fgi ink spring/summer 2014

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Foothills Gateway Ink | page 1 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Ink Spots Page 2 SLS Fair Page 4 Budget News Page 5 Upcoming Events Page 6 860 miles in 90 hours? Page 7 SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES | SPRING/SUMMER 2014, ISSUE 35 FOOTHILLS GATEWAY INK This story was shared with us from our sister Community Centered Board in Steamboat Springs, Horizons When utilizing person centered skills that have been learned through trainings, we sometimes have an “aha” moment This is one such instance A woman, who lives in a home with two of her friends and rotating counselors who provide round the clock supervision, tripped and fell It turns out that she has a fracture in her hip that was hard for her doctor to diagnose Once the fracture was confirmed, her doctor admitted her to the local medical center for three days so that when she was released, she could be admitted into convalescent care This woman has lived in her home for so long that we were worried about the transitions she would need to make A group of people who know her best decided to use a tool from our Person Centered Thinking training It is the important “to” and important “for” tool Using this structure, they came up with a description of her that is personal as opposed to the usual “Fact Sheet” that we might have provided to the hospital in the past The description is titled “It’s All About Me” and has a beautiful photo along with important things for the nursing staff to know Things you can learn about her from “It’s All About Me” are that she likes red and purple, a quiet environment, polished nails, braided hair, people to talk to, and compliments She likes to sing to country music, drink decaf coffee and tea, and do puzzles She likes to be included in conversations and will often compliment others You can also learn about things that are important “for” her: these are mostly health related It’s All About Me not only helps the professionals who will work with her get to know her, it also communicates how special she is: her smile, sense of humor, silliness, and how much she cares about others Staff stopped by to visit her at the hospital and like to think that the stories about her made a difference The nurses were attentive, caring, and perhaps most importantly, explained to her what they were about to do She was relaxed as she worked on her puzzle and as comfortable as you can be with a fractured hip We all want her to heal quickly so that she can come back home WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU?? AN “AHA MOMENT By: Jamie Martin It’s All About Me!

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Page 1: FGI INK Spring/Summer 2014

Foothills Gateway Ink | page 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Ink Spots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

SLS Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

Budget News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

860 miles in 90 hours? . . . . . . Page 7

SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH DISABIL IT IES | SPR ING/SUMMER 2014, ISSUE 35

FOOTHILLS GATEWAY INK

This story was shared with us from our sister Community Centered Board in Steamboat Springs, Horizons .

When utilizing person centered skills that have been learned through trainings, we sometimes have an “aha” moment . This is one such instance .

A woman, who lives in a home with two of her friends and rotating counselors who provide round the clock supervision, tripped and fell . It turns out that she has a fracture in her hip that was hard for her doctor to diagnose . Once the fracture was confirmed, her doctor admitted her to the local medical center for three days so that when she was released, she could be admitted into convalescent care . This woman has lived in her home for so long that we were worried about the transitions she would need to make .

A group of people who know her best decided to use a tool from our Person Centered Thinking training . It is the important “to” and important “for” tool . Using this structure, they came up with a description of her that is personal as opposed to the usual “Fact Sheet” that we might have provided to the hospital in the past . The description is titled “It’s All About Me” and has a beautiful photo along with important things for the nursing staff to know .

Things you can learn about her from “It’s All About Me” are that she likes red and purple, a quiet environment, polished nails, braided hair, people to talk to, and compliments . She likes to sing to country music, drink decaf coffee and tea, and do puzzles . She likes to be included in conversations and will often compliment others . You can also learn about things that are important “for” her: these are mostly health related .

It’s All About Me not only helps the professionals who will work with her get to know her, it also communicates how special she is: her smile, sense of humor, silliness, and how much she cares about others . Staff stopped by to visit her at the hospital and like to think that the stories about her made a difference . The nurses were attentive, caring, and perhaps most importantly, explained to her what they were about to do . She was relaxed as she worked on her puzzle and as comfortable as you can be with a fractured hip . We all want her to heal quickly so that she can come back home .

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU?? AN “AHA MOMENTBy: Jamie Martin

It’s All About Me!

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“SURVEY SAYS……” For me, Richard Dawson was the most entertaining Family Feud host . Loved it when he looked at the board and let the world know what the “Survey Says” . We too have the results of the PCT survey recently completed by 102 of our staff . Congratulations and thanks to those who did complete the survey as we achieved a statistically valid and reliable result . So, with that let’s find out,

What the Survey Says………… . .

