Then Again, What Do I Know?

Well, Isn’t That Special?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:22:00 +0000

On Friday, February 10, I had the pleasure of attending a ceremony marking the official name change of Special Transit to Via.

For those who don’t know, Via is a local organization that acts as our community’s full-spectrum "mobility manager." Via provides accessible on-demand transportation, individual and group travel training, and mobility options counseling (information and referral) for older adults, people with disabilities, low-income individuals and others living with mobility options.

They do great work, but that’s not what I’m writing about today.

Instead, I’m writing to commend them for one of the reasons behind the name change. As you can see in the video below from the name change ceremony, Via Executive Director Lenna Kottke says that one of the motivations for the name change was that the word “special” is “no longer an appealing or acceptable word for many people living with disabilities.”

Via Launch from Patti Micklin on Vimeo.

Can't see the video? Click here.

Too often in this field, the world “special” is used to describe the individuals we serve, as in “special needs individuals.” Education for people with intellectual disabilities is called “special education,” and even sporting events for people with developmental disabilities are described as “Special Olympics.”

I find the use of the term “special” in such context is patronizing and demeaning. And if you don’t think that describing something or someone as “special” can be patronizing and demeaning, here’s someone who I think would disagree:

Can't see the video? Click here.

What qualifies someone as “special?” There are people we serve at Imagine! who are fantastic artists, far more talented than me. So who’s special in that scenario? Is it the artists because they have great talent and skill. Or is it me, because I have an art disability (namely, I’m a terrible artist). If we follow the logic that leads to the use of “special” in the context of the individuals we serve at Imagine!, I think it would be me that is “special.”

None of this is to put down in any way people who work in the field of so-called special education or the good people at Special Olympics. Instead, it is to draw attention to the fact that we might be better off moving away from describing those we serve as “special” and doing our best to treat people as people, all of whom have their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. At best, I don’t think the “special” distinction helps anyone, and at worst, it reinforces stereotypes that so many of us have spent our lives working to discredit.

Then again, what do I know?

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I have commented more than once on what I see as the great potential of Social Media for helping orgnaizations in the human services field become more efficient.

Initially, we at Imagine! looked at Social Media as great tools for better engaging our stakeholders – to keep them informed and to initiate conversations. We are also starting to see that, if creatively applied, Social Media can even help deliver services that improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Here’s a great example of that in action.

Zach Maple, a Behavior Therapist working for Imagine!’s Behavioral Health Services department, recently completed a case study entitled “Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior from Caregiver Attention in the Social Networking Website Facebook®.” That’s a fancy way of saying that the study looked at how Facebook could be used as a tool to lessen the frequency of inappropriate attention seeking behavior.

The subject of this study was a 26-year-old individual with a diagnosis of acquired brain injury. The subject was a frequent Facebook user, and often used Facebook as a platform for making attention seeking, inappropriate posts such as threats of self harm, solicitation of sex, and inappropriate false reporting of caregivers.

Zach recruited three “confederates,” individuals who were already established as caregivers and were also friends of the subject on Facebook. The confederates were provided simple instructions on how to engage with the subject on Facebook for a period of time.

In section “BL” in the graph below, confederates were given no instructions as to how to respond to any posts by the subject to set a baseline for the study. This provided the information of how often the subject engaged in both appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Then, the confederates were asked to make responses to all appropriate posts made by the subject, but not to any of the negative, attention seeking posts (sections Tx I in the graph below). In section Tx II, the confederates refrained from making any comments on posts.

The difference that the actions of the confederates had on the behavior of the subject was astounding. Note that the graph below shows how the number of appropriate posts (the red line) rose dramatically during the study period, while the number of inappropriate, attention seeking posts (the blue line) grew at a much slower rate, and in fact seemed to have reached a plateau by the end of the study period. This change in the level of appropriate versus inappropriate posts continued even when the confederates were not responding to any posts during the time frame labeled “Tx II” below.

It is not hard to imagine that this reduction in inappropriate attention seeking behavior on Facebook could have parallels in the world outside of cyberspace. Much of what we do at Imagine! involves providing the individuals we serve with the skills and tools they need in order to engage in their communities successfully. Learning that communicating inappropriately will not be the best way to receive attention online is certainly a lesson that could be applied to an individual’s behavior offline as well. This study also shows that a few people providing an appropriate response to an appropriate behavior can make a difference.

Many thanks to Zach for developing and implementing this creative, impactful, and potentially far-reaching study. Thanks also Zach’s supervisor, Dr. Jeff Kupfer, for supporting and assisting Zach on this study.

Click on the graph to get a better view.

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:41:00 +0000

Participants in Imagine!’s Out & About program are getting ready to put on their annual Centre Stage performance, and you are invited to attend!

Here’s the details: Every Thursday night for the last three months, class participants have had the opportunity to learn the basics of theater. Each activity focused on integral aspects of theater production, including acting, singing, dancing, choreography, set and costume design, and lighting. Throughout this class, participants worked together to create a stage production.

The program is being facilitated by Oliver Gerland, Associate Professor/Director of Graduate Studies Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Colorado. Oliver teaches theatre classes including Drama and Disability.

The performance, titled “CJ’s Karaoke Café,” is scheduled for Friday, February 24 at the Broomfield Auditorium, and it will begin at 7:30pm. It’s free to attend!

If you want to check out a video of last year’s Centre Stage performance, click here.

Congrats to Out & About staff members and participants. I’m looking forward to the performance. I hope to see you on the 24th!

Long Term Care System Redesign – Is The Time Right?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Oh, no! Not these two again!

Good News Firday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:58:00 +0000

This is a time of unprecedented change for services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

That is why I encourage all my readers to attend the Annual Imagine! Community Forum, scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, from 5:45-6:45 PM, at Imagine!’s John M. Taylor Conference Center, 1665 Coal Creek Dr., Lafayette, CO.

If you have questions, concerns, or ideas about Imagine!, or the future of supports and services in Colorado, then please join us!

Representatives from Imagine!’s staff and Board of Directors will be on hand to answer questions and receive input from families and local community members.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Imagine!'s Boulder County Initiative (BCI)
• Alliance's Focus on the Future Project
• Proposed State System Changes, including redesign of long-term services/supports and a new Office of Early Childhood and Development

And this year, you can participate in person or online!

