November2018

THE RESOURCE

www.MyMRCI.org

As Laura Elkins watches her two daughters, ages 9 and 7, play in her backyard she doesn’t take it for granted. A few years ago, just letting them outside to play wasn’t really an option. Her oldest daughter, Brynn, is what Laura describes as a “bolter”…she just takes off at every opportunity.

Brynn was diagnosed with Autism at 3½ years of age. That’s when MRCI, a statewide nonprofit, was there to help Laura and her husband Dustin, navigate through the state system to make improvements to their home. Improvements designed to keep Brynn safe. When their daughter Sage was born with Down Syndrome, Laura knew she needed more help in the home.

“MRCI has been very helpful,” says Laura. “Both of my girls depend on caregivers for their basic needs such as getting dressed, eating, bathing and personal care…things most 8 year olds can do on their own. It takes the pressure off of me

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CelebratingThe Impact of Direct Support Professionals

The Great Waffle Get Together was held on Saturday, October 27 in Mankato! CDS participants and their families enjoyed a free waffle break-fast, games, and Bingo.

always having to be the caregiver 24/7.”

Laura says financially, the family could never have hired a caregiver on their own. Through MRCI, she enrolled in the PCA Choice program, benefits that help her hire one staff person at a time to help care for both girls.

“We are able to find who we want and who we think will fit in best with our family,” explains Laura. “For example, we utilize Minnesota State University, Mankato for almost everyone we hire! Nursing students, special education students, even speech and language majors work great. We look at what hours we’ll need them each week and find people we are comfortable with to come fill the shifts.” Several MRCI Staff worked the event

to help make it possible.

MRCI Direct Service Professional Aaron Clancy finds his work very rewarding.

800.829.7110

MRCI Celebrates Case Managers of Excellence.

For all CDCS andInclusive Resources Available

MRCI has long been considered an innovator in the industry. A reputation earned through forward-thinking processes in anticipation of industry trends and needs.

According to Minnesota Compass, by 2035 one in six children will have at least one foreign-born parent. Anticipating future needs, MRCI has partnered with a local business in its continuing efforts to be more inclusive and embracing the cultures of all.

MRCI is making an initial investment to translate what have always been English brochures and documents, into a language those in the Somali community can better understand. We engaged Lingua One to make sure MRCI could clearly explain services in a way clients in these communities can understand.

“I think a lot of people think interpretation and translation are just words but that is not correct. You have to consider the context, consider any kind of nuance, politics and economics of the time. All of those elements shift people’s meaning and what they are trying to convey. Body language is important as is tone of voice. So a lot of people think a word is isolated and can be done through a tool like Google translate. But it’s much more complex than that. There is more to this field than what meets the eye,” explains Lingua One owner Tessa Donato.

MRCI is also coming out with Spanish versions of its materials.

DHS recently sent letters regarding the Fiscal Management Services (FMS) transition. The letter emphasizes the importance of letting your case manager know that you would like to stay with MRCI or change agencies. Please also notify us of your decision.

Once your decision is made, your case manager will need to issue a new service agreement to the FMS provider you choose. DHS stated that the participant will NOT need a new plan and that support planners will not need to make any additional changes. MRCI will make this transition as easy as possible for everyone. We are ready to take your phone calls immediately. To avoid service delays, MRCI is working with DHS to ensure current employees are not affected by the transition to FMS. We have also changed our fees because of the efficiencies like a new participant dashboard, electronic timesheets and others. Please see the changes below.

November is National Family Caregivers Month

November is National Family Caregivers Month. It’s a time to support those who volunteer to support friends, family members and other loved ones managing a disability.

All year round we are thankful for the more than 44 million Americans who care for a family member, friend or neighbor including those who we are honored to support. November, though, is a month set aside to bring special awareness to the contributions of these special people.

By Celebrating Family Caregivers during November, we strive to raise awareness of family caregiver issues, educate family caregivers about self-identification and increase support for family caregivers.

Lisa Kohn was honored with MRCI’s Case Manager of Excellence for the month of August.

Lisa has dedicated her professional career to assisting people with disabilities. Early on in her career she even worked at MRCI as a supervisor.

The above photo caption reads “Creating Opportunities for Families.”

