Joint Budget Committee Hearing Next Week!

Government funding is critical to our ability as an agency to provide services to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD).  Most of our funding comes from Medicaid, a federal program that is administered by each State.  Since the bulk of our funding is impacted by fiscal concerns at the State level, it is critical for us to follow and participate in the State budget process.

Every year, the Colorado General Assembly's Joint Budget Committee (JBC) meets with each department to discuss their budget for the upcoming year.  The JBC process starts with a "briefing," where a JBC staff-person presents the department budget request to the Committee, and offers recommendations for follow-up questions and requests.  The Department prepares written responses to the questions, and responds at an in-person "hearing."

The two governmental agencies that have the most impact on our services are the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) and the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS).  The hearing for both HCPF and CDHS will occur on Tuesday, 12/22, from 9-12, at the Legislative Service Building in Denver (200 East 14th Avenue).  The hearing is a public event, and all are welcome to attend.  If you would like to listen to the hearing but are unable to attend in-person, you can listen to the event by clicking on this link (click on "Year-Round Committees" on the left side of the page, and then "Joint Budget Committee").

Through our involvement with this process, we become more educated about our system, and ensure that the people we serve receive the best possible services here in Colorado!

Super Hero for the Month of November!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Martha Heimbaugh, who is an Administrative Assistant for our Innovations for Children program.

Martha was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

Martha has been such a trooper through all the changes in foster care, yet she continues to have the most upbeat attitude about things. She's done such a great job keeping everyone organized and is an amazing support system.  She is always on top of things and keeps foster care running smoothly.  Martha is always willing to assist with projects and to create new tracking systems that are effective and efficient.  She is a wealth of knowledge and is pleasant to be around.  Thank you, Martha for everything that you do.

If you see Martha around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

Super Hero of the Month for October!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Jennifer Carr, who is a Site Supervisor II for our Family Model program.

Jennifer was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

Jennifer does an amazing job working with the individuals that are on her caseload.  Jennifer is dedicated to the people that she supports and has built robust, creative, and comprehensive training plans to assist with skill acquisition and increased independence.  Jennifer has done an amazing job tailoring supports to the individual’s preferences and is integral in endorsing Person-Centered Practices.  Jennifer is always willing to spend additional 1:1 time with individuals and is always responsive to their needs and family dynamics. 

Jennifer has been an active member of the Innovations’ Advocacy Council and has assisted in various projects such as the recent Innovations’ Fall Formal.  Jennifer was responsible for finding a photographer for the event as well as assisting with the photo booth and helping set-up the event.  Jennifer’s input has been invaluable to the council and she is always willing to lend a helping hand.

If you see Jennifer around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

Super Hero of the Month for September!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Marie Handlin, who is a Program Specialist for our Host Homes program.

Marie was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

Over the last 6-8 months, the Innovations Host Home program has been extraordinarily swamped with moves and transitions, both planned and unplanned.  In her role as Program Specialist, Marie Handlin is responsible for coordinating and supporting all transitions, external, internal, planned and emergent but it has been a rough stretch recently to say the least.  Marie has always been an exceptional employee, always available and willing to help in any way she can whether it's her direct responsibility or not.  However, during these last few months Marie has really stepped up her game and been outstanding in her role.  She’s reliable, competent and consistent, always has a smile on her face and a great "get it done" attitude.  She consistently is in the line of fire, taking on the unexpected and always takes it in stride.  It’s not easy for anyone to move and it’s especially difficult for the individuals we support and Marie is always thoughtful and caring in working through this process.  We all want to recognize Marie for her ongoing hard work and compassion during these challenging times.

You really make a difference and we appreciate everything you do Marie, thank you!