To attend in person: R.S.V.P. @ (303) 665-7789

To attend online click here.

To email your questions/comments in advance or during the forum, click here.

Or just leave your question/comment in the comments section below.

I hope you will join us!

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Last Friday’s Imagine! Celebration brought in $245,000 to support Imagine!’s mission. This is a 12% increase over the $218,000 raised last year.

The event was held at the Plaza Hotel Conference Center in Longmont. More than 200 silent and live auction items were available, parents of a child who had received services spoke, and more than 400 people attended. Click here to see pictures from the event.

A highlight of the evening was the debut of a video that tells two stories that demonstrate the impact Imagine!’s work has on the lives of those we serve, as well as their families. You might even recognize one of the people interviewed in the video. (Hint – it is me.)

But don’t let that scare you off – it is still really enjoyable to watch.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Thanks to all who attended and to all the employees and volunteers who helped make the evening such a success!

On A Mission

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:42:00 +0000

I’m on a mission to update Imagine!’s Mission and Values.

Imagine!’s Mission and Values have not been changed for more than 10 years. As most of my readers know, I am a strong advocate of setting a vision, and then sticking to that vision while being willing to adjust and shift strategies to account for changing environments.

But even that vision needs to be evaluated periodically. As I said above, it has been more than 10 years since we last revisited our Mission and Values. Since that time, the environment we operate under has changed drastically. The way services are funded is completely different, and the resources available to provide services have diminished. Moreover, the needs of the population we serve are changing as many individuals with one or more developmental disabilities are living longer than ever and facing new and additional challenges that come with aging.

New opportunities are out there as well. For example, technology has opened many doors to new ways of providing increased independence and community engagement.

In short, we are facing an entirely different set of circumstances than we were when Imagine!’s current Mission and Values were formulated.

This need to change our Mission and Values became quite evident to me when a colleague related a story about giving a presentation about Imagine!’s SmartHomes. Last December, Kevin Harding, Imagine!’s Director of Information Technology, was presenting on our unique homes and how they use technology to provide better, more efficient services. The presentation was to a group known as New Tech Denver/Boulder – a local community of technologists who get together to network, socialize and show-and-tell new technology.

Kevin was asked to prepare a brief PowerPoint slideshow for his presentation. The first draft of the slideshow had Imagine!’s Mission and Values, and the head of New Tech Denver/Boulder admonished Kevin to change the slide, saying it was way too wordy and it didn’t really connect with the ideas Kevin was presenting.

I think that is true. Our current Mission and Values are a bit verbose don’t really connect with what we are currently doing at Imagine!. Furthermore, if you were to poll most of Imagine!’s employees, from our direct support staff all the way up to our senior management, most employees wouldn’t be able to even tell you what Imagine!’s Mission and Values are.

That’s not their fault. As an organization, we haven’t done a good job of promoting our Mission and Values internally or externally, and at this point they are out of date anyway.

So with the blessing of Imagine!’s Board of Directors, I am undertaking the process of updating our Mission and Values for their approval. I have already begun to informally interview employees at Imagine! to get their sense of why we are here and what is important about what we do. It is my hope that with enough input we can create a Mission and set of Values that truly reflect who we are and how we serve our community. I want Mission and Values that give us a fundamental foundation upon which every employee can measure each one of his or her of our actions.

I’m hoping you, dear reader, can help. What do you believe should be fundamental to Imagine!’s Mission and Values? Please leave a comment below. I’d really like to hear from as many people as I can so we can develop a Mission and Values that truly reflects Imagine!, our employees, and the people and communities we serve.

Then again, what do I know?

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Tonight is Imagine!’s 11th Annual Celebration Dinner and Auction. In addition to being the primary fundraising event for the Imagine! Foundation, the Celebration Dinner provides an opportunity for Imagine! to share its successes with the community.

In that spirit, today I’d like to share some comments we have received recently from parents of some of the children we serve here at Imagine!. Their kind words demonstrate how important Imagine!’s services are in the lives of their loved ones, and I am honored that they would share them with us.

The first comment comes from a survey filled out by a parent of a child who received services from Imagine!’s Dayspring department. When asked “What do you like best about Dayspring?” the parent replied:

“The therapists- their knowledge, kindness, friendliness, ability to quickly build relationship with my child, answering my many questions, flexibility with scheduling, willingness to work around my teaching schedule, making a transition book for my son. My son would say he loves Barb, Joanne and Jenny... and the BIG bag of toys they bring each week. Carol Chesser (service coordinator) was on top of things as well and I enjoyed working with her. Honestly, I have been very impressed with all that you do. I have been an educator for 17 years and have pretty high standards. I was thrilled with the care we received and feel very fortunate.”

Another parent wrote to us about the importance of a receiving a Family Support Grant from Imagine!:

“This grant will help ease the financial stress and burden that comes with having a special needs child. It helps offset costs that insurance does not cover. Each year it seems that insurance covers less to help our child function in the world. We have dealt with that by cutting down on therapies, respite and recreation activities. This grant helps us keep some of those things in place.”

The last three comments I’d like to share today came from parents of children who participate in Imagine!'s Out & About activities:

“As parents of these kiddos - we are always planning ahead, trying to be ready for what "could" happen. It's tiring, I know, but you are as on top of it as I have to be - very possibly more so! Thanks - I know my child is in good hands!”

“Thank you. . . for being so patient and so kind.”

“It is so comforting to know my son is in safe hands when he is with Out & About.”

The comments above remind me of why we do what we do at Imagine! – because we do have an extremely positive impact on the individuals we serve, as well as their families. That is a message I am proud to share at tonight’s festivities.

Super Bowl Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:55:00 +0000

This past Sunday, two football games were played to determine what teams would face off in the upcoming Super Bowl.

In each game, the difference between winning and losing came down to one or two plays – and in each game, those one or two plays were marked by key mistakes made by players on the teams that ultimately lost. Two teams that had spent months of training, practicing, making adjustments, and planning saw their seasons end because of the actions of one or two players who didn’t perform when it mattered most.

Any reader of my blog knows I can relate almost anything back to my work at Imagine! and the field of serving those with developmental disabilities, and the outcomes of Sunday’s games, and the way they ended, were no exception.

