Support, Inc. will soon host it’s second Town Hall Meeting of 2021. Put on by our Associate Director of Quality Assurance, Laura Viers, and Director of Residential Services, Brian Farestad, these informative meetings provide the opportunity for constituents and providers alike to learn more about our recent COVID-19 updates and vaccine rollouts across the front range.
We want to thank everyone that joined our first Town Hall last month as we covered COVID-19 updates and details related to the vaccine. Many people asked good questions and this also gave us a chance to catch up over Zoom and to see how folks have been doing in recent weeks.
We’re hosting another Town Hall this month-for more information, please the flyer posted below. The purpose of these Town Halls is to make sure that you as providers and family members, are receiving good communication from Support, Inc., have the opportunity to connect with a larger group of people and are able to ask questions and give feedback that you may have. To RSVP, please contact Cathy at Cathy.Kellogg@supportinc.com and she will send you the Zoom link.
Please join us in welcoming two employees to the organization. First, we have Faith Wilkins who joined the agency in January and produced this write-up a few weeks ago:
Hello, Support Inc.! I look forward to meeting you! Until then, here is a little about me (Faith Wilkins). I grew up in Cherokee Nation (NE corner of Oklahoma). I attended graduate school for Occupational Therapy in Las Vegas, Nevada. I moved to Colorado in 2016 to work at a center (K-12 school, outpatient, employment and transition services) for persons with I/DD.
As a clinician, I help people establish mindful routines to support engagement in meaningful life activities through a trauma informed lens. I have also practiced OT on a therapy farm with the help of horses, chickens and donkeys! Before I was an OT, I was a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at an inpatient psychiatric hospital in Fayetteville, AR. In my spare time I enjoy taking Bosco to the park, taking photos of Bosco, playing chess, doing yoga, and cooking.
In addition, we welcome our new receptionist, Tammy Burton. Tammy joined Support, Inc. in early February and shares the following information:
Tammy started on Monday, February 1st, out of the Aurora Office.
She will be taking over the administrative responsibilities, in addition to some other ones that Carole has managed.
Tammy comes to us with significant experience, having worked as an Administrative Assistant for Elbert County Health and Human Services. Among her many talents, Tammy has great skillset that includes customer service, accounting support, office management, and Purchasing and sales administration.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Tammy if you have any questions.
Welcome to the team Faith and Tammy! We are super excited and look forward to working more closely with both of you!
The following information was produced by our Associate Director of Quality Assurance, Laura Viers, on February 3rd, 2021:
To all Support, Inc. Staff, Providers and Families,
Colorado continues to review and update the State’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. On the updated plan below, highlighted in green are the groups the state is currently offering the vaccine to, this is people in Phase 1A and Phase 1B.1. The biggest change to the updated plan includes splitting Phase 1B into additional categories. This includes moving Coloradoan’s who are age 65-69 up in eligibility to Phase 1B.2, this will be the next group of people to have access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Governor Polis announced the Sate expects to move into Phase 1B.2 on February 8th.
Group 1B.3 includes Coloradoan’s age 16-64 who have two
or more high risk conditions. Many individuals in services may be eligible
in this phase of the vaccine. The state has defined these high risk
categories to include; Coloradoan’s with cancer (defined as a patient currently
receiving treatment or having received treatment within the last month for
cancer), chronic kidney disease, COPD, diabetes mellitus, Down Syndrome,
specific heart conditions (heart failure, cardiomyopathies, or coronary heart
disease, and severe valvular/congenital heart disease), obesity ((BMI ≥
30kg/m^2), pregnancy, sickle cell disease, solid organ transplant and people
with disabilities that prevent them from wearing masks.
Now is the time to discuss with the individual(s) you
support what their desire is for getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Having these
conversations now will ensure the individual’s team understands the person’s
wishes regarding the vaccine as well as any supports that may be needed once
the individual is eligible. Having a plan now is crucial to ensure individuals
can get the supports needed to access the vaccine when they become eligible.
There is a lot happening with seemingly constant changes
regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. While employees and contractors of Support,
Inc. are eligible in Phase 1B.1 vaccine availability across the state varies
and there is a larger demand for the vaccine than there is supply to meet that
demand. Each county health department has a different process for connecting
eligible Coloradoans with a vaccine provider. Some counties have been slower to
get appointments set up or respond to our requests for large scale clinics for
our employees and contractors. The slow speed to get a vaccine appointment is
frustrating but hang in there. We remain committed to breaking through any
barriers to help support you in getting the vaccine.
The question often comes up about how we can get
individual’s in services scheduled to receive their vaccine. At this time
individual’s with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities do not have their
own unique group on Colorado’s Phased distribution plan. Individual’s receiving
services will be eligible for the vaccine based on the individual diagnosis and
age. We are also not able to set up clinics to administer the vaccine to
individual’s in services. As Colorado continues to increase vaccine supply and
subsequent phases become eligible, we hope to see more vaccine options for all
constituents of Support, Inc. We will continue to monitor these develops and
ensure we provide updates on a regular basis.
