Please Note: there are several day/time
changes for the programs from last week forward. Double check the days/times of
your favorite groups ?
Join us for some upcoming virtual events!
Please follow the links imbedded in this message to
participate.
Monday, November 16
LIFE Club: Jell-O!
When: Monday, November 16 from 12:15 pm- 1:00 pm
What: Join us as we make our very own Jell-O molds and discuss
what we’re grateful for! Pick up a box of your favorite Jell-O and whatever
else you like to put in your Jell-O mold! Some examples are mini marshmallows,
mandarin oranges, your favorite fruit, chocolate chips, or sparkling water to
give it a little pizzazz.
What: It’s National Novel Writing Month! Come for an opportunity to express yourself in writing! We
will learn about writing, discuss different
stories, and learn what makes a good story.
When: Wednesday, November 18 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 week, we will be making a poster about our group goals.
When: Thursday, November 19 from 11:30 am- 12:15 pm
What: Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a
scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are
common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories
to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items.
What: Join us as we discuss how we celebrate, what we are
looking forward to, what we may have to miss or adjust to this year, and all
around how we can adapt and still have a good time!
As the United States experiences an increase in COVID-19,
Colorado is also hitting a pivotal moment in this pandemic. Colorado is seeing
an alarming increase in the positivity rate of COVID-19 to a level we haven’t
seen since earlier this year. Colorado is at a daily positivity rate of 9.76%
and weekly average of 8.10% which shows declining transmission control across
the State. Health Experts including the CDC have indicated at a 5% positivity
rate, States and Counties are doing a good job of controlling the spread of the
virus. The continued rise of COVID-19 has prompted CDPHE (Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment) to update the statewide health order. The
update asks for people to “shrink their bubble” by limiting personal gatherings
to no more than 10 individuals from no more than 2 separate households. While
many counties around the state are already moving to more restrictive measures,
Colorado has the chance now to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to avoid further
restrictions. You can follow this link
to see what level your county is in.
It’s imperative we all do our part to help reduce the spread
of COVID-19 in our communities. You can do this by limiting your contact with
the people you don’t live with and utilizing the attached activity risk scale
to make informed decisions prior to engaging in activities. When you are around
others that don’t live with you, wear a mask/ face covering, stay 6 feet apart
and don’t gather in groups of more than 10 and from 2 households.
We at Support, Inc. are limiting our non-essential activities during this time. This includes limiting our use of the offices to only necessary trips. We are also limiting our in-person visits and utilizing virtual tools whenever possible. Our day program and DSP services will continue to run as normal at this time. Please continue to stay in touch with your team should you or anyone in your home become exposed to or exhibit symptoms of COVID-19. We can all protect ourselves and the individuals we support to reduce the spread of the virus by following these infection control practices.
COVID-19 symptoms may appear in as little as 2 days but may
not appear for 14 days after being exposed. If you have been exposed, you may
not yet be displaying symptoms and may never display symptoms (asymptomatic).
This poses the risk of spreading the virus to others before you become
symptomatic or are aware you have been infected. Protect yourself and others by
following the infection control steps above and monitor yourself and the
individuals in your home for symptoms of COVID-19.
– Fever and chills
– Cough
– Shortness of breath or difficulty berating
– Fatigue
– Muscle or body aches
– Headache
– New loss of taste or smell
– Sore throat
– Congestion or runny nose
– Nausea or vomiting
– Diarrhea
Many of these symptoms are the same symptoms as the Flu. For
the best protection from the Flu it’s best to get a flu shot by the end of
October. There are many options to get your flu shot this year including local
pharmacies, grocery stores or at your primary care physician’s office. If you
or the individual you support need assistance finding a location to get the flu
shot, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your RPC.
As Colorado reaches this pivotal point in the pandemic, we can all do our part to keep ourselves and the individual’s we support safe and healthy and slow the spread of COVID-19. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime. We also have a few infographics to share, to help guide the decision making process for the next several weeks.
What: Come for an opportunity to express your human rights. We
will learn about government, civic engagement, and how to participate. Why is
everyone talking about registering to vote?! Let’s find out!
