Jeff Reunites With Sister

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Every now and then, we catch wind of an unexpected family reunion. When Jeff’s sister, B, was digging through some paperwork one day, she was determined to meet Jeff and to see how he had been doing. His sister connected with his former ARC advocate and was able to locate Jeff after that. The sister made plans with Jeff’s current host home provider and the two arranged to meet at the Support, Inc. office located in Aurora.

Jeff’s provider relayed that she learned about his sister when there was a knock at the door in late May during a severe thunderstorm. Jeanne was Jeff’s past ARC advocate and has known him for more than 30 years. Jeanne arrived with some very exciting news as she relayed, “You’re never going to believe this!!”? Jeanne explained how B had stumbled across some older documents, tracked down Jeanne and asked how Jeff was doing and if he was still alive. Jeanne relayed that Jeff had been residing in Littleton, Colorado for the last 9 years and couldn’t be doing better. He’s happy, thriving and very comfortable in his home.

Jeanne handed over an envelope to the provider, and the letter inside revealed it was up to the HHP on whether she thought it would be beneficial for Jeff to meet his sister. The provider eagerly agreed to this, reached out to B and Jeff’s residential team to set up a meeting. Jeanne hadn’t seen Jeff in over 26 years, so this was an exciting meeting to plan! The provider was very emotional to learn these details- she’s discussed with Jeff’s team several times through the years about how she wished he had family and natural supports outside of her home. The provider relayed she shed many tears of relief and true happiness, to know a relative was finally stepping forward to meet Jeff and to hopefully build a relationship with him. The provider called B as soon as Jeanne left to schedule the meeting and move forward with next steps. They exchanged a few stories, and the provider answered any questions B had on Jeff’s services for the last 9 years. When B first emailed Jeanne, she was in California. By the time Jeanne connected with our provider, B was in Arizona. B relayed that she would love to meet Jeff in June once she returned to Colorado. On June 14th, Jeff reunited with his sibling for a fun reunion at the Support, Inc. office. Anna McFarland, Residential Program Coordinator for the Denver Metro 1 Team was in attendance for the meeting, to ensure everything ran smoothly.

The meeting went well, and it has been reported that Jeff enjoyed meeting his sister for the first time in over 26 years. B relayed many details to Jeff on how things have been going in her life. She also asked a lot of questions and wanted to hear how things have been going for Jeff.

Overall, the provider relays that Jeff has a wonderful personality, and it is truly a pleasure to serve him. The provider explained how Jeff loves music. He also likes to sing, clap his hands and have freedom of movement. In addition, Jeff loves ducks, animals in general, good food and being included in activities. Jeff is known for comforting others when he sees someone upset. Jeff ultimately has a home with the provider for the rest of his life, as this long-term match has proven to be a very successful placement.

When asked about future visits, the provider relayed that another visit occurred with B in late July. The team is hopeful that these visits might continue, if Jeff is in agreeance to the relationship. We thank Jeff’s provider and his team for working diligently on the reunion. It was truly wonderful to see Jeff interact with his sister, and we’re grateful to be a part of Jeff’s life!

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July is Disability Pride Month

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Disability pride month occurs every July in the United States to commemorate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life including jobs, schools, transportation and all public and private places that are open to the general public. This law makes sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities like those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.

Did you know Disability pride month even has it’s own flag? The flag has a black background and diagonally across the flag are five lines colored blue, yellow, white, red, and green. Each color represents something unique about the disability community. The flag was created to encompass all disabilities and was designed by Ann Magill member of the disability community. The black background represents the suffering of the disability community from violence and serves as a color of rebellion and protest. The lightning bolt represents how individuals with disabilities must navigate barriers and demonstrates their creativity in doing so. The five colors represent the variety of needs and experiences: Mental Illness, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Invisible and Undiagnosed Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, and Sensory Disabilities.

July is an occasion to celebrate people with disabilities, honor their inherent dignity and inalienable rights, promote their visibility, and applaud their achievements. July is also a powerful reminder about the importance of disability rights and why we fight for them.

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Host Home Provider of the Month

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We are pleased to announce the Denver-Colorado Springs Team’s HHP of the Month- Jamie Sanchez! The following write-up was produced by Kayla.

Jamie began with Support Inc, in 2018. Since starting as a Respite provider she quickly proved how valuable she could be to our agency and individual’s lives alike. She found the right fit with three different gentleman who are all in our services. Being a 3-bed is a challenge for any provider, but Jamie takes it with stride. She enlisted the help of friend, Carrie McDaniel, to be her full time Respite, but she is more than that to Jamie and the guys. Carrie is an unofficial Co-Provider who also goes above and beyond to ensure all guys are well taken care of.

The dynamic of Jamie and Carrie is unmatched when it comes to the care they provide. Each time I am in the home, Carrie and Jamie have this bond with each guy and both show a genuine interest in them as well as the things they like. Jamie schedules an annual camping trip for the guys in her home. This year they are going to Bayfield and stopping in Gunnison for a University tour for one gentleman since he loves all colleges. Next, they will be going to the marina for some R&R by a lake. They will also play games, enjoy bonfires and make s’mores! They will also be going around Durango to see some shops and get out and about after the wonderful weekend of camping.

Jamie and Carrie, we are so lucky to have you both as providers and it is such a pleasure working with you. Please help join me in acknowledging the hard work and dedication of Jamie and Carrie. The Colorado Springs Team could not do it without you!