Dakota County and Team C are known as leaders in the field of self-direction. They have come up with several solutions to assist families in getting their service needs met.

Team C consists of Theresa Halverson, Coordinator; Janeen Coyan, Coordinator; Sandy Thelen, Case Specialist; Zenaida Seebeck, Case Specialist; and Teresa Walsh, Supervisor. Each of these people do so much individually and collectively.

CSG Participants:

At MRCI, we appreciate the relationship we have with you and your family. It is because of you, MRCI has been in business for 65 years. We look forward to the future as your selected FMS provider.

For Home Care workers covered by the SEIU Collective Bargaining Contract with DHS, these include CDCS, CSG, and PCA Choice workers: Workers can use Paid Time Off (PTO) at any time, with the approval of the person receiving services or their Responsible Party. In order to do so the worker must complete a form and make sure it is signed. Workers may use as much or as little PTO as they have accrued. PTO is accrued at a rate of 1 hour for every 43 hours worked. Workers can carryover up to 80 hours of PTO from State Fiscal year to year (July 1 to June 30), after that any accrual over 80 hours will be forfeited. Workers must use their leave for 2018-2019 year by June 8th, 2019, in order to not lose any hours.

Check Your Time Off Balance

2018Direct Support Professionals have been an integral part of girls’ lives for over five years. These are the individuals the Elkins family trust to care for their needs.

Although they may be referred to in many different ways…as counselors, coaches, specialists…one sentiment truly defines them all: heart and soul. The technical term, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), just does not quite convey all they do, or the impact they make on people’s lives.

The definition of a DSP is clear cut: people who work directly with people with physical disabilities and/or intellectual disabilities with the aim of assisting the individual to become integrated into his/her community.What this really means is being there to help not only with physical needs, but with soft skills and life skills. The dedication shown by our DSPs to the people we support drives our success and helps fulfill our mission of providing innovative and genuine opportunities for individuals with disabilities at home, at work and in their community. The recruitment and retention of a qualified, competent DSP workforce is key as MRCI pursues its mission of community integration for individuals with disabilities.

Each September, these individuals are honored during Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, a nationally-recognized endeavor. While MRCI tries to show our appreciation year round, this week is a time set aside to honor and thank the DSPs who are working hard every day to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But they’ll tell you,

DSP Professionals Story (continued )

Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday our offices will be closed November 22 and 23, MRCI requests all vendor claims be submitted by 8am on Tuesday November 20th. Any claims received after 8am on the 20th will be processed the following week.

they are rewarded year round by the clients they care for. And just as DSPs help us be successful, we in turn want to help them reach their goals as well.

Case in point, Julie Lux. She now serves as Strategic Relations Manager. Julie utilized the extensive training and opportunities provided through MRCI to advance her career, but she started with MRCI 11 years ago as a direct support professional.

“The most rewarding part is knowing you were able to help someone stay within their home and receive the care they need. Making the connection with the person served and their family. It really is a relationship you have for a long time. I still speak with families who were my first visits years ago,” says Lux.

Stories like Julie’s are common among DSPs who get into the industry early. Working in this role can be very rewarding, says MRCI’s Aaron Clancy, who has been a DSP since 2010.

“When I tell people I am a DSP, I often hear, ‘That must take someone with a big heart’,” he says. “But the truth is, it’s the people I support that have the big –bigger-biggest hearts to accept me.

“As a DSP, people think I am making a big impact on the people I support. Truly though, they are making a bigger impact on me.”

MRCI is proud to be supportive individuals at home, work and in the community. If you know of someone who would love to be inspired by one of MRCI’s clients working as a care provider please contact us at www.mrciworksource.org or call 800.829.7110.

Important Dates

Along those same lines, MRCI will have limited staffing hours from December 24 through January 1 due to the holidays. Please note December 25th is a payroll deadline for timesheet submission and all timesheets must be submitted by the end of the day on December 25th.

Credit Card Orders: All credit card orders must be submitted prior to Friday, December 14.

Vendor Claims: All vendor claims must be submitted on December 19th by 12p (noon) for payment on December 21st, this will be the final vendor payment for 2018. Due to the holidays, there will be NO vendor payments the week of December 24th through December 28th.