Special Pop Culture Club: Post-Election Discussion
When: Wednesday, November 4 from 11:00 am- 12:00 pm
What: Come for an opportunity to ask questions and express your
feelings following the election. This group
is open to ALL- clients, providers, caregivers, and staff.
What: This week is all about strength. What makes you strong?
We will discuss different types of strengths and how it relates to both our
inner and outer selves.
When: Thursday, November 5 from
11:30 am- 12:15 pm
What: Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a
scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are
common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories
to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items.
What: This week we will be shifting our focus to the holiday
season!Join us as we discuss how we celebrate, what we are looking
forward to, what we may have to miss or adjust to this year, and all around how
we can adapt and still have a good time!
Please join us in welcoming our new HR Assistant, Lauren Moore, to Support!
Tuesday September 29th, 2020, Lauren will be joining the Support, Inc. team as our Human Resources Assistant. Her responsibilities will be developed over the coming weeks, but look forward to developing her role to help fit our growing needs.
Lauren holds a B.B.A. in Human Resources Management from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is currently a pursuing a Master’s Degree in HRM from Colorado State University. In 2012, Lauren began her career in the Telecommunications industry – working in several areas of HR/Talent Acquisition, Sales, and Program Management.
Lauren is a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States. In 2001, she relocated from the EU to Oklahoma City, OK with her Air Force family. Lauren’s interests include: world traveling, amateur skiing and cooking. She is formerly licensed as a Private Investigator and freelanced her services for three years. Lauren currently resides in Littleton, CO with her partner.
She is greatly looking forward to meeting the Support, Inc. team. If you would like to connect with Lauren via LinkedIn, her URL is: www.linkedin.com/in/hrlaurenmoore
We are excited to bring Lauren aboard and look forward to all she can and will bring to our developing department.
Please follow the links
imbedded in this message to participate.
Tuesday, October 27
Pop
Culture Club: Voting and Civic Engagement
When: Tuesday, October 27 from
10:30am-11:30am
What: Come for an opportunity to express your
human rights. We will learn about government, civic engagement, and how to
participate. Why is everyone talking about registering to vote?! Let’s find
out!
What: We will host our Halloween Party online
this year! All are welcome to attend.
To join us, please follow the link below and sign in on
October 28th at 3:00 p.m. If you haven’t already, please RSVP
with Cathy at Cathy.Kellogg@supportinc.com
We encourage everyone to arrive costumes and feel free to
introduce your pets in costumes as well! Please see the attached and updated
flyer for new details. From the costume contest to the trivia and BINGO, we are
excited to see everyone soon!
Please Note Touching Stories has a new time! We
will be meeting at 11:30 am now.
Touching Stories
When: Thursday, October 29 from 11:30am-12:30pm
What: Gwen and Meredith will first lead
participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories
(all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the
sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger
hunt items.
What: Join us as we conquer our fears, talk
about ghost stories, and celebrate this time of year. This is what we have all
been waiting for! Bring your talents, enthusiasm, and imagination!
Please join us in welcoming our new Day Services Supervisor, Emily Minear
Emily Minear has joined the team as a Day Services Supervisor! Emily comes to us with experience as a trainer, supervisor, recruiting and hiring manager, and service operations director. Emily’s previous work experience has primarily been in the food and beverage/service industry as the operations manager of a golf club. A former University of Kansas Jayhawk, where she studied Arabic and Islamic studies, Emily is a recent addition to the Denver area and is excited about the Colorado community and lifestyle. In Emily’s free time she loves going to music festivals or concerts as well as hiking, camping, and exploring Colorado mountain towns with her boyfriend Alec and their miniature Australian shepherd Django.
Support, Inc. recently shared a post with critical voting information to review. Today we’re sharing an addition post with further details regarding the election.
To start, our Pop Culture Group (hosted by Meredith) is focusing on voting, every Tuesday from now until the election. For more information please contact Meredith at Meredith.Kane@supportinc.com.
Once you’re registered to vote, it’s time to find a polling place! Keep in mind, you’re able to vote by mail and at home, if need be. Otherwise, refer to this interactive polling locator to find a suitable location to vote. You can also search ballot drop box locations on this website, as well.