I spent considerable amount of time after the games wondering if planning really mattered. The amount of work the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens had put into that season suddenly seemed futile because of a fumble, a missed catch, and a missed field goal. And I wondered if the same could happen at Imagine!. Could it be that all the work we as an organization put into being strategic and preparing for the future be rendered meaningless if a few employees ignored the safety of those we serve? Or that one or two regulations put in place by the various bodies that govern what we do create an atmosphere that makes it practically impossible to continue to provide superior services to some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens?

To be honest with you, the thought was quite depressing.

But then I started looking at the bigger picture. Here’s the thing: every organization suffers setbacks at times. It is the organizations that consistently plan well, and are able to focus on long-term successes by setting a vision and sticking to that vision while being willing to adjust and shift strategies to account for changing environments, that are the organizations that can withstand temporary setbacks and succeed in the long run.

Look at the two teams that did win Sunday’s games. Including the upcoming game, since 2001, the New York Giants have been to the Super Bowl three times. The New England Patriots have been there five times during the same period of time. If you look at the Super Bowls from the past decade overall, you will find they have been dominated by a small number of teams. This is all the more impressive considering that the NFL prides itself on parity.

Certain NFL teams consistently have long term successes. Maybe they don’t reach or win the Super Bowl every year, but they always seem to be in the running. Meanwhile, other teams in the league go years without even getting to the playoffs, let alone reaching the championship game.

I would argue that the reason teams that are successful in the long run achieve that success because they remain committed and focused to an end goal, and don’t allow the occasional setback to cause them to lose that commitment or focus. Therefore, the franchises that are successful get judged not by one-time events, such as a loss in a big game, but rather they are judged by sustained greatness.

I think it is the same for organizations that serve individuals with one or more developmental disabilities. Undoubtedly they will suffer the occasional setback and not everything will always go smoothly. If they remain focused on the big picture, however, I believe organizations like Imagine! will be judged by their long-term success, not the occasional blip or slip. We may not always make it to the Super Bowl, but we’ll always be in the hunt.

Then again, what do I know?

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:17:00 +0000

The 11th Annual Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction is fast approaching! The date is set for January 27, 5:30 -9:30 PM, at the Plaza Hotel Longmont. Proceeds from the event go to support Imagine!’s programs.

If you are interested in attending, you can order tickets online by clicking here.

Today is the last day to purchase tickets, so do it now!

Even if you can’t attend in person, you can still participate in the Imagine! Celebration’s Live Auction through proxy bidding online. Online bids will be accepted through Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.

Click here to take part in the online bidding.

There are some great items available in the online bidding, including:

Wine-A-Month Special Selection

You will benefit as Liquor Mart’s Fine Wine Manager personally selects one bottle of wine each month for one year for top-notch value and quality. 12 bottle total. Expires 1/31/2013.

Donor: Liquor Mart

Bountiful Barbecue

Round up your friends for a West End Tavern market style BBQ for 20 people with Colorado's best beef brisket, slab of pork ribs, whole chicken, hot links, pork shoulder, and choice of sides. Redeemable at West End Tavern or delivered to you.

Donor: Big Red F Restaurant Group

California Wine Tour

Delight in the La Bellasera luxury hotel in Paso Robles, CA where 80 world class wineries are within ten miles. Includes one room for two people for two nights, a two-day car rental, and $250 in air fare credit. Restrictions apply, and space is subject to availability. Expires 10/31/2013.

Donor: Cain Travel

Leona's Luscious Baked Bread

Enjoy a delicious, freshly baked loaf of bread each month for a year made by renowned bread maker, 1997 Colorado Mother of the Year, former Longmont Mayor, and former Imagine! Foundation President Leona Stoecker. Delivery details to be arranged with Leona.

Donor: Leona Stoecker

African Photo Safari

This unforgettable adventure starts with six days and six nights for two people at a Zulu Nyala Lodge located in South Africa’s province KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast of South Africa. Your stay will include authentic African meals and two guided photo safaris per day. You will be situated in the heart of one of South Africa’s most diverse conservation regions nestled between the great Hluhluwe, Mkuze, and St. Lucia Reserves. It is home to many animals including elephant, rhino, buffalo, and leopard. This is a birder’s paradise and for those who love plants, the trees are especially rewarding. This beautiful site was also the location for the filming of “I Dreamed of Africa." You are sure to make memories to last a lifetime!

Donor: African Eyes Travel

Spectacular Ouray

Get away for a one week stay in beautiful Ouray, Colorado. This lovely three bedroom home accommodates six people comfortably with 2200 sq. ft. and 2-1/2 baths. The home is in a very secluded area but conveniently located north of Ouray, only five minutes to the hot springs pool and downtown Ouray and less than an hour to the gondola at Telluride. You will also receive up to 10 passes to the Ouray Hot Springs Pool which is open year round. No matter the season, you will find a plethora of activities and spectacular views with winter downhill and Nordic skiing, summer hiking and biking, cascading waterfalls, 4-wheeling, and so much more in the “Switzerland of America.” Home is available select weeks after May 1, 2012; arrange time with owner.

Donor: Jay & Kathy Montgomery

Cape Cod Getaway & Whale Watch

Relax for a full week in an authentic, remodeled Cape Cod house with room for six adults and two children. You will be five minutes from the ocean with beaches sure to please kids and adults alike. Included is an unforgettable three hour whale watching boat excursion for four. Sept. - Oct. 2013.

Donors: George & Kristin Karakehian

Avalanche Suite

Celebrate an Avalanche win in style with a luxurious Club Level Suite located on center ice to see the Colorado Avalanche battle the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, March 3 at 7:00p.m. You will receive 20 tickets, four Lot A - VIP parking passes, and two Premier Lot passes located adjacent to the arena. Your Suite tickets also give you access to the VIP entrances at the Pepsi Center 1 1/2 hours prior to your event. Extensive catering menu is available, though not a part of this package.

Donor: Colorado Business Bank

Gorgeous Greek Island Villa

Enjoy a magical week at a deluxe villa on Lefkas island off the west coast of Greece. Villa sleeps eight in four bedrooms with tennis courts, a pool, and breathtaking ocean views. Cross the swing bridge to the mainland or settle in at your villa and enjoy the island's many offerings including sailing, diving, windsurfing, exploring ancient archeological sites, or simply soaking up the sun. Redeemable in 2013, and timing is flexible but needs to be confirmed with owner.

