Kevin Lightle's Blog

The news is coming fast and furious about the 1115 Waiver. Therap is looking forward to working with the various aspects of this waiver. It is through this technology that everyone should achieve success.

Here is the latest link to the Waiver monthly newsletter. http://www.opwdd.ny.gov/2011_waiver/images/february_2012_waiver_update.pdf

Therap will be presenting at the YAI International Conference on May 1^st  2012, at 1:00pm. Following is a transcript of the presentation. If you  would like a similar presentation given to your organization, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Topic:  Management/Supervisor – Technology

Event Type:   Seminar

Short Abstract:

This session will demonstrate the use of technology for transparent and effective communication for the enhancement of life and the prevention of abuse and/or neglect.

Full Abstract:

It is unfortunate to hear continued reports of agencies or cultures within systems that allow for abuse and neglect to occur or even persist. New York was exposed where reports of abuse and neglect were ignored or reports made never reached people who make a difference.

Participate in a discussion where we review how technology is being used to prevent abuse and neglect through enhanced communication. We will review how daily notes about a person’s welfare can be instantaneously shared with staff, administrators, family, and guardians. Incident reports can be shared in like manner but also the technology allows for easy access to data for trend reporting for identifying issues of prevention, training, or recognition.  Confidential communications and conversations can be confidential, HIPAA secure, and shared. This can create a trusting atmosphere and reach more people and when more people are involved supports or issues can be more easily identified and if need be, timely interventions. But also, times for celebration and staff/family recognition.

Breaking news! Considering the number of people and agencies from New York attending the National Conference on February 7-9 we are inviting staff of New York providers to a casual reception on Tuesday afternoon at 5. This is a time to network with agencies across the state, have a bite to eat, and learn how others are using Therap. This is not on the schedule yet, but there will be more information as we get closer to Tuesday. Also, please review the New York track for additional sessions related to the happenings of New York. If there is a topic not on this list that you need addressed, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Guess what? The 1115 Waiver is a reality! There may be a few people holding out thinking this is another one of those things that will go away given enough time. However, this waiver fits right into everything about reform that has been talked about and is a very big ball that is rolling very fast. At our National Conference coming up February 7-9, we will be having time for these types of discussions. With 18 agencies from New York with over 100 attendees, we will collectively share what each of us know and wants of the system of the future.  Here is a link to the conference if you have not registered yet.

http://www.therapservices.net/conferences/?p=1038

You must hand it to Commissioner Burke for using every means possible to inform us all about the waiver and the progress toward implementation. Here is a link to the latest video presentation.

1115 Waiver Presentation

What is the motivation behind changing the definition? I do not want to be cynical thinking it is driven by money and politics in order to reduce costs. So here is a link and you can decide.

New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests

New York Times Article

I know all eyes are looking forward to the National Conference being held February 7-9 in East Hanover New Jersey.  There will be something for everyone and it is certain to be an exciting time. What I think are some of the best sessions are those presented by the providers using Therap in their work setting. Here is an example of a few of those topics from New York providers.

Therap Through the Eyes of the Service Coordinator
By Todd Becker from The Resource Center, New York

Personal Finance Made Easy
By Letisha Echevarria from The Resource Center, New York

Getting Staff Buy-in: The Beginning or the End – It’s Up to You!

By Jeff Covington, Director of Residential Services, and Alicia Matulewicz, Quality Assurance/Corporate Compliance Manager Catholic Charities Disabilities Services (New York)

Headache-Free Caseloads and Super Roles

By Michelle Brunner, Asst. Director, Community Services Southeast Works (New York)

And there is more. Here is a link to the Conference Information. National Provider Conference

But that is not all. If this is something you cannot attend you will be able to attend one of our monthly user group meetings as well as we have scheduled three 2 day training opportunities. Here is a list of more opportunities for meet, greet, and experience Therap.

• Regional Conference in Elmira, New York, May 15-16, 2012

• Regional Conference at Buffalo, New York, August 23-24, 2012

• Regional Conference in Syracuse, New York, November 7-8, 2012

“Direct Service Workforce Recruitment with a Focus on Realistic Job Previews”

The Direct Service Workforce Resource Center invites you to thier upcoming webinar, “Recruitment with a Focus on Realistic Job Previews”. The webinar will highlight national trends and provide an overview of intervention strategies to improve recruitment and retention of direct support professionals. The Webinar will be held on Monday, January 23, 2012, 2:00-3:30 PM Eastern. To register, please click here.

In order to understand what will be driving future policies one needs to know how the media and public view the current status of the system. The New York Times and other newspapers throughout the state have been systematically identifying gaps and weaknesses and now agencies at the Federal level are also confirming these issues. Here is a link to the latest article.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/nyregion/federal-government-criticizes-new-york-on-disabled-care.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

The Federal report that was most recently cited was from a review conducted in July of 2011, yet only received in December 2011 with a 30 day response window. Here is a link to that document.  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/11/nyregion/12abused-Federal-Report-on-Disabled-Care.html?ref=nyregion

Mr. Clarence Sundrum has been actively reviewing the entire system and his report coming out soon should provide a clear direction for the future.

Once again I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and there is no better way to get back into the routine than attending a Therap User Group Meeting. It is at these meetings that we shape the future of Therap for New York providers and the current status of Therap for New York is a testament to your efforts and Therap commitment for development.  This month we have the great people at Madison Cortland ARC for hosting this event. Here is a link to our site in order to review our meetings and to register.  Therap user group meetings.

Also, next month our user group meeting will be held in East Hanover New Jersey. This is done to accommodate New York users but also for the rest of the Nation of Therapites to convene for almost a week and share in everything Therap.  Here is a link about this National Conference.  National Provider Conference