We know that voting can be tricky sometimes, when these questions are phrased in a way that can bring about confusion. Luckily, we have a few resources to help us understand the details of these measures and propositions.
If you choose to vote by mail, you can track your ballot in real time. Follow this link to check the status of your ballot.
The Arc of Colorado offers a full write-up on voting in the upcoming elections. And if you need a ride to the polls, please contact Cathy at Cathy.Kellogg@supportinc.com so she can get you connected with transportation as quickly as possible!
Lastly, we have FAQs for Voters with Disabilities.
Voters with Disabilities FAQs
Q1. If I
use a wheelchair and my polling place is inaccessible to me, what can I do?
A1. State and federal laws require that every polling place be
accessible. If your polling place is not accessible, make your local election
office aware of any issues. Please refer to this list of county election office contacts to touch
base with your local county election official.
You may also file a complaint under the federal Help America Vote
Act (“HAVA”) with the Secretary of State’s office. Information about
the HAVA Complaint Process is available on the
Secretary of State’s website.
Q2. How will I receive my ballot?
A2. All Colorado voters receive mail ballots. Eligible voters with a
disability may request to access their ballot and vote their ballot
electronically. An eligible voter must print the voted ballot, the accessible
ballot application, and sign the accessible ballot application. All of these
materials must be returned together and returned through the USPS or in-person
at a county drop-box or county VSPC. For your mail ballot to be counted, it
must be received by the county clerk’s office no later than 7:00 PM on Election Day.
If you did not mail your ballot in with enough time to meet the deadline, you
MUST deliver it to your county clerk’s office by 7:00 PM on Election Day.
You may also vote in-person. To vote in-person, you must surrender
your mail ballot and vote at a designated voter service and polling center. The
deadline to vote in-person is 7:00
PM on Election Day.
Q3. I use a walker and have great difficulty walking long
distances without sitting down to rest. My polling place is in a building that
has designated accessible parking and an accessible entrance. However, the
actual polling place within the building is located a significant distance from
the entrance closest to the parking lot. What can I do?
A3. If you prefer to cast your ballot in person, rather than vote
by mail, you might consider informing your county clerk about this problem.
They may be able to relocate the polling location within the building. If this
isn’t feasible, they may be able to place a chair or bench along the route so
that you can rest.
Q4. I have a reading disability and have trouble reading and
understanding what is printed on my ballot. I would like to be able to vote
privately and without help. What are my rights?
A4. The federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and Colorado laws
require that voters with disabilities be able to cast their vote privately and
without assistance. Each county has purchased accessible voting machines to be
used in every polling place election. These new voting machines use assistive
and adaptive technology to provide the opportunity for voters with a wide range
of disabilities to vote privately and independently.
Q5. I have a mental disability. Are there any restrictions on my
right to vote in Colorado?
A5. No. Although some states restrict those with mental disabilities
from voting, no such restrictions exist under Colorado law.
Q6. I have a friend or a relative who is currently confined in a
mental institution. Will they be given a ballot to vote?
A6. Section 1-2-103 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, specifies
that individuals confined in a state institution with behavioral or mental
health disorders “shall not lose the right to vote because of [their]
confinement.” Meaning, that as long as the confined individual is
otherwise eligible to vote, he/she will be given a ballot. Colorado law further
requires that state institutions for person with behavioral or mental health
disorders help assist confined individuals register to vote and obtain a mail
ballot.
Q7. I have a relative or a friend who I do not believe can
understand or cast a ballot. What can I do?
A7. Regardless of how others view an individual’s state of mind,
if the individual has the ability to direct how they would like to vote and
they are otherwise registered to vote, then they must be allowed to vote. What
matters is the voter’s intent: if the voter’s intent can be determined, then
the voter must be allowed to vote.
If the individual is unable to articulate his/her preference when
voting, then others should not cast a vote for them.
Q8. What can I do if I believe that my voting rights have been
violated?
A8. You can file an election complaint directly with the
Secretary of State’s office at 1700 Broadway, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80290. The
election complaint template can be found on the Secretary of State’s website
within the Help America Vote Act link under the Election Laws, Rules,
and Resources tab.
