A friendly reminder for those looking for our weekly events- This information has transitioned to the calendar on our website.
The calendar includes information for our Day Program Events, LIFE Events and BACPAC events. To learn more information, simply click on the date and click on the event for further details.
Many of our events are hosted online due to COVID-19. To join, select the event on the calendar and be sure to download Zoom ahead of time.
If you have any further questions regarding our events or how to use Zoom, please contact Cathy at Cathy.Kellogg@supportinc.com and she will point you in the right direction.
To all Support, Inc. Staff,
Providers and Families:
In this communication we will
cover the following:
National
COVID-19 vaccine update.
Local COVID-19 vaccine update including eligibility for
individuals in services.
Where to get the vaccine (employees, contractors, and
individuals in services).
What to expect when getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Reporting
your COVID-19 vaccine participation and how we store these records.
National
COVID-19 vaccine update:
COVID-19 vaccine administration continues
to increase across the United States where around 10% of American’s have
received at least one dose of the vaccine. About 9.7% of Coloradoan’s have
received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. While the demand for the
vaccine remains higher than the available supply, Colorado will begin receiving
an additional 9,000 vaccines weekly starting this week to help meet the demand.
Additional vaccine candidates continue to go through clinical trials to seek emergency use authorization (EUA) through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Janssen Biotech Inc. has filed for emergency use authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine, an FDA advisory committee will review Janssen’s vaccine on February 26th.
2. Local COVID-19 vaccine update:
Colorado moved into Phase 1B.2 last week. This phase includes Coloradoan’s who are age 65-69, pre-K through 12 educators, childcare workers, and continuity of state government. IDT’s should continue to discuss individual’s preference regarding getting the COVID-19 vaccine and what support the individual needs to access the vaccine when it becomes available to them. Individual’s receiving services should consult with their primary care physician regarding the vaccine and any medical questions they may have. After an individual in services receives their COVID-19 vaccine please send a copy/picture of the vaccine card to the Residential Program Coordinator.
3. Where to get the COVID-19 vaccine:
As Colorado continues to open additional
phases of the COVID-19 vaccine plan, more vaccine options are also becoming
available.
Individual’s in services who are eligible
for the vaccine may go through their primary care physician or participating
retail pharmacies across the state. To find out if your local retail pharmacy
is offering the COVID-19 vaccine, follow these links; King Soopers, Wal-Mart, Sam’s club, Walgreen’s
and Safeway.
Employees and contractors of Support, Inc.
are classified as Moderate-Risk Health Care workers and are also eligible for
the vaccine now. Employees and contractors may also utilize any of the retail
pharmacies listed above or their primary care physician. If you work out of our
Aurora office, you can use this
link for scheduling an appointment through the Tri-County Health
Department. If you work out of our Loveland office or Colorado Springs office,
please contact your Residential Program Coordinator or Supervisor for
additional information on how to schedule your vaccine in that area.
We have applied to host a vaccine clinic at
our Aurora office. Stay tuned for more information!
If you need any support or assistance scheduling a vaccine for yourself or an eligible individual you support, please reach out to your Residential Program Coordinator or Supervisor for assistance.
4. What to expect at your COVID-19 vaccine appointment?
5. Reporting your COVID-19 vaccine participation
For employees and contractors getting the COVID-19 vaccine, please send a copy of your vaccine card to hr.admin@supportinc.com. We are required to track participation and non-participation in the COVID-19 vaccine. Only our HR department will have access to your COVID-19 vaccine card. Vaccine participation and non-participation information will be used for internal and licensing reporting only.
Do you follow us on Facebook? We are running a social media campaign to #SupportTheShot and have joined Alliance Colorado’s campaign to #RollUpYourSleve and help Colorado conquer COVID. If you would like to be featured on our social media page email cathy.kellogg@supportinc.com with a picture and why getting the COVID-19 vaccine is important to you.
Be sure to never miss our correspondences, follow us on Facebook, be sure you are
on email and newsletter distribution lists and check out website for on-going updates about
COVID-19 and other happenings around the organization.
As a member of the Intake Team, I’ve often wondered how it
is to join the groups I frequently promote. From our LIFE Club to Moving and
Grooving and beyond, we offer quite the lineup of activities for people to join
online. Our Day Program offers the opportunity to participate in person with
peers in a safe environment. But for those that choose to stay home, I would
highly recommend Moving and Grooving as a means for light and fun exercise.
To start, you’ll want to wear some comfortable clothing and
shoes. I was honestly a little too excited for this group and got ready an hour
early. Meredith and Ashley will normally start with stretches and then we move
on to the festivities!
I had been meaning to join this group for quite some time.
So, to login for this Heartthrob Dance Party was pretty good timing if you ask
me. From N’SYNC and Backstreet Boys to Britney Spears and One Direction, the
majority of the requests were 90’s favorites. As a true millennial at heart,
this made me very happy.
Ready to move and groove in my new workout headband!
My favorite part of this group was just how casual it is. I
must’ve had this preconceived notion that the meetings were structured with
“group fitness expectations” such as everyone curling their arms together or
involving some sort of synchronized group moves. This was not the case.
Participants are literally encouraged to “move and groove”, whether that be
head-bopping, foot-tapping or full-blown dancing with great enthusiasm. I also
loved how comfortable the group felt for people joining it. Everyone was
accepting of each other’s dancing, and no one seemed to care how someone else
was choosing to move and groove.
Lastly, our clinicians leading the effort are a cut above
the rest. Meredith and Ashley are both thoughtful and considerate when guiding
these group activities. For instance, we have Moving and Grooving happening
again today. The group focuses on strength this week and takes a look at inner
and outer strength, so not just the physical elements. The way our Clinicians
focus on the whole person, including the emotional needs of our individuals,
remains a cutting-edge approach to care. In addition, these activities allow
the people we serve the chance to connect with other individuals in the program
for socialization opportunities. With deliberate planning and creative ideas, Meredith
and Ashley go above and beyond for every session they host. Every theme they
develop for Moving and Grooving is safe, fun and ultimately, engaging.
In short, I had a blast joining Moving and Grooving last week! I highly recommend that those on the fence give it a try. Moving and Grooving convenes every Wednesday from 12:15-1:00 p.m. For more information, please visit our calendar at www.Supportinc.com. You will also find other groups happening online that you’re welcome to join, as well.
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 congratulating our recent Host Home Provider of the Month, Shaunti Kelley!!!
The following write-up was produced by RPC Sonny Everett:
“We are happy to recognize Shaunti Kelley as HHP of the month. From the start of her HHP role with Support, Inc. she has demonstrated so much love and care for her consumer. Shaunti has gone above and beyond to make Heather’s days creative and fun with all the arts and crafts, baking, playing games, community outings, keeping close communication with Heather’s family, but most importantly, just making Heather happy. We are very lucky to have Shaunti be a part of our Support team. Thank you Shaunti for all that you do!”
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.
