Best & Shared Practices – Provider

Practice: ​Comprehensive intake form that includes useful and required information about indviduals entering their program.

Benefit: ​Individuals receiving services by ensuring the provider has pertinent information allowing them to better serve the individual.

How?: Providers could adopt the form for collecting this useful and required information.

Note: Forms can be good tools to gather information however there should be ongoing efforts to update information and to review and update as people and their preferences are subject to change.

Practice: ​Personal Supports provider uses a form to identify additional potential concerns in rendering the service. The document covers areas that include but are not limited to the individual’s ability to get in/out of various vehicles, adaptive equipment needs, and behavioral/emotional concerns that may affect community access.

Who Benefits? ​The provider and the individual benefits from this practice. The provider is given valuable information that will assist in rendering the service, as the areas covered may help with avoiding potential obstacles. Additionally, the provider will have the opportunity to provide a more tailored service. The individual will get the benefit of receiving a more person-centered service from the provider, making for a more dignified and pleasant interaction, whether at home or in the community.

How? ​​By taking the time to reflect on the person and their service needs, others could formulate their own additional considerations. This would provide an opportunity to really mold the service to the person who is receiving it.

Practice: This Supported Living Provider enrolls the individuals she supports in the Excess Food Farms Across Florida program http://www.miamidade.gov/district13/advisories/2015-11-09-farm-share-food-distribution.asp. The website posts dates and locations when individuals can come and get free fresh produce from local farms. Provider facilitates setting up transportation to and from the locations on these dates.

Who Benefits? ​The individuals benefit from the free and fresh local produce.

How?Any individual on a fixed and limited food budget would benefit and this could also be a project for daily living skills training to go get the produce, and to then cook a healthy dish/meal.

Practice: ​This provider has developed a variety of simple communication systems using laminated picture boards, this Reviewer observed individuals willingly use these to identify choice, educate about abuse and rights training, and to communicate medical needs, ie pain. Provider has also purchased an iPad and downloaded communication programs/applications for the use of 2 of the residents at their Group Home

Who Benefits? ​​Individuals with limited expressive communication skills all can benefit from these types of easily produced and individualized communication boards/systems. The iPad with the communication applications was a vaforite of the 2 invidiuals in the home targeted and particularly useful as it not only has pictures of items but also names the item selected encouraging verbal communication as well as visual

How?There are many individuals with limited expressive communication skills that are currently not getting to explore any simple communication systems to facilitate their interaction with others or their environment. Tablets are now much more affordable in price and communicacation applications are available and some are free. Any type of simple communication system could be a great emnhancement to the quality of life for some individuals and worth a the exploration and a sincere try.

Practice: ​​Residential Habilitation Provider is using AbleLinc Technologies’ Living Safely and Everyday Skills cognitively accessible learning videos on both the iPad and Apple TV to provide visual and auditory training during their house meetings and individually with their residents with staff facilitation. These are short easy to understand learning videos designed for individuals with Autism but very applicable for use with many of the residents.

Who Benefits? ​​All the individuals who reside in this provider’s Group Home benefit from these videos including when shown at house meetings. These prompt discussion about how to do things and act in specific situations, also allowing input from all individuals who view them.

How?These learning videos can be used as this provider is using them, for individual instruction for those who want to learn how to do a particular task, ie use the microwave, ​and for group activities, to educate individuals in a multitude of tasks and activities.

Practice: When individuals meet goals, the provider prepares a simple but professional looking certificate indicating the goal accomplished and the date. The certificate is similar to the certificates used by providers to show completion of training.

Who Benefits? Individuals I interviewed were proud of their certificates. It was clear what goals were accomplished for the individual. Some individuals posted these in their rooms, promping other individuals to try to acheive their own certificates. Staff were aware of what goals were met.

How? Other provider could create similar certificates for the individuals they serve.

Practice: ​The provider shared access to a web page titiled “Visitgainesville.com”. The website list events, activities and volunteer opportunities scheduled for the upcoming months in the Gainesville community and is updated frequently. The provider uses this as a starting poing in determining what events and community activities individuals are interested in. The provider prints out the information in advance and talks about the calendar with individuals served. The website is a comprehensive and very useful listing for community resources.

Who Benefits? Anyone interestd in activities in Alachua County/Gainesville will find this site useful. Individuals served and staff have access to current information about event and activities in Gainesville.

How? ​Other providers in the Gainesville/Alachua County area could benifit from this uselful website.

Practice:​ ​Composing progress notes has been an issue for this provider. During previous reviews, he often stated he had completed tasks but he had not documented them. In his review this year, progress notes had improved significantly. His secret? He uses Dragon Dictation (free) on his smartphone, sends to his e-mail, opens it, corrects any errors and prints for the consumer file. This has enabled him to document his services more accurately, to enhance time management and efficiency, and to greatly reduce frustration.

Who Benefits? How? ​​Provider benefits through more efficient use of time, increased accuracy in documentation of services provided and showing all his work.  His clients benefit through greater accuracy in files.