This survey has been developed by our training facilitator, Support Development Associates (SDA) thereby ensuring consistency with our training efforts . The survey itself is focused upon determining the level of growth/

The Foothills Gateway INK

Staff Reporters:

Pat Carney, Jim Cox, Erin Eulenfeld, Diana Foland,

Cynthia Hansford, Jan Irvin, Sondra Lee, Tim O’Neill, April

Rikhoff, Judy Tomcak

If you have any questions or comments regarding this

newsletter, please contact us at 970 .226 .2345 or

info@foothillsgateway .org

INK SPOTSBy: Tim O’Neill, Executive Director

change within the organization that supports movement toward a person centered culture . This survey has been used in scores of organizations, like Foothills Gateway, that have made an organizational commitment . We are in good company nationally and internationally .

After analyzing the results of the thirty five questions in the survey, some clear trends emerged . Staff were generally united in their perspective that the mission of Foothills Gateway was supportive of people attaining the life they desire, that we listen to people, and that we have respectful and trusting relationships between direct support professionals and the people they support . Furthermore, staff feel that they are supported to design our processes to meet the expectations of the people we serve, and that the organization values partnerships and collaboration with stakeholders in supporting people with disabilities . These are but a few representations of progress being observed . The results also indicated areas where more change, attention and improvement are needed .

A significant number of staff disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement in question 31 that “the majority of people we support spend time with people who are not paid” . In two other questions ,responses indicated that the organization has room to improve, asking staff what is important to them and then matching those needs to opportunities to learn new skills that match their interests and talents .

Overall, survey results showed consistency throughout the organization . What is represented above is an initial read on the raw data . These results will be reviewed by Bob Sattler (our Person Centered Organization contact with SDA) to focus his keynote at the Staff In-Service . This survey has not only given us valuable information about our progress in this area to date, it also gives us a baseline for future results so that we can track efforts and trends .

Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.

- Jamie Paolinetti

For more information on Person Centered Thinking/Training please contact:

Foothills Gateway, Inc .: Jamie Martin 970 .266 .5304 jamiem@foothillsgateway .org

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WOW! Because of our community’s amazing volunteers, our house on Fleming Drive just continues to get better . Last fall, we were fortunate enough to be chosen by the volunteers at Avago Technologies through Make a Difference Day for a major project . After a lot of hard work, the Make a Difference Day volunteers removed a huge deck that was falling apart, not functional and was quite the eye sore . On May 3rd, we were again very fortunate to be chosen by the volunteers at Crossroads Church in Loveland for another project . The church organizes a huge community event, Project One, in the spring time . The Project One volunteers organized over 800 people to complete over 60 projects in Larimer County . We were project number 58 . A group of nine people came to the house early on a Saturday morning . They spent the day building two lovely raised garden beds . All of the materials and labor were donated through the church . The three ladies who live in the house enjoyed the “party” . They spent the day outside in the nice weather while watching the volunteers

THE TRANSFORMATION CONTINUESBy: Judy Tomcak

Colorado Person-First FestivalIs A Community Gathering Celebrating People With Disabilities

And Their Achievements (thus Person-First)While Creating An Enjoyable Civic Event For Everyone

Saturday - September 13, 2014 - 10AM – 2PMCivic Center Park

Fort Collins, Colorado

PARADE: 10AM - 11:30AM

PRESENTATIONS & ENTERTAINMENT: 12PM - 2PM

Come hear The Seers, and experience Phamaly

The Festival is FREE and the public is enthusiasticallyinvited to join the parade and celebration

Register at: www.coloradoperson-firstfestival.org

Sponsors include: Disabled Resource Services, Fort Collins Commission on Disability, NFRMPO,Elderhaus, Arc Thrift Stores, PASCO, Copper Leaf Creative

* Formerly Colorado Disability Pride Fest

change the landscape of their back yard . The ladies prepared lunch for the volunteers and they all had a great time having a picnic . Now the ladies are busy purchasing plants and preparing to raise some vegetables and flowers . The yard looks beautiful, thanks to our community volunteers!

Taking a break to pose for a photo

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The Colorado Legislature has appropriated funding to serve all of the individuals currently on the statewide wait list for Supported Living Services (SLS) . Included in the approved statewide resources, there are 178 resources for individuals in the Larimer County service area . The program resources for these individuals will become available during the next fiscal year (FY14-15), commencing July 1st of this year through June 30th , 2015 .

An SLS Informational Meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11th from 6:00 to 8:30 p .m . in the Gymnasium at Foothills Gateway . The purpose of the meeting is to help prepare individuals and their families for a smooth transition into SLS services . The meeting will give them an opportunity to:

• Learn more about the SLS program,

• Learn about the process for admission to the SLS program, and

• Meet the Program Approved Service Agencies (PASA’s) that plan to provide services for new program participants .

