Best Practices – Shared

Submission date: 10/16/2008
Submitted by: Sheila Bryant Butler
Provider name: Shared (APD, Department of Education, Family)
APD Area: 4

Practice
The WSC collaborated with a young man, his mother and his school to incorporate into his IEP goals for building work-related and social skills. The goals were unusual and so would not otherwise have been addressed had it not been for the persistence of the three entities.

Who Benefits? How?
The young man now knows how to greet people and recognizes people with whom he comes into contact regularly. He was the towel-boy for his high school sports teams and puts together candy boxes for Civitan.

Submission date: 10/16/2008
Submitted by: Berta Santos
Provider name: Shared (APD, Guardianship Program of Dade County)
APD Area: 11

Practice
APD – The individual receives Supported Living and Supported Employment services through Medicaid Waiver. They share information with Guardianship Program of Dade County concerning the individual’s financial needs. Guardianship Program of Dade County – This agency is the financial guardian of the individual. They worked together with APD to make sure that the individual’s financial responsibilities are met.

Who Benefits? How?
APD –Supported Living allows the individual to live independently in the community instead of a group home or with family. This service has also provided education on money management which has benefited the individual with understanding the consequences of spending. Supported Employment allows the individuals to find gainful employment in order to live a productive life in the community. This service has also provided support in order to ensure that the individual is getting fair compensation for the job performed. Guardianship Program of Dade County – Provides financial guardianship in order to allow the individual to meet her financial needs. This has enabled the individual to maintain her apartment in the community and purchase items that she considers necessary. This service has also prevented the individual from mismanaging her funds.

Submission date: 10/16/2008
Submitted by: Berta Santos
Provider name: Shared (APD, Vocational Rehabilitation, WSC)
APD Area: 11

Practice
“Paul” is a young man who just turned 21. Paul has a diagnosis of Spina Bifida. He is a very determined person who is planning a career in sports broadcasting at Miami Dade College and with the assistance of his WSC, has been a volunteer with the Marlins since he turned 18. His life as a college student attending several classes daily at different locations on campus while propelling his manual wheelchair created another challenge. He developed progressive degenerative rotator cuff tendonopathy which is a very painful and ultimately immobilizing condition. Paul’s physician recommended a more customized, power chair. The WSC had to be the liaison between the attending physician, APD, AHCA, and VR to obtain the prescribed chair. Paul requested the assistance of VR to purchase the equipment. After several requests and with the assistance from APD, VR agreed to pay for the necessary equipment.

Who Benefits? How?
Since Paul obtained the wheelchair that he needed to be safe, pain free, and pursue his education, he feels that he can reach his dream of being a sports commentator.

Submission date: 10/16/2008
Submitted by: Krista McCracken
Provider name: Shared (AHCA, APD, VR , Manatee Community College)
APD Area: 23

Practice
Approval of services that together empowers this man to live the life he wants, and work towards a future without services.

Who Benefits? How?
(A) is engaged and going to college. His long term goal is to own his own company that develops adaptive equipment for individuals with physical disabilities. He is engaged and has recently moved from his parent’s home to an apartment with a roommate. He has a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy and uses a power wheelchair to get from place to place. (A) has significant physical disabilities and has little control of his body. He had wanted to live in his own place before getting married. Although he loves his parents, he felt that they were over protecting him and keeping him from truly experiencing life. (A) has an IHSS who supports him in the home, his SLC who helps him take care of his finances and physician appointments. He has a companion provider who supports him at college when he needs some additional personal care. The school supports him by having a note taker as well as some adaptations in the way he takes tests. VR is paying for him to be able to go to school and for his computer. AHCA has paid for adaptive equipment through the Waiver as well as through the Medicaid State plan. He had an automatic door opener on his front door in the family home and the Waiver paid for it to be moved and installed on his door at his apartment. He has a hoyer lift as well as other pieces of equipment. (A) and his fiancée are planning to marry in March 2009.

Submission date: 10/16/2008
Submitted by: Barbara Allen
Provider name: Shared (Vacci’s D & G Group Home and Division of Blind Services)
APD Area: 14

Practice
As a result of suggestions made during her first Delmarva consultation, the group home provider contacted Division of Blind Services to come in and offer technical assistance for one individual. A representative of Blind Services came down and spent the day showing this provider how to adapt the environment to maximize this individual’s independence in all areas.

Who Benefits? How?
This individual is now cooking more independently, answering and dialing the phone independently, and has learned to utilize her environment without continuously depending on staff members.

Submission date: 10/16/2008
Submitted by: Wanda Nitiss
Provider name: Shared (Miami Public Schools and WSC, Children’s Trust)
APD Area: 11

Practice
Working together with the Miami Public Schools, WSC, and the Children’s Trust this school aged person who has Down Syndrome received a scholarship to attend the Shake-A-Leg summer camp.

Who Benefits? How?
This young lady was able to attend an enriching summer program that includes people who do not have disabilities. The interaction with the other summer campers increased her: self esteem, socialization, and swimming skills. Her younger brother, not disabled, also attended the camp.

Submission date: 10/16/2008
Submitted by: Barbara Allen
Provider name: Shared (Human
Development Center, Mentally Retarded Defendant Program, probation
officers, court systems, HARTLINE and Adult Protective Services)
APD Area: 23

Practice
MRDP – When an individual is admitted to the Human Development Center (HDC) program, MRDP has a full understanding of the program, provides transportation from the state hospital to the HDC group home, and shares information, files, etc. to ensure that the individual and group home have all needed information to provide effective services. MRDP has also allowed this agency to tour their facility so HDC has a better understanding of the system.

The probation officers are an integral part of the individual’s life, and on-going communication between the PO and the courts is needed to provide individuals with the opportunity to have fewer restrictions as appropriate.

Adult protective services: A trainer from Adult protective services has met with a small group of individuals served to discuss appropriate use of the abuse hotline.

HARTLINE – with permission from the PO and cooperation from the bus line, bus training is beginning to for one individual.

Who Benefits? How?
MRDP – allows individuals to have residential placement in the community rather than state institutions or prisons.

Probation officers, court systems, and HARTLINE – one individual has been working in Ybor city for several years and will be trained on using the bus to increase his independence and decrease reliance on paid supports.

Adult protective services – has allowed individuals to understand not only the natural consequences of false allegations, but also ensure they have a greater understanding of the consequences of any abuse they perpetrate and what to do if they are a victim (addresses past history of abuse by empowering individuals to call when appropriate).