How could others apply this in practice? ​​Any provider could apply this practice as long as phones and emails have security features to protect PHI and PII.

Practice:​ ​Emily C Moises Adult Day Training (ADT)Center, under the direction of Nieves Moises, partnered with the local Arts Council to create painting classes and paintings expositions where individuals/artists are able to sell their work.  The artists are paid directly.  The ADT has also created an embroidery circle after an individual expressed a strong interest in learning how  to embroider.  The works were sold online and individuals received whatever they charged for their work..  This year artists in a painting class are working on a group project to develop a “Rights Wall” with separate individual paintings which will visually  depict  all of the individual rights  on the “Bill of Rights” and  topics about rights issues .  The paintings and “the Rights Wall”  will be used to educate the Individuals at the Center and be included in weekly activities, holidays and functions.

Who Benefits? How? Individuals who attend the Center, as well as individuals who visit the center will benefit.  The visual depiction in bright colors and large size will make it easier to see and understand for all who view the wall and will make learning about rights meaningful.

How could others apply this in practice? ​​Any Provider can benefit from making learning interactive and fun. It can open minds to other creative ways to educate and encourage understanding about rights.

Practice:​ This template can be used by providers, family members, or indivdiuals receiving services for gathering health and safety information.

Who Benefits? How? Providers and the people they serve benefit from a conprehensive template to easily document information on a person’s health and overall well being.

How could others apply this in practice? Others may use this template to ensure they are gathering and documenting pertinnet information on health and safety.

• Health & Behavioral Assessment [pdf]

Practice:​ ARC Walton County developed a theatre group named, No Limits. No Limits directs, writes, and performs theatre productions in  Okaloosa and Walton County.  No Limits has performers with and without disabilities and is completely inclusive. No Limits offers membership to all community members.

Their recent production  at Fort Walton Beach Civic Center, “We were soldiers too – voices from the home front” featured stories about life and love from surviving spouses of retired military heroes  residing at Air Force Enlisted Village communities in Okaloosa County.   This fundraiser event benefited both the ARC Walton County and the Air Force Enlisted Village.

Who Benefits? How? ​​The entire community benefits from the integration.

How could others apply this in practice? ​​Performing arts can be used to enhance entertainment and education for all members of any community.

Practice: This provider has implemented a new process for their monthly house meetings.  The residents have elected officers for the their meetings which include a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer and a Secretary.   The provider and residents both report  satisfaction with the process and the outcomes. They look forward to the next election.

Who Benefits? How? ​The residents have increased their ownership, independence and empowerment.  They are very excited about the process and are extremely proud of their accomplishments.  For example, when they chose to attend an event the treasurer researched the cost of the tickets, transportation, food,  etc and then brought  it back to the group for discussion. This provided her with the opportunity to use previous skills and learn new ones.  Everyone is involved but each person has a responsibility which increases their self esteem.  This process increases their self-worth,  their involvement in the success of the outcomes and their decision and choice making skills.

How could others apply this in practice? ​Anyone could apply this practice to their settings.

Practice: This is a Group Home provider located in Broward County that understood that most of the individuals residing in their homes wanted to have keys to enter their homes but they were concerned about safety and losing their keys or ending in the wrong hands. The provider purchased key lock boxes for each home through Amazon and each individual gets trained on how to use the box with a private code and trained on how to open the front door with supervision. The locks are modern ones similar to those used by Realtors.

Who Benefits? How? ​The individuals residing in their homes by accessing and entering their homes.

How could others apply this in practice? ​Following on their initiative and modeling after them. This is all about the individuals receiving services.

Practice: A Quality Council member, Patty Houghland, shared a current practice of a provider organization she visited regarding community inclusion. Patty described how the provider organization had started selling fruits and vegetables at their home location, but realized they could reach more people and be more part of the community they live in if they went to a community venue such as a local Farmer’s Market. The group of residents started selling their fruits and vegetables at a community Farmer’s Market.

Who Benefits? How? Everyone benefits from the utilization of this practice. Instead of a segregated fruit and vegetable stand on their own property, it is an integrated fruit and vegetable stand utilizing the same community resources as their local community residents. This practice relates to person-centered practices important to all people and links people to community life in their own geographic community.

How could others apply this in practice? Others could use this practice by looking at events and happenings in their local community and seeing how they can be a part of those events instead of hosting separate events for those with disabilities.

Practice:  JRFS has established and provides the following services to their clientele:  Life Planning; Psychiatry; Support Groups; LCSW’s provide group and individual counseling; and there’s a Medical Director who attends weekly consultations.  The Life Planning services offers education, advocacy, individual consultation and emotional support to families who care for an adult relatives with disabilities.

Who Benefits? How? The people that benefit from these services are the people served by Jewish Residential and Family Services, and their local community.

How could others apply this in practice? This provider Agency is the first known provider who offers all of these types of services in-house.  Typically, people would need to go to several locations to get these services.