SLS services will be offered to individuals on the wait list according to their individual order of selection date, and it is anticipated that everyone with an “as soon as available” designation on the list will be offered services by July 2015 . With the large number of individuals that are now eligible for the program, advance preparation is necessary to accomplish this enrollment into services in such a short time span . In order to assist individuals and their families prepare for a smooth transition, Foothills Gateway has arranged this meeting to help them begin their planning .

Pat Carney, the SLS Case Management Coordinator, will present the overview of the program in addition to presenting the process for admission into services . He will answer any questions that individuals and families may have about these topics or other requirements . This information will also be reviewed with individuals and families at the time services are offered, but considering these details in advance will enable them to be better prepared and will expedite the program intake process .

Additionally, all the PASA’s approved by the State to provide services in Larimer County have been invited to participate in the meeting . Each PASA will be able to have a table with information about their agency at the event . They will be available to meet, to offer information and to start conversations with individuals and their families about the services that their agency provides . This will allow connections with providers to be made early in the process .

Individuals and families that are unable to attend this Informational Meeting, but would like to participate on a future date, are encouraged to contact their Intake Case Manager at Foothills Gateway and let them know . A second meeting will be considered if it is determined that sufficient interest is shown .

ACCESSIBILITY AND YOUBy: April Rikhoff

Accessibility has been defined as the degree to which a device, service, product or environment is available to any person at anytime . At Foothills Gateway, we assess the accessibility for individuals in services, our employees and other people who may encounter our building or want to learn about our services .

Foothills Gateway has an Accessibility Committee that meets regularly to review any potential barriers to the following areas: architecture, environment, attitudinal, financial, employment, communication, transportation, community integration, and technology . This committee has been meeting since 2004 in an effort to ensure we are promoting accessibility and removing any barriers that have been identified .

As you may have realized, accessibility is much more than being in compliance with the ADA and ensuring our building is accessible . Our committee has found a need for additional curb cuts, signage inside and outside our building, and a covered bus stop at the corner of Skyway Drive and Highway 287 to name a few projects over the years .

The organization as a whole attempts to provide information in a format that is easily accessible for people . As a committee, we attempt to de-mystify some of the information that can be confusing and make it more “user-friendly”, especially when describing or navigating services . This has included changing some descriptions on our website, brochures and other promotional materials .

Our committee completes yearly accessibility barrier checklists, however, is always keeping an eye out for potential barriers to persons in services, employees and other stakeholders . If you notice a possible accessibility barrier while visiting Foothills Gateway, please report it to the receptionist . She will assist you in filling out a barrier report form and passing this information to the appropriate party .

Learn More about SLS!June 11th, 2014

6:00 - 8:30pm@ Foothills Gateway

SUPPORTED LIVING SERVICES RESOURCE FAIRBy: Sharon Courtney

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Foothills Gateway Board of Directors

Jim DisneyKatie FahrenbruchDerf GreenJohn Haley, TreasurerTracy Katz, Vice PresidentKendra KettlerBJ RussellGregg Seebohm, PresidentRomie TobinSusie TretheweyDoris “Punkie” Whitely, Secretary

Foothills Gateway Foundation Board of Directors

Nyla AndersonDavid Fritzler, TreasurerBarbara GarridoCarl MaxeyJay McCoy, SecretaryNancy PickardNancy PieperTed ShepardBrian Sullivan, PresidentFranklin RykJoe RykBob Toomey, Vice President

YOU CAN REMEMBER FOOTHILLS GATEWAY IN YOUR WILL, TRUST, LIFE INSURANCE POLICY OR RETIREMENT PLAN. CALL 970.266.5316 TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR OPTIONS.

THE COLORADO LEGISLATURE BRINGS GOOD NEWSBy: Sharon Courtney

Anticipating increased revenue in the coming fiscal year (FY2014-15), the Colorado Legislature introduced many bills this year that required new funding . While the need to prioritize the proposed new programs meant that many of the bills would not be passed, support for programs funding individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) was strong .

Colorado’s “Long Bill” (the bill that appropriates funds for all state activities) has been approved and signed by the Governor . The Joint Budget Committee recommendations to add additional I/DD funding were incorporated into the final bill . These recommendations included:

• Funding for 2,040 new Supported Living Services (SLS) individuals statewide – to serve all individuals currently on the SLS waiting list inclusive of 178 individuals in the Larimer County area,

• Funding for 125 new Comprehensive and 61 new SLS enrollments statewide and the associated costs of state plan services,

• An addition of funding to increase SLS Service Plan Authorization Limits (SPAL) levels two through six by 25%,

• Additional funding for a 25% increase to the maximum SPAL level, and

• Increases for behavioral health services .