If you need assistance completing and filing your complaint, you
may contact Disability Law Colorado. You can contact
Disability Law Colorado by calling either their Denver office at 1-800-288-1376
or 303-722-3619 (TTY) or their Grand Junction office at 1-800-531-2105 (V/TTY).
As mentioned previously, our goal is to connect as many people receiving services to voting as possible by removing any potential barriers and eliminating any confusion. We are here for you and happy to help in any way that we can! For further questions, comments or concerns related to voting, please email Support’s DEI Committee at DEICommittee@supportinc.com.
It’s great to be back! I have re-joined the Support, Inc family as of August 17th after completing active duty service time with my Army Reserve unit this past year. It’s been my pleasure to reconnect with co-workers, providers, and clients over these past several days.
I’m excited to take on a new role within the company, now overseeing things for the Denver Metro 1 Residential Team. I will do my best to continue to provide the best service possible to the people we serve. Looking forward to talking with you soon!
The following write-up was produced by our Associate Director of Quality Assurance, Laura Viers:
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to provide a quick update on COVID-19 in the state.
On September 12th Governor Polis extended the
statewide mask mandate. The mandate first went into effect in July and is
reviewed every 30 days to extend the order as necessary. The order requires
wearing a mask or face covering, that covers the nose and mouth, when entering
or moving within any public indoor space.
Over the last few weeks, Colorado has seen an increase in
positive COVID-19 cases and increased hospitalizations due to COVID-19.
Colorado has moved to using a dial framework to determine the “openness” of
each county. This is a change from the previous statewide level’s we saw
several months ago. The dial framework has five levels and individual counties
may move between these levels. Counties determine their level based on 1) new
cases- the rate the virus is circulating in a county 2) percent positivity- is
there sufficient COVID-19 testing to capture the rate of viral
transmission and, 3) the impact on local hospitals- whether
hospitalizations are increasing, decreasing or stabilizing. Counties consult
with CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) to move to
less restrictive levels when they meet and sustain all three of these metrics
for two weeks. Use this link
to see what level your county is in.
As Colorado experiences an overall increase in cases and
hospitalization, it’s important we remain up to date and stay diligent to
protect ourselves and others. The best way to protect yourself, the
individual’s you support, and your family is to continue infection control
practices. This includes wearing a mask when you are in public, staying 6 feet
apart from people you don’t live with and wash your hands/ use hand sanitizer
frequently especially after touching shared surfaces and before and after
taking off your mask/ face covering.
As summer comes to an end and fall is just around the
corner, so if flu season. This year more than ever the CDC encourages people to
get a flu vaccination. Everyone over the age of 6 months is encouraged to get a
flu vaccine by the end of October. Vaccinations for high risk person’s is
especially important. Many risk factors that put people at high risk for
complications due to COVID-19 also put people at high risk for experiencing
complications due to the flu. These risk factors shared by both viruses are;
people over the age of 65, chronic health conditions including asthma,
diabetes, heart and lunch conditions and women who are pregnant. COVID-19 and
the flu share many similar symptoms which may make it difficult for physician’s
to diagnosis which virus someone is suffering from. There are several options
to get your flu shot however because of the pandemic and social distancing
measures, most places will require an appointment. You can get a flu shot at
your local pharmacy, community health clinic or primary care physician’s
office, call first to schedule an appointment.
As always please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or
your RPC with any questions you have.
Thank you,
Laura Viers Associate Director of Quality Assurance
Please join us in congratulating Gwen Bonilla on her recent promotion to Associate Director of Day Services .
With this recent wave of promotions, we are proud of everyone and continue to brag on our amazing employees!!
Gwen Bonilla joined Support Inc in 2018 as a clinician after a long career as a case manager and program manager at Rocky Mountain Human Services. Gwen is excited to bring her passion for mental health therapy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to her role as Associate Director of Day Services.In 2009, Gwen developed a unique therapy model for people with I/DD called Touching Stories that has been in use at Support Inc since 2018.
In 2012, she was the recipient of the 7 Everyday Hero Award for her work with the Touching Stories program. Gwen holds a graduate degree in social work from Metro State University of Denver and completed a post-graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Denver Family Institute in 2019.