If you see Marie around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

Innovations Fall Formal Fundraising

At Innovations, we strive to give individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to participate in fun, uplifting activities.  Most of the time we support and encourage people to attend rewarding events in the community.  However, sometimes we find that there is a strong interest for a particular kind of event that is either not offered in the community, or not made accessible to the people we serve.  Specifically, we found that the people we work with wanted to have a formal event where they could dress to the nines and interact with their peers in a supportive environment that would allow them to express themselves while ensuring all of their needs were met.  Last year, we decided to hold our first Fall Formal event here at Innovations, and it was an incredible success!  

Last year's event was such a success that we decided to do it again this year, and will be hosting our second annual Innovations Fall Formal on October 23rd, 2015.  In order to make this event as spectacular as possible we have launched a crowdfunding campaign, and would love your support!  Please donate what you can, and share the link below with your friends and family through social media.  Our goal is to raise $1500 in 30 days, and we need everyone's support to get the word out and help make this Fall Formal a truly special event for the people we serve.  Thanks in advance for your help!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/innovations-fall-formal#/story

Happy Direct Support Professionals Week!

Here at Innovations, we are proud of the supports we provide to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we rightly give the individuals we serve most of the credit for their accomplishments.  However, our purpose as service agency is to provide assistance to the people we serve to help them achieve their goals and maintain their health and safety.  This assistance would not be possible without a very important group of people.

This week we would like to take a moment and honor the people who work day in and day out to provide those services: our direct support professionals (DSPs).  Our DSPs help the individuals we serve to lead fulfilling lives by doing the challenging work of helping them where they need assistance, and of supporting them to be as independent as possible.  Some Innovations DSPs are employees, some are contract providers, and some are foster parents.  Some work part time, and some dedicate themselves to be available 24/7.  We have DSPs who are just starting their work in this field, and some who have dedicated their careers to do this work for decades.  

We deeply appreciate the hard work and commitment of our DSPs. To celebrate DSP week, please take a moment to tell a DSP that you value them and their work.  And this and every week, remember that all of the supports we provide are made possible by our heroic DSPs.

Here is the Colorado DSP Week Proclamation, issued our Governor John Hickenlooper:

Super Hero of the Month for August!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Christie Talkington, who is a Foster Care Placement Worker for our Innovations for Children program.

Christie was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

I would like to nominate Christie Talkington. This past month has been very challenging for two of her foster children and involved an investigation, move, safety planning, interaction with caseworkers, schools, guardians, and foster parents.  As soon as things settled down, one of the children had a health crisis and needed emergency care and surgery and Christie coordinated everything, drove all over the metro area, and even spent time at the hospital until midnight with the child so she wouldn’t be alone. It was tough work coordinating all of these crises as well as problem-solving through very tough situations which included helping new foster parents who have other children.  However, through it all she kept her same smile, laughter, and sense of humor.  Christie has done a phenomenal job and she is appreciated!!! These are the things that kids remember, so thank  you! Christie you ROCK!

If you see Christie around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

Super Hero of the Month for July!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Paula McCormick, who is a Primary Residential Counselor at our 19th Street Group Home.

Paula was nominated by her Site Supervisor and Nurse Case Manager, who wrote:

Paula has been such an asset to the 19^th St. team. She’s reliable, caring, hardworking, and always willing to go above and beyond for our people and team. Paula is an incredibly creative problem solver and has earned the nickname MacGyver for all of the projects and creations she’s come up with. She’s also volunteered on numerous occasions to cover shifts or put in extra hours to make sure we’re covered or so that we have enough staffing to do activities with our people. She’s built very strong relationships with our people and they all respond favorably towards her. Paula is a natural problem solver and leader and we are very lucky to have her on our team.

She has done many improvements at 19^th St such as painting the walls, improving the area where med cups and syringes are washed, and even retrieving a large bookcase (on the sidewalk), bringing it to the home, and cleaning and painting it.  I noticed yesterday while there that one of the individuals seems very fond of her and that’s unusual for him!

If you see Paula around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

Super Hero of the Month!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Robin Phillips, who is a Site Supervisor II.