Please reach out to your team or me with any questions or concerns.
As vaccine efforts
continue to increase across the state, we recently got clarification from CDPHE
(Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) that employees and
contractors of Support, Inc. are designated as moderate-risk health care workers
and are included in Phase 1B of Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccine plan. Over this
week, a member of your team will be reaching out to you to discuss the COVID-19
vaccine. While the vaccine is voluntary, we are required to have tracking of
participation or non-participation in the vaccine. A member of your team will
also be discussing vaccine options with you and what supports you may need to
access the vaccine.
Support, Inc. continues to work to connect employees and contractors with vaccine options across the state. We have been in touch with local health departments to work with these entities to help establish large vaccine opportunities for everyone. At this time, we have heard from two health departments who have the capacity to help us connect employees and contractors with a vaccine provider. Your team will discuss these opportunities with you. If you do not want to use one of these options, you can continue to work through your primary care physician or other vaccine location.
Employees and contractors of Support, Inc. have been classified
by CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) as
moderate-risk healthcare workers and are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in
Phase 1B of Colorado’s distribution plan. Support, Inc. continues to work with
local County Health Departments to increase opportunities for employees and
contractors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As vaccine availability across the
state is limited, we remain committed to supporting our staff, provider and
families to access the vaccine.
Please reach out to a member of your team or me at Laura.Viers@supportinc.com if you have any questions,
Thank you, Laura Viers Associate Director of Quality Assurance
Starting next week, we will also have all of our events posted on the Support Calendar on our website! Please visit the URL below, navigate to the day and event you would like to attend, and click on ‘Location’ to open the Zoom session. Let me know if you are having issues accessing the website.
What: Learn how to stay chill when life gets tough.
This week we’ll be making pinwheels and calming jars! The materials lists are
below.
Pinwheel Materials: paper, a straw, and a brass
fastener or stick pin
Calming Jars Materials: a small plastic jar (or empty
water bottle), water, glue, and glitter. Super glue or hot glue is optional to
fasten the lid shut.
When: Wednesday, February 3 from 10:00 am-11:00 am
What: Be an MVP (Most Valuable Person) in your community! In this
new group, we will use arts and crafts, games, and engaging discussion to talk
about safe relationships, combatting bullying, setting boundaries, and being
the best, most valuable person we can be! This group is by
reservation only, please contact Gwen if you would like to participate!
Fairy
Tale Factory: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
When: Wednesday, February 4 from 11:30 am- 12:15 pm
What: Come play with stories! In this new group we will take favorite
folktales, deconstruct them, rewrite them, and put our acting skill so the test
by taking on the roles for a performance at the end of every month. February’s
story is Goldilocks and the Three Bears! It’s going to be ‘just right’!
This month we celebrated our recent STAR Award recipients. These awards are distributed internally for Special Thanks and Recognition.
The categories for awards are listed below. When you
see or hear someone in Support, Inc. going above and beyond, please email your
nomination to HR.Admin@supportinc.com
with the subject line being STAR Award nomination.
We will collect all submissions and we will deliver awards and recognition
according to the frequency listed for each category.
In your email, please include the following:
Name of person you are
nominating
Name of award from list
below
Describe why your
nominee deserves the award, specifically telling the story of the service
or suggestion provided that makes your nominee the perfect candidate for
the award.
MONTHLY AWARDS
Best Team Player – peer-nominated recognition for
someone going the extra mile for their teammates (monthly)
Best Customer Service – a quote from a consumer or
provider or something seen or heard by a supervisor or peer regarding
excellent internal or external customer service. We look for
patience, attentiveness, ability to relate to customer needs, excellent
follow-up, going above and beyond for our clients (monthly)
QUARTERLY AWARDS
Rookie of the Quarter – a newer employee catching on
quickly, learning their job and doing more, suggesting improvements that are
implemented (quarterly)
Process Improvement Champion – a suggestion for a
change leading to increased efficiency, cost savings, boosting morale, or
improved customer service that was implemented (quarterly)
Productivity and Quality Award– star performer in
their prospective department (quarterly)
QUARTERLY EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Current recipient
passes the award on to the next employee
Cindy Lou awardof excellence in customer service –
The Cindy Lou Award is given
for ‘Exemplary Customer Service’ by a
Support, Inc. employee as recognized by their peers. This person
consistently goes above and beyond for clients, providers, family
caregivers, AND fellow employees alike. Part
of providing great customer service is having a strong work ethic. It takes
a lot of hard work and dedication by putting in the time to listen and
understand, responding to people/situations in a caring and professional
manner, being adaptable to changes, and being able to problem solve (even
in difficult and stressful situations). This award is passed on from
recipient to recipient.
