Intake

Intake Department News & Updates

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Greetings from the Intake Department! We are excited to introduce you to our new team structure and provide an update on the Support Inc. Intake Team.

New Team Structure:

Director of Intake and Public Relations- Brian Slusarz

Lead Intake and Marketing Specialist- Cathy Kellogg

Intake Specialist- Cindy Cridlebaugh

Intake Specialist- Kristin Kemp

Intake Team Updates:

The Support Inc. Intake Team continues to work hard with a focus on bringing new individuals, families and providers into our wonderful services. Our job is to make the onboarding process into our services as seamless and as simple as possible. Are team is dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition with a heavy focus on customer service. Our new team structure, with added staff resources has hopefully, enhanced the customer experience when enrolling in our services.

In addition to the above core function, we continue to search for in-home respite providers! If you live anywhere along the Front Range and are open to providing respite in the family’s home, please email us at placement.team@supportinc.com. We also continue to recruit host home providers in Jefferson, Pueblo, El Paso, Larimer, Boulder, Weld, Washington, and Yuma counties. We are also searching for providers with behavioral experience. We will pay a one-time $300 referral bonus to anyone that refers friends or family to us! (For placements that last 90 days or longer). We are also providing sign on bonuses to HHPs in certain locations. Please visit Support, Inc. – Career Page (applytojob.com) for more information.

Lastly, the Intake Team is excited to announce the opening of our new office in Sterling, CO!!! We have been serving individuals and families in Northeastern Colorado for over a decade and we’re excited to finally have a physical location in Sterling. We will be hosting an Open House BBQ Party on June 13th. For more information, please contact info@supportinc.com

QA COrner

Quality Assurance News & Updates

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June is National Safety Month, and this year the focus is on safety in the workplace.

Preventing injuries at work.

  1. Have good lifting posture.
  2. Before lifting
    • Be aware of the object’s weight
    • Make sure the work environment is flat, dry, and debris-free
    • Check that the lift direction is straight
    • Take care of any tripping risks or debris
    • Look for any muddy or slippery areas
    • Make multiple trips, don’t try to do it all at one time
  3. During lifting
    • Never twist your torso while lifting
    • Stay “nose between your toes”
    • Never lift a heavy item above shoulder level
    • Never carry a load that obstructs your vision
    • Never hold your breath while lifting, moving, and setting the load down
    • Keep the load close to your waist for as long as possible
    • Adopt a stable position
    • Don’t flex your back any further while lifting
    • Avoid twisting your back or leaning sideways especially while your back is bent
    • Keep your head up when handling
    • Get a good handhold and do not twist while lifting
  1. Always follow standard precautions.
    • Standard precautions apply to the care of all people and are applied when there is a risk of exposure to (1) blood; (2) bodily fluids/secretions/excretions; (3) non-intact skin, and (4) mucous membranes.
    • Standard precautions include:
      1. Hand hygiene: wash hands frequently for at least 40-60 seconds.
      2. Use personal protective equipment (PPE) to serve as a barrier to protect skin, mucous membrane, airway, and clothing. This includes gloves, masks and gowns.
      3. Follow respiratory hygiene/ cough etiquette.
      4. Properly handle, clean and disinfect care equipment.
      5. Routinely clean and disinfect the environment.
      6. Follow safe injection practices.
  1. Prevent slips, trips, and falls. Falls can happen anywhere. Whether it’s working at heights or tripping on the same level, you always need to keep your eyes out for hazards.
    • Keep walkways and staircases clear.
    • Practice good cord management! Secure cords and when needed, tape down power cords and cables to prevent tripping.
    • Clean up spills and messes promptly.
    • Ensure there is proper lighting.
    • Keep floors clean and dry.
  2. Be prepared for an emergency.
    • The 1st week of June is national CPR & AED awareness week. Delivering first aid quickly and effectively can be lifesaving as every second counts when someone has lost consciousness. CPR/FA training must be renewed every 2 years, to find a class near you use this link.
    • Have basic supplies: water, flashlight, first aid kit, extra batteries, radio, etc.
    • Be prepared for natural disasters, listen to EAS, NOAA weather radio or local alerting systems for current emergency information and instructions.
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Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month!