Donor: The Palmos Family

Craft Beer Bonanza

Show your love of local craft beer with a package put together especially for you by Liquor Mart with hand selected gear, group tours, and gift certificates to your favorite local breweries. From Left Hand Brewing Company you will receive one Left Hand LED light along with a VIP Taste & Tour of the brewery for up to 10 people. Each person on the tour will receive a half gallon growler of beer and Left Hand Logo sign to keep. From Avery Brewery you will receive two 10 oz glasses, two Avery T-shirts, and a gift certificate for a brewery tour and beer for up to 10 people. Boulder Beer will outfit you with two pint glasses, two Boulder Beer T-shirts, and $50 in gift certificates. From Oskar Blues you will receive two pint glasses, two Oskar Blues T-shirts, and a $50 gift card. From Twisted Pine Brewery you will receive two pint glasses, two Twisted Pine T-shirts, and a $50 gift card. Top off your tour with a gift certificate to Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery for $100 and $25 to use at Old Chicago!

Donors: Local Craft Breweries and Liquor Mart

Rowdy Round-Up

Enjoy Steamboat Springs in the summer. Spend four nights in a Steamboat Springs condo while you get ready for the experience of a lifetime cattle drive (June 1 -Oct 15, 2012) for four or a Wagon Dinner Ride for four from Saddleback Ranch. Then cheer on the real cowboys and cowgirls with four tickets to the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series. Rodeo runs Friday and Saturday evenings from June 15 to August 18, 2012.

Donors: Dennis & Debra Paul

Family Reunion in Durango

Luxuriate for seven days in this beautiful Durango vacation home with six bedrooms, two lofts, and 4 ½ baths, easily accommodating up to 12 people. Every bedroom has vaulted ceilings, skylights, a small patio, and stunning views of the mountains. The kitchen features granite countertops and new appliances. Looking over the great room is a game loft with a large screen television and regulation size pool table. Expires 1/31/2013 with flexible dates arranged with owner as available.

Donors: Don Sullivan & Paige Lawrence

Comments – I Love Comments!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:40:00 +0000

One of the great things about Social Media is that it facilitates real conversations among users. Those using Social Media can glide back and forth from being content consumers to being content providers with ease.

One of my hopes in writing this blog is that I can help facilitate conversations about how services for individuals with one or more developmental disabilities are funded and delivered in our state and the nation.

That is why I encourage all of my readers to comment on my posts. You can even do it anonymously if you like. Comments make this blog a more complete forum for everyone interested in serving some of our most vulnerable citizens, and the more conversation, the better.

I don’t expect you to always agree with what I write, in fact, reasonable and respectful debate often helps me see issues in a clearer manner. For example, one reader took me to task for a post where I described some of the people we serve as being “difficult to teach.” The reader commented:

“Frankly, I would be offended if a service provider told me that (my son) is difficult to teach. I would immediately question their ability as a teacher. I would have to point out all his amazing qualities and skills that he was able to develop and master, despite that fact that he is surrounded by a community that does not accept him, as well as, teachers that openly expressed doubt about his ability to learn.”

The commenter was exactly correct, and I realized that by trying to over-simplify a point, I ended up missing a key point.

Another commenter felt that I had mangled an analogy when I compared some of the issues faced by those in the field of developmental disabilities to a hockey game, and said it was time for us to score a goal. The commenter noted:

“Maybe instead of just trying to come up with a new and swift offensive in which to rebuke ones opponents, what about trying work with your opponents to score as many goals as possible for both teams.”

Excellent point, especially considering how often I talk about the need for us all to work together as a team.

Some comments made on this blog have expanded on ideas I have tried to express, and often express the ideas far more eloquently that my skills allow. For example, I did a post once on what I described as a willful ignorance among some when it comes to understanding the population we serve. A commenter summed it up better than I ever could have hoped to:

“People often avoid thinking about those who have developmental disabilities because they are terrified of their own weakness, shame, and hopelessness. Until we have dwelled with these states within ourselves, we will recoil from and project onto others. Once embraced and transmuted, the gifts of loving attention, patience, compassion, and determined courage pour forth. As giving becomes a fundamental expression of compassion for ourselves and then others, it becomes less and less optional.”

Along those same lines, I once did a post on how providing services for individuals with one or more developmental disabilities was an essential part of the economic health of communities.

A commenter made my point a thousand times better, using far fewer words, saying:
“My husband's disability-related needs provide employment for 6 people directly as personal attendants - total support for a family of 3 and a single mother; allows a father to go to college so he can support his family; supplements the income of a young man who works in human services; supplements the income of a senior citizen; gives job experience for a displaced construction worker; and supports a college student.”

By far the majority of comments on my blog are positive and in support of what I am saying, or congratulating an individual we serve or employee at Imagine! I have highlighted in my “Good News Friday” posts. I am very appreciative of those positive comments.

But – that doesn’t mean I don’t welcome disagreeing opinions.

Since I have been doing my blog, over 135 comments have been made, and currently the blog averages close to 3,000 page views per month. Those are not huge numbers, but they do demonstrate the potential of this blog to be a true community forum where anyone who is willing to participate can be part of a bigger conversation about the future of services in Colorado and beyond.

We are at a critical point right now in our field, and significant changes are afoot. Not all of those changes are being made with input from the people who will feel these changes the most. I encourage you to make your voice heard!

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:21:00 +0000

Imagine!’s two SmartHomes continue to garner national and even international attention. As the first two homes in the nation to use technology in a comprehensive way to enhance the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, more and more organizations and thought leaders in the field are recognizing that Imagine!’s innovative and forward-thinking SmartHomes can serve as a model for the future of residential care.

Additionally, interested parties are learning how the various technologies, or SmartSupports, being tested and refined in Imagine!’s SmartHomes can offer solutions geared toward allowing individuals with disabilities to live independently, or with their families and loved ones, for longer periods of time.

For example, more than 500 visitors have taken a tour of either the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder or the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, and many have toured both homes. People taking the tour have come from all across the nation, and as far away as England, France, and Russia.

Below are some photos of national and international VIPs who have toured our SmartHomes and seen first-hand how technology is improving the lives of some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens.

