Read our Summer 2014 Newsletter`s Online Edition

Productive Alternatives
Diverse Services ~Viable Workforce ~ Innovative Products
Summer 2014 Edition
Retirement after 36 years
Born in George Washington’s headquarters in the state of New Jersey,
Walter Smith came to Fergus Falls on a Greyhound bus with a mission
to farm. He rented a room at the Barkley and walked around town
scouting for a job and one day while standing on a street corner, Jim
Wolf rolled up to the stop sign and rolled down his window and
inquired if Walter was looking for a job and the rest is history.
Walter Smith began milking cows for Rehab Industries and for three
years he picked up cattle for the farm and toured much of the
United States. In 1976 Walter left milking cows at Rehab Industries and went to work
in the woodshop as Wood shop Supervisor. He seen lots of sawdust and changes over the
years as furniture became a thing of the past. The competition of the low price furniture and
furniture warehouses warranted the change. Then the workshop began working on shipping and
construction contracts.
Walter’s biggest enjoyment and interest was working with the consumers and giving them a
chance. He started with twenty-seven in the woodshop and was down to six when he retired. All
signs of the times and he has seen many changes and good things happen over the years.
Walter decided after thirty-six years it was time to garden, travel and spend time with his family.
He has three daughters and two sons. Productive Alternatives wishes Walter well in his travels
and thanks him for his many years of service. Congratulations on a successful career making a
difference in people’s lives.
(Picture submitted from Walter’s Retirement Party with Steve Lorshbough thanking Walter for his years of
service)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Productive Alternatives Branch/Facilities
Alexandria-320-763-4101 Brainerd-218-825-8148 Fergus Falls Corporate-218-998-5630 Willows-218998-2801 Detox- 218-998-4387 CSU-219-998-2525 Little Falls-320-632-9291 Moorhead-218-477-1676
Parkers Prairie-218-338-2691 Perham-218-346-2131 Thrifty Alternatives-218-346-3616
Transit Alternatives-866-998-3002
From the Presidents
Desk
Steve Skauge
Greetings to All – We are now half-way through 2014, and in many ways the events of 2013 are already a distant
memory. Our Agency had in most respects a good year in 2013, with a variety of positive outcomes. I would, though,
point to one issue that I would consider a highlight for all, with real impacts that reach beyond just one year. The 5%
Campaign provided an outcome that will help us meet challenges and service needs for the future.
Over the past 10 years or so, our Agency, and all agencies that provide human services and are dependent on
legislative appropriation for funding, have struggled to keep up on wages and benefits for staff. This has largely been
due to the economic conditions of the State, and of political priorities that tended to put funding for human services
toward the bottom of most lists. As a result, we have seen a deterioration of our wage scale for program staff – the
direct outcome of getting a total of about 3.5% in increases in our basic funding level over the past 10 years.
This past fall, for the first time, a concerted effort was made by a large coalition of human services agencies to band
together for an all-out approach to ask the State Legislature for a 5% increase in all of our operating reimbursements.
A real coordinated effort was made across the State to include everyone who would be affected, and considerable
time and money was dedicated to making this process happen. The whole event was titled “The 5% Campaign”, and
every effort was made to mobilize people to contact their legislators to tell them how important this issue is to all of
us.
None of us directly involved with the issue from the beginning ever expected to actually get a full 5% increase; more
realistically, we were hoping for 2 or 3%. However, we were all pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction we
received from legislators, and the end result was a full 5% increase, which became effective this July 1.
The bulk of these dollars will be used directly for salary and benefit increases for staff, which is where it is most
needed. With the coming increases in minimum wage rates, combined with overall better economic times around us,
it is imperative that we be able to keep pace with our wage and benefit scale. If we cannot attract and retain good
quality staff to provide our services, we have nothing.
My thanks to all of you who participated in this successful effort, and I would encourage everyone to take any
opportunity they can to thank the legislators from our service territories, virtually all of whom supported this issue both
verbally and with their votes. It is greatly appreciated.
