Third Quarter - Michael Dunn Center
Transcription
Third Quarter - Michael Dunn Center
Now You Know DID YOU KNOW? YOU MAY NOT USE A CELL PHONE OR ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR ANY REASON WHILE OPERATING A MOVING MICHAEL DUNN CENTER VEHICLE WITH PASSENGERS. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Surprise Visit 2 I Am On Your Team 5 What Is Title VI? 5 Meet the ICF Leaders 6-7 Meet the ADON 7 Protection From Harm, Pt. 3 8 Work Programs Recycles 9 Adventures in Day Hab 9 Growing Towards Success 10 Readers Contest 10 Five Tips For Healthy Eating 11 VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 3RD QUARTER 2012 edited by Roger Richmond A Word From Mike... Mike McElhinney A Very Special Guest About a month ago you may recall the tragic news story about a young woman with severe intellectual disabilities that was abandoned by her mother at the Big Orange Bar in Campbell County. The mother, who was from suburban Chicago, had a younger disabled child at home, as well, and claimed that she felt overwhelmed. People in her church suggested she take her daughter to Tennessee because “they provide good care for people with intellectual disabilities, and there are a lot of good Baptist churchgoers down there”. After seeing this story on the news Dee Ann Lindsay called the Intake Department at the regional office in Knoxville for the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD). She offered Michael Dunn Center as an emergency respite site if DIDD needed one for this woman. Within a day or two Adult Protective Services (APS) brought the young lady to MDC. Public court records in Campbell County disclosed that the girl was being placed in respite care at Michael Dunn Center. We were flooded with news media calls, from both local and nationwide reporters. Wade Creswell handled all of these very professionally, Rock Stars Roger Richmond Working in the Human Resources Department for a company often provides one with a “big-picture” perspective of the general quality of the personnel at the agency or business. Human resource managers see the good, the bad, and, yes, sometimes the ugly, of employees. I have always been pleased and encouraged by the overall quality of personnel at Michael Dunn Center and I applaud each of you for the outstanding jobs that you do. This opinion is not just mine, but is widely held among state employees with whom we associate, professionals from agencies with which we are associated, parents of individuals referring them to the Public Relations Office for DIDD in Nashville. Due to HIPPA and other confidentiality regulations we cannot disclose the names or any details about the people we serve. As we can only try to imagine, this girl had been through a lot: a difficult life in Illinois, a 550 mile car ride with her mother, being abandoned by her mother at a bar (Continued on page 2) who receive services, and members of our community, as well as MDC management. We often hear back from doctors and other medical professionals telling us how impressed they were with care provided by our staff. I see employees that not only genuinely care about the people they support, but who routinely go “above and beyond” to make individuals (Continued on page 4) PAGE 2 Guest, continued in a strange new part of the country, the arrival of local police and Adult Protective Services personnel, rooms full of strangers asking her lots of questions and examining her, and now more strangers in Roane County, Tennessee telling her welcome, we are glad you are here to live with us. Needless to say, this would be a long series of traumatic events for any person to process. It is remarkable to reflect upon how well she han- dled all of this. Other service recipients and our employees reached out to her and truly made her feel welcome. She came with no suitcase, no clothes, not even a toothbrush she could call her own. Immediately she was given a private bedroom, clothing, personal care items, and all the “things” that we take for granted as part of our every day lives . But the real story here is the support and care this young lady was given by Michael Dunn Center employees, and the friendships she was offered by her housemates and her SURPRISE VISIT!!! Vicki Price, House Manager On May 16th, 2012, service recipient, David R.’s mother came from California to visit. She flew to Mississippi, where his sister lives, and the two of them made the nine-hour drive from there to Rockwood. She was very excited to see David. During our conversation, I asked how long it had been since she saw David? She said she had not seen him since 1979. She was very pleased to see how well he has been taken care of. I invited both his mother and sister to tour the house and to see David’s room. They both liked his room and his mother was very surprised to see that he still has her picture she gave him the last time she saw him in NOW YOU KNOW peers in her day program. Despite her traumatic experiences, our visitor was able to relax, become comfortable, open up and accept these “gifts”, even offering a smile, a clap, and a nod of appreciation in return. She will be missed, now that arrangements have been made and she has returned to Illinois. Thanks to all our employees, all the people we support, and to our guest, herself, for making Michael Dunn Center a very, very special place to live, work and be happy. 