Employees Who Make a Difference – Barry Henley: Brooks Rehabilitation’s 2020 A.R.T.ist of the Year

Employees throughout the Brooks organization are encouraged to practice the A.R.T. of Caring – Acknowledge each patient or resident, develop a Rapport and relationship with patients and co-workers and look for opportunities to Thank others. Each division nominates an A.R.T.ist of the month or quarter. From those nominated, the System ART Ambassador committee selects one person to be the overall A.R.T.ist of the year.

Barry Henley’s passion for completing a project and completing it well, and trying to bring joy to all our residents, earned him the title of A.R.T.ist of the Year for the entire Brooks system.

Barry’s desire to give back started years ago when he was a patient at Brooks. In 2010, he was riding his motorcycle when he was hit by a drunk driver who ran a red light. He sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and his family was told he may never wake from his coma. Barry proved them wrong two and a half months later when he opened his eyes.

After completing inpatient and outpatient therapy with Brooks, Barry was doing well physically but still had cognitive challenges and experienced depression. This continued for close to a year before he found the Brooks Brain Injury Clubhouse. Testimonies from members at the Clubhouse helped him quickly realized he belonged there as a member.

Barry fully committed to the Clubhouse and all it offered. He enjoyed the camaraderie there each day, being around others with brain injuries like his own. He worked, cleaned, participated in activities, did crafts and eventually became a mentor to new members. Through vocational opportunities provided at the Clubhouse, Barry was offered an internship in the maintenance department at Brooks. His strong work ethic and desire to give back shined, and it wasn’t long before he was offered a full-time position at the Brooks Bartram campus in 2013.

Since then, Barry has become the go-to, “get it done”, maintenance guy that always has a smile on his face no matter what is asked of him. The staff know that whenever Barry handles a work order, the project will be done well and completed in a timely manner. He consistently goes above and beyond for co-workers, residents and their families. For example, as apartments are rented, the maintenance staff is frequently asked to move the model room furniture. Barry not only moves the furniture to the newly designated room, but he’ll set the room back up exactly how it was, complete with making the bed, putting décor back in its rightful place or turning a table lamp lights back on.

Even more importantly, whenever Barry is completing a work order for a resident he spends extra time talking with them and getting to know them. Staff have found him wrapping Christmas gifts with our Elders at the Green House® Residences during one of their daily activities after he completed a work order. He’s been known to participate in arts and crafts with the residents between assignments. Barry takes those extra moments whenever he has the chance to make a resident’s day special.