CARF is coming to town ...and we’re excited!
Seriously! We look forward to having them visit.
Why do we look forward to going through a survey and accreditation process? Why do we look forward to being under close scrutiny for everything we do? Why do we look forward to being held accountable to standards of excellence that fill over 250 pages?
Because we have competence and character…we do things right, but also do the right things. In short…we are good at what we do.
We have tremendous staff – you provide quality services – the people with whom we work are happy, engaged, and are taking advantage of opportunities to live, learn, work, and play in their community. We have a strong foundation, and we live by the values of the organization each and every day.
However, we are not perfect. We can always improve. We want to improve. We have an opportunity to talk with and receive consultation from other people who work in the field, who live in different parts of the country, and who may do things differently than we do. If something they do in their organization fits with our vision, mission, and values, we may want to consider incorporating it into what we do. Why wouldn’t we…especially if it could mean improved quality of life for the people receiving services from Ark!
The flip side of that coin is that the surveyors may see something here that they want to implement in their organization. We do some really amazing, innovative things here! If others in the field can benefit from our experience, it would be wonderful! We have a commitment to our community…not just Laramie, but the larger community of people around the country and world with disabilities. If something we do here can be shared with others, we are all for that!
Bottom line…we are excited for the accreditation process. Don’t be nervous – do what you do well, and be proud. Make sure the people with whom you work have lots of opportunities to demonstrate the great things that are happening in their lives. Be courteous, smile, and welcome surveyors into your work area. Answer questions…ask questions. Be part of the process! And, most importantly, remember and live by the values that we all should adhere to every day while working at Ark Regional Services.
As always, if you have any questions, please ask your supervisor, department head, leadership team member, or any co-worker who has gone through the process before.
A significant measure of Value for all people is the demonstration of the principle that behavior is communication. This concept is absolute in its truth, and will provide staff members with a valuable tool in supporting people to Live, Learn, Work, and Play in the Laramie community.
To understand and apply the concept of “behavior is communication” we can take the words at face value. Behavior is what people do or are doing. Communication is the conveying of information. Simply said…what people do or are doing conveys information to those around them. Some common “communications” that we can get from people’s behavior might include; “I don’t feel well”, “something hurts”, “I don’t like it when you do/say that”, “ I don’t like it here”, “I want to have some choice and control in my life”, “someone is bothering me” etc.
Obviously, it is important to try to determine what is being communicated. More important however is the consistent understanding that changes in behavior mean SOMETHING. People don’t just decide to change their behavior. SOMETHING is going on that the person wants to get or get away from. This understanding is not to excuse negative behavior, but to possibly explain it.
The next time that you are faced with a difficult behavior of a person, with whom you work, stop and remember that the person is trying to communicate something to you and take the time to listen to what they have to say...and take it seriously. They will appreciate your effort, and the relationship will be strengthened.
As always…if you have thoughts, questions, or concerns about what is presented in Value Added, please talk with your supervisor, department head, or Jeff Gardner.
In another article in this newsletter, we discuss CARF. As part of that discussion, we clearly state that our staff do an excellent job of facilitating opportunities for people to live, learn, work, and play in the Laramie community. This is a true statement! We believe that our staff do a fantastic job. Thank you.
I recently had the opportunity to listen to University of Wyoming Head Coach Larry Shyatt speak. During his presentation, he reminded me of a very important concept. We, collectively, are only as strong as our weakest link…our weakest team member. If we have six people working in an area, and five of them are living the values of the organization, engaging with the people living/working there, fulfilling the duties of the job, building relationships, ensuring the cleanliness and safety of the area, etc., then one could assume that things are going well. However, if one person isn’t meeting the expectations of the job then, collectively, the team is weakened. If one team member is being unprofessional or not following through, quality and trust decline. This is true not just for direct support staff, but for other teams as well…here at Ark and others with whom you associate.
In most Mandt classes, you have probably been asked to think about having someone you love receive services at Ark. I challenge you to ask, and answer honestly, this question: Would you be happy with the services that you provide? Would you feel valued? Would you feel safe? Would you feel you are being treated with dignity? Would you have choices? Would the things that are most important to you be considered and respected? Would you be treated like an adult? The next time you have an interaction, consider how you would feel if the roles were reversed. This is hard because, well, the roles aren’t reversed so you really have to put some effort into this.
I urge you to consider your own job performance – not that of your co-worker…for this you are accountable only to yourself. Are you meeting the expectations of your job? Are you holding to the values of the organization? Do you have integrity and work ethic? Most importantly, are you building relationships with the people with whom you work? Are you demonstrating that you understand and believe that behavior is communication? Are you focusing on spending time with people when they are at baseline?
Are you focused on quality? Or are you just focused on getting through the end of your shift? Is your goal to assist and support people in living a great life? Or are you here because you think you can just do your homework or watch TV while you’re getting paid (BTW, you can’t J)? Are you a contributing member of the team? Or are you the weakest link?
Due to the size of our organization, we have designated a Security Team to ensure that we follow our policies and our access authorization is up to date.
This committee meets semi-annually to review our security policy. They reassess potential threats to our current systems and evaluate these systems to ensure our information is protected.
Ark’s Privacy Officer is LeRoy Martin
Ark’s Security Team consists of
If you have questions regarding client confidentiality, you can contact your supervisor, your department head, or one of these individuals.
