OLMSTED DAC, INC. ASSOCIATION FOR RETARDED CITIZENS DULUTH MC KNIGHT: $6,687 LOCAL MATCH: $2,229 MC KNIGHT: $12,000 LOCAL MATCH: $4,867 The purpose of the grant was to integrate developmentally disabled senior citizens who could participate in and benefit from inclusion at the Rochester Senior Citizens Center. Senior citizen volunteers were recruited to accompany the developmentally disabled participants. One staff person supervised the project and worked as a trainer for volunteers, Seven developmentally disabled people participated in this project. Four of the people attended one full day and three half days per week, The other three had a variable schedule, generally averaging one full day per week, The first problem encountered was transportation. Scheduling group home and Developmental Achievement Center (DAC) vans was difficult, and city bus schedules didn't coincide with the program's operating hours. The final solution was the city taxi service, Senior volunteer companions were difficult to recruit and retain. The biggest obstacle proved to be acceptance of the disabled people by other senior citizens at the center. This project is ongoing. It is being continued under the services of the DAC. Future expansion is planned, The project is replicable. Contact: Mina Wilson Oimsted County DAC 2110 East Center Street, Building 7 Rochester 55904 507-281-6116 This grant was designed to improve treatment provided to criminal offenders with developmental disabilities. The goal of the project was to ensure the most appropriate services be provided to the offender as expediently as possible, There were two activities undertaken to improve services: a volunteer advocate program and direct advocacy. The volunteer advocate program trained 30 correctional workers in formal training sessions, This segment of the program was less effective than the direct advocacy. The issues were too complex and too serious for an individual without a legal background. Volunteers functioned much more effectively monitoring services, providing emotional support, and providing follow-up after release. Direct advocacy was used to improve the working relationships between Arrowhead corrections personnel and correctional agencies serving all offenders. Correctional, legal, and social service personnel were contacted as needed, Direct advocacy proved to be the most valuable part of the program. One of the problems encountered by this project was that it was overly ambitious. A second problem was the one-year time period of the grant which limited the focus. Additional service has not been provided since the McKnight funding ended. Alternative funding is being sought. Community acceptance and awareness has been increased as the project exposed the need to monitor services for developmentally disabled offenders. The monitoring of services was also a beneficial function of this project. Monitoring has helped expedite the developmentally disabled criminal offender through the judicial process, Contact: Executive Director Duluth ARC 201 Ordean Building Duluth 55802 218-726-4725 2 NORTHWEST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MC KNIGHT: $15,000 LOCAL MATCH: $7,266 This program established a foster care system for developmentally disabled adults, A task force of county social workers helped establish client and provider criteria, explored legal concerns, set up a case management system, and tied in the present support systems with the adult foster home provider. A training program for adult foster home providers was developed, as well as a rural foster care recruitment package. The recruitment materials were disseminated through classified ads, public service announcements, brochures, posters, church bulletin inserts, and radio talk shows. The training/orientation manual included a chapter on developmentally disabled adults. Three orientation sessions were held to train providers. The task force and a consultant certified 13 homes for adult foster care. Ten of these homes are serving developmentally disabled individuals. Lack of public awareness about adult foster care was an initial problem along with initial resistance on the part of health care providers. There was also a shortage of case manager's time devoted to recruitment, certification, and case management. Public awareness was increased through various educational efforts. The consultant spoke individually with nursing home administrators and Developmental Achievement Center directors which increased their acceptance of the project. This project is presently being expanded through funds from the Department of Human Services (formerly Public Welfare). This project can be replicated by others, Contact: Northwest Regional Development Commission 425 Woodland Avenue Crookston 56716 218-281-1396 3 ALTERNATIVES FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MC KNIGHT: $15,000 LOCAL MATCH: $5,000 The purpose of this project was to facilitate the successful transfer of severely mentally retarded and autistic individuals from state institutions to community settings. Direct assistance was provided to secure initial and ongoing day programming