1979. His sister pointed out that he also still has their dad’s picture. They were not surprised to see all the ducks. They said he always had to have a duck or two in his hands. They stayed a couple hours, took pictures and talked to David. It was hard to know for sure if David knew who they were, he did keeping reaching for his mother’s hand and just holding it. So, I want to believe, deep down, something told him he knew this person sitting next to him. I told them to come back anytime. I am told by Melinda Young that even though his mother cannot visit often, she does call Melinda to get updates regarding David. His mother stated how very much she appreciates the good care David is getting here at MDC. So remember, just because family may not get to visit often, their loved one is certainly not forgotten and you never know when a service recipient may get a surprise visit! Volume 10 Issue 3 3rd Quarter 2012 Message from Mike McElhinney: On June 29, approximately 40 of our house managers, team leaders, directors and assistant directors completed the second day of a two day seminar on Person Centered Training. I had the privilege of sitting in on portions of this, including the final session where each individual attendee explained to the group how they might implement this training in their jobs. I was EXTREMELY impressed with the thoughts and ideas that were expressed. They were meaningful and creative, sincere and heartfelt, and, most importantly, will lead to some real improvements in the lives of the people we serve. It is also very significant that the two leaders of the seminar also commented that they were impressed by the final comments of Michael Dunn Center employees. They have taught this seminar dozens of times all across Tennessee and in other states and they told me they have never heard such profound and insightful comments as those our employees developed and shared. Today makes me realize how lucky I am to work with such wonderful people as those at Michael Dunn Center! Thank you all so very, very much. Two MDC Board Members, who are also parents of service recipients and long-time supporters, responded to Mike’s note about the Person Centered Training with the following email exchange: From Lana Seivers: And I'm even luckier that my son is there. Thank you! From Vicki Blanchard: Let me add a comment both as a board member and a mother. We are blessed! Our staff carries this care out into the public with the special need individuals they serve. I had a great experience this week I think is worth sharing as an example of just how much our employees do care. We took my son, Steven, to a new specialist this week for a problem developing with his heart. Both the cardiologist and his physician's assistant commented not once, but three times on what an excellent care team Steven had with him. (It was Jerry, one of the ICF RNs, and Jan, his DSP.) I told the doctor I wanted to be sure all the necessary consent forms were signed in the event Steven needed care during my absence. She told me everything was in his file, all consent forms, previous testing results relative to this visit, and his history. She said, "I am very impressed." Yes Lana, we are lucky our sons are there! PAGE 3 PAGE 4 Rock Stars, continued (Continued from page 1) lives as pleasing and enjoyable as possible. I watch our staff singing songs to service recipients, when the recipient is having a particularly bad day. I watch staff walking hand-in-hand with individuals who are agitated and talking in a calming manner until the person regains control. I see employees handling extremely difficult behaviors and not missing a beat in the process. Being a Direct Support Professional can be a difficult and sometimes trying job, but without good DSPs providing quality care, no agency can excel and provide the good services. We established our “Rockstar Award” a couple of years ago, as a way to acknowledge and thank employees who do something "above and beyond" their normal job duties. Supervisors or other management staff can award Rockstar cards to employees, whose names are then placed into a monthly drawing for a $25 gift