Super Heroes of the Month for June!

Each 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 two of our employees:

Jennifer Hollander, who is a Residential Counselor at our Emery Foothills Group Home

Ciera High, who is a Residential Counselor at our Bob & Judy Charles SmartHome

Jennifer was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

Jenn comes to work every day with a positive attitude and lots of energy. She’s an extremely diligent worker, which is seen by her coworkers and Supervisor in several ways. For instance, Jenn always completes all the tasks on her to-do list, and will often help her coworkers with additional tasks. Jenn also makes sure to communicate important information to the next shift before she leaves for the day. In addition to this, Jenn consistently assists with communicating with outside vendors when they come to the home to work with the individuals, as well as the individual’s family and friends when they visit. Jenn also makes sure to spend quality 1-on-1 time with a specific individual, who is currently on hospice care, by reading and singing to her. Lastly, Jenn has taken the lead on planning fun outings with the individuals, such as going to the Butterfly Pavilion and the Denver Zoo. We are very fortunate to have Jennifer as part of the team at Foothills Group Home and she absolutely deserves to be recognized for all of her hard work.

Ciera was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

Ciera is one of the most reliable members of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome team. Ciera comes to work every day with a positive attitude, no matter the circumstances. She has been so helpful and calm while we deal with short-staffing issues. She is always willing to stay longer than scheduled, and do extra tasks to ensure that the individuals are getting what they need. Ciera has helped train one of our new staff members, and ensures that they feel comfortable in their new position with Imagine! Ciera is an amazing artist and finds creative ways to bring art projects into the home. She recently helped make a sympathy card for an individual to give to a friend and drew a Chihuahua-deer (a staff nickname) for an individual to give to a staff member, which is proudly displayed in the Group Home’s office. Bob & Judy Charles is lucky to have Ciera as a part of our team. Thank you for all that you do Ciera!!

If you see Ciera and/or Jenn around, please congratulate them on being our Super Heroes of the Month!

Super Hero of the Month for October, 2018!

Each 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 Anna Knott, who is a Coordinator for our Host Homes Program.

Anna was nominated by her coworker, who wrote:

Anna has been a huge help since she started, and is always so willing to reach out to providers and guardians. I have worked on a difficult case for the last 5 years with a lawyer’s office, and have not been able to work out a solution.  Anna immediately stepped in and said that that was not acceptable since we are the Representative Payee, and it was important for us to access what we needed to complete paperwork. Anna instantly stepped in and started working with the lawyer through both email and phone, and was able to reach a solution that everyone was comfortable with. While waiting for the paperwork to come in the mail, Anna kept her eyes out and made sure that when it arrived I got it right away.  On top of all that, I had several other issues that I needed help on during the process, and she didn’t even hesitate to help. It is great to have her around. She really cares for the individuals on her team, and wants to go the extra mile to make sure they are all getting what they deserve.

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

Super Hero of the Month for September, 2018!

Each 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 Paris Aguilar, who is a Primary Residential Counselor at the Boulder Charles Smart Home.

Paris was nominated by her supervisor, who wrote:

I wanted to nominate Paris Aguilar for Super Hero of the Month. She has been a fantastic addition to the Boulder Charles Smart Home.

Paris has only been at Boulder Charles for a short time, but has made a huge impact.  Staff and residents alike are always happy when Paris is on shift.  She comes to every shift with a positive attitude and is eager to get things done.  I know that when Paris is around things will be smooth, no matter the circumstance.  Paris frequently picks up shifts to help out her team and is even willing to make adjustments to her schedule to benefit the house.  Paris connects with each resident on a personal level and finds ways to include them in group activities.  Recently, Paris helped several of the residents design and make their own fun T-shirts.  She goes out of her way to ensure that everyone is happy and getting their needs met.  She frequently plans outings and does her best to get everyone out of the house.  It is easy to see that Paris really cares about the individuals at Boulder Charles.

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

Imagine! Excellence in Customer Service Award Winner!

Each month, Imagine! presents the Excellence in Customer Service award to an employee who embodies one or more of Imagine!'s Customer Service Values:

1. We provide a culture of support that relies on respect, open and timely communication, and integrity.
2. We achieve results through continual improvement and creativity.
3. We actively engage in and promote community.

This month, the award was presented to Isaac Marin, who is the Site Supervisor at our Charles Family SmartHome.

Issac's nomination included the following praise:

Isaac has been working through some very challenging behaviors with our daughter, and I have been impressed with him, and appreciative of him, every step of the way. In his words and his actions, he exhibits integrity, kindness, and tenacity. He has advocated creatively for things he believed our daughter needed in order to work through her challenges, and he continues to do so. In addition, I have witnessed first-hand as he trains new staff members. He is terrific at modeling respectful, adult communication with the SmartHome residents, and simultaneously treats the new staff member with respect while teaching him about all of the intricacies involved in working with each individual. He is upbeat and clearly passionate about his work, and as a parent, I am eternally grateful for his presence at Imagine!.

Congratulations on this honor, Issac! We're lucky to have you here at Imagine! Innovations. 😊

Innovations and the Imagine! Leadership Development Group for 2018-19

Our first company value here at Imagine! is that "our workforce is our number one asset."  That means we do our best to support our employees, and give them opportunities to learn and grow.  Each year, several exceptional employees are selected to be a part of the Imagine! Leadership Development Group.  The purpose of this group is to help develop the knowledge and skills of up-and-coming leaders here at Imagine!.  This year, one of the participants selected is Innovations Group Home Site Supervisor Paula McCormick!

If you see Paula around, please congratulate her on this prestigious honor!

***

Click here to read CEO Mark Emery's post on this year's Leadership Development Group.

You can also watch the short video below to learn more about Imagine!’s Leadership Development Group.

Super Hero of the Month for August, 2018

Each 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 Kent Vogel, who is a Primary Residential Counselor at the Foothills Group Home.

Kent was nominated by his supervisor, who wrote:

Kent is passionate about his work with the residents at Foothill,s and has outstanding work ethic. He works so efficiently that he often picks up extra tasks to help out his coworkers. A shift with Kent always seems to run smoothly. While the Residential Assistant Site Supervisor and the Site Supervisor were both on vacation, Kent stepped up and helped complete additional responsibilities to help the house. He made the weekly menus and ordered the groceries, which really helped the house and other staff. Kent always has a friendly attitude while at work, and enjoys helping the team strive. His presence is much appreciated by both the staff and residents.

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

Imagine! Customer Service Award Winner!

Each month, Imagine! presents the Excellence in Customer Service award to an employee who embodies one or more of Imagine!'s Customer Service Values:

1. We provide a culture of support that relies on respect, open and timely communication, and integrity.
2. We achieve results through continual improvement and creativity.
3. We actively engage in and promote community.

This month, the award was presented to Chelsea O'Day, who is the Residential Assistant Site Supervisor at our Foothills Group Home.

Chelsea's nomination included the following praise:

Chelsea has developed genuine friendships with the residents at Imagine!’s Foothills Group Home. When she walks through the door, it brightens their day. Chelsea has been practicing a Johnny Cash song with one of the residents for a long time. She helped him learn the lyrics and then brought in her personal recording equipment to record him singing. She provided background music with her ukulele. Check it out below.

Congratulations on this honor, Chelsea! We're lucky to have you here at Imagine! Innovations. 😊