Remote Support and Virtual Job Coaching

By Daphni Steffin

Director of Assistive Technology & LifePrint Management

When you think about Assistive Technology (AT), many things may come to mind. A communication device, an adapted switch, maybe even an iPad. As we start to think about the iPad, we realize that not all AT is exclusively for people with disabilities. After all…isn’t all technology in some way “assistive?”

Some of the most progressive developments in the world of AT are centered on the use of mainstream technologies in new ways. Video calling technologies such as Skype and FaceTime make it possible for people with disabilities to have real time interaction with a friend, family member, care giver, or job coach. We are exploring the value that these technologies can add to the quality of supports we are providing to people at The Arc Baltimore through some very exciting and innovative pilot projects.

Our Community Living Division is using video calling technology like Skype to provide remote support to people in their homes. In collaboration with a telesupport company called Rest Assured, we are providing a blend of remote support and in-home support services. Picture a woman living independently in her apartment. Using the latest and greatest camera and sensor technology, a telesupport provider checks in with her a few times a day to make sure she is safe, asks her if she has taken her medications, and makes sure her home is secure. The telesupport giver gets an alert if the smoke detector goes off, and can be reached at any time with the push of a button.

Our Community Employment division has launched a separate pilot project, exploring the use of FaceTime for virtual job coaching. People with disabilities working in the community with job coach supports can use their iPhone to FaceTime with their job coach. This empowers the individual to access real time job coaching even if the coach is not on site. We are excited to see how people thrive in integrated employment as in-person job coaches fade out, but are a FaceTime call away if needed.

The Arc Baltimore utilizes FaceTime technology 

for virtual job coaching in the workplace

Technology advances at a rapid rate, and The Arc Baltimore wants to be well-informed of the new benefits it provides for people with disabilities. These pilot projects demonstrate our awareness of both cutting-edge and mainstream assistive technology as well as our commitment to integrating it into our support models.

For more information about our Assistive Technology department and the services we provide to individuals receiving supports from The Arc Baltimore, please feel free to contact me at dsteffin@thearcbaltimore.org or 410-296-2272 x 5206.

CARF Awards The Arc Baltimore Its Fourth, Three-Year Accreditation

By Aaron Atkinson, Director of Quality Enhancement

The Quality Enhancement department is happy to announce that CARF International, an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services, awarded The Arc Baltimore its fourth, three-year maximum accreditation on June 27, 2014 for the following services: Employment Supports; Job Development; Community Housing; Community Integration; Foster Family Services; Supported Living; and Governance.

In order to receive the maximum accreditation, The Arc had to demonstrate substantial conformance for over a thousand standards, of which we met 98 percent. A team of six CARF surveyors spent three days conducting a comprehensive review of the agency, including visiting day programs and homes of individuals supported by Community Living and Foster Care, reviewing policies and procedures, and meeting with staff, individuals who receive services, families, board members and other stakeholders.

It is noteworthy that The Arc is not required by licensing entities to seek accreditation. The fact that we voluntarily pursue CARF accreditation is a testament to the quality of our agency and to our deep commitment to sustainable excellence. In its most recent survey report, CARF noted many strengths that The Arc demonstrates, including:

·      “The Arc Baltimore enjoys the services of a committed and enthusiastic board whose members are dedicated to the organization and its mission.”

·      “The longevity of the staff members at the executive, senior management, and management levels is impressive.”

·      “Assistive technology is a major strength of The Arc Baltimore.”

·      “The Arc Baltimore supports the needs of persons serviced with severe challenges at its various day program sites with increasingly creative person-centered approaches.”

·     The families are extremely satisfied with the services provided by The Arc Baltimore and are confident in the organization’s ability to not only keep the persons served healthy and safe, but to also assist them in reaching their full potential.”

·      “The persons served are supported to spend time with their families and friends; take vacations; attend conferences; and explore their community, state, and region.”