card. In addition, one lucky Rockstar recipient is drawn quarterly for a $100 prize. Recently, all of the monthly and quarterly Rockstar winners from fiscal year 2012 (July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012) were invited to a luncheon at the Rockwood Street Grill. From that group, six recipients (pictured) were able to join Management Team for an appreciation luncheon. A “Tip O’ The Hat” and a “Round of Applause” for all of our excellent employees! One thing that became apparent is the number of “rock stars” that we have at MDC! By the end of the fiscal year, just before the previous year’s Rockstar Award recipients were cleared to make way for a new year, there was scarcely a spot left on the wall to which a photo could have been added. The board was full of photos of many excellent employees. I spent quite a few years providing direct support, first as weekend residential staff, and later in day services, before stepping into a management position in Adult Day Services. Though it has been many years since I did any regular direct support, I do have many years of firsthand knowledge of the difficulties experienced by DSPs on a day-to-day basis. I have great respect for each of you, especially when I see the fine, attentive care provided by the vast majority of our employees. I also have a good vantage point to observe ancillary services, such as Engineering and Development. My hat is off (once again) to each of you that work so hard to make Michael Dunn Center an excellent place to support individuals with disabilities. In my opinion, the people that help make this agency work so well, from Supported Living to Engineering, from Nursing to Finance, from Res Hab to Day Hab, from Work Programs to School Program, and from QA and Case Management to Human Resources, are all rock stars. I’m very proud to work alongside each of you. Without all of you working together as a team, Michael Dunn Center could not be the fine agency that it is. Work together, keep your focus on the service recipients, and keep up the good work! Together, we can make great things happen. NOW YOU KNOW Monthly and Quarterly Rockstar Winners (L–R): Cassie McCallie, Zachary Becker, Stacey Suttles, Drew Robinson, Donna Stricklan, Jimmy White, and Lindsey Stevens enjoyed an appreciation luncheon at the Rockwood Street Grill. VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 3RD PAGE I Am On Your Team Dr. Lara Collins What does it mean to be an advocate for someone? We have all heard the word used in relation to our service recipients, and we may have even considered ourselves one along the way. According to the dictionary, advocacy is “the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending.” An advocate must do more than wish for better circumstances or change in policy. An advocate is charged with responsibility – to speak for those who cannot speak, to identify needs for those who cannot do so for themselves, to stand beside those who have no one, to encourage and support and shore up resources. An advocate has to lead the parade. As a member of Michael Dunn Center staff, we are all accountable for doing what is best for every service recipient we know. This goes beyond just serving eight hours a day. This goes beyond merely fulfilling our job descriptions. This goes beyond always doing only the status quo. Advocacy is about fire and passion and grit. Instead of asking “why?”, we ask “how?”. Instead of being reactive we become proactive. Instead of relying on others to address an issue, we step up to address it ourselves. When was the last time you truly advocated for a service recipient? When was the last time you saw a need and took action? When was the last time you felt empowered and energized and on fire to make something happen? Be on their team. Support and defend and protect. Lead their parade. At the end of every day, may you be able to say “I work…I learn…I serve…I advocate.” What is Title VI? According to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, no person in the United States shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance on the basis of race, color or national origin. Discrimination occurs when an individual’s civil rights are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. What constitutes discriminatory conduct? Denying any individual services, opportunities, or other benefits for which that individual is otherwise qualified Providing any service or benefit in a different manner from that which is provided to others in a program because of race, color, or national origin Segregating individuals solely because of race, color, or national origin To report a Title VI violation or complaint, please contact Michael Dunn Center Title VI Coordinator, Roger Richmond. 