U.S. Congressman Cory Gardner

Jan Matthysen, Belgium Ambassador to the United States

Rob McNeill, Vice Consul and Trade & Investment Officer, Information and Communication Technology for the British Consulate-General

Angelos Pangratis, Chargé d’ Affaires and Acting Head of Delegation of the European Union to the United States

U.S. Congressman Jared Polis

Marguerite Salazar, Regional Director for Region VIII of the US Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Senator Mark Udall

You don’t have to be a big shot to tour the SmartHomes, though. If you are interested in taking a tour, just sign up online by clicking here.

Mission 16W

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:45:00 +0000

As I write this, pretty much everybody in my neck of the woods is talking about Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos’ amazing playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But I have been thinking lately about playoffs and championships in another sport – hockey. Specifically, I have been thinking about the Colorado Avalanche and that team’s 2001 Stanley Cup playoff run. During training camp at the beginning of that season, Avalanche veteran Ray Bourque posted the motto “Mission 16W” in the locker room and elsewhere to keep the team focused on the need to win 16 playoff games to reach the goal of hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Now while that concept seems simple, keep in mind that this was a team loaded with superstars: in addition to Bourque, the Avalanche roster included Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Patrick Roy, and Peter Forsberg, to name just a few. The talent level was extraordinary, but with a group like that, egos and petty concerns could have gotten in the way if the team wasn’t able to focus on the bigger goal of winning a championship. The “Mission 16W” motto kept that primary goal front and center, and the result was a second Stanley Cup for the Avs.

Longtime readers of my blog know that a common theme running through my posts is the importance of coming together as a team by focusing on the big picture of what can we do to achieve the best possible outcomes for the individuals we serve.

Today, I’d like to highlight two recent achievements that demonstrate that the community of those who provide supports to individuals with one or more developmental disabilities in Colorado have truly come together as a team.

Example 1:

I wrote a couple of weeks back about Alliance’s Focus on the Future project, created to identify what is working and what is not working in the system, in the hope that the decisions made about changing the system moving forward will be made with knowledge of what is best for the end users in the system (the people we serve).

Last week, Alliance presented the Focus on the Future project to Colorado’s State Long Term Care Advisory Committee, and I had the honor of presenting it to the Legislative Joint Budget Committee. Also presenting were Carol Meredith, Executive Director of The Arc Arapahoe and Douglas Counties, Sally Montgomery, Executive Director of Mosaic in Northern Colorado, and Marijo Rymer, Executive Director of The Arc of Colorado.

This cross section of speakers from Community Centered Boards, from the advocate community, and from the provider community shows how well the Focus on the Future project represents ideas from a wide ranging group of stakeholders from across the state. And every presenter (including myself) commented while presenting on how proud we were to be associated with the project.

If you are interested, you can find a copy of the Focus on the Future final report by clicking here.

And, you can make your voice heard regarding the project. Take a survey about the project by clicking here.

Example 2:

For the past several years, there have been two state-wide organizations representing the Community Centered Board and provider community in Colorado – CCB Partners and Alliance. I won’t go into reasons why there were two such organizations, the reasons don’t really matter.

What did matter was that the two organizations, though they served the same populations, spoke with two different voices and made the system seemed fractured and fragmented to outside observers.

Just last week, leadership and Boards of Directors of both Alliance and CCB Partners announced the unification of the two organizations and their respective memberships into one, to be known as Alliance Colorado. Compelled by unity of purpose and vision, this historic action unites Colorado’s twenty Community Centered Boards (CCBs) in one organization in partnership with more than twenty provider agencies from throughout Colorado.

Culminating from nearly 18 months of close collaboration and with a view of what’s best for Coloradans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), this reconciliation signals a powerful and common mission of all Colorado CCBs and provider agencies to provide exceptional community services for people with I/DD, where self-direction, active engagement in community life, and the pursuit of quality of life that is defined by the person and not the system, are minimum expectations for every person with an IDD. The organizations that comprise Alliance Colorado are already working tirelessly in the service of that mission, unified in the belief that together we are better.

Both of these examples demonstrate the power of coming together as a team. We are much stronger when standing together, and considering the many issues and challenges currently facing the system of funding and delivering services to some of our most vulnerable citizens, the timing couldn’t be better.

I think we might finally have our own version of “Mission 16W” in sight. It is a very fine sight, indeed.

Then again, what do I know?

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:09:00 +0000

Last November, Christopher Donley, a talented artist known as “The One-Handed Potter” and who receives services from Imagine!, appeared on the television show “Colorado & Company.”

Also appearing were Darryl Houghton, Christopher’s pottery instructor/mentor, and Fred Hobbs, Imagine!’s Director of Public Relations.

If you missed his segment on the show, check it out below!

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:53:00 +0000

Here’s a nice story for the New Year.

A group of University of Colorado College of Engineering students in a 2011 Fall Semester class taught by Associate Professor Melinda Piket-May worked on projects to design simple adaptive technologies that aid increased independence for some of the individuals Imagine! serves.

For example, in one project, students built an adaptive Wii board that allows individuals who use wheelchairs to play Wii games. Below is a video of the students demonstrating their project.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Now, check out this video of Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna using the adaptive Wii board at the home.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Below, please enjoy some short videos of other projects from the students.

An Adjustable Assistive Wall Mounted Arm

Can’t see the video? Click here.

A Wheelchair Laundry Attachment

Can’t see the video? Click here.

A Reprogrammable Remote

Can’t see the video? Click here.

An Adjustable Shelf

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Another Adjustable Shelf

Can’t see the video? Click here.

An Adaptive Stroller

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Thanks to Professor Piket-May and especially the students for their hard work.

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Season’s Greetings!

Here’s wishing all of my blog readers the happiest of holidays, and a safe and prosperous New Year!

Five Ways to Navigate the Fiscal Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Every once in awhile, I will come across an article or book that almost feels as if it is speaking directly to those of us in the field of serving individuals with one or more developmental disabilities. Today, I’d like to share such an article.

The article is titled “Five Ways to Navigate the Fiscal Crisis,” witten by Daniel Stid and Willa Seldon, and appeared in the winter edition of the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

As I read the article I kept finding myself nodding in agreement, and a couple of times I might have even said “exactly!” out loud, even though I was by myself.

