The Advocate

July 2004

Is Jack A Jerk?

Lessons From The University Of Life

Mr. Jack Roberts came to inspect the cleaning job done by Karen, John, and Casey. Their supervisor, Jimmy, stood uneasy but satisfied that the crew had done a really good job of making the two bedroom apartment shine. This was their first experience with this manager and they wanted to do an extra special job so they could do all the apartments in the complex.

Karen, John, and Casey are part of a cleaning crew from a local provider organization serving people with disabilities. They are paid prevailing minimum wage for cleaning apartments, homes, and offices. They have been successful at their work and received many complements and referrals to other businesses over the past year.

Mr. Roberts, the owner and manager of the apartment complex, had a reputation of being a hard man to please. Rumor had it that five cleaning companies had already been fired for “substandard performance.” This is a term Mr. Roberts uses to impress people about the level of performance he won’t accept.

The inspection started in the kitchen with Mr. Roberts running his hand up and down the back of the refrigerator. Luckily, the work crew pulled the refrigerator away from the wall and cleaned the floor and the back of the refrigerator. He next opened all the cabinets after putting on a white glove and checked each shelf for dust. No dust. So far, so good.

The bathroom was spotless and his inspection failed to find a single flaw. On to the front room. The carpet, walls, and windows were clean and ready for new renters. Mr. Roberts climbed a chair to check the top blades of the ceiling fans. Jimmy’s work crew had that on their checklist, and they were spotless.

Then, the unexpected happened. Mr. Roberts took a screwdriver out of his pocket and unscrewed the filter grill for the heater/air conditioner air return duct in the front room. By rubbing his gloved hand over the back of the grate he found dust.

“This is unacceptable,” he said to a shocked work crew. “You can’t expect to be paid top dollar for inferior work.” “If you want to work for me, you have to achieve perfection!” “I accept nothing less.”

Jimmy’s face turned red and Karen began to cry.

What would you do if you were Jimmy? Approach Mr. Roberts with “kid gloves” and promise to do a better job next time? Avoid overreacting but tell Mr. Roberts that using one flaw to berate a superior job is not acceptable? Ignore him as long as he keeps hiring the crew to clean apartments? Refuse to be intimidated and tell him his expectations are unrealistic (Challenge him because there was no pre-agreed upon check list containing vent grills)?

What would you say to the work crew?

The number of demonic supervisors, managers, and administrators across the country is probably unknown but surveys of workers indicate that large numbers of employees “leak motivation” as they enter the workplace each day. Surveys report 75% of workers in organizations don’t feel treated fairly, don’t feel they are working up to their potential, and lack confidence about the decisions made by management.

Patricia King in her book, Never Work for a Jerk, makes the point that not everyone is a terminal jerk and most situations can be improved.

Is Mr. Roberts a terminal jerk? In a paragraph or two, let us know what you would do if you were Jimmy. And what would you tell the work crew? We will publish a few of the responses in our next news bulletin.

HIPAA Regulations:

Protecting The Privacy Of Those We Serve

With implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law that says we and other entities must keep facts about the health of a person served private, the Arc of Washington County is required to protect the Protected Health Information (PHI) of persons receiving services and supports. Protected health information is any identifiable health and demographic information that is transmitted or maintained in any form or medium by an entity covered under HIPAA regulations.

Each employee is required to read and sign an Employee Confidentiality Agreement and Employee Code of Ethics Agreement when employment begins with the Arc. In addition, all client files are kept in secured areas to ensure client confidentiality. Employees also receive a HIPAA training packet which contains copies of all HIPAA documents used by the Arc and everyday practices that will help employees remain HIPAA compliant during day to day activities. This list includes but is not limited to:

Locked offices when not occupied

Locked desks and filing cabinets when not in use

Computer monitors must be turned off when not in use and passwords maintained so unauthorized individuals may not view sensitive information

Interoffice mail containing protected health information placed in envelopes

A disclaimer placed at the end of all faxes and emails letting recipients know the information is privileged and confidential

An authorization for release of information must be signed and received by our office in order to share PHI via phone, email or fax

Information must be retrieved from printers immediately after printing

Care should be taken when using photocopy machines so that material is not visible to others or inadvertently left in the machine

A copy of the Confidentiality Statement has been signed by each employee and maintained by Personnel.

A Privacy Practices Notice has been sent to all current individuals served by the Arc which explains the HIPAA requirements and how the agency will remain in compliance. A signed acknowledgement of receipt is then returned and kept on file. To date notices have been mailed to approximately 530 individuals and 88% have been signed and returned. The remaining notices not received will be re-sent via certified mail to ensure receipt.

As new clients enter into relationship with the Arc, a Privacy Practices Notice is signed by the individual if he/she is competent to sign, or by a parent, responsible family member or conservator during the initial visit from the independent support coordinator and are kept on file at the Arc office.

In addition to the relationship between our agency and individuals served, the Arc also has a business relationship with other agencies who jointly serve individuals with disabilities. In many cases, protected health information is shared about the individuals served, so a legal agreement between business associates must be entered into by both parties sharing the information. The Arc has developed its own business associate contract that has been mailed to all business associates of the Arc of Washington County. To date 76 business associate contracts have been mailed and 78% of those have been signed and returned.