Two other bills have been passed by both the House and Senate and been signed into law by the Governor . They are:

1 . A bill to fund the System Capacity Changes related to the increase in SLS individuals to be served . Bringing an additional 2,040 individuals from the waiting list into SLS services in the coming fiscal year will require a dramatic increase in the statewide capacity to provide these services . This bill allows moneys to be used by provider agencies for administrative expenses to hire and train staff that deliver case management and direct service supports . Providers receiving this funding will be required to report to the state concerning the use and effectiveness of moneys expended .

2 . A bill that requires the Dept . of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), the state’s Medicaid agency, to develop a Strategic Plan to enroll all eligible persons with I/DD into program services . This bill directs HCPF to develop a plan to enable enrollment of eligible persons with I/DD into our programs at the times that those persons choose to enroll or need services and supports . The strategic plan is to include benchmarks for achieving the goal of enrolling all individuals on the wait list by July 1, 2020 . Also required is annual reporting of the number of eligible individuals still awaiting enrollment during the timespan of the plan .

Due to economic conditions, the State Legislature has not had the funds available to spend on new programs for a long time . We are grateful that they have used current revenue increases to support the deserving individuals who have long been waiting for services .

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Check back frequently to our Events page at www .FoothillsGateway .org for more information and additional event updates

Check out these fun and exciting events!!• Educational Luncheons - Want to know what we are up to at Foothills Gateway? Join us for one of our monthly luncheons!

These luncheons are purely informational and include a small meal, presentation and tour of our facility . Our next luncheons will be on: June 12th, July 10th, and August 14th, 2014 . Luncheons begin at 11:30am and end promptly at 1:00pm . If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Diana at 970 .266 .5316 .

• Shanks for the Memories Golf Tournament - This 4-person special ball scramble tournament is scheduled for Friday, June 27th, 2014 at Highland Meadows Golf Course . Registration begins at 7:00am with a shot-gun start at 8:00am . Your $125 registration fee includes cart, dinner and beer after play, goodie bag and contest on most holes . To register, contact Jamie Moyer at 970 .222 .7772 . This event benefits the Foothills Gateway Foundation .

• Amazing Race Fundraiser - We are excited to bring a fun, new fundraiser that will include challenges in and around Fort Collins for teams of four . Your team will need to finish each challenge to move along the course to get to the finish first . This event is tenatively scheduled for Friday, July 25th, 2014 . More information soon! This event benefits the Foothills Gateway Foundation .

• Foothills Gateway Open - This longstanding golf tournament (formerly the Hogerty Open) will be held on Monday, August 18th, 2014 at the Fort Collins Country Club . The event features a scramble format, lunch on the course, beer on the turn, dinner after play and much more . To register contact Jamie Moyer at 970 .222 .7772 . This tournament benefits the Foothills Gateway Foundation .

• Bonanza Auction Dinner and Dance - Fall brings cooler weather and the perfect time to put on those cowboy boots and hat to join us at our annual auction! It is your chance to bid on fantastic items with great friends . This year we’ll be kickin’ up our heels on Friday, October 10th, 2014 at the Fort Collins Hilton . This event benefits the Foothills Gateway Foundation .

UPCOMING EVENTSBy: April Rikhoff

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FOOTNOTESCALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS | JUNE - AUGUST 2014

Nonprofit OrganizationU .S . Postage

PaidFort Collins, COPermit No . 483

301 W . Skyway Drive Fort Collins, CO 80525

970 .226 .2345 Fax: 970 .226 .2613 info@foothillsgateway .org www .foothillsgateway .org

June-June 12 Educational Luncheon 11:30am - 1:00pm @ FGI_June 13 All Staff Inservice Day Foothills Gateway Closed_June 24 Foothills Gateway Board Mtg . 7:00pm @ Foothills Gateway_June 26 Foothills Gateway Foundation Mtg . 4:00pm @ Foothills Gateway_June 27 Shanks for the Memories Golf Tourn . 8:00am @ Highland Meadows

July_July 4 Independence Holiday Foothills Gateway Closed _July 10 Educational Luncheon 11:30am - 1:00pm @ FGI_ July 15 Foothills Gateway Board Mtg . 7:00pm @ Foothills Gateway_ July 24 Foothills Gateway Foundation Mtg . 4:00pm @ Foothills Gateway_July 25 Amazing Race Fundraiser

August_ August 4 Colorado Day Foothills Gateway Closed_August 14 Educational Luncheon - 11:30am - 1:00pm @ FGI_August 19 Foothills Gateway Board Mtg . 7:00pm @ Foothills Gateway_August 18 Foothills Gateway Open 10:30am @ Ft . Collins Country Club_August 28 Foothills Gateway Foundation Mtg . 4:00pm @ Foothills Gateway

visit www .foothillsgateway .org for updated information and forum dates