It hit so close to home, I felt I just had to share. Below are excerpts from the article that I found especially compelling, and which give a sort of “Reader’s Digest” version of the article. If you find the information below relevant and relatable, I encourage you to check out the entire article.

The head of a large nonprofit that has been serving children and families since the 19th century and that gets most of its funding from state and local government recently told us: “We have never had the chance to sit down across the table from government and discuss line-by-line what it takes to do the work. They call the terms, they put the dollars on the table, they give the staffing patterns, and you can take it or leave it."

And increasingly, government agencies not only are outsourcing the financing of these services, they are also reimbursing nonprofits considerably less than what it costs to deliver them. These organizations are left to cobble together their own resources from other funding sources to make up the difference.

The long-term outlook for human services funding is bleak.

This brings us to the questions we take up in this article: How can nonprofits that rely on government funding navigate this increasingly powerful undertow? How can they stay afloat? And can they even hope to make progress? The sobering reality is that nonprofits will have to be even more entrepreneurial in their funding models, efficient in deploying their resources, and vigilant in serving their mission to make headway.

The government agency typically sets the price, and in cashstrapped times like these, may keep it flat or reset it downward as it sees fit. Prices often fail to cover the full cost of those services. In the Urban Institute survey of nonprofit government contractors, 68 percent of respondents identified this failure to cover the full cost of delivery as a problem.

Government also leverages its market power to squeeze nonprofits further by changing the terms and driving the execution of these contracts in its favor. The Urban Institute survey also reported that 57 percent of nonprofits responding see government changes to contracts and grants as a problem.

Faced with deteriorating conditions, why don’t nonprofit service providers simply walk away? The harsh truth is that they can’t. Nonprofits are prepared to accept poor contract prices and endure readjustments in prices and terms and even badly delayed payments—simply to keep their missions afloat.

Approaches to Staying Afloat

In the highly constrained world of public funding, can a nonprofit delivering superior outcomes do anything more than take the price, accept the terms, provide the service, and hope that things don’t get worse? Do nonprofits have any hope of agency—of having influence or exerting power? Though we have found nothing resembling a formula, we have seen some nonprofits rising to the challenge as tough times become the “new normal.” Below are five approaches that seem to be working for the most ambitious human services nonprofits.

1. Get to Strategic Clarity. The first step in getting to strategic clarity is to set priorities for where, how, and with whom you seek to have impact. The second step in getting to strategic clarity is to understand the true cost of each program or set of services the agency provides. By “true” we mean direct costs (frontline staff, rent for service delivery sites) plus indirect costs (that program’s share of management, information technology, and other agency-wide costs). The third and final step in getting to strategic clarity is to make better decisions about whether or how to pursue a particular opportunity for government funding.

2. Diversify Government Funding Streams. For nonprofits that get the majority of their revenue from government sources, diversifying funding across different government agencies, programs, and contracts can help sustain organizations against declining revenues. In fact, this is a common strategy. Most human service nonprofits hold multiple government contracts. But too often this diversification is driven by opportunism that strains organizations, not a strategic design that plays to their strengths and sustains their missions. Supplementing government contract revenue with contributions from other sources may be essential.

3. Improve Productivity. The drive to improve productivity has long lagged in the nonprofit sector, in large part because of the prevalence of input-based funding and the ambiguity about what nonprofits are “producing.” There are signs, however, that leading human services providers are sharpening their focus on productivity.

4. Measure Outcomes. Given the nascent state of performance based government contracting, it may seem odd for this approach to show up on our list. Yet if the goal is to stay focused on mission, then measuring outcomes is essential. All too often, outcomes measurement is something nonprofits feel obliged to do for reporting to external parties. But the real power of measuring outcomes is to drive internal learning about how the work is going and planning how it can be improved. Viewed in this way, rather than being a burdensome quarterly or annual fire drill to comply with funder reporting requirements, outcomes measurement can become a powerful way for leaders and staff to connect with and advance their organization’s mission.

5. Move Beyond Vendorism. Among the nonprofit leaders we have talked to and worked with, we have noted that the organizations most effective in engaging government are distinguished not so much by a particular set of activities as by a certain mindset. They see the decision makers in government agencies as customers. They try to understand their concerns and unmet needs, and they design compelling solutions

Take It or Leave It?

"It is dangerous to be right,” observed Voltaire, “when the government is wrong.” We have heard a great deal of anxiety that, in an era of shrinking budgets, the current situation only will get worse, resulting in less funding at all levels of government and more limits on the already limited autonomy of nonprofits seeking to provide high-quality services.

But within this $100 billion sector—one upon which so many vulnerable people depend—we believe there remains some room to maneuver. The five approaches we have sketched out hardly guarantee success. Within the system’s numerous constraints, nonprofits have been employing these approaches to get beyond a take it or leave it relationship with their government funders—keeping their eyes on their mission and doing the best they know how for the people and communities they serve.

Thank you, Stanford Social Innovation Review, for hitting the nail right on the head.

Then again, what do I know?

Good News Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:47:00 +0000

I mentioned last week that I would be attending the Imagine! Holiday Party and honoring Imagine!’s Employees of Distinction.

Another person was honored that evening – Imagine!’s 2011 Consumer of the Year, Lindsey Newell. The video below demonstrates why Lindsey was selected. She has made great strides in the past year, and while her entire support team deserves credit for helping her achieve, in the end, it was Lindsey’s hard work and dedication that made her so deserving of this award.

Congratulations, Lindsey!

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Tonight I will have the great pleasure of attending Imagine!’s Annual Holiday Party. A highlight of this festive evening will be the honoring of Imagine!’s 2011 Employees of Distinction. These six employees, selected from a large number of deserving nominees, exemplify the best of Imagine! and inspire me everyday.

So today I’d like to be the first to introduce these phenomenal employees, along with a brief quote from their nominations demonstrating what makes their work so impressive.

Congratulations to all of Imagine!’s 2011 Employees of Distinction!

Anna Barton

“Anna has the ability to be solution-focused while always having the best interest of the consumer in mind. Her advocacy for children at the local, county, and state levels is amazing.”

Jason Gillespie

“Consumers seem to build an immediate relationship with Jason due to his warm nature and also his ability to encourage the consumers to grow and become more independent.”

