The next couple weeks I spend a lot of time in my home state of Kansas! Lots going on there including 3 agencies that want to take a look at replacing their current parper driven system with Therap…yep…no-brainer.  I’ll spend a little time visiting some existing customers that miss me and want a big Therap hug, AND… I will watch Hunter walk across the stage and graduate from high school in Neodesha. I KNOW..can you believe it?!!!!

I can’t wait to see LuAnn and Damien in Ada, OK then drive up and see Judy Meyer and Lisa Toth in Tulsa!

I also plan to catch up with Jamie Price, Stephanie Wilson, Rodney Perry, Linda Misasi and Kathy Lange in Kansas. On the 22nd I get to meet our newest Kansas Therap agency  - DSJCKS up in Holton and their Executive Director, Lynn Hartter.  Watch for pictures!

Busy…busy…busy….busy!!!! Love it!

In addition to my duties as Therapite Change Agent for all DD organizations across the country…especially the states I visit the most…I spent the better part of the week training my newest team member and super duper Therapite, Michelle Saunders. The week flew by, and as I sit here writing this blog I feel a bit of sadness that Michelle has returned to Kansas City and will no longer be working alongside me today. Our work was intense but I am confident that Michelle has the tools to begin sharing all of the benefits of Therap with new agencies that she comes in contact with. Ahhh….the joy of bringing on another successful Business Development Consultant! What a fabulous addition to Team Therap! Whoo Hoo!!!!!

Michelle and I ended our very successful week with a nice dinner in downtown Austin!

One of my most favorite things about being a Therapite is the opportunity to visit incredible people and make new friends that totally LOVE Therap! Such is the case with the Private Provider Association of Texas. As a new member of the Association, Therap will have the opportunity to reach out to over 80 provider agencies in the State and introduce them to all the benefits that Therap has to offer.

Today I popped into the office to say hi to Carol and Jaim. Carol was off dealing with happenings at the Capitol but Jaim was on hand to chat with and share a photo op. So much fun seeing lil’ Miss Sunshine and sharing our excitement about all the new happenings in Texas.

Jaim – Thanks for the visit! I will be back to see you soon!  ;)

For those of you… not on this planet….Sunday is Mother’s Day. Its a special day to  just say, “I love you Mom!”. Not like you don’t do that on a regular basis but on Sunday you can make it EXTRA special… and yummy (hint hint).

If you don’t have an idea what to get yet…(Burton’s Dad)….I bet Mom would love something adorable, sweet, and delectable from  Moonstuck Chocolate…only the most yummiest of Chocolatier in the whole world (so says this Therapite)!!!!

Therap welcomes Lynn Hartter, Executive Director of Developmental Services of Jackson County, and his team in Holton, Kansas to our family of quality providers.

Developmental Services of Jackson County, Inc. provides day and residential supports to adult individuals affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities in a community based setting.

Services Provided by our newest agency include:

Day Habilitation: enhances life skills, work skills, work habits, and community living skills.

Work Activity: offers work training through contract labor in an agency-based setting. A high level of assistance is offered in this setting, with the goal of preparing individuals for employment in the community. Individuals are provided skills to further growth in social and vocational areas of their lives.

Supported Employment: encourages employment in the competitive work place. Individuals are given training and job coaching to assist them once they are competitively employed.

Targeted Case Management: coordinates the provision of services and monitors the quality of services provided to individuals with developmental disabilities. Service Coordination encourages and supports an individuals’s choice, rights and responsibilities.

Supported Living: offers supervision, support and training in a residential setting for persons with developmental disabilities. The program promotes self-sufficiency, integration and inclusion in the community. Staff members train and assist each person in becoming as independent as possible.

Welcome aboard! Chris and I look forward to helping you to become a paperless agency!

Where is this lil’ Therapite headed to the remainder of this week??? Well, its off to the beautiful State of Colorado  where I will be checking on an implementation, attending a Technology meeting, and watching my son, Elliot, graduate from Colorado State University on Saturday morning!

Next week I will have our newest Therap team member, Michelle Saunders, here in Austin working with me. That should be a lot of fun. She is going to be an awesome addition to our AMAZING group of Therap team members!

 You’ve seen our catalogs and watched our videos but now we’ve added a new twist to our media…a QR Reader Code! So cool for those of us that like a little surprise in our packages.