5 PAGE 6 Meet the ICF Leaders… In no particular order, I am proud to introduce an amazing team of professionals with nearly 70 years of experience between them, working at ICF. The ICF program, in Kingston, employs almost 40 people and serves eight recipients. Specialized programs and intricate medical issues keep each of these individuals and all ICF employees very busy. Please thank them for a job well done. Denise Jandro Jerry Turbyville, RN My name is Jerry Turbyville and I am an RN working at ICF. I have been at The Michael Dunn Center since May of 2011. I was raised in Knoxville, TN and graduated from Knoxville Catholic High School in 1987. I received my BS in communications from East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City, TN. I worked for The Tombras Group advertising agency for several years after graduating. I decided to get my insurance license after that and worked as a property and casualty insurance agent before deciding I wanted something else out of life. Jerry Turbyville I decided to go back to school for nursing and went to Lincoln Memorial University. I currently live in Oak Ridge and I am married to my wife, Jill, and I have a 7 year old son, Jeremiah, and 2 year old twins, Maggie and Charlie. I love working here at Michael Dunn and hope to be around for a long time! Patrice DeVaney Hello, my name is Patrice DeVaney. I live in Harriman with my husband, John, of 34 years, and we have a son Justin, age 29. I have had the pleasure of working in ICF for MDC for little over a year now. Before coming to MDC, I worked in the Roane County school system, in Special Education, for fifteen years. I went to Lee University, in Cleveland, for Special Education licensure. No other job has touched my heart or been as rewarding to me as working with the precious recipients I serve. I have also met some wonderful staff at MDC, who have made me feel welcomed and taken the time to answer my questions and help me along the way. I want to thank you for this opportunity to serve at MDC. I truly am blessed to work in a place that is such a blessing to so many. Holly Brown- Assistant House Manager My name is Holly Brown. I have three children. They are 9 & 12 year old girls, and a 16 year old boy. We live in Ten Mile, TN, but I grew up in Athens, TN. I moved to Ten Mile not long after I graduated from McMinn County High school in 1998. Then, I graduated from Tennessee Technology Center as an LPN, in 2010, and came directly to MDC. Before that, I worked as a foreman at the K-25 and X-10 plants in Oak Ridge. I was in charge of the removal of asbestos, radioactive wastes, and demolition of the contaminated buildings that were no longer being used. I love to help others. At MDC, I get to do that on a daily basis. I love my S.R.’s! Holly Brown NOW Patrice DeVaney, Assistant House Manager YOU KNOW PAGE 7 Tara Hanouskova, Assistant Director of ICF Nanette King, House Manager I just began working at Caillouette and Heron houses. I am enjoying the residents as we get to know each other. Staff members have been helpful and encouraging to me as I learn my responsibilities. After teaching for 25 years, I am pleased to make the transition to residential care. It is a new challenge for me, and my first days have been an exciting learning experience. I have worked for MDC for a little over 6 years. I started in Human Resources, then moved to QA, and have been with ICF for almost 2 years. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and in Ecology. I have been working in residential programs for almost 25 years, more of those years were working with children in group homes. What I love about working at the Michael Dunn Center is that the staff take a personal interest in the service recipients they provide services to. It feels more like a family than any other place I have ever worked. Tara Hanouskova Meet Carol Smith, RN, Assistant Director of Nursing Hello everyone! I am so glad to be part of MDC! I have been an R.N. for thirty seven years and have worked in several areas of nursing, including hospital, office, home health, and public health, and have been teaching Health Science Education at the high school level for seven years. I am looking forward to working with all of you and getting to know you. I have two daughters ages twenty-four and thirty-four. I live in Rockwood and have lived there all of my life. I love to read and cook, and I love music. I have been a choir director in church and love working with children and young people. NEWSLETTER TITLE Nannette King PAGE 8 Protection From Harm, Part III Standards of Conduct Submitted By Tiffany Whittenbarger Never commit abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Never retaliate against anyone else who reports abuse, neglect, exploitation