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May is Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month! Diane Sheeran has been with Support Inc for over a decade and living with her current Host Home Provider (HHP) for over 5 years. Dianne has a diagnosis of Prader-Willi Syndrome, and her Siblings would like to share a positive story and resources for anyone with or supporting a loved one with this diagnosis.

Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA – Supporting Families
https://www.pwsausa.org/

PWSA | USA’s Residential Providers Conference – Prader-Willi Syndrome Association | USA. This is info on a Residential Providers Conference Aug 18-Aug 20 In-person and Virtual
https://www.pwsausa.org/event/pwsa-usas-residential-providers-conference/

“A positive story is Diane’s success with Support Inc, RPC Richard Shaw and HHP. Richard was with us before our mom passed. Mom pretty much overruled many suggestions and only allowed certain things to happen. Diane could go very few places in public, yet alone to a grocery store or restaurant. Diane only lasted a few months with the first HHP. It was her first time as an HHP so had no experience with anyone, yet alone a person with a diagnosis of Prader-Willi and definitely not Diane! When her HHP was first introduced to her, Di was coming out of the hospital, weighed over 285 lbs, diabetic, diagnosed with congestive heart failure and was given 6 months to live if there were not drastic changes. HHP had a plan, said it will take time, but she needed the family support, so we gave her our 100% support. Now admittedly at times there were questions and concerns, I’m sure HHP had them too, haha, but the results became apparent quickly. Diane is in the best health she has ever been because of her current HHP”.
-Tim Sheeran

“Richard has been with us for so long, he is like part of the family! He knows the family, our quirks and uniqueness. I remember the time Diane was in a play sponsored by Support Inc. and Richard and I just stood there sobbing as Diane actually participated and was so proud of herself. He’s been with us and helped us navigate the death of our mother and again at the death of our brother from COVID.

I can’t express enough gratitude to the HHP for opening her home to accept Diane. We fondly call her Saint HHP. There was more than one time I was sure we would be hunting for a new provider, but HHP would come back and say she and the boys discussed it and they wanted Diane to come back to their home. Prader- Willi Syndrome is very difficult as it changes the life and patterns of everyone living with the person. HHP and her family had to make drastic changes to help Diane. The current HHP has learned how to control Diane’s food and behavior issues but still let’s Diane be Diane! I am so grateful to Matt for being adamant that we enrolled Diane into Support Inc services when we did. There is not a cure for PWS but thanks to the HHP and Support, Inc Diane does have a quality life.”
-Linda Sheeran

Finance Pic. 4.23

Finance Department News & Updates

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The Finance Department:

Greetings from the Finance Department. We are excited to introduce a new team member and provide an update on HHP payments.

New Team Member:

Please welcome Venita Ogle, our new Receptionist. She joined Support, Inc. in February 2024. She has a background in waitressing and title insurance. She graduated from Hinkley High School. She enjoys quality time with her family. She loves Football and watching movies with her husband of 35 years. Venita has two boys ages 35 and 21. She really loves doing arts and crafts with her 6-year-old granddaughter. In the office, Venita is providing many of the same supports that her predecessor, Tammy, did. Answering your questions or directing concerns to the right department is just one important part of what she does. We are so happy to have her on our team, ensuring we continue to provide the level of customer service we pride ourselves on.

Updates on Moving Host Home Provider Payments to ADP:

ADP is the HR Platform that Support, Inc. uses to track its employee files and run payroll. Over the past several months, we have been working with the HR Department to add our Host Home Providers (HHPs) to the same system.

Moving our HHPs over to the same system not only helps with back-end consistency but will also automate their bi-weekly payments leading to a higher degree of accuracy and fewer errors. HHPs will be able to access personnel files (see when they are coming due), personal data, and pay stubs directly through a secure online portal. In addition, HHPs can see and update direct deposit information securely.

The Finance and HR Teams are still testing the new system and have been working closely with the Operations Team to ensure a seamless transition.

