Welcome Tri-Cities
October 31st, 2011 | 
Author: 
Therap welcomes Tri Cities Residential Services to our growing list of Washington based agencies seeking a quality option to their traditional paper processes.
Tri Cities was founded in 1978 with the purpose of assisting individuals to live independent lives. Under the leadership of Tami LaDoux (also a Leadership Institute alumni), the agency serves approximately 50 individuals with developmental disabilities through support and employment training opportunities, payee programs, and behavioral support services.
Therap is thrilled to be working with Tami and Tri Cities team as we assist them in moving toward a paperless system of services. Welcome aboard!
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Tags: Developmental Disabilities, Division of Developmental Disabilities, Washington | 
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Way to Walk a Mile
Futures Unlimited, one of our awesome Therap agencies, recently completed a fundraiser in Wellington. Thought I’d share it with you! Way to Walk a Mile Futures! Congratulations!!!
“Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” is an event to raise awareness for people with developmental disabilities. It is a state-wide event, conducted by Futures Unlimited in Wellington, and agencies like it throughout Kansas.
The goal this year was to walk enough miles to stretch around the earth between each event around the state.
For how many of those miles Wellington walked, check the Tuesday, April 26 edition of the Wellington News.
Copyright 2011 Dodge City Daily Globe.
Welcome CommonWorks & Community Intersections
I want to welcome our newest Colorado agency, CommonWorks and their program Community Intersections, to our Therap family of quality providers.
Community Intersections began providing services to people with developmental disabiliites as an alternative to traditional service models. Its simple mission, Where People and Opportunities Meet, is accomplished by listening to what people want and then developing services around the individual, rather than attempting to make the person fit the program model.
Services are provided in a variety of arenas, including residential, employment, community participation and supported living. Community Intersections has specialized in working with people with developmental disabilities who exhibit behavioral challenges and are termed “difficult” by the service delivery system. Through the use of individualized services, people have improved their quality of life and found success in becoming part of their communities.
To Kevin, Jen, and the many wonderful people at CommonWorks….WELCOME! Maureen and I look forward to working with you!
Welcome RISE-Utah
Therap wishes to welcome our newest Utah agency, Rise, Inc., located in Orem, Utah. Rise is a multi-state organization providing services across Utah, Oregon, and Arizona.
Their mission – “Creating Opportunities for and with People.” How simple is that?!
RISE is a nonprofit organization that specializes in home and community-based support services for children and adults with developmental and other disabilities, children with mental health challenges, and aging adults. For 20 years, their purpose has remained constant. They create opportunities for and with the people they serve, their families, and for the men and women who work in the direct care profession.
Their services are as varied as the people they support. RISE has a network of hundreds of Direct Support Professionals working with people with disabilities and their families to help create and sustain the lives they want to live in their homes, families, and in the community. This includes supporting people in daily living activities, providing companionship, accompanying them to community events, teaching them skills, perhaps supporting or customizing employment, foster parenting, perhaps supporting or customizing employment,and much more.
Once again, Therap is pleased to welcome Sid, Sherri and the entire Rise Utah organization to our family of quality providers!
Just Sayin’…we ROCK the Planet!
As if FOUR states (Delaware, North Dakota, Montana, New Mexico) mandating Therap were enough…lets now make that FIVE…yes, FIVE! Nebraska can now count itself as another state that knows…if you want the BEST EMR out there…you need only call Therap and we can make it happen.
First on the list of Nebraska applications - statewide incident reporting using Therap’s General Event Report followed by Individualized Budgets. That’s right, I wrote “Individualized Budgets”, yes, it can be done at the state level!
Congratulations to the Therap team and to Nebraska! Welcome to AWESOMENESS!!!!
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Tags: Developmental Disabilities, Incident Reporting, Nebraska, Therap |
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Welcome Horizons Project
I’m just sayin’….Oregon has got it figured out! Adding to our list of nearly 50 providers in this fantastically beautiful state, Oregon is paving the way for what a truely paperless vision can look like when providers collaborate to find efficiencies in a system that is being challenged with on-going budget cuts to providers.
Our newest provider, Horizons Project, located in Milton-Freewater, Oregon is an organization that was founded in 1977 by a group of local citizens to enable individuals with developmental disabilities to participate in out of home activities. They have evolved to include comprehensive community services available to all.
Horizon Project Inc. is a diversified organization. They provide vocational and residential services to adults with developmental disabilities. They also support such folks with an alternative work environment. For many years they have provided the community with drop-off and curbside recycling services. Recently we have expanded into the areas of low income housing, employment services and youth services.
Welcome Cheri, Ben, Kathi, and all of the Horizons Project staff. Allison and I are thrilled to be working with you!
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Tags: Developmental Disabilities, Oregon, Oregon Rehabilitation Association |
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Welcome Carmel Community Living
Carmel Community Living Corporation provides Residential, Day Program, Vocational, Supported Living and Children’s Extensive Services to people with developmental and other disabilities all along the Front Range of Colorado.
Carmel began providing services in 1969 when Carmel House in Boulder opened its doors to 14 people who moved out of state institutions. Within a year, it had grown to more than 60 and became a model for community facilities of its type. In 1991-1992, all of the residents moved into their own apartments or host homes, the facility closed, and Carmel Community Living Corporation was born. During the 23 years of its life, Carmel House served more than 200 people of all ages and abilities.
Therap is thrilled to welcome Carmel Community Living to our long list of quality Colorado providers working to achieve their vision of a paperless organization!
