“To improve the living and working conditions and opportunities for persons with severe disabilities.”
EEO/AA/M/F/D/V

The Director’s Corner
By Phil L. Taylor, Executive Director
 

As everyone may recall, we have started a full satellite at Blytheville.  This means we are offering Adult Development, Work Activity, Work Assessment, Work Adjustment Training, and Extended Services.  We have the basic staff for these services along with a branch manager, production supervisor, part-time work instructor, and two part-time van drivers (we are running two routes to pick up about 30 consumers).  Besides the training we have provided to the staff, we have a special support system for the program.  Lorene Gibson and Darren May have been interviewing the business side and will supervise the Branch Manager.  Cheryl Heskett and Patty Brewer have hired the consumer staff and Patty will primarily supervise them.  In addition, this facility will provide office support to the Waiver program in that area.  We hope to also base any delta regional projects from there, because we feel there is so much need in the region for services for people with severe disabilities.

For the last eight years our organization has been an active member of  ABANA, the Affirmative Business Alliance of North America.  This membership has allowed me to develop some very definite opinions about the real capabilities of our organization.  In addition, I have received some of the best possible on-the-job training with the help of this organization and its training consultants.  In every way it has opened up more possibilities for our organization while helping me to develop a management and leadership style more in tune with the ever-changing dynamics of our economy and our various lines of business.  Even though there are often no easy answers during difficult times, with the right perspective there is often a light at the end of the tunnel toward which you can aim.  This perspective has been greatly influenced by this group.  At the first of this year this group formally changed its name to The Americas Group now representing all of the Americas (North, Central and South America) and each paid member is also a paid member of the international group now called the Workability International (whose mission is to champion the right to work of any person who has a disability or is otherwise marginalised on a global basis).  This is the world’s largest body representing providers of work and employment services to people with disabilities.  More than one million people with disabilities are engaged in work programs delivered by these member organizations in some 28 countries.    It is my pleasure to be able represent our organization by serving a three-year term on the Board of Directors and as a member of the International Committee on Product Development.

A few weeks ago we had our Spring meeting of The Americas’ Group and it was close enough that I took four other staff with me by car. We toured three facilities and I believe the production and consumer staff that went got to see some different approaches to work adjustment, vocational training and employment opportunities.  I feel that it helped open their minds to the possibilities that can be achieved, especially seeing one center that produced some very important medical supplies used in health care.   There were some production layouts and machines that both production and consumer services staff could imagine us implementing.  In addition, they were exposed to professionals from around the country that brought challenging and useable ideas to the training  conference.  All in all, I think it was productive for them as well as for me.  It is with this type of involvement and activities that we keep trying to be sharp in what we are doing now and in a good position for the future.  But, none of our efforts are any good without the good people providing direct services to the consumers.  Keep up the good work.

 Welcome to A.U.

Darla Barker    ACS Implementor
Charles Booker    Driver-Blytheville
Bridget Burton    Driver-Blytheville
Sharon Garner    ACS Implementor
Paul Hedge    Site Mgr - Blytheville
Peggy Hudson    ACS Implementor
Ramona Martin    Accounting Assistant
Dayna Morris    Program Services Asst.
Jessica Pfitzner    ACS Implementor
Bobby Willis    Job Coach

Welcome Back - Dennis Raines, Verlinder Williams, Brittany Hibbard and Marilyn Ballew!!
 
 
 

  Happy May
  Birthdays
 
 
 

Tonya Ferguson    5th
Keith Todd     5th
Charles Booker    7th
Beth Clem     7th
Dayna Morris     7th
Billy Ivy     11th
Kari Brooks     15th
Sabrenia Parker    20th
Cassandra Garcia    21st
Paul Gunter     25th
Jennifer Williams    26th
Tanika Truitt     30th
***If you have taken a CPR/First Aid class through the Red Cross, please turn in a copy of your certification card to Sherry or DeeDee as soon as possible to receive credit.   We no longer receive the cards directly through Red Cross.  Thanks so much!
 
 

May is Licensure Month
By Cheryl Heskett, Director of Consumer Services

I wanted to review with everyone what DDS Licensure is and the areas they focus on annually.  Licensure visits our program annually to review the following areas for compliance:

ACS Waiver Certification; Board of Directors; Personnel Procedures; Staff Training;  Individual/Parent/Guardian Rights and Procedures; Case Management; Program Plan Development; Transportation; Physical Plant; and Safety.

All of the listed areas above have a long list of sections that identify the different standards that will be reviewed by Licensure.  Generally three DDS Licensure staff members come for a two day period to review and talk to consumers.  Unfortunately paperwork is a huge part of our counselor’s responsibility and often it is an unmanageable nightmare.  Your supervisor will request a variety of items weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually and your full cooperation is essential in order to process everything in a timely manner.  Thank you for being dedicated and providing the core services that assist our consumers in achieving their identified outcomes.  Any recommendations on how to improve our current process is always welcome and creative ideas that promote more involvement with our consumers is the ultimate goal we all share.
 

AU Service Awards
 
Congratulations to everyone who celebrated their  anniversary with Abilities Unlimited in April.  Karen Butler, Laura Goodman, Kim Head, Letitia Rasdon, and Shelby Scales celebrated one year with us and each received a certificate and pin and Cheryl Heskett celebrated TWENTY years with us and received a plaque and pin.  Thank you all for your efforts!

 
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