism who had been relocated from his family due to his extensive behaviors. When we went to pick him up to move him back home, he turned around, saw me, and ran over to give me a hug with a huge smile on his face. Moments like that reaffirm that we are making a lasting impact on residents.
Flatrock (Carrie): There are so many great memories that it’s hard to choose just one. Years ago, we had a gentleman who wanted to confess his love to another resident. He stood up in front of everyone in a costume with his makeshift microphone and sang a song from The Lion King. Even though his love interest didn’t reciprocate the feelings, he spent about two minutes feeling sad, then went on about his day like nothing had ever happened. The staff were in awe. This affected them much more than it did either of the residents. We spent the rest of the evening talking about his courage and how we should take risks without worrying about others’ opinions. It was a powerful reminder and an incredible learning experience for everyone.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What are the company’s core services?
Flatrock (Nicholas): Typically, when people think about a care home, they envision a place that provides assistance to those who cannot manage on their own. Flatrock’s program is much more than that. It’s about spreading love and creating a sense of belonging. When individuals have a sense of self-worth and independence, they are more empowered to grow.
Flatrock (Carrie): At Flatrock, it’s all about building relationships with our residents, staff, guardians, and everyone involved. People are people, and we focus on building relationships so everyone feels safe and cared for. This fosters an environment where everyone has a meaningful quality of life, which is our ultimate goal.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently?
Flatrock (Nicholas): Hiring and retaining staff during COVID was incredibly challenging. Between the monetary incentives and the fear of contracting the virus, it was difficult to maintain the same number of staff while conducting ongoing training to help them better support our residents. We were constantly thinking on our feet to come up with creative ideas.
Flatrock (Carrie): Some communities have been less accepting of our residents as we would like. While many people express appreciation for what we are doing, they often prefer not to have our homes in their neighborhood. It’s natural to fear the unknown, and there’s a need for greater awareness to help clear up any uncertainties. Working past emotional biases to foster cooperation has been a significant hurdle.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): How have the company’s services evolved since launching?
Flatrock (Nicholas): It’s amazing to think how far we have come and how much we’ve grown. When we started, it was just Carrie and I handling everything – whether it was taking late-night phone calls to assist with behaviors, marketing our program to new counties, or training staff on crisis intervention techniques. Flatrock now has over 800 employees with a hierarchy of leadership that is always available to assist. This type of support is valuable in any line of work, but especially for our staff, given the challenging behaviors our residents can present. Our staff are constantly put in situations where they have to think on their feet, and we are committed to providing them with as much support in real time as possible.
Flatrock (Carrie): We believe in the philosophy that “it takes a village” to raise a child – it takes a village to support our residents as well. As Flatrock has evolved, we have added many positions, allowing us to further support our residents and the staff who work with them every day. We have a dedicated training department that allows the staff to continue to grow within their roles. We can provide both general and personalized training specific to individual needs. Our recreational department focuses on improving the quality of life for residents. They are the cheerleaders of the company and strive to make every day as fun and engaging as possible. Our medical department continues to grow so that we can address the ongoing medical needs of our residents and train the staff to handle this accordingly. Years ago, we didn’t have these specialized positions and departments. Nicholas and I found a way to get it done, and now we are fortunate to have so much more support.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones?
Flatrock (Nicholas): Buying and remodeling our recreational center was a huge milestone for us. I had always dreamed of a gymnasium for the residents to use. We purchased a former elementary school that was the perfect size, complete with a gym and basketball hoops. Now, it serves as a hangout for our residents where they can play sports, watch movies, do arts and crafts, make snacks and more. Whether it’s for a structured activity or just hanging out together, this space has become a core part of their day-to-day life.
Flatrock (Carrie): Our first prom was unforgettable. We wanted to give our residents an opportunity to shine. It took a lot of work to find formal attire for all of our residents, especially dresses, but we received incredible support from the community, including donations and help from a dress shop that handled alterations. Our staff did the residents’ hair and makeup during the day as they enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and sipped on bubbly, fancy drinks. That evening, the gymnasium was decked out to the nines, complete with a DJ, photo booth, and disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Everyone had an absolute blast. There was not one behavior issue that occurred the entire day – and that’s quite a feat for our bunch! Our residents felt special and that was our goal. They don’t have the same opportunities that we do – we create them so they don’t miss out. Our staff really came together to go above and beyond to make this happen, and we are eternally grateful.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): Can you share any specific success stories?
Flatrock (Nicholas): We had a young man working for us a few years ago who took a genuine interest in our residents. He brought his dog to the care home to play with the residents on his days off, and even introduced his family members who became involved as additional support in the residents’ lives. We ended up hiring his mom, who shared that her son had felt lost after graduating from high school until he started working at Flatrock. They saw such a positive change in him, and it was all from the relationships he established with the residents. We had never seen that side of him, and it was heartwarming to hear how much Flatrock had changed his life.
Flatrock (Carrie): One of our female residents chose not to speak due to trauma from her past. After residing with us for a while, she started to feel more comfortable and used the radios that the staff carried to communicate with her caregiver. Then, she started dating a resident who lived at another Flatrock home, which led to her talking to him on the phone and more verbal communication over time. Shortly before moving into her own apartment, she surprised everyone by singing by herself on stage during our company talent show. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! Flatrock provided her with an environment that allowed her to feel safe enough to grow, and that was pretty magical.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): How does the company plan to grow in the coming year?
Flatrock (Nicholas): When it comes to growth, we have no plans to slow down. We are actively purchasing property for new builds and acquiring existing homes to renovate, ensuring we have a range of options to meet the diverse needs of our residents.
Flatrock (Carrie): We are also planning to expand and open homes out of state. The need for these types of programs is significant, and we want to be able to help as many people as possible.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What differentiates the company from its competition?
Flatrock (Nicholas): Our dedication. We refuse to give up on a resident, no matter the challenge. We are always looking for new ways to improve our processes so that we can provide better care to our residents. While some accommodations and modifications are made company-wide, others are tailored specifically for one or two residents. It all depends on their individual needs. As these needs are ever changing, we believe our approach should be just as flexible.
Flatrock (Carrie): Our heart. We truly care about enhancing each resident’s quality of life. This commitment is exemplified by the fact that we have a dedicated team and recreational center focused entirely on keeping residents engaged with a variety of activities. These range from simple things such as birthday celebrations, spa days, and movie nights, or larger events, including designing a haunted house for Halloween, holding an annual prom, visiting an orchard in the fall, and even renting out an indoor water park.
Pulse 2.0 (Amit): What are some of the company’s future goals?
Flatrock (Nicholas): We are currently focused on restructuring our upper management team and adding new positions so that we can better support our residents and staff.
Flatrock (Carrie): Our goal is to keep expanding by adding more homes across the U.S., allowing us to positively impact as many lives as possible.