services to allow adults with severe, multiple disabilities to begin and/or continue successfully in community residential placements. Four individuals were served directly by this program. As a result of the program's success, the probability of other similarly disabled individuals being placed has greatly increased. This grant proved severe-profoundly mentally retarded and autistic individuals could be placed in community day programs if additional support were provided. Although the project itself is no longer functioning, the "model" used is still functional. The model was presented at a Minnesota Association for Severely Handicapped (MNASH) Conference and a synopsis was published in the Community Involvement Program (CIP) newsletter, This project could be replicated. The staff has suggestions for improvement for anyone interested in replication, Contact: Ms. Bette Rosse 5624 73rd Avenue North Brooklyn Park 55429 612-540-5330 MC KNIGHT: $10,000 LOCAL MATCH: $4,239 This grant was awarded for the purpose of establishing a state level interagency task force and sponsoring training in the area of interagency collaboration for birth through three-year-old children and their families, Five regional workshops were held to provide training in interagency collaboration. Local school district directors and supervisors, Public Health Nursing agencies, Services for Children with Handicaps, Community Social Service agencies, and private service providers attended, A total of 339 persons attended the five workshops. Community meetings were planned at each of the workshops to allow professionals from different agencies to have a chance to meet and discuss potential interagency collaboration. Local interagency committees made presentations at each of the workshops. These presentations promoted examples of collaboration. As a result of this project and other efforts, legislation was drafted and submitted to the 1984 session of the legislature. Unfortunately there wasn't time for the legislature to give it full consideration and it did not pass. Contact: Arm Bettenburg Department of Education Room 802 Capitol Square Building 550 Cedar Street St. Paul 55101 612-297-3619 \. FRESHWATER WOODLAND MC KNIGHT: $15,000 LOCAL MATCH: $14,223 This project was designed to address the problem of the absence of services for children (primarily birth to two years old). It also examined the problem of the current gap in case coordination and case management of existing services. Child find procedures were reviewed at the start of the project. These findings were used to improve interagency procedures. Parent education materials were reviewed, and a parent support group was formed. The case manager coordinated the appropriate staffing of children identified as handicapped. The coordination involved all the appropriate agencies and the parents. Specialized consultants were utilized in the areas of: physical therapy, vision, speech, and adaptive physical education. Copies of the project findings were sent to the Long Prairie Medical Board, Region 5 Regional Development Center, and local school districts. The State Department of Education also received information. This grant has improved the service to children. Forty-five children have been served (between birth and five years old). Two full-time and one part-time teachers are employed. Because the grant supervisor decided to continue the project, it is ongoing. Contact: Mary Jo Hoffer Freshwater Special Services Cooperative 2nd Street North Staples 56479 218-894-2430 5 \. SERVICE INDUSTRIES, INC. MC KNIGHT: $11,313 LOCAL MATCH: $8,687 This project established residential cleaning services in Marshall and Redwood Falls, Minnesota. These operations provide training and employment to individuals with developmental disabilities. The purchase of a cleaning franchise provided Service Industries with established operations and procedural manuals. This ongoing project has one work crew in Redwood Falls and two in Marshall, Minnesota. These work crews average 25 jobs per week, Fourteen people are presently employed: one supervisor and thirteen clients (ten who are mentally retarded and three who are mentally ill). Four of these workers moved out of regular sheltered employment programs. This movement opened four work-funded stations to people on the waiting list. Initially, the project training was located in Marshall. This location proved to be a problem. Relocating the training to the Redwood Falls facility made it easier to recruit crew members. Early in the grant period, a high percentage of applicants were dropping out the program. The dropout rate was reduced through more careful screening of applicants. Staffing costs were higher than anticipated due to one-to-one staffing needs during training. Candidates were trained in a six-week course, The training is divided into "wet rooms" (bathrooms and kitchens) and "dry rooms" (living room, dining room, bedrooms, stairs, and hallway). Training of clients begins with a two- to three home briefing and demonstration and then moves to actual experience in the workshop cleaning bathrooms, day rooms, and the