Innovations and the Imagine! Leadership Development Group!

We are thrilled to announce that one of our Innovations Group Home Site Supervisors, Cameron Navis, has been named to this year's Imagine! Leadership Development Group!  The Leadership Development Group is an annual program to find people at Imagine! who want to accelerate their growth within the company.  Cameron, along with four other Imagine! employees, will study leadership techniques, and will learn about how Imagine! functions within the broader system of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  The program will culminate with a group project aimed at improving an aspect of how we do business at Imagine!  We at Innovations are excited for Cameron, and look forward to the creative ideas he will bring both to this Group, and back to Innovations in return.

Click here to check out Imagine! CEO Mark Emery's post on this year's Leadership Development Group.

If you see Cameron around, congratulate him on being a member of this year's Imagine! Leadership Development Group!

A Special DSP Recognition Week Shout-Out to Our Innovations Super Heroes!

As part of our appreciation for our Innovations Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) this week, we wanted to highlight all of our Super Heroes of the month for this past year!  A huge thank you again to the following staff and providers who have best exemplified the quality standards we strive for here at Innovations.  THANK YOU for doing amazing work every day to provide exceptional support and care to the people we serve.

Marie Handlin - Program Specialist for our Host Homes program
Jennifer Carr - Site Supervisor II for our Family Model program
Martha Heimbaugh - Administrative Assistant for our Innovations for Children program
Ryan Brennan - Residential Counselor for our Manhattan Group Home
Alex Prokop - Primary Residential Counselor for our the Charles Family Group Home
Mike Fischer - Primary Residential Counselor for our Satellite Apartment Program
Margaret Kuwata - Primary Residential Counselor for our Bob and Judy Charles Group Home
Amy Brissette - Foster Care Placement Worker for our Innovations for Children program
Jamie Crawford - Residential Assistant Site Supervisor for our Manhattan Group Home
Diana Stobbe - Coordinator for our Host Home program

Happy DSP Recognition Week!

This week is National Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week, and we wanted to take a moment to give a big thank you to all of our Innovations DSPs!

To our DSPs: thank you for the hard work you have done to enrich the lives of individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Innovations would not be the amazing organization that it is without our staff and providers, and we appreciate everything you do to assist the individuals we serve to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives. Our first company value here at Imagine! is that "Our workforce is our number one asset."  Truly, our success as an organization depends on our staff and providers— THANK YOU for all that you do!

Click on the image below to view the Colorado DSP Week Proclamation:

Thanks again to all of our DSPs, and if you see an Innovations DSP this week, thank them for the great work they do each and every day to fulfill our mission!

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 Diana Stobbe, who is a Coordinator for our Host Home program.

Diana was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

Diana has consistently gone above and beyond to support the program, clients and her co-workers time and time again.  She regularly makes herself available and offers support during times of unexpected emergencies and crisis situations.  She is reliable, confident and always willing to go the extra mile.  She does her job quietly and competently with very little oversight or need for attention.  She is easy to work with and I know I can count on her to always do what needs to be done to support not only her own caseload but offer her assistance to others.  Diana is really a phenomenal person, coordinator and co-worker, we’re lucky to have her as part of our team.

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

Innovations Exciting Upcoming Events!

Innovations has two exciting events coming up, and we hope to see you there!  Check out the details below.

September 9: Innovations Advocacy Council 

Hot Dog Fundraiser 

The Innovations Advocacy Council will be hosting a Hot Dog Fundraiser in support of the Innovations Advocacy Council Fall Formal. The fundraiser will be held September 9 from 12pm-3pm in Imagine!’s John M. Taylor Conference Center, 1665 Coal Creek Drive in Lafayette. There will be hot dog lunches – including vegetarian offerings – as well as games and contests. All of the proceeds will benefit the Innovations Advocacy Council Fall Formal, which is scheduled to take place on October 21. All Imagine! employees, individuals receiving services, and friends of Imagine! are invited to attend. For more information, contact Jennifer Carr at 720.544.6914 or jcarr@imaginecolorado.org.

September 22: Innovations for Children 

Foster Care Open House

On Thursday, September 22, from 4pm – 7pm, Innovations for Children will be hosting a Foster Care Open House. The event will be held in Imagine!’s John M. Taylor Conference Center, 1665 Coal Creek Drive in Lafayette.  It is a great opportunity to learn more about the program and what being a Foster Care Parent is all about. For more information, contact Belinda Chirinos at 303.457.5642 or bchirinos@imaginecolorado.org. If you can't make it, but are interested in the Innovations for Children Foster Care program, check out the video below.