Becoming HIPAA compliant and remaining HIPAA compliant is a large task, but the Arc is committed to protecting the health information of individuals we serve.

Bobby’s Teacher Makes Housecalls

Hi! My name is Bobby, and I am 2 1/2 years old. I live with my mom and 3 older brothers in a house in the country. I want to tell you about my teacher Jennifer. She works for this place with a really long name that is something like the Arc of Washington County. She is a an Early Intervention Specialist, which means that she comes out to my home every Thursday and plays with me for an hour, or sometimes longer because she thinks I am so cute. She works with other children and babies, too. She started coming out to my house about a year and a half ago because I was a very quiet boy who didn’t like to talk much. My mom was worried that I was not talking the way my other brothers did when they were my age, so she called Tennessee’s Early Intervention System (TEIS) and now I have many people helping me learn to talk. I go to a childcare where I play with other kids my age and get a chance to be around other kids who are talking. I also attend speech therapy classes so that I can learn how to make certain sounds. My therapist gave my mom some special exercises to do with my mouth and tongue that are funny and make me giggle. But the best part of the week is Thursday when Ms. Jennifer comes out to the house because she brings out some new toys for me to play with and sometimes on nice sunny days we go outside and play with my toys. I like it when she gets on my small trikes and we go up the driveway and then we race down together. She thinks that I learn through play and she tries to get me to use words or say new words when I am playing. She thinks that she is tricking me into talking when I am playing with her, but I am having so much fun I just have to talk to her and let her know what I want to do next.

In September I turn 3 years old and will be going to pre-school. I am excited about starting school but will be sad when Ms. Jennifer has to stop coming to see me. I am happy that there is someone out there who comes out to my home to help me and makes sure my mom knows how to help me at home too.

So if you have a two year old child and notice that they are having trouble getting the words in their head to come out of their mouth, my mom says you can call TEIS at 434-4401 and they can help you find someone like Ms. Jennifer to come play with you too.

Ticket To Work:

Helping Individuals With Disabilties Find Meaningful Jobs

The Arc of Washington County has entered into an agreement with the Social Security Administration to provide and /or coordinate employment services or other support services to beneficiaries who have assigned their “ticket” to The Arc as an Employee Network.

The program is called Ticket to Work. It is a nationwide initiative designed to bring major positive change to the lives of individuals with disabilities. The Arc acts as an employee network participant and is dedicated to providing support and training to people with disabilities who are entitled to Social Security Insurance benefits. The goal of the program is to assist people with disabilities find and participate in meaningful work that allows them a chance to use and develop their talents and abilities, create community collaboration with others and provide the means for people to be more self-sufficient. This comprehensive national initiative provides people with disabilities training and assistance in finding a job. The Ticket is available to every SSI beneficiary meeting the following criteria:

Participant must be between the ages of 18-64,

In an active pay status,

Not medically expected to improve or if medically expected to improve, must have had a continuing disability review within the past 12 months

Eligible beneficiaries will receive a Ticket from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Ticket to Work program is voluntary to those who qualify. No SSA beneficiary is mandated to participate. When an individual gets a ticket, he or she is free to choose whether or not to use it. Beneficiaries may contact one or more Employee Networks to discuss services. Once an agreement has been reached, the two work together to develop a written Individual Work Plan (IWP) to assist the beneficiary in reaching his or her employment goals.

The Arc is just getting the program underway and already is assisting three individuals with disabilities find jobs, with six more individuals making inquiries regarding the program. The program serves individuals with disabilities in Washington and Carter counties. For additional information regarding Ticket To Work, please contact Amy Broadfoot at 928-9362.

Member Profile: Susan McKinney

People Who Make A Difference

The Arc of Washington County’s newest employee is independent support coordinator, Susan McKinney. Susan graduated from East Tennessee State University in December of 2002 with a degree in Business Finance and was also a member of the women’s golf team.

Upon graduation, she began work at a local bank where she worked as a bank teller for about a year. Serving customers was one of the things she liked best about her job. This realization led her to search for a position where she could utilize her customer service skills.

Enter The Arc of Washington County’s Independent Support Coordination (ISC) service.

Susan currently has 22 individuals with disabilities on her caseload and has gone through a great deal of ISC training to gain the necessary knowledge to serve them. Add to that a big heart, an out-going personality and a willingness to advocate for those she serves and that makes for a great combination.

“Susan has done a great job getting acclimated to the many requirements of an independent support coordinator,” said Elizabeth Cox, ISC manager in Greeneville. “She fits right in with the other employees in the office, and she works hard to serve the individuals with disabilities on her caseload. She is a great addition to our team.”

Adds Lorie Copas, Associate Director of Independent Support Coordination, “She has been a really quick learner and has a great rapport with the individuals she serves because she has taken the time to get to know them and get to know what their needs and desires are for the future. She really enjoys her job.”

Susan grew up in Rogersville but currently lives in Johnson City. Outside of work, you can probably find Susan on a local golf course keeping her skills sharp that she acquired during her college days.