Productive Alternatives Employee Recognition
40 Years-Charlie Blondeau
3 Years-Ashley Miller
Dawn Jaros
Anna Lemke
25 Years Julie Langseth
Linda West
1 Year-Patrick Murray
Cheryl Quist
15 Years-John Stanley Jr.
Terri Franklin
Duane Vaughn
Jim South
Carrie Hanson
Duane Haugen
Kristie Lane
Maureen Christensen
Julie Voegler
Vernon Nilson
Cindy Skoglund
Carol Stender
Judith Derosier
Jeffrey Johnson
Paige Thorson
Carolyn Busko
10 Years-Marlene Knopik
Mel Fredrickson
Katie Athman
David Moske
Cynthia Rogholt
Paul Vassallo
Janey Gerwing
5 Years-Laurel Anderson
Hannah Frederick
Cody Kirschbaun
Bruce Hoffman
Leo Schneider
Robert Payne
PRODUCTIVE ALTERNATIVES REVENUES
BREAKDOWN
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013
Purchase of
services
46%
Transportation
grant and
subsidies
13%
Prime goods
15%
Community
based
employment
sales
5%
Sub-contract
sales
4%
Other consumer
Consumer
services
services - DEED
0%
6%
Thrift income
1%
Transportation
Income
1%
Contributions
0%
Other
income
Support - DEED
1%
8%
EXPENSES BREAK DOWN
Productive Alternatives-Agency News
The Minnesota State Bus ROADEO was held on July 12 in Duluth, MN and featured
competitions in the large bus division and the small bus division with competitors
from throughout the state of Minnesota. T.J. Johnson of Transit Alternatives/Otter
nd
Express had an impressive showing taking 2 place in the small bus division with a
score of 522. He fell just short of the Grand Champion, Chuck Sprenger of Rainbow
Rider who had a score of 550. The champion has the distinct privilege to attend the
National Bus ROADEO which will be taking place in Tampa, Florida. Congratulations
T.J. on a great showing at state.
Moorhead office moved into a new suite in the Family Service Center Building. The suite is # 311. The phone number
will remain the same at 218-477-1676.
New Staff hired at Detox-Jeanna Bently, Eva Leftridge & Kristie Williams. Mata Packard, LADC, who is employed at
th
the Detox Center, exchanged wedding vows with Brian Peterson June 20 , 2014.
Healthy Alternatives (PAI Health and Wellness Committee) has
completed the second annual “Fit in Fifteen” challenge for all employees.
The idea behind the challenge is to motivate everyone into fitting in at
least 15 minutes a day of an activity that they normally wouldn’t
participate in. A drawing was done each week for six weeks for $50 and
a grand prize drawing for $200 from all the participants. The winners list includes: Dale Schorr, Yvonne Toso, Cindy
Anderson, Carol Hilden, Julie Ouren, Heidi Stengrim and the Grand Prize was won by Julie Gillespie. Congratulations
to all the winners and by that we mean all those who participated. The following excerpts are from the testimony from
a staff that reaped the benefits from the exercise:
“I started the Fit in Fifteen challenge because I knew I needed to and was going to start doing some sort of exercise
anyway. What better way than having an extra motive right? I started out by doing just the fifteen minutes per day the
challenge called for. …by the end of the first week, after each 15 minute session, I was feeling better upon
completion and noticed my distance was improving to just over a mile as well as the amount of calories I had burnt
nd
was raised. When the 2 week started I found myself having more energy when I was done and was feeling so great
after 15 minutes that I started getting back on the elliptical for another round. I didn’t want to sit down…..after the3rd
week the scale told me I had lost 7 pounds. I’m proud of myself for what I accomplished and am still putting to use
that big piece of equipment sitting in my living room….I am very excited to see how well I can do in this year’s Viking
Challenge Mud Run thanks to the Fit in Fifteen challenge that gave me a boost to start training my body to run.
(Jeanna Bently Detox).
Parkers Prairie DT&H is celebrating twenty years of planting & caring for all
the city of Parkers Prairie flowers. The job entails preparing, planting,
weeding, watering & removing the flowers during the growing season each
year. It is a task that has employed many consumers over the years and given
them an opportunity to work outdoors and see the rewards of their labor. The
city and consumers receive many compliments yearly on the beautification the
community receives from this work. Pictured de budding the blossoms at City
Hall: Matt Zunker & Karlin Meyer.
The consumers & staff assisted this summer in planting two trees in memory
of a consumer & PA friend that were donated to PA.
Productive Alternatives-The Changes
Ahead
By Charlie Oakes, Affirmative Business Analyst
Change is normal, and although it can be stressful, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The truth is the world is
changing all around us all the time. Smart phones are really little tablets/cameras/telephones these days and 3 or
four years ago, nobody knew what a tablet or an I Pad was. Same thing with texting. And remember when you used
to write checks at the store? Or how about Kodak and Polaroid? Their world changed too. Some of us remember big
cars and cheap gasoline too.
Now the Federal Courts, the Federal Congress, and the State agencies that we work for are all telling us that the
future for our Vocational Programs is going to be integrated, and those persons we serve must make minimum wage
or better. Furthermore, no one will be referred to us until they have tried to get an independent community placement
for at least two years. The State will put more pressure on us to place existing consumers in the community too.
These will be the biggest transformational changes in our service delivery system in 50 years.
So what are we doing about all this change?
PAI has decided to embrace the changes, and reorganize our services as needed. One way that we are showing our
commitment is by bringing me in for one year to help PAI adapt and reorganize.
Why me? Well I am an older ex-program director from programs in Willmar, Wadena, and Thief River Falls. I know
the current system: I have accounting experience, I’m not shy about soliciting grants or donations, I know the
department staff in MN, and I speak the Community Rehab Program/DT&H language. I am excited to be a part of the
organization for the next 11 months. We want to take advantage of the new opportunities, and try to get all of us
through these changes with minimal sacrifice.