Thank you Bob, Warren, and Dennis! Maureen and I look forward to working with you!
Do You Think You Have the Best DSP…
2011 Direct Support Professional Recognition Contest
Through its landmark National Advocacy Campaign, ANCOR continues to provide a strong voice in Washington for the direct support workforce on issues that impact their ability to provide quality supports to millions of Americans with disabilities. In addition, ANCOR has led the way to increasingly high standards for quality, inclusion and individual choice.
To honor the long term supports and services workforce, ANCOR is pleased to announce the 5th Annual Direct Support Professional Recognition Award competition. There’s no question that direct support professions (DSPs) constitute the backbone of community supports and services and without whom we could not function.
By nominating the star of your DSP staff for this coveted award, you have a unique opportunity to bestow deserved national recognition, while fueling advocacy initiatives on behalf of direct support professionals (DSPs) nationwide. We invite you to showcase the best and brightest within your organization’s DSP community. Recognize this invaluable workforce by answering the call for nominations today!
Background
In 2007, ANCOR awarded its first national Direct Support Professional Recognition Awards in conjunction with the National Advocacy Campaign (NAC). Since then, ANCOR has recognized more than 150 state and national direct support professionals and members of the long-term supports and services workforce. The campaign’s mission is to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by obtaining the resources to recruit, train and retain a sustainable direct support workforce. Focused on the theme “You Need to Know Me,” the awards honor and recognize the dedicated individuals who continually enrich the lives of the people with disabilities they serve.
Why Submit a Nomination?
In addition to advancing the goals of the NAC, your nomination provides an opportunity to spotlight the critical value and importance of your dedicated direct support staff. Each nominee is considered a “finalist” and acknowledged accordingly by ANCOR. Your participation demonstrates the value you place on your direct support staff, while educating your local media, elected officials and supporters about the value DSPs bring to their communities.
Nomination Process
Only nominations submitted online through ANCOR’s website will be eligible for consideration. Nominations must be received no later than 5:00 pm Eastern on Friday, April 1, 2011.
Please nominate only one person from each organization. For multi-state organizations, you may submit three nominations in each state in which you provide services.
Only nominations accompanied by a clear digital photograph of the nominee (preferably with the person(s) they serve or in a work environment) will be eligible for consideration.
Tips for Nominations
Throughout the long-term supports and services industry, the term “Direct Support Professional” or “DSP” carries a broad definition. For purposes of this contest, the term DSP is defined as someone who works as a direct care worker, in-home support worker, personal assistant, or attendant who ensures people with disabilities have the necessary supports that enable them to live life more independently, often in a community-based setting.
Nominate the direct support staff member you believe is most representative of this valued, committed workforce; someone who warrants kudos and recognition for advocating inclusion in the community, enhancing community participation for the people they serve, instilling leadership among peers, and for commitment to the profession of direct support.
Ideally, your nominee exemplifies a unique personal story or job history that highlights a devotion and enduring passion for DSP work. Strong consideration will be given to nominations that possess the following traits:
- Strong ties to the community, and exemplary actions and creativity in building independence and meaningful participation in the community for the people supported.
- Creative/consistent work to foster inclusion and greater independence for people with disabilities.
- Anecdotes of personal sacrifice representative of their commitment to their work.
- Examples of leadership to advocate on behalf of the profession and effect change.
Nominees should also:
- Have long, reliable tenure in their job;
- Have strong ties to the people and families supported;
- Demonstrate instances of going above and beyond the call of duty; and
- Provide examples of overcoming on-the-job challenges.
Timeline for Nominations
The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm Eastern on Friday, April 1, 2011.
All state and national winners will be announced at ANCOR’s 2011 Conference: Leading Cultures of Innovation and Advocacy, which will take place June 5 – 8, 2011 in Washington, DC. The national winner will be invited to attend the conference at ANCOR’s expense.
Questions?
Please direct any questions to Mary Pauline Jones.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the direct support workforce and the deliver of quality long term supports and services to those with disabilities.
All nominations are confidential. ANCOR will secure release forms from nominees before using their name or likeness in any public communications.
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Tags: ANCOR, Developmental Disabilities, Direct Support Professional, DSP |
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APDDA Conference Set to Begin
Where can you find this Therapite for the next few days? The answer is Scottsdale, Arizona at the beautiful Palm Tree lined address of the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort.
You can find me spreading Therap sunshine (the only way anyone is going to see sunshine) across all of the faces of directors attending the National Association for Public and Private Developmental Disabilities Administrators.
The Association of Public and Private Developmental Disabilities Administrators is devoted to the support of administrators of public residential programs as well as other individual with interests in the field of mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. The Association supports the continuous improvement of a comprehensive array of individual and accessible services designed to enhance the quality of life for persons with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities.
I’m gearing up so see some of my friends here…Judi Myer, Michael Smull, Than Johnson and Chaz Mosley, just to name a few. Can’t wait to see who else turns up. Check back for pics as the fun and excitement begins tomorrow!
Happy Valentine’s Day
To all of the customers that make it possible for Therap to be #1 in the country…THANK YOU. Have a most lovely Valentine’s Day. May those you love… and those who love you…celebrate the one day a year created for all of us touchy-feely FABULOUS people that LOVE…LOVE.
Posted in Uncategorized |
Tags: Colorado, Developmental Disabilities, Kansas, Oregon, Therap, Utah |
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