The Arc’s ongoing success is attributed to the dedication of our board members, families, individuals who receive services, and community affiliates. The dedication of The Arc’s staff, from direct support professionals to our executive leadership continues to impress me the most. This exemplary accreditation was made possible by your hard work, devotion to the individuals who receive services, and a continued commitment to The Arc’s mission and values.

If you have any feedback or suggestions for continued quality improvement, please contact me at 410-296-2272 x 5540 or aatkinson@thearcbaltimore.org.

Thank you all.

A Mother's Prognosis

By Pat Rosner, Board Member and Parent Advocate

The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote in 1985 about my son, Danny. Please forgive the use of the word retarded. It was not yet extracted from our everyday language.

A MOTHER’S PROGNOSIS

Danny turned six last October. At his birthday party he said “Thank you very much for my present”, blew out two of his six candles, ate his dinner (with a scoop dish) independently and sang “Happy Birthday” to himself.

Dan, age 6

Dan is multiply handicapped. He was born with hydrocephalus (“water on the brain”), small and opaque optic nerves and brain damage. The doctors looked at these problems and said, to the best of their knowledge, Dan would be severely retarded, totally blind, and seriously affected by seizures and cerebral palsy. They said he would probably never communicate effectively, never see anything at all, have seizures and never walk.

The doctors who see our children at birth are not trying to be mean. They are simply reporting a factual account based on their clinical findings.

Here is my factual account based on my clinical findings over the past six and one-half years:

   1. Dan is the most accepting and loving person I know.

   2. Dan is the most stubborn person I know.

   3. Dan has the highest threshold for frustration of any person I know.

   4. Dan deals well with pain.

   5. Dan is not a quitter.

Is it not a shame that there are no medical tests to measure personality, character and stamina? Perhaps then I could have been the one to give a prognosis on Dan: that he would touch, in a very special way, everyone he meets.

2014

Dan & his wife Maria

Dan is now 34 years old. He has been with The Arc Baltimore since he was 21. He works five days a week at his vending machine business with a one-on-one job coach. He is supported in his home where he lives independently with his wife of 9 years.

Back in 1985, I was confident in Dan’s strength of character but had no understanding for all of the challenges he would encounter. As an adult, he met those challenges with the life changing support of this agency.  My husband and I recognized the importance of the supports The Arc Baltimore could offer him and became involved as volunteers.  I am currently a proud mom on the Board as a parent advocate.

As Mother’s Day approaches let me say that I couldn’t be more proud to be Dan’s mom. Oh and, by the way, I was right. He has touched, in a very special way, everyone he has met.

___________

Editor’s Note: Pat Rosner is an active board member, a member of our Human Rights Committee, and a participant in our "Moms Understand" support group. In addition, she is a recipient of our President’s Cup award that is presented to a board member each year who provides exemplary service to The Arc.

What's Your Assistive Technology?

By Daphni Steffin,
Director of Assistive Technology & LifePrint Management

Technology has transformed the way we live, the way we work, the way we learn, and the way we communicate.  Many of us use Assistive Technology (AT) every day whether we have a disability or not. The alarm clock that woke you up this morning, the GPS that gets you from point A to point B, the remote that controls your television, or better yet, a cell phone that can do all of the above. Many of us don’t even think of these items as AT, but in reality these are all assistive devices that make our lives easier. And isn’t that what technology is all about?

Judith Heumann, a well-known disability rights activist once said that, "For most of us, technology makes things easier. For a person with a disability, it makes things possible."  Many people with disabilities may be unable to accomplish everyday tasks such as communicating, bathing, dressing, driving, and working without appropriate AT.

Recently, I spoke with a young man from our center in Dundalk who has used an electronic communication device for many years. I asked him what his day would be like without it...unable to use his voice. He responded with one word, “trouble.”

Whether it’s a communication device for a child who is non-verbal, or a big button telephone for a person with low vision, we believe that access to the right tools can be truly life-changing. That is why, through our AT program, we strive to enhance opportunities for individuals supported by The Arc Baltimore to improve their lives through the use of technology with increased awareness, access, and support.