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Quality Assurance Updates

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Support, Inc. utilizes continuous quality improvement as an ongoing effort to evaluate our services, systems, and processes to identify problem areas and opportunities for improvement.  One of the ways we employ continuous quality improvement is through regular auditing completed by the Quality Assurance Department. These audits allow us to review service delivery and quality of care to the waiver participants we serve. Recently we redesigned our file review tool to bring all Support, Inc. services and departments into quality auditing practices. We are calling our new tool the mock audit. The mock audit is designed to mimic a CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) licensing visit. CDPHE is required to survey every service agency in Colorado every 3 years.

Utilizing our own mock audit allows us to assess areas that need improvement while also identifying areas we are exceeding. The mock audit will also allow the Quality Assurance department time to prepare our internal teams and our providers for a CDPHE visit. As part of the mock audit the Quality Assurance Department, in conjunction with the Residential Program Coordinator will complete a site visit to the residential settings represented in the sample.

The site visit will cover a review of the key areas CDPHE assesses when they do their visits. This includes review of medications, review areas of health and safety of the participant, and ensuring the provider understands the support needs outlined in the service plan of the participant(s) they serve.

In addition, if the participant attends the Support, Inc. day program the Quality Assurance team will do a site visit. The day program site visit will review medications, areas of health and safety of the participant, compliance with regulation required inspections and ensuring the staff understand the support needs outlined in the service plan of the participant(s) they serve.  It is the mission of the Quality Assurance Department to engage all Support, Inc. employees and contractors in the planning and implementing of ongoing improvements while utilizing data to improve the quality of care for the individuals we serve. We look forward to starting mock audits in June; if you have any questions, please do to hesitate to reach out to Laura Viers at Laura.Viers@supportinc.com

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Host Home Provider of the Month

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Please join us in congratulating our most recent recipient for Host Home Provider of the Month! Kathy Scheer has been nominated by the Denver Metro 2 Team. Read ahead for the write-up on behalf of her coordinator, Paulyn-

I would like to nominate Kathy Scheer for June HHP of the Month. I have been working with Kathy since January of this year and she has been nothing short of amazing. Kathy takes care of two individuals in services with us at Support, Inc but refers to them as her “peeps”. You can tell they absolutely adore Kathy as Tina will always ask me at every visit, “so when is Kathy going to get her provider of the Month award?”

My favorite thing about Kathy is that she doesn’t expect anything from her peeps that she won’t do herself. Roy has been struggling with a stiff back and refuses to do the stretching exercises. But when Kathy offers to join him, he will give in from time to time and join.

Kathy listens and understands her peeps so well that she was able to help Tina achieve her goal of losing 100 pounds, to be able to stand and mobilize more on her own. One day Tina went to Day Program and came home telling Kathy, “I got myself a job” with a big smile on her face. This accomplishment was achieved with the immense help and support from her HHP that fueled Tina’s drive to want to help others as well. Tina is now involved in a work study program 4 days a week, doing different tasks, in hopes of getting a paying job to earn some money to play at Black Hawk and go shopping.

Thanks again, Kathy, for being a shining example of a wonderful Host Home Provider!

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Support, Inc. Welcomes New Medical Coordinator

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Please join us in welcoming Robyn Richardson as our newest Medical Coordinator!

My name is Robyn Richardson, and I am a native to this beautiful state of Colorado. I have spent most of my time since 2012 working in veterinary medicine. I did general practice, some ER service, in home hospice and end of life care, and spent some time working with a traveling board-certified veterinary surgeon. I got to assist in amputations, TPLO (knee) surgeries, cardiac surgeries, and A LOT of puppy fractures. After deciding that I wanted to quit the physical veterinary technician duties, I tried to stay in the field by working as support staff and receptionist positions. COVID directed my passion towards helping people instead of their pets which has led me here, to Support, Inc. I am very excited to be a part of this team and I am thrilled to dive into the world of human services.

In my spare time, I spend time together with my husband Skyler, our 6-year-old son Caden, our two cats and husky. We like to enjoy what this state has to offer and hike, camp, and explore the outdoors. Or you can find us watching movies together, volunteering with our local church, or spending time we family. We are expecting another little boy to our family in October 2022. I am excited to work with all of you! (I am the woman on the far left of the attached picture, the other is my lovely mom).

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Happy Birthday Leslie!

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We have another birthday to celebrate this month- please join us in wishing Leslie a Very Happy Birthday! Leslie’s provider, Henry, relayed the following details to his team-

We celebrated her birthday a few days ago. After Nelke showered Leslie, we immediately decorated her room with birthday wishes. Here is Leslie with the surprise for her after the shower. For her special dinner, we arranged to have her dine at any of her favorite restaurants of her choice.

Unfortunately, she chose to dine in her room. She understood we could not crowd together due to COVID. I believe she was happy with the day. Here are some pictures of the surprise for her.

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Support, Inc. to Host Summer BBQ

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The STAR Committee, on behalf of Support, Inc., will host a summer BBQ in July! Consumers and their families, employees, providers and vendors are more than welcome to attend. Please see the flyer below for more details. We look forward to providing food and playing games. We will also have a raffles with prizes! This event will be a great opportunity for everyone to come together, as we haven’t had a large agency event like this in over two and a half years.

To volunteer and/or RSVP, please contact Nick at Nicholas.Manning@supportinc.com by July 14th.

We will not be able to accommodate special diets such as pureed or thickened liquids at this event. Should the individual in your care require something specific, please make your own arrangements prior to the event.