or other Reportable Incidents. Always report abuse, neglect, exploitation and other Reportable Incidents that you see, hear, or know about. Always report complete and correct information on abuse, neglect, exploitation and other Reportable Incidents. Always keep Incidents & Investigation information CONFIDENTIAL. Always cooperate with any investigation. Several of these Standards of Conduct are also found in State Law. A Violation of these laws means that an investigation will be conducted; you could be substantiated for committing abuse, neglect, or exploitation. If you are substantiated, you could: Be disciplined- given a verbal or written warning, required to attend retraining, and/or suspended with or without pay. Have your employment terminated. Have your name and Social Security Number entered in the DIDD Substantiated Investigation Search (SIS) database. DIDD service providers will know if a job applicant is on the list and may decide not to hire. Have your name placed on the Tennessee Elderly or Vulnerable Abuse Registry. (This means it is against the law for you to work with children or with any disabled or elderly person.) The Abuse Registry involves due process– you would be notified of this public listing and have a right to appeal the placement. If the offence is especially flagrant, you could also be subject to criminal investigation and prosecution (arrested, jailed) by law enforcement- Prosecutor/Grand Jury decision. *Important points about reporting Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation* Alleged, suspected, or observed incidents that meet the definitions of Abuse, Neglect or Exploitation must be reported, even when the person served does not seem to be injured or harmed. Staff must report these incidents even when the accused staff person apparently did not intend to injure or harm the person served. In most instances, staff will notify the supervisor of the incident. However, if the staff believes that notifying the supervisor may result in punishment or retaliation, or the report not being forwarded, reports can be made directly to the DIDD Investigations Hotline. (1-800-579-0023) NOW YOU KNOW VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 PAGE Danny has recorded extensively in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. He has played on over 70 recordings, including a 2005 Grammy Award winner, and has performed in over 90 countries. Brian has performed ragtime, jazz and stride piano for almost 30 years. and at Michael Dunn Center He continues to be one of the most sought after artists in the country. Classically trained, but with a keen ear for improvisation, Brian's approach to the piano is marked by a dynamic, driving style. 9 VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 3RD PAGE 10 Growing up The Ladder of Success Rita Holt, Day Hab Team Leader I would like to tell you a Jacob Helton story about a young man in Day Hab. As we think of the words “growth” and “growing” as human beings, we often think of growing up as children into adults, but growth can come in another form, such as growth as an individual. One such as the growth of an MDC employee named Jacob Helton. When Jacob first came to us in Day Hab, he was shy and very timid and we often called him, “The Great Observer”. With reassurance from all of us in Day Hab and the training he received, he soon blossomed into what we now call a “seasoned” staff. Jacob has been working part time for MDC, while working toward a degree at Roane State Community College. He is studying to become an RN and we are sad to say that our once shy and timid Jacob is leaving us to pursue his career. As part of the MDC family, we hope that somehow we have helped Jacob in building his wall of success by providing one of many stones that he will need to become the great RN that we all know he can be. So join us in wishing Jacob the best for the future. Who knows? He may come back to us at Michael Dunn Center as an RN! Now You Know Readers Contest! Who Am I? Have you seen this child? I played trombone in the 5th grade. I’ve written over 30 poems. I have 12 brothers and sisters I worked in direct care for 10 years. My favorite R&B group is Boys II Men. My favorite TV show is M*A*S*H. My favorite food is Mexican. The 20th correct Timas email response to Roger Richmond wins a $20 gift card. (Only one entry per employee) Do you have a “mystery photo”? Please bring or email (Outlook only) your photo, along with 10 or 15 bits of cheesy personal information to Roger Richmond. You may be the next “Who Am I?” contest photo child! VOLUME 10 ISSUE 3 Work Programs Recycles Cindy Gregg Due to the hard work and dedication of staff and service recipients at Michael Dunn Center, Work Programs continues to grow. Work Programs