Awareness of the benefits of Assistive Technology devices and resources; access to assessments, trial of devices, and funding; and support in integration of the appropriate technology into one’s life.

We often begin by thinking about what tasks a person is dependent upon another person to complete. Why does a staff or family member do it for this person? One specific example occurred in our centers at lunch time where some people were not feeding themselves. One man had difficulty holding the spoon, but a spoon with a bigger grip was really all that he needed.  Eight dollars later, he is now able to feed himself and is very proud of his newfound independence. This same man could not change the channel because the buttons on the remote control were too small. We tried out a big button simplified remote with him and he looked at me with a look of amazement and said, “I thought my TV only had one channel.” These are some low tech tools that have helped him overcome barriers to independence in his daily living. The tools are simple – but the impact is profound.

We often think of technology as futuristic – but it is a very real part of our present to embrace. As staff, family members, co-workers, or self-advocates, we all share a connection to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. There is a world of AT with endless possibilities. Our AT Program aims to be that bridge from one world to the other.

For more information on our program, visit our Assistive Technology program site or feel free to contact me at dsteffin@thearcbaltimore.org.

Join us at our Assistive Technology Fair on May 28.

Quality Enhancement Workgroups

By Aaron Atkinson, Director of Quality Enhancement

The mission of The Arc Baltimore is to provide advocacy and high quality, life-changing supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines quality as: how good or bad something is; a characteristic or feature that someone or something has; something that can be noticed as a part of a person or thing; a high level of value or excellence. If you are like me, after reading Merriam Webster’s definition, you probably are left still wondering what quality really means, and what high quality supports look like.

The reality is that each and every person who is affiliated with The Arc Baltimore, whether as an employee, volunteer, board member, business associate, or supported individual, has his or her own definition of what quality means and what quality looks like. Herein lies the challenge, what measures can we take to ensure that quality is uniformly understood and applied? Just like many of life’s questions, there is no easy, one size fits all, answer.

That said, one way to consistently provide high quality supports, is to have a plan. Here at The Arc Baltimore there are numerous plans, but the one I would like to highlight is the Quality Enhancement Plan, also referred to as the QE Plan. The QE Plan has many goals, which act as waymarks, helping to guide The Arc Baltimore on its path of continuous quality improvement. One goal within the QE Plan, is to improve the quality of services by seeking the input of staff and supported individuals. To reach this goal, we created quality enhancement workgroups.

Quality Enhancement workgroups are comprised of supported individuals and direct support professionals; the facilitators of the workgroups are all direct support professionals. Currently, the Woodlawn, Dundalk, Lochridge, Towson, Seton and Homeland employment centers, as well as the Supported Employment, Project Search, and Community Living programs have active workgroups; Family Living will create a workgroup this spring. Workgroups meet each quarter, but some have chosen to meet on a monthly basis because they have found the experience so empowering and beneficial.

Workgroups discuss many topics during their meetings, including how the Individual Plan process could improve with increased involvement of direct support professionals, ways communication could improve, and the quality of sites and services. Facilitators take meeting minutes and submit them to the director of the Quality Enhancement Division. The minutes are summarized and added to the QE Plan, which is then presented to the QE Committee. The QE committee meets on a quarterly basis and membership consists of leadership staff, board members and self-advocates. The quarterly and annual QE plan results are also posted to The Arc Baltimore’s website. Additionally, the director of the Quality Enhancement Division and the facilitators meet every quarter, at which time the director of Quality Enhancement updates the facilitators on progress towards prior agenda items and discusses new agenda items.

The purpose of the workgroups is twofold. One purpose is to improve services provided by The Arc Baltimore by refining the communication between direct support professionals, supported individuals, and management. The other purpose is to empower direct support professionals and supported individuals, by providing them an additional venue where they can share their thoughts and ideas. The concept is built upon the understanding that empowered staff and supported individuals help enhance the quality of existing supports and services. This is accomplished by providing staff and supported individuals' forums to talk about the concept of quality and the opportunity to translate those discussions into action.

For more information, please feel free to contact me at aatkinson@thearcbaltimore.org.