More on HHP Bi-Weekly Pay:

Below is a 2024 pay schedule for HHPs. The first two dates indicate the date range within the pay period. The third date is when funds are directly deposited into bank accounts. Using ACH (or direct deposit) is the most efficient way to receive payment. Physical checks are processed using Bill.com, Support’s payment processing system, and subject to processing times of the US Postal Service.

Please e-mail us at accountspayable@supportinc.com with any questions or requests.

In the Spirit of Gratitude:

We, the Finance Team, want to give a big thank you to all our Department Teammates, Support Leadership, Directors, Associate Directors, Coordinators, Direct Support Professionals, Providers and Caregivers. We are so grateful to each one of you for partnering with us.  We appreciate your patience as we encounter challenges that arise from the implementation and integration of new systems.  As part of the Support Family, you have our commitment to bring you the best customer service possible.

Common Question Topics for Finance and Where to Direct:  

Host Home Provider Payments – accountspayable@supportinc.com & hradmin@supportinc.com

FCG-IC Payments – accountspayable@supportinc.com

FCG or Employee Pay History – Can be found in your ADP Portal under “Myself”- “Pay”- “Pay & Tax Statements”

Bill.com Questions/ Payee Account Set up – accountspayable@supportinc.com

Verification of Income/Employment Requests for HHP  – hradmin@supportinc.com

Verification of Income/Employment Requests for FCG-ICs – accountspayable@supportinc.com

Verification of Income/ Employment Requests for Employees or FCGs – hradmin@supportinc.com

Medicaid Redetermination Questions – Lily.kirkman@supportinc.com

Social Security Benefits & Paperwork Requests – Lily.kirkman@supportinc.com

Cigna and Other Insurance Benefits Questions – hradmin@supportinc.com

 

How do I update my direct deposit information?

  • If you are set up with an ADP account, Log into ADP, under “Myself” – “Pay” – “Payment Options” from there you can add or edit the bank information we have on file.

 

  • If you are not set up with an ADP account, e-mail accountspayable@supportinc.com. Please include your support team in case we need to contact you with any further questions.
Day Serv.

Day Services News and Updates

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Site and Community Based Day Program:

The Aurora Day program is very excited as we begin the new year. Our individuals have been having a blast as we further integrate our programs into the community. Some of our recent outings that have been a hit are going bowling, seeing animals at the arsenal, watching how candy is made at Hammond’s candy factory as well as celestial seasoning where they can taste a variety of teas and learn how the process of tea making is accomplished.

As far as our onsite activities, we are continuing to offer Chill Club where our individuals learn creative coping skills to decompress as well as moving and grooving where the importance of exercise and physical activity are accomplished through music and dancing. A fun activity we began last year is cooking class where we recently have made air fried pickles, air fried Oreos, multiple chip dips, and so much more. As spring is quickly approaching our individuals have begun a gardening course where we are successfully growing cilantro, parsley, basil and onions which we will use for future cooking classes.

To celebrate the holidays, we had a Valentine’s party where the individuals exchanged cards, played Valentine’s themed bingo with candy, broke a pinata, had pizza, prizes and much more. Moving forward, we have a St Patrick’s and Cinco De Mayo parties which the individuals are working closely with staff to plan. We wouldn’t be able to achieve such success without the consistent staff which work diligently every day to make day program a great experience for all our individuals. We welcome you all to come by and witness our growing day program and options we have available to all who we serve.

1:1 Direct Support Professional Program:

Our Direct Support Professional (DSP) Supervisor conducted a Community DSP meeting that went really well and we rolled out the productivity report. We’re also starting biweekly check ins with our 1:1 DSPs to provide more oversight and support! One of our 1:1 DSPs took her individual to our Day Program and the individual loved it so much that they didn’t want to leave! The DSP said nothing but good things about Day Program and the staff there! Another one of our 1:1 DSPs started working with a couple new individuals and they are all working well together! We hear nothing but good things from the Residential Coordinators and the providers regarding this DSP.

If you’d like to learn more about our day services, please contact info@supportinc.com