Steve Taylor awardof excellence–
The
Steve Taylor Award is given to a fellow co-worker who exemplifies the
value of our organization through consumer care and customer
service.
Other Awards
Anniversary Awards – Annual years of service where the month falls within the previous quarter.
Let’s give a big round of applause for the following reward recipients! We appreciate every one of you and your continued dedication to the people we serve.
With the start of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution underway, Support, Inc. is encouraged that all of our stakeholders will have the opportunity to receive the vaccine in the near future. Some of our individuals in service that are over the age of 70 are already receiving their first dose of the vaccine. It is understandable that this process may take several months as there is limited access to the vaccine and some confusion around an individual’s eligibility.
As the vaccine becomes available, the following are some of Support, Inc.’s expectations for staff, contractors, families, and individuals in services:
• Receiving the vaccine is voluntary. Although this is the case, we strongly urge everyone to participate unless a health condition precludes you from taking the vaccine.
• If you do not receive a vaccination, this may limit your ability to work directly with some individuals in service. This will depend on the health characteristics of the individual and the setting where the service will be occurring. At a minimum, social distancing, wearing a mask, frequent hand washing, and other infection control procedures will need to continue.
• Participation or non-participation in the vaccine distribution process will be tracked. This is required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), our licensing agency. The information will be held confidentially and used for health and safety considerations of our individuals in service along with aggregate reporting to CDPHE.
• We are here to help you get vaccinated. Help is available for all employees, contractors, families, and individuals in services to get the vaccine. Please contact one of your team members if you need any assistance at all in getting the vaccine. If you have any questions at all, please talk to your supervisor or a team member for assistance.
Please follow the links
imbedded in this message to participate.
All
groups will be fully virtual Monday-Wednesday
Monday, January 25
Client
Council is at a new time this week!
Client Council
When: Monday, January 25 from 11:30 am- 12:15 pm
What: Come let your voice be heard! We’re looking for participants for
our brand-new Client Council. We want to hear your thoughts about activities,
opportunities, and events in our Day Services program.
As we enter the third week of the year, many people will
soon abandon their New Year’s Resolutions if they haven’t already. The STAR
Committee gathered recently to talk about resolutions and to reflect on the
last 12 months.
The committee covered an array of topics ranging from goal
setting to compartmentalizing stress in different areas of life. The group
remains an open invite to employees and all are welcome to drop-in once a month
at their leisure.
At the core of the conversation was the notion that sometimes New Years Resolutions can be rooted in shame. That sometimes we’re led to believe we’re not “good enough” as we are, so we need to lose weight, be more positive and strive to do better against all odds. Despite these annual pressures to “do better and be better”, maybe there’s no improvements to be made in the first place and that’s totally okay. Maybe we’re allowed to accept ourselves as we are, perfectly imperfect and striving for micro goals throughout the year without external expectations for improvements. Whether you decide to set goals or not is up to you, and committee members are here to support one another throughout remainder of this year.
As we usher in a new administration, we remain hopeful that the people and interests we lobby for are well attended to in moving forward. The End the Wait Initiative is a cause worth rooting for, and despite the recent budget cuts, we have a lot to look forward to this year. Our nonprofit arm, BACPAC, is seeing a resurgence. And our DEI Council and Committee has broken up into subcommittees, in an effort to tackle inequities across multiple fronts. Serving people with IDD is at the core of what we do, and we’re optimistic that by the end of this year, we will have seen major improvements across multiple teams to ultimately enhance the services we provide. On behalf of the STAR Committee, we wish everyone a Safe and Happy New Year. Our steadfast dedication to the people and families we serve remains unwavering. Please remember to take care of yourselves and each other.
The STAR Committee serves employees of Support with three objectives guiding the group: Fostering a positive work culture, promoting employee appreciation, and encouraging self-care. The Committee understands what a challenging year 2020 had been and will continue to promote internal opportunities for connection within the organization. In addition, further considerations to explore and strengthen relationships by facilitating one-time events online, mini-series for wellness and email campaigns will be explored, as well. For PRS to connect with their peers, please see our weekly LIFE Club updates on the blog for more information.
We have a few cancelations this week-in the meantime, check out the groups that we continue to host online!
These groups are still happening!
Wednesday,
January 20
MVP
Club
When: Wednesday, January 20 from 10:00 am-11:00 am
What: Be an MVP (Most Valuable Person) in your community! In this
new group, we will use arts and crafts, games, and engaging discussion to talk
about safe relationships, combatting bullying, setting boundaries, and being
the best, most valuable person we can be! This group is by
reservation only, please contact Gwen if you would like to participate!