Robin was nominated by one of her co-workers, who wrote:

Robin Phillips is being nominated as Innovations’ Super Hero of the Month because she is extremely efficient, provides excellent care to everyone she works with, and she has handled stressful situations with compassion and grace.  Robin has had to train at new houses, get to know staff and individuals, and assume her new role all within a short period of time.  Robin is prompt to answer messages and she shows a genuine care for every person she interacts with.  Recently, Robin had an individual go through the Hospice process and she supported the house she was supervising through the loss.  Robin has worked closely with various departments to assist with staffing shortages and address problems.  Robin is a shining example of Innovations’ core values and mission, and Innovations is proud to her name her the Super Hero of the Month.

If you see Robin around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

Super Hero of the Month!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Heather Christensen, who is a Primary Residential Counselor at our Manhattan Group Home.

Heather was nominated by one of her co-workers, who wrote:

The work Heather does with one of the individuals is amazing. This individual is typically quiet and chooses to isolate in her bedroom. I worked at Manhattan for a couple of months, a few years ago, and remember this individual’s behavior. Working at Manhattan once again, I am shocked at the difference I see in this individual’s behavior. When Heather is working, the individual is social, eats dinner with her roommates, and has a wonderful sense of humor. I'm not sure what Heather has done to support this individual in the time she has been working at Manhattan, but whatever it is, it works. From what I have heard, the Staff at Manhattan are also very impressed with Heather.

If you see Heather around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

Super Hero of the Month!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Pema Chosang, who is one of our Foster Care Providers here at Innovations.

Pema has been a foster parent for several years.  Pema is an exemplary foster parent in every sense of the word.  Pema makes a concerted effort to understand the needs of the children in her care in order to create a home environment that allows them to thrive.  Last month, she took both children in placement on a month long trip to India with her family.  When the foster family returned home from the trip, one of the foster children commented that he felt like he truly is a part of the family.  Her ability to integrate her foster children into her extended family is admirable.  She feels strongly that her foster children are her sons, and treats them as such.  Pema is organized, efficient and an absolute pleasure to work with.

If you see Pema around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!

New Innovations Logo!

We at Innovations are excited to share with you our new logo!  This logo was created by the Innovations Management team. We think it does a great job of communicating who we are and what we do.  Enjoy!

Volunteering at Imagine!

This week is National Volunteer Week. Volunteers are a huge part of Imagine!’s success. In the fiscal year 2013-14, 409 people volunteered for Imagine!, providing 12,261 hours of service. The estimated value of those volunteer hours to Imagine! during that time is $275,025.45!

Volunteers bring much more than monetary value to our organization. Imagine! is a community-based organization, and we can’t do what we do without the support of our community. Volunteering offers a great opportunity for members of our community to experience first-hand the vital work Imagine! employees do, and just as important, to see the amazing contributions that individuals served by Imagine! bring to their communities every day. Imagine! volunteers frequently become donors to our organization, and many end up working for us full time!

All this week, Imagine!’s Facebook page will be highlighting some of our fantastic volunteers and the positive impact they have on our organization.

By the way, do you know of someone interested in volunteering for Imagine!? Or do you have an Imagine! project that could use assistance from volunteers? If so, contact Imagine!’s Volunteer Coordinator Elizabeth Hill at 303-926-6460 or ebaumann@Imaginecolorado.org.

Finally, check out the short video below, created to encourage more people to volunteer at Imagine!

Super Hero(es) of the Month(s)!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

For the month of February, our Super Hero is:

Jesse Kennedy
Primary Residential Counselor - 19th Street

Jesse was nominated by a supervisor because:

He is calm, patient, respectful and person centered.  He takes everything in stride, is cool under pressure and never complains.  I never have to worry when Jesse is working because I know he’ll make sure that everything is taken care of and that our people remain happy and healthy.  Jesse has been present for crisis situations and he always steps up.  He does whatever needs to be done with a smile on his face.  Jesse is exactly the type of employee everyone wants to have. 