One new opportunity in Fergus Falls is that Ottertail County Social Services would like us to open a licensed Adult
Day Service for some of our older consumers and for the elderly public too. That change will happen quickly. We are
already getting remodeling estimates and starting to apply for grants to help pay for this change. We would like this
to happen this fall. That would be quick, but we are already posting the opening for an Adult Day Service Supervisor.
Next we will be converting Center Based Employment to a new model, which CARF calls an Affirmative Business
Model. That means that the consumers will work side by side with entry level employees, everyone will be working
on meaningful work projects that can support the wages & overhead, and everyone will make at least minimum wage.
Center Based programs in Fergus Falls will be re-organized, and everyone in the new Affirmative Business
Department will have the same benefits, the same break room, and the same opportunities.
We expect that most consumer employees in the Affirmative Business Department will want to work part time so that
they don’t earn enough to risk their disability status. That is going to be an adjustment for residential services and
families. As the minimum wage increases, that challenge will get bigger and bigger. But it will be their personcentered consumer decision, and they will receive counseling about living independently and benefits issues
annually.
People that can’t, or that won’t, work in the community or the Affirmative Business Division will either transfer to one
of our other programs, or they will leave our services.
So in the meantime, we are doing cost accounting on our products, we are visiting with Fergus Falls program staff to
get approximate head counts, we are applying for new licenses, and we have begun public fundraising for the
remodeling and expansion. And we would like you to be a part of this process. Each of you has insights and
information that can help us make good decisions. Please reach out to PA supervisors or directly to me with any
information or questions that you may have about the changes we are attempting to make. You can reach me at
[email protected] or at 998-5657. My mother calls me Charles, but you may call me Charlie.
Productive Alternatives Fishing & the Outdoors Fundraiser
$10/ticket Drawing-Dec. 6th, 2:00 pm Parkers High School Gym-Prairie Christmas
Need Not Be Present to Win! Permit # X-92133-14-005
Grand Prize: 3 Person Frabill Portable Ice House; 8” Strike Master Gas Auger & Oil; Vexilar; Mr. Heater; PA
Slush Inhaler & Big Dipper; -$2000 Value
1- 2 Snowmobile & Clothing Rentals-Craguns Resort-$250 Value
2 -2 Person Eskimo Pop up Ice Shelter- $200
3-Cookmaster Electric Smoker-$140 Value
4- $100 Gift Card Sinclair-Dicks Standard-Parkers
5- $50 Fleet Farm Gift Card
6- Quickclampoutdoors.com 4 Pack-$40
7- $50 GC Parkers Floral & Greenhouse
8- 2 PA Rattle Reels-$20/Sports Tie Blanket
Tickets are available at PA
9- Camo Cooler-$50-Park Region Tel Com-Fergus
Tickets @ all branches,
10- $50 Fleet Farm Gift Card
Take Five-FF, Big Foot
Vining, PLS, Dicks Standard,
11- AMS Bow Fishing Reel-Prairie Archery-Parkers $80 Value
Trumm Drug, Hilltop,
12 PA Rain Gauge-$35
Quicks NAPA, Urbank Bait,
13- Quickclampoutdoors.com 4 pack-$40
Old Mill Supper Club & The
Peak Supper Club. Or you
14- $50 Fleet Farm Gift Card
may call 218-338-2691. A
15 $50 GC Old Mill Supper Club Urbank
big thank you to all donors
16- 2 Rod Holders & Cup Holder-Grayden Outdoors-Brainerd
& ticket locations & to
those that
donated prizes!
17 Swarovski Crystal Necklace & Earrings-$90-Joy From The Heart, Lake
Elmo
18 $25 Subway GC-Detox/2 PA Rattle Reels-$20
19- Camo Cooler-$50-Park Region Tel Com-Fergus
20- $40 Oil Change-Brainerd Dondelinger Auto/Cup Holder Grayden Outdoors
21- $50 Chain Saw Oil Package-Fortwenglers Electric-Parkers
22- $25 GC Gander Mountain-Moorhead PA/ Rod Holder-Grayden Outdoors
23- Buddy Light-$45
24- $25 Bath & Body GC/2 Rod Holders-Grayden Outdoors-Brainerd
25- $ 25 GC The Peak Supper Club Clitherall/Cup Holder-Grayden Outdoors
26- Timber Wolves Promo Pack-$50
27- $20 Pizza Ranch GC/$10 Thrifty Alternatives GC-Perham/Cup Holder-Grayden Outdoors
28- Bell & Chase Watch, Necklace & Earrings-$50
29- Wind Jacket-Lind’s Family Funeral Service/$10 GC Thrifty Alternative
30-Master Radiant Heater-$50 Quick’s NAPA Auto-PP
31-Quickclampoutdoors.com 4 pack-$40