set a goal to grow the Document Destruction service to the point another mobile shredding unit would have to be purchased. Due to the hard work of many individuals, this goal has been met. On June 6, 2012, Michael Dunn Center Work Programs purchased another mobile shredding unit. Since the purchase of this unit, Document Destruction continues to grow and the new mobile unit is now on the road three to four days a week, providing secure document destruction to our customers. This service provides work for two or more service recipients. Work Programs service recipients are very proud of the work they do, and their great work ethics are evident daily. Michael Dunn Center Work Programs recycling of paper has many benefits to all of us: SAVED: 1,564 trees 34,960 gallons of oil 644,000 gallons of water 368,000 kilowatts of energy 276 cubic yards in the landfill 5,520 pounds of pollutants All this is saved due to the hard work of MDC service recipients and staff and the recycling services we provide!!! Please take time to recycle!!! Work Programs accepts plastic, aluminum, corrugated cardboard, paper and glass at the Work Programs building located on the hill, behind the main campus. We also offer curbside recycling and both off-site and on-site document destruction. For information on these services please contact Melanie Harmon at 865376-1337, ext 230. PAGE Adventures in Day Hab Paula Anthony Day Hab has been going on many adventures over the summer. We have attempted to beat the heat with the local splash pad and enjoyed exploring nature and its inhabitants through Ijams & Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge. We have visited new museums and some old favorites, including the Frank McClung Museum, the Farragut Folklife Museum, and the Knoxville Museum of Art. We even visited the Police Museum, in the Knoxville Police Station! We have had many visitors come to see us, as well, including our local police department, a representative from ORNL, and the Hard Knox Roller Girls roller blade team! The Hard Knox team is sponsoring us at one of their games, as a result of their visit! The game will be August 11th, at the Knoxville Convention Center. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. We hope to see you there! These are just a few things we have been doing in Day Hab. If you would like to join us, please watch the MDC Calendar in Outlook to see what we are up to next. If you see something you think we would enjoy, contact Paula Anthony, Activities Coordinator. We look forward to many more activities and hopefully to seeing you there too!! When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge. -Tuli Kupferberg Please mark your Calendar! Fourth Annual Area 30 Special Olympics Bowling Tournament Tri- City Lanes, Midtown September 26th We appreciate your support! 11 Phone Numbers: Poison Control…..…1-800-222-1222 Abuse Investigator….1-800-579-0023 Back issues of NYK can be found at www.michaeldunncenter.org Empowering individuals living with disabilities and challenges to gain independence. The following are current employees who received Rock Star recognition for excellent job performance during the fiscal year 2011-2012. It is because of people like this that Michael Dunn Center can provide excellent support and services! We appreciate you all! Danyelle Bachelder Haley Bagwell Rosa Basalone Christina Beasley Zachary Becker Nicholas Blansett Albury Bowen Jane Brackett Teresa Carr Jennifer Choate Debbie Coffman Ian Conway Helen Cook Christina Cooper Phyllis Cooper Kathy Dalton Terri Davis Jane DeHart Patrice DeVaney Tammie Dickens Lisa Fitzgibbon Mary Fouts Sharon Frizzell Karen Gallaher James Gilbert Amy Godsey Carmen Gonzalez Brad Goss Brandon Grant Joey Griffis Brandon Hammock Tara Hanouskova Summer Harris Erica Headrick Jacob Helton Ron Hensley Velvet Hickman Bethany Hicks Theresa Hockman Shelly Holloway Kathleen Hounshell Jennifer Irwin Jack Jackson Brian Johnson Scott Jones Albert Jones Chuck Jones Renee Kittrell Sirena Klopfenstein Debbie Langley Kristi Lemons Mary Lundquist Cassie McCallie Matt McClure Carolyn Moore Lora Morris Vicki Murray Betty Neal Penny Newberry Mary Newman Judith Norman Sara Ooten Denise Panky Lurry Marlene Phillips Sherry Plemens Rebecca Pniewski Debbie Puchel Drew Robinson Tony Russell Jamie Thompson Sherry Ryan Jan Sanford Sharon Scott Hannah Sherrod Teresa Sherwood Heather Smith Whitney Stephens Lindsey Stevens Donna Stricklan Charlotte Summers Stacey Suttles Jamie Swallows Dorothy Taylor Charlotte Tibbs Brandi Trail Ailene Treadway Darlene Trew April Trew Jerry Turbyville Gennina Turnbill April Bean Scott Vallies Frances Walker Teresa Warren Jeff Westbrooks Matthew Whalen Jimmy White Karen Yarnell
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