If you scan the code below you will get an opportunity to view something very unique….NO, I’m not telling you what it is. You will need to check it out all by yourself. BEWARE…you will be one of the very first to see this new technology on a Therap document. Don’t you feel special?! Well, you should feel exceptionally special!!! Can you even believe that we have even more amazing, super-fantastic, brilliance from our cast of Therap geniuses!

Tanm, thanks to you and the design team…you are my heros! Your team created something really fun for us to check out! I can’t wait to see the next QR Code.

Therap has a new Business Development team member coming to into the pack today in the form of Michelle Saunders.

Michelle is no stranger to the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities or to Therap. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Juniata College in Pennsylvania majoring in Education and Psychology.  She began her career with persons with disabilities as a direct care staff person while in college and then as a Case Manager in the Central Pennsylvania region.  She returned to the provider side after a couple of years and quickly moved into supervisory roles, managing several homes for persons with disabilities.  Michelle relocated to Missouri in 2005 and worked as a consultant for ACT (Alternative Community Training) in Columbia, Missouri.  After providing feedback regarding ways to improve services, Michelle accepted a position to assist with the day to day operations of the Day Services program.  As a program director, Michelle also assisted with grant applications, led training efforts and spoke throughout the U.S. about training and evolution of program delivery through ACT.  Michelle was also instrumental in efforts to bring College of Direct Support and Therap to her agency.  Michelle became a Therap Certified Trainer in June of 2010.

Michelle will be covering the Chicago area in addition to Northern Indiana and Wisconsin. We are thrilled to have her on board! Look for her at our upcoming Kansas City Conference and welcome her to Therap!!!!!  

I love it when we get mentioned in a newsletter. Today I got a notice from Jim Jensen about Therap in their most recent electronic newsletter. I’m tickled that our users enjoy the Therap system so much. Just makes me all giddy inside!

News and Notes - April 26, 2012 You are receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in TKJ or are currently connected with TKJ as participant, family member, staff, stakeholder or are just interested in the services we provide. Over the past several years TKJ has been looking at tools which can increase our ability to provide quality services using cost effective methods and systems to further support the people in our services.  In December of 2010 we started using a cloud based data collection system called Therap.  Our staff are using computers in homes on a daily basis to document many areas of people’s lives.  We have found this has been very successful. Our management team has been discussing better ways to communicate with people who have a vested interest in TKJ and the services we provide.  In the past we have done this with mailed newsletters, surveys and individual communication.  This has become increasingly more difficult for a variety of reasons.  We have found some internet based tools which allow us to quickly get information out using email.  We are hoping to have more consistent information provided to you regarding general issues which may affect people with disabilities, your family members, or TKJ. This will be the first in a series of regular editions of the “TKJ News and Notes”.  We are planning on communicating information regarding issues and news which affects the people we support, their families and people with disabilities in general.  We will also be posting general information related to people’s benefits, changes in services, health insurance, housing and health care.  Most of all we hope to keep you all informed with those issues which impact TKJ and the people we support. Thank you in advance for taking the time and interest in TKJ and we hope you will find this information helpful. Sincerely, James Que Jensen, LCSW TKJ Executive Director

Copyright © 2012 TKJ LLC, All rights reserved.

Therap is happy to announce the addition of the Companion Program to our family of quality providers. Located in Forest Grove, Oregon, this program is very cool and worthy of checking out further!

Companions provide one on one staff support for people with disabilities allowing them to access recreational and social events in their communities. With the support of a companion, individuals can participate in programs or activities that might otherwise be inaccessible to them.

Companions can assist individuals with disabilities with transportation, supervision (when appropriate), feeding, toileting, changing clothes, behavior management, and fine motor skill activities. Companions also help participants learn new skills and acquire new interests, foster self-esteem, encourage independence and healthy living, and develop community connections.

The goal of this program is to encourage independence and healthy lifestyles by creating successful experiences. Companion Program activities are custom designed based on client interests, goals, and needs. Some people choose to learn new recreational skills, such as swimming, canoeing, bowling, or even rock climbing. Others may want to sign up for organized recreational programs such as a dance class or a sea-kayaking trip. While other participants may choose to go shopping, out to dinner and a movie, or for a stroll in the park; the possibilities are endless because all activities are based on the individual interests of the client. Regardless of the activity, companions ensure that the person that they are working with has an enjoyable and empowering experience.

Welcome Doug, Tanner and all of the Companion Program team!