A newish Day: Workshop:

Topic: Organizational change/Converting Structured Services to Individualized Supports
Panelists:
Pat Rogan,
Scott Shepard
Dan Heldoorn
Yo Bestgen


[I missed the first part of this session ranting]


PR
Strategies to address barriers:
>Clear Mission, vision and values
>Strong Leadership from within
>Stakeholder Involvement
>Ongoing staff education and training
>Flatten the organizational structure
>Person-Centered planning
>Team work

Other lessons learned
-Import expertise
-Change the agency’s image
-Pursue creative, alternative funding
-Unload sunk costs
-Terminate facility admissions and backfilling
-Demonstrate and celebrate success

Outcomes of Changeover Process
-People with disabilities were happier (90.5%)
-Better quality services (83.3%)
-Better community and employer relations (69%)

Organizational Restructuring
>> Staff roles and staffing patterns
>> Job descriptions and classifications
>>Authority lines/hierarchies
>>Role of Management

Human resource practices must change too
-job descriptions
-recruitment and hiring
-staff development
-feedback system
-pay and compensation
Q & A
Q: [I missed it, sorry Y]
SS: It may be heresy but money isn’t everything

Q: Do provider's get paid more for having flatter organizations and more plugged-in workers
A: No.

Q: Implied in these presentations is the assumption that real jobs lead to real lives and regular jobs lead to regular lives.
SS: Where do you live, where are you at?
Q Cont'd: I've seen a lot of work put into community-building, but it may not lead to the promised land.
PR: Job does not mean regular life.
Q: How are you measuring "regular lives?"

general conversation.

Q: We know the barriers and the strategies? Many of us don't know where to find them.
PR: Share what others have learned.

*****
SS & DH:
Dan's Journey: The story of DH, a student at college of the canyons and employee at Orchard Supply, a person with the label of autism.

Staffing patterns: Part-time to full-time, Mix clients and staff.

Do we have a shared vision?
Building partnerships supporting choices (DDS)
AAMR and ARC new mission statements
Choice, direction, take risks

Person-centered services doesn't mean 3 or more service options with different staffing ratios.

[I missed some]

Agencies should develop effective and better ways to listen to the people they support.
Smaller is better.
All agency staff provide direct services

Q: What roughly is your budget for serving 20 persons?
SS: Budgeting is one person at a time, generally matches a residential support cost. IHSS monies blended in.
Other Person: $1200-month to $9000-10000

Q: What would be a typical day for individuals with higher needs who aren't interested in employment?
SS: We look at community college, parks and recs, volunteer activities.

Q: How is the searching for homes for clients?
SS: We have some situations where a roommate pays a little extra to use the garage or etc.

******

YB
[My battery is about to run out.] Sorry, Yo.