Eva Klemens

“Eva is well known throughout Imagine! for her compassion and energy. She is highly respected by her peers and appreciated by her patients because of the way she treats others.”

Cynthia Kruez-Uhr

“Imagine!'s Mission and Values include improving the quality of life of consumers, and Cynthia definitely achieves that for the young women at Tenino House.”

Caitlin Looney

“Caitlin consistently stays focused on people as human beings. She puts a premium on human regard--whether it is toward Out & About participants, family members, or other staff members.”

Tom Riley

“Tom places a great emphasis on continual growth for all consumers in services so they can apply their skills to their jobs and when interacting with friends, family, and the community.”

Today Is Colorado Gives Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Today is Colorado Gives Day, and Imagine! is again participating. Donations made online Imagine!'s website (using any of the “Donate Here” buttons) today will also be eligible for partial matching funds.

The “Donate Here” button takes you directly to the Community First Foundation site and saves the 5.5% bank fee for credit card donations.

Last year individuals donated $4,675 to Imagine! on Colorado Gives Day, and we received $177.68 in matching funds from the Circle of Giving Incentive Fund. But $8.4 million was donated across Colorado last year, and $320,000 in incentive funds were given out, so we have room to grow!

If you are thinking about making a gift to Imagine! before the end of the calendar year, please consider doing it online today (you can also designate donated funds to be directed toward specific Imagine! programs in the “Any comments or special instructions” box if you would like).

Help To Focus On The Future

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:05:00 +0000

I have written many times about how the current Colorado system of delivering and funding services to individuals with one or more developmental disabilities is in a state of crisis and unsustainable.

I’m not alone in that view, and it is clear now that changes to the system are coming. Alliance, a state-wide organization dedicated to enhancing and strengthening community supports for people with developmental disabilities in Colorado, recently completed a report entitled “Focus on the Future.” The report was created to identify what is working and what is not working in the system, in the hope that the decisions made about changing the system moving forward will be made with knowledge of what is best for the end users in the system (the people we serve). The report was made after several months of gathering opinions and ideas from a wide ranging group of stakeholders from across the state.

Even though the report is complete, Alliance is still seeking feedback. You can still have a role in influencing the future of services to some of our most vulnerable citizens by taking a short (no more than five minutes) survey about the recommendations found in the report.

You can find a copy of the report here. Pages 12 to 17 of the report contain the recommendations.

You can take the survey by clicking here. The survey lists all of the recommendations.

Here’s a little more about the Focus on the Future project:

The project consisted of two key phases. In Phase One, five regional Focus Groups met to gather input to identify what’s working/not working and aspects of the service delivery system that must stay the same or must change. People receiving services and families were the starting point of the project and composed 68% of the focus group participants. Phase Two was the Workgroup Phase where system stakeholders were invited to join the Alliance Project Steering Committee to formulate recommendations for change. Workgroup participants included people with varied backgrounds and experiences.

The Workgroup analyzed five problems they identified as the root cause of the issues expressed by focus group participants:

1. The System is too complex;
2. Resources are not allocated in a way that meets people’s needs;
3. System focus is not first and foremost the person;
4. We don’t have formal systematic mechanisms to self direct I/DD services; and
5. We don’t have the data infrastructure to assess our system.

The workgroup developed recommendations to address these five problems, which can be found in the report linked above.

As Alliance notes, this is a time of unprecedented change for services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is my hope that the people in charge of making those changes will use this report as a guide when implementing those changes.

Then again, what do I know?

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Last month, Imagine! was notified that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $2.54 million to fund housing for very low-income persons with disabilities here in Colorado.

Even more exciting, Imagine! will receive $633,700 of those funds to build a home in east Broomfield for six people who have developmental disabilities as well as the more complex issues that come with aging. This is a need that will continue to grow as the “Silver Tsunami” gets bigger and more and more individuals with developmental disabilities will find themselves facing elder care concerns as well. HUD will also provide Imagine! $68,100 to pay for maintenance and upkeep of the home for three years.

The home will incorporate green building standards and will be designed with universal design standards to better meet the physical and programmatic needs of its residents. The home will also be constructed to accommodate state-of-the-art technologies to improve the service and support of its residents.

You can read an article about the grant from a recent edition of the “Broomfield Enterprise” by clicking here.

We are so grateful for HUD’s support in helping Imagine! meet a need that is becoming more urgent by the day. I also want to personally thank the many local and national community leaders who wrote letters of support for us during the application process, including:

Suzanne Bazinet, Broomfield Senior Services
Michael Bennet, United States Senator
Reggie Bicha, Colorado Department of Human Services
Sue Birch, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
Debra Oldenettel, Broomfield Health and Human Services
Roxanne Pinneo, North Metro Community Services
Jared Polis, United States Congressman
Jayla Sanchez-Warren, Denver Regional Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging
Karen Smith, Broomfield Community Foundation
Betsy Tarpley, Broomfield Chamber of Commerce “Leadership Broomfield” Program
Sam Taylor, Broomfield City Council
Two Imagine! consumers, Tavio and Barbara
Mark Udall, United States Senator

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Thanksgiving Day was yesterday, so I thought today would be an appropriate time to say thanks to some of the many people, organizations, and businesses that help support Imagine! in its mission to create and offer innovative supports to people of all ages with cognitive, developmental, physical, and health related needs so they may live fulfilling lives of independence and quality in their homes and communities.

First of all, thank you to Imagine! Foundation donors. Since the Imagine! Foundation was founded a little more than 10 years ago, it has raised more than $4.5 million dollars to support Imagine! families and consumers. In the last fiscal year (7/1/10 - 6/30/11) alone, nearly 850 generous individuals, organizations, and companies made cash and in-kind contributions to the Imagine! Foundation.

You can find a list of all donors to the Imagine! Foundation by clicking here.

Secondly, thank you to all the businesses in Boulder and Broomfield counties that have already discovered the benefits of using CORE/Labor Source supported employment work crews as part of their workforce. Supported employment offers people who have a developmental disability the opportunity to develop vital job skills and to become active and contributing members of their communities.

Learn more, and see a complete list of businesses employing Imagine! consumers, by clicking here.

Finally, I’d like to offer my thanks to all Imagine! employees. We are so fortunate here at Imagine! to have so many talented and passionate people who are dedicated to those we serve.

I can’t say it enough – thank you!

