Untitled-Design-11

New Residential Program Coordinator!

by Information & Resources

Please join us in giving a warm welcome back to Denver Metro-4’s newest Residential Program Coordinator (RPC), Brett Lopez!!

“Hello everyone! My name is Brett Lopez, and I am excited and grateful to be back. I previously worked at Support Inc. from 2011 to 2019. I worked in Day Program as a DSP and eventually worked my way up to the RPC position. After 5 years away, I realized how much I missed being with a company that truly cares about people. My hobbies include a lot of dancing. I currently dance with a Bollywood/Bhangra dance company, and we do different gigs throughout Denver. I am also in the process of being a dance instructor for the studio I dance at. When I’m not tied up with that, I enjoy being up in the mountains hiking or camping. 2024 is going to be a great year and I’m excited to be working with such a great team!”

Untitled Design (37)

Alea Steals the Show at the Library!

by Information & Resources

We want to highlight one of our individuals in services recent success! Alea has recently fallen in love with the library and their staff. She really gets out of her comfort zone when she is there. She now enjoys story/song time, whereas before she was unsure of it. Alea recently put on a puppet show for a few other kids at the library! Whereas before, she would only observe from a distance. She also recently got her own library card independently and will check out her own books! Congratulations, Alea, and thank you to all the Support Inc. staff who have helped her along the way. Special shout out to Direct Support Professional, Raina (featured in the picture), her family and the Colorado Springs team.

 

 

_upscale _blur

Patrick Goes to Camp

by Information & Resources

When Patrick was younger, doctors told his family that he would never be able to show emotion or smile. As you can see from the photos, Patrick proved them wrong!

Every year since he was a kid, Patrick has attended Adam’s Camp. He knows everyone there and they all know him. It is one of Patrick’s favorite places to be, and it always puts a smile on his face. This year, he got to spend some time in the mountains and enjoy a gondola ride, go swimming with his favorite camp counselor, and even help make some music for everyone.

Patrick’s family caregivers, Kelly and Steve, know how important camp is to Patrick and always make sure everything is ready, so he is able to go each year. Kelly keeps photo albums of each year, and it is always so great looking through them and seeing how happy camp makes Patrick.

_autotone
Recent News

Celebrating Disability Pride Month!

by Information & Resources

Happy Disability Pride Month! Celebrated each year in July, Disability Pride Month was established to recognize the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. This month makes space to honor the history, achievements, and experiences of the disability community and break down the stigmas surrounding disability. Disability Pride Month also encourages us all to identify where ableism is still present in the systems and environments in which we live and consider ways to improve accessibility for all. Save the date for The Colfax Center’s celebration of this month and our community members with disabilities on Saturday, July 29! The celebration will feature speed friending, a resource fair, food, and performances. Follow the link below to learn more about this event and a peer support group.

https://lgbtqcolorado.org/event/hybrid-disability-peer-support-group/2023-07-14/

QA COrner

Federal Final Settings Rule

by Information & Resources

In 2014 the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services published the final settings rule requiring home and community-based services (HCBS) to meet certain criteria. This rule ensures that all people receiving HCBS waiver services have:
-Access to the benefits of community living
-Live and receive services in integrated and non-institutional settings.

Colorado has worked to transition into compliance with this rule over the last several years. All agencies (including Support Inc.) and all settings (residential, day services, employment) are required to be in full compliance with the rule by March 2023. Click on the links below to learn more about Federal Final Settings Rule.

ØCommunity Integration Tips

ØFAQ Part 1: General Questions

ØFAQ Part 2: Follow-up on General Questions

ØFAQ Part 3: Lease & Residential Agreements

ØFAQ Part 4: Employment-Related Services

ØFAQ Part 5: Myth Busters

ØResidential Setting Training

ØNon-Residential Setting Training

ØRights Modification Training

ØIndividual Rights & Rights Modification- Providers & CMA’s

ØIndividual Rights & Rights Modification- Families & Guardians

ØIndividual Rights & Rights Modification- Members

ØPerson-Centeredness & Requirements

ØUnderstanding Guardianship & Final Settings Rule

ØNational health Institute Writing Respectfully: Person-First and Identity-First Language

ØSocial Work Today Person-Centered Thinking in Developmental Disabilities- Dreaming Possible Dreams

LN

Provider Town Hall Information

by Information & Resources

Great seeing many of you on the virtual Provider Town Hall yesterday, June 27th! If you missed it, you can view the recording by clicking here. You’ll need to enter this passcode to view the video: 2.5Y=&e

Below is a link to our STAR (Special Thanks and Recognition) Award presentation from this month. Congrats to the HHP recipients! The last page of this presentation has details on how to submit a STAR Award. We love seeing all the recognition! Click here to view the STAR Awards.

The next HHP Townhall will be scheduled in August – hope to see you there.

Thanks for all you do!

HHP

June Host Home Provider of the Month

by Information & Resources

We want to recognize and congratulate our June Host Home Provider of the Month- David Sakul! David was nominated by his Residential Coordinators, Rich and Anna. David has been a provider with Support Inc. for many years and does a great job working with the individuals in his home and completing compliance items. Even though David is a very experienced Provider, he continues his effort in getting better by joining the Town Hall meetings or other opportunities the agency provides to learn new things and keep up to date with the requirements asked of HHP’s. David does a wonderful job in getting the individuals in his home out into the community and supporting them in the things they like to do. They have been on several trips to different areas in the state and out of state, and even went on an Ocean Cruise last year. It was the trip of a lifetime for the individuals in services. We appreciate how he sends us pictures of the things his guys get to do when traveling. David has always been very pleasant to work with and is an excellent team player. He consistently communicates the needs of his individuals and supports them with whatever they need. He strives to keep the individuals in his home active and involved in community activities. It is always wonderful to see the fun activities and travels that he takes the guys on. Thank you, David, for being an important part of the Support Inc team and for caring so much about the individuals you work with. We appreciate everything you and your family do. Congratulations on being the June Host Home Provider of the Month!

Untitled Design (43)

Operations Team News

by Information & Resources

The Operations or “Ops” Team consists of our six Associate Directors (ADs) of Residential Services, the AD of Day Services, the AD of Nursing and me, Director of Residential Services.

The most recent change within our team is the addition of Interim AD (former Senior Residential Program Coordinator) Paulyn Matibag on the Denver Metro 3 (DM3) Team. Paulyn will be covering for DM3 AD Samantha Cordova while she is on leave. We expect Samantha back in October.

As we enter summer, we wanted to share with you some of the things we’re focusing on as a team over the next few months.

The first half of the year we rolled out some big changes including health tracking and the appointment module including the use of Scomms. It was a lot! Not to say you won’t see any changes this quarter, but we are intentionally holding off on large-scale projects so we can all collectively catch our breath. We will take this time to hone our processes related to quarters 1 & 2 changes and recommit to providing quality services that are above reproach to all our stakeholders.

Whether it’s travel, pool-time, or a staycation – I hope you all find some time to relax and recharge this summer.

Erik Nielsen, Director of Residential Services