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January Host Home Provider of the Month

Please join us in congratulating the January Host Home Providers of the month- Agnes and Ron!! They were nominated by the Denver Metro 2 Team and Residential Coordinator, Jillian. This month marks one year of Jillian meeting Agnes and Ron and it has been an absolute pleasure working with them. They do an incredible job of taking care of three individuals who all have high medical needs, while continuously balancing their focus and care for each one of them. It’s clear that our person receiving services (PRS) is taken care of with nothing but unconditional love and support. Our PRS has a contagious smile and seeing him light up every time he looks at Agnes and Ron is the sweetest thing to witness. No matter the task or responsibility, Agnes and Ron work as a team to make sure they are on top of everything. They are always prepared and proactive and continue to advocate for the person receiving services. Agnes and Ron are incredible when it comes to monitoring the PRS’s health, making sure to notify me every step of the way so we are always on the same page. After a year of getting to know them, Agnes and Ron are not only great providers who make the PRS feel like another member of the family, but also two fantastic people with the kindest hearts. Agnes and Ron, I have nothing but appreciation and respect for the care you provide, thank you for all that you do! Congratulations on being named Host Home Providers of the Month!!!

 

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Ryan Takes on Colorado!

Today we would like to recognize one of our Family Caregivers (FCG), Yuko, and her son Ryan. Yuko is an exceptional FCG who cares deeply for her son and his health. Every day she goes above and beyond to ensure that he is happy and healthy. Yuko credits a healthy diet and the level of involvement in community and extracurricular activities to the low level of medications that he takes every day. Ryan enjoys staying active and doing fun things with his friends and family. Ryan works very hard to accomplish his healthy active lifestyle goals. Every year he trains for Special Olympics bicycling in the 25k and 10k races. He also enjoys skiing, camping, going out to eat and playing games with friends and family, traveling to places like Hawaii, attending sports games, the ballet, swimming, indoor rock climbing and going to the mountains to see the leaves changing. Yuko and her husband work very hard to ensure that Ryan has access to all of the activities he enjoys! Yuko spends countless hours researching and scheduling. If you ever get the chance to meet Ryan the love and attention that his family shows him is obvious by the giant smile on his face! Keep up the exceptional work Yuko and Ryan!

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Clinical Department News and Updates

The Clinical Department has been busy refining our processes and delivery of our counseling services over the past year. We are excited to begin offering new groups later this year in addition to our current offerings. One other area where our Clinical services have expanded is to be able to offer more Behavior Line Staff to support those adapting to new situations in their life.

Behavior Line Staff is used when persons receiving services are experiencing heightened clinical symptoms. Behavior line staff is a service that can be added to a service plan in addition to the other counseling services. It is used temporarily to support these individuals to remain in the community and to make choices with the support of a trained staff􀆯 member. This can look like going on shopping trips, safely riding in a vehicle, or adapting to a new day program. Behavior Line Staff utilize different interventions that have been selected by and overseen by one of our Clinicians to ensure positive outcomes. An example of this could be prompting someone while out shopping in a store each time they get in someone’s personal space or to assist in emotional regulation by co-regulating together by modeling the use of a coping skill. If you have any questions about Behavior Line Staff services or would like to request this service, please contact your team at Support Inc.

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QA Corner: Case Management Redesign & Conflict Free Case Management

CONFLICT FREE CASE MANAGEMENT (CFCM): In 2014 Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services published the Federal Final Settings Rule requiring home and community-based services (HCBS)  meet certain criteria. As part of the rule, there must be a separation of case management services and direct services (residential, day program, employment, behavioral services, etc.). Entities cannot provide both case management and direct services to the same person. The efforts of the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPF) to comply with federal requirements of Conflict Free Case Management have evolved into several initiatives called Case Management Redesign.

CASE MANAGEMENT REDESIGN (CMRD): Case Management Redesign requires a Case Management Agency (CMA) to provide case management to all 10 Home and Community Based (HCBS) waivers offered in the State of Colorado. CMRD will simplify access to Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) by having one entity manage all HCBS programs. We are about halfway through the case management redesign process. Some transition timelines have been updated. Below is a graphic explaining each service area we work with, who the new case management agency (CMA) will be and which phase they are transitioning in.

 

Catchment Case Management Agency Transition Phase
Catchment Area 5:  

Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert Counties

Developmental Pathways (DP) Phase 1:

Aug. 1-Oct. 31, 2023

Catchment Area 6:  

Adams and Denver Counties

Rocky Mountain Human Services (RMHS) Phase 1:

Aug. 1-Oct. 31, 2023

Catchment Area 11:  

El Paso, Park, and Teller Counties

The Resource Exchange (TRE) Phase 1:

Aug. 1-Oct. 31, 2023

Catchment Area 1:  

Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma Counties

Northeastern Colorado Association of Local Governments (NECALG)  Phase 2:

Nov. 1, 2023 – Feb. 29, 2024

Catchment Area 9:  

Weld County 

Weld County Area Agency on Aging Phase 2:

Nov. 1, 2023 – Feb. 29, 2024 

Catchment Area 12:  

Pueblo County 

The Resource Exchange (TRE)  Phase 2:

Nov. 1, 2023 – Feb. 29, 2024

Catchment Area 10:  

Larimer County 

Foothills Gateway, Inc.  Phase 2:

Nov. 1, 2023 – Feb. 29, 2024

Catchment Area 7:  

Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties

Jefferson County Phase 3:

March 1-June 30, 2024

Catchment Area 8:  

Boulder, Broomfield, and Gilpin Counties

Adult Care Management, Inc. (ACMI) Phase 3:

March 1-June 30, 2024

 

Along with the change in Case Management Agencies, the state will also be transitioning to the Person-Centered Support Plan (PCSP) which will serve as the plan for all HCBS services and is relacing the current Service Plan (SP). HCPF has also created a new level of care screening and needs assessment. The state anticipates these new tolls will be implemented in February 2024.

 

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New Residential Program Coordinator!

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!”

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Operations News & Updates

Hello and Season’s Greetings from the Operations Team. As the year comes to a close, if you’re like us, the holiday season is a time to reflect on the year that was and start setting goals for the year to be. It’s a time to celebrate our accomplishments, be thankful for our blessings, remember those we lost, and look forward to the new year. In whatever way you are connected to the Support, Inc. family, we appreciate you and look forward to taking on new things with you and on your behalf in 2024. May you find peace in this season and take time to be with the people you love. Thank you to everyone for all you do to support our individuals in services!

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Alea Steals the Show at the Library!

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.

 

 

HR Corner

HR News and Updates

We are very excited to announce our benefit change for 2024. This transition has been many years in the making.  Even though we have been generally happy with Kaiser, as we have grown, we have had the desire and the need to move to a plan that does not have as many restrictions, offers national coverage, and at an affordable cost to participants and the company.  After careful review by the committee, Cigna was chosen to be our employee health partner moving forward.  Below is some of what you can expect with this transition:

 

  • Cigna will allow you the opportunity to access a significantly larger network, which is nationwide and one of the largest networks in the country.
  • You will have less restrictions on access to care.  For example, you will not need a referral to see a specialist.
  • Cigna offers a transfer of care team that can assist in transferring prescriptions, finding doctors, and matching you with comparable care.

The HR Team is happy to answer questions and help as we make this transition and do everything in our power to make sure you’re able to access our employee benefits with ease!