A Post For Sharing

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:01:00 +0000

With a short week and the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, I thought today I’d keep it simple, and just share a couple of interesting items I came across recently.

First, a “Sherman’s Lagoon” comic from yesterday. As proud as I am of Imagine!’s SmartHomes, all of us associated with the homes experience frustration from time to time when the technologies in the home don’t work quite the way they are supposed to. I believe strongly that technology will have a prominent role in the future of services for some of our most vulnerable citizens, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have a sense of humor about the difficulties we sometimes face in making that goal a reality!

And second, I’d like to share some tips on Disability Etiquette I found on the Easter Seals website. These tips ably demonstrate that while some of us may struggle with what it means to be “politically correct,” there should be no struggle with demonstrating personal etiquette to any person we interact with, regardless of their ability/disability.

Disability Etiquette

People with disabilities are entitled to the same courtesies you would extend to anyone, including personal privacy. If you find it inappropriate to ask people about their sex lives, or their complexions, or their incomes, extend the courtesy to people with disabilities.

• If you don't make a habit of leaning or hanging on people, don't lean or hang on someone's wheelchair. Wheelchairs are an extension of personal space.
• When you offer to assist someone with a vision impairment, allow the person to take your arm. This will help you to guide, rather than propel or lead, the person.
• Treat adults as adults. Call a person by his or her first name only when you extend this familiarity to everyone present. Don't patronize people who use wheelchairs by patting them on the head. Reserve this sign of affection for children.

In conversation...

• When talking with someone who has a disability, speak directly to him or her, rather than through a companion who may be along.
• Relax. Don't be embarrassed if you happen to use common expressions, such as "See you later" or "I've got to run", that seem to relate to the person's disability.
• To get the attention of a person who has a hearing disability, tap the person on the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly and expressively to establish if the person can read your lips. Not everyone with hearing impairments can lip-read. Those who do will rely on facial expressions and other body language to help understand. Show consideration by facing a light source and keeping your hands and food away from your mouth when speaking. Keep mustaches well-trimmed. Shouting won't help, but written notes will.
• When talking with a person in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, place yourself at the wheelchair user's eye level to spare both of you a stiff neck.
• When greeting a person with a severe loss of vision, always identify yourself and others who may be with you. Say, for example, "On my right is Andy Clark". When conversing in a group, remember to say the name of the person to whom you are speaking to give vocal cue. Speak in a normal tone of voice, indicate when you move from one place to another, and let it be known when the conversation is at an end.
• Give whole, unhurried attention when you're talking to a person who has difficulty speaking. Keep your manner encouraging rather than correcting, and be patient rather than speak for the person. When necessary, ask questions that require short answers or a nod or shake of the head. Never pretend to understand if you are having difficulty doing so. Repeat what you understand. The person's reaction will guide you to understanding.

Common courtesies...

• If you would like to help someone with a disability, ask if he or she needs it before you act, and listen to any instructions the person may want to give.
• When giving directions to a person in a wheelchair, consider distance, weather conditions and physical obstacles such as stairs, curbs and steep hills.
• When directing a person with a visual impairment, use specifics such as "left a hundred feet" or "right two yards".
• Be considerate of the extra time it might take a person with a disability to get things done or said. Let the person set the pace in walking and talking.
• When planning events involving persons with disabilities, consider their needs ahead of time. If an insurmountable barrier exists, let them know about it prior to the event.

Here’s wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Good News Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Today I’d like to welcome Alexander Ndubuisi Otakpor to the Imagine! community.

Alex has begun an internship under the supervision of Dr. Jeff Kupfer and other Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) team members of Imagine!’s Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) department. Alex is a Nigerian citizen and permanent resident of the United States of America. He is a Child Psychiatrist holding a tenure appointment with the University of Benin School of Medicine, located in Benin City, Nigeria.

The internship program began on October 10 and is scheduled to last six months. This supervised training will qualify Alex to take the BCBA examination, as he has completed the prescribed course work with the Florida Institute of Technology.

The motivation behind Alex’s efforts to become BCBA Certified is quite inspiring.

According to the World Bank, the population of Nigeria is 158 million, and yet, there are only around twenty trained Child Psychiatrists in the entire nation. And the lack of Child Psychiatrists is only one of many challenges facing individuals needing behavioral and psychiatric services in the country.

What sort of challenges? It is hard to decide where to start. For example, total expenditure on healthcare in Nigeria was an estimated 2.6% of GDP in 2008. At around $28 per person, spending on healthcare in Nigeria was lower than in most other Sub-Saharan countries. In fact, the UN Human Development Report of 2009 ranked Nigeria 189th out of 194 countries in relation to public expenditure on health as a share of total government expenditure.

In the face of this limited expenditure on healthcare, Nigeria faces extreme healthcare challenges. Of the 7.6 million children under the age of five who died in 2010, 11% percent of them were from Nigeria. Because most of the major killers of children under age five (including pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, preterm birth complications, under-nutrition, and malaria) are “curative” diseases, the majority of the already paltry health care spending in Nigeria goes to address those conditions.

Even with better funding, Alex notes that among many Nigerian families, there is a certain stigma attached to having a developmental disability or mental health issue (in fact, the two separate health related issues are often seen as the same thing), making them reluctant to seek out treatment.

As a result of all of these challenges, the very few facilities in Nigeria designed to serve individuals with developmental disabilities or mental heath needs provide only the barest of services, mostly meeting basic needs such as food and shelter.

The list of challenges mentioned above would seem to be overwhelming. But Alex doesn’t see it that way. He’s determined to improve the lives of his fellow Nigerian citizens who have developmental disabilities or mental heath needs.

After he receives his BCBA Certification, Alex is planning to go back to Nigeria to demonstrate the effectiveness of Applied Behavioral Analysis treatment methods and to train others how to use those methods, to better prepare his country to meet the needs of this woefully underserved population.

Alex’s commitment to his fellow countrymen and women serves as a model to all of us in the field of serving those with developmental disabilities. We all face challenges in the day-to-day administration of our duties, but we should always remember that those challenges don’t need to prevent us from meeting our greater goal of providing opportunities for those we serve.

Thank you, Alex, for all you do, and I hope we can help you in meeting your goal as much as you have already helped us in clarifying why we at Imagine! do the work we do.