April 2014 - Dungarvin

At Dungarvin Minnesota, we are certainly no strangers to change.

Just this year, we have moved our central offices into an entirely new building in Mendota Heights. In addition, there was the acquisition and integration of CCP into the Dungarvin constellation of services; that was a giant change! Now that we are finally settling in after a very busy few months, the biggest changes of all – rate changes – will soon be arriving at our doorstep.

To explain these changes, I’ll briefly set the scene: In Minnesota, each county has been responsible for determining how much providers like Dungarvin are paid to support to each person we serve. In 2007, the federal government determined that the county-based system for determining these payment rates did not meet the requirements in federal law. Over the last six years, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has developed – and the Minnesota legislature has authorized – a new Disability Waivers Rate System to meet the revised federal requirements. This new Rate System takes the responsibility for setting individual service rates away from each county and gives it to the state government (DHS). While developing the new Rate Setting System, DHS and the state legislature have decided that the rates paid to providers like Dungarvin, for nearly every person we serve, will be significantly reduced every year over the next five years. These rate decreases began on January 1, 2014.

To meet this new challenge, Dungarvin will need to undertake what will likely be the biggest change we have ever made to how we do business. Every aspect of Dungarvin’s business is currently being scrutinized to determine what is essential to delivering quality services, with less, without jeopardizing the health, safety and well-being of the people we serve. Anything that is not determined to be absolutely essential will need to be reconsidered, and we will ask (a) “What function does this serve?” and (b) “How can it be done differently – and for less?”

Major changes will need to be made. We know this to be inevitable. These changes will be seen and felt throughout the organization from the central office out to every house and location where Dungarvin provides services. An example of this can already be seen in most of our residential foster homes, where sharing a company van with one or more of the other houses has become the rule rather than the exception. Under the new Rate System, it is expected by the state that most of the people we serve in residential settings will use specialized medical transportation services or even public transportation (with the assistance of Dungarvin staff) to go to medical appointments. The tools and the means for “medical transportation” already exist and they are readily available. However, we will need to change our mindset, remembering that the transportation is no longer in our driveway, since the new Rate System will no longer support that. The money to support a “house van” will now be available for only a very small number of truly high-need programs. Dungarvin will continue to evaluate creative solutions in order to support the individuals we serve with accessing their community successfully.

This is merely one example of the changes to come, but it illustrates how we will need to be creative – and step outside of our usual comfort zones in order to meet our obligations and the needs of those we serve, under the new Rate System. The needs of those we serve may not change, but the way we meet those needs must. Hold on to your hats, the ride is just beginning!

In March, Dungarvin’s Carson City, Nevada operation was asked to participate in the Open World Program sponsored by the Reno Club and the Open World Leadership Center with support from the U.S. state department. The Open World Leadership Center , an independent government agency of the United States Congress, sponsors and funds the Open World program, bringing emerging leaders from Eurasian countries to the United States in order to give them firsthand exposure to the American system of participatory democracy and free enterprise. Open World delegations consist of committed leaders (average age 38) who experience in-depth programming in themes of interest to Congress and of transnational impact including human-trafficking prevention, government and court transparency, and social challenges. The Open World program has nearly 18,000 alumni and a network of some 7,100 U.S. host families.

This year, the northern Nevada program targeted vocational supports for people with disabilities, and five professionals from Chelyabinsk, Russia were hosted in Reno. The delegation included:

The assistant to the Chelyabinsk Region Children’s Ombudsman for Public Relations, who focuses on the execution of special projects aimed at addressing various problems of disabled children.
Associate Professor at Far Eastern State Humanities University’s Department of Social and Human Technologies.
Editor in Chief of the Saturday Edition of Irkutsk Region News and Business Paper, who publishes pieces about the good works of the Rotarians of their city’s and children’s institutions.
General Counsel and head of the department in charge of systemizing company-related legal precedents and contracts, whose objective is to change the general
public’s attitude towards disabled people.
The Founder and Executive Director of Meteor Shower Organization for Children, an organization that provides assistance to children with Down syndrome, autism, paralysis, and other disabilities.

Activities of this exchange included tours and discussions at the governor’s mansion with the state director of health and human services, a specialty school for medically fragile children, a agency for full spectrum of work and day programs, Early Intervention, Vocational Rehabilitation, Nevada Mental Health, University of Nevada’s Center of Excellence on Disabilities and the Applied Behavioral Analysis Department, Center for Independent Living, Prosthetic Consulting Services, and Dungarvin.
Dungarvin Nevada’s Senior Director, Charlotte McClanahan, was involved in the planning of this exchange, the discussion about funding and the legislative process with the state director of health and human services, and hosted the final professional activity of the week in Carson City. The last discussion centered on the importance of residential/full spectrum supports to increase the probability of successful employment and/or vocational training and concluded with a tour of one of Dungarvin’s group homes.
While learning about the supports available in the United States, the delegates shared the status of disability services in Russia. It was apparent that services lag behind those in the U.S. by 20-30 years. The delegates were encouraged to see the possibilities and were surprised to learn that we still battle many of the same social challenges that they do. The week was educational and insightful for all participants, and Dungarvin Nevada hopes to be allowed the privilege of participating again.

Dungarvin’s direct support professional (DSP) staff are integral to our success as a provider organization, and in fulfilling our mission of “respecting and responding to the choices of people with developmental disabilities.” It is particularly gratifying to have the accomplishments of our DSP personnel acknowledged and commended by others. Every year, the American Network of Community Options (ANCOR) conducts a submission and selection process to award the top DSPs across the nation. This is the eighth year of this prestigious awards competition. The goal of this program is “. . . to recognize the best of the DSP workforce and at the same time raise awareness in Washington of the devotion, professionalism and quality supports DSPs provide in their daily work..” All winners will receive an award certificate in recognition of their accomplishments. In addition, they will be offered the opportunity to attend the 2014 ANCOR Conference taking place in Miami, FL to join in the DSP of the Year celebration.

We are proud and excited to announce the Dungarvin winners of the ANCOR 2014 DSP Recognition Awards. This year Dungarvin submitted 30 nominations across 12 states for this competition. It is exciting to announced that Dungarvin employees were selected for nine awards. The fact that Dungarvin DSPs have been recognized with these awards by ANCOR for the past seven years is a testament to the caliber of our Direct Support Professionals, and how they are impacting the lives of the individuals we support. We extend congratulations to all of our winners of the 2014 DSP of the Year Awards, as well as to all of our nominees. Dungarvin is very fortunate to have you as part of our team!

To learn more about our ANCOR DSP of the Year winners and other nominees, please read their nomination statements by clicking on each photo. Our State DSP award winners and nominees: