ABOUT US
Program Description
Program Description Love 1st, LLC offers residential support services to adults male & female individuals with a primary diagnosis of developmental disability. Secondary diagnosis may vary among individuals. Limiting conditions could be physical & emotional. Our platform is to provide services on an individual basis with a person-centered model. Our individuals will be offered training & supports in various ways such as:
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Personal Care
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Social Skill Development
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Behavior Supports
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Community Engagement
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Recreation/Leisure Skills
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Health & Safety
Along with the above-listed services Love 1st, LLC will coordinate with other community service providers & ancillary services to provide a full individualize service plan. Finally, our staff will be trained to provide a safe, secure, loving
well-rounded environment for our individuals. Love 1st, LLC employees are here to ensure our individuals Live, Learn & Grow.
​​DREAMS do come true. Mrs. Aletha R. Davis vowed 32 years ago in her basement office that one day she would own a human services business dedicated to creating change within the system. Over the years, she has held various roles in human services, including corrections, hospice, acute case management, and federally funded projects. Throughout her journey, she never let her dreams die and officially named her company in 2011.
She began providing services to individuals and their families outside of her regular work hours. After every long day—whether good or bad—she realized that if you put love first, everything would work out. After six years of working for others while nurturing her Love 1st dream part-time, she experienced divine intervention when the opportunity to purchase the AC Moody House arose. This allowed her to secure a home for Love 1st, LLC.
With her background in human services, a passion for the special need’s population, and a determination to provide outstanding services, we are excited about the future of Love 1st, LLC. We operate as an I/DD Waiver group home that provides transportation services to our clients. Our vision includes expanding our offerings to include day support services, all with the intention of delivering exceptional care in the least restrictive environment while maintaining dignity and respect for our individuals.
Our ultimate goal is to empower those we serve to always Live, Learn, and Grow.
Our Program Director, Mrs. Tammie Rollins-Hines, recently came out of retirement to join Love 1st, LLC. Before her retirement, she had extensive experience working with students with disabilities and their families in various roles, including special education teacher, special education coordinator with a state agency, and special education director for two public school divisions in Virginia.
Mrs. Rollins-Hines holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education, with concentrations in Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disabilities, from Old Dominion University. She also has a Master of Education degree in Administration and Supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University. Additionally, she completed all coursework for her Doctor of Education in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership at The College of William and Mary, although she did not finish her dissertation.
Outside of her role at Love 1st, LLC, Mrs. Rollins-Hines enjoys spending time with her college-age daughter and their German Shepherd, Bella Day. She has a passion for creating handmade fashion jewelry, stationery, and home accents. With a strong faith, she considers herself a servant-leader. When asked why she works with individuals with exceptionalities, she responds, "Serving God's most vulnerable populations is more than my career; it is my calling."
As a holder of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology, Mrs. Buford began her professional career as a social worker, where she worked in foster care, Child Protective Services, and Adoption. After working as a social worker in multiple localities, she moved to program coordination and supervision, where she planned, implemented, and evaluated regional and statewide programs for teens and young adults in foster care as well as those determined to be delinquent.
Mrs. Buford worked as a direct and indirect service provider, coordinator, supervisor, and director for the duration of her career, retiring from direct and indirect social services in 2003. With an unabated passion for helping to change the lives of individuals and families in crisis, Mrs. Buford became a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) and began collaborating with local agencies on behalf of clients and families. Specifically, she worked to implement treatment goals, improve client/ family communication, develop and maintain written reports, including but not limited to Individualized Service Plans, Quarterly Progress Reports, and Summative Closing Reports. Whenever opportunities presented themselves, Mrs. Buford continued to offer her education and expertise to new professionals, burgeoning enterprises, and veteran service providers experiencing high needs.
After retiring from years of direct and indirect service provision, Mrs. Buford started her own marketing business, entitled Cook Marketing Consultants. She currently meets the marketing needs of two group homes and one handbag, jewelry, and accessories company.
When not contributing to the connected fields of social work and mental health or managing her own business, Mrs. Buford enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She is an active member of the Anti-Poverty Commission for the City of Petersburg and teaches classes aimed at helping others understand mental health.
Additionally, Mrs. Buford is an active member of The Arlington Road Church of Christ and enjoys worship, Bible Study, and serving as an instructor in the New Converts Mentoring Class.
Admissions Criteria
It is the policy of Love 1st LLC to accept referrals of persons with developmental disabilities, who are 18 years or older and from any Virginia Community Services Board ID services. Referrals will be considered without regard to ethnic origin, sex, age, or religion. An individual eligible for residential services will meet the following criteria.
APPLICANTS MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER
ID|DD WAIVER IN VA
*Applicants Must Be 18 years of age or older.
*Applicant must be a resident of Virginia.
*Applicant must be formally diagnosed with developmental disability as defined by the Code of Virginia
*Medical problems should be managable on an outpatient basis.
*Applicant must be willing to enter and follow a service plan negotiated jointly with staff.
*Applicant must be willing to participate in day programming, e.g., supportive employment, day support, senior citizens center, etc.
*Applicant should be free of any severe mental disorder that would require restraint or confinement