For the month of March, our Super Hero is:

Codi Ford

Primary Residential Counselor - Timber Ridge

Codi was nominated by a supervisor because:

She stayed with an individual who lives alone and has in the past not been able to successfully complete the pre-colonoscopy preparation routine on her own.  Codi stayed with her for nearly 24 hours, even getting up through the night to help this individual maintain her good spirits and not give up on the long unpleasant process.  The individual had a successful procedure.  The individual’s guardian/Sister expressed gratitude that Codi was able to help.  Codi offered to do it, and when I expressed gratitude to her for it, she replied with “Well, that’s what she needed, and I can do it.”  I didn’t even need to ask her if she could do it.

If you see Jesse or Codi around, please congratulate them for their hard work and dedication!

Super Heroes of the Month!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, we selected two Super Heroes of the Month!

Sharon Reamer

Admin-Finances

Sharon was nominated by a fellow co-worker because:

Sharon recently spent HOURS and HOURS of her time trying to fix an insurance problem for one of the individual’s on my caseload.   It was a very unique issue.  Sharon had to play the most ridiculous game of “Clue” wading through Medicaid contact after contact trying to find someone that could help us.  She did so with a sense of humor and stayed positive.  There were several times where there was nothing much more we could do than laugh and shake our heads.  Ultimately – Sharon being tenacious in her quest to get this resolved got us to a fix and this individual can now receive his much needed psychiatric services via Boulder County.  Sharon has also helped me in several small ways as of late.  Just yesterday I had a Host Home Provider inquire about if she could order a new Medicare card – Sharon just told the Host Home Provider not to worry and she could do it no problem (not even an hour went by and she had it ordered!).  By sticking to the principals of “Integrity” and being “Effective and Efficient” Sharon has been doing a great job and helped me in a variety of issues as of late. 

...and...

Lyle Jasmin

Host Home Provider

 

Lyle was nominated by his Coordinator because: 

Lyle has been remarkably successful working with the two individuals that live in his home, one of whom was having major struggles in his previous placement and entered the home emergently.  Lyle recently demonstrated his extraordinary attention to detail and dedication to his individual’s health, safety, and well-being.  The individual had been prescribed a new medication.  This medication was filled and sent to the home by the pharmacy.  Prior to administering the medication, Lyle noticed the generic name of the medication was the name of a medication listed on the individual’s allergy list.  Instead of administering this medication, he notified his Coordinator and Nurse Case Manager and we were able to verify the allergy and request new orders.  Both the Coordinator and Nurse Case Manager were highly impressed Lyle caught this potentially harmful mistake that had not been caught via the other levels of oversight.  We just wanted to recognize Lyle for this HEROIC act and say thank you to him for his quality of care day in and day out. 

If you see Sharon or Lyle around, please congratulate them for their hard work and dedication!

Super Hero of the Month!

Every month, Innovations presents the “Super Hero of the Month” award to the employee or provider who has best demonstrated excellence in one or more of our Innovations Quality Standards:

• Health, Safety, and Wellbeing
• Effective and Efficient
• Respect and Dignity
• Opportunities
• Integrity
• Care

This month, the award was presented to Brittany Huston, who is one of our Administrative Assistants here at Innovations.



Last month, when a co-worker was unable to provide a training due to a family emergency, Brittany volunteered to do the training herself. Even though Brittany was in the middle of other work at the time, she did not hesitate to help her fellow employee. And even though she does not typically do this training, she was happy to do it and did an excellent job of engaging the participants. Brittany’s co-worker reported that Brittany had the trainees laughing and smiling right off the bat, which is not an easy thing to do. By helping out her co-worker in her time of need, Brittany demonstrated the professionalism, respect, and kindness that we want all of our employees to strive for.

If you see Brittany around, please congratulate her on being our Super Hero of the Month!