kitchen. The final phase is to clean actual homes. The program has increased the vocational skills of the crew members. These skills are relevant and transferable. Productivity, hours worked per week, and income have increased for crew members. Presently, three members of the project are being considered for employment in a hotel. This program is replicable. Rochester and Owatonna are considering similar projects. Contact: Ms. Susan O'Connor Meyer 1317 East Bridge Street P.O. BOX 248 Redwood Falls 56283 507-637-3591 \. '\. \. Attendance at workshops has varied from 17-45. Participants included: staff, board members, executive directors, regional development commission staff and county case workers. Each participant at every workshop was asked to complete a "work plan" designed to apply the material from the workshop back home on the job. To assist the participants, 38 individuals were employed to serve as Local Resource Consultants, The consultants included college professors, hospital personnel directors, accounting firms, advertising firms, doctoral students, state hospital employees, nursing home director, and a DD coordinator. Three companies volunteered the services of their personnel departments, These consultants were available to meet with participants and assist in applying material on the job. Upon completion of the tasks identified in the work plan the participant was asked to submit a summary to GTS. This was a prerequisite to obtaining a certificate signifying completion of the course. 11 \. The following is a summary by workshop of the type of projects undertaken by the participants: Over 6,584 hours were reported by participants in completing "on-the-job" plans. Eighteen (18) people could not provide estimates of time. The number of hours is over three years of FTE' (2,080 hours = 1 FTE). There were 153 completed plans and 139 plans in process. Personnel: Update job descriptions Update personnel policies Performance appraisals Update interview format and selection process Update application forms Perform job analyses Prepare specific policies (sexual harassment, grievance, child care, volunteerism) Other (job orientation, job standards, handbook, etc.) Financial: Improve and stabilize financial controls Complete an inventory of fixed assets Improve payroll procedures, salary administration, sick and vacation leave, and contractor agreements Improve budgeting Preparation for annual audit Liability insurance coverage Change to accrual accounting 34 31 26 19 13 10 9 10 26 21 9 6 6 3 2 Community Relations: Improve public relations 19 Improve board orientation and prepare board handbook 11 Establish mission, goals, and objectives Purchase, use, and train on computers Update bylaws and articles of incorporation Other (prepare organizational chart, clean out files) Community Integration: Increase community integration 6 4 3 2 activities 30 In-service training for staff in community integration and quality of life 13 Analyze leisure activities to determine age appropriateness 10 Perform job analysis and place clients in jobs in the community 10 Assess clients for strengths and preferences 7 Improve resident rights and have residents conduct own meetings on quality of life 6 Select age appropriate activities 4 Increase family support 1 a FTE=Fu II Time Equivalent 12 \. I i\ 13 Feedback on completed workshops continue to document that administrators are going back to their agencies and implementing the concepts and procedures discussed during the workshops. Not everyone completed every objective within the five month period, but most have indicated that they will continue to work on them. "/ really enjoyed the workshop. I felt it refreshed my feelings on age appropriateness and community integration. It also reminded me that even though we may not be able to reach the ideal, we can still shoot for it. " Community Integration Strategies "It was a good workshop as we now provide the Board of Directors with quarterly operating statements and quarterly balance sheets. Before our reports were mainly comparative budget actual. " Financial Management "All of the four workshops have attended have really helped me get this agency the right road. We have updated our by-laws, developed new personnel policies and are currently to f on rewriting job descriptions. " Personnel Administration "After the workshop, had an in service with staff at the group home on the quality of life. Staff were very receptive and interested. I feel that our residents have had their quality of life greatly increased due to the workshop. " Community Relationships 14 \. 15 Grants Administered by: The Minnesota State Planning Agency Tom Triplett, Director Colleen Wieck, Ph. D., DD Program Director Ron Kaliszewski, Grant Administrator Kay Zwernik, Government Training Service Coordinator For additional copies of this report or for more information about this McKnight Foundation program, please contact: Developmental Disabilities Program State Planning Agency 201 Capitol Square Building 55o Cedar Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 612-296-4018 , Graphic